Test your basic knowledge |

CLEP American Government

Subjects : clep, civics
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The introductory statement of the U.S. Constitution - setting forth the general principles of American government and beginning with the words - 'We the people of the United States - in order to form a more perfect union. ...'






2. These dissenting Republicans won 17% of the popular vote in 1924 on a platform for public control of national resources and railways - tax reductions - and changes to the staff of the executive department

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3. Proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 as an attempt to form a union of the colonies. Later used to help form the Articles of Confederation.






4. Lawsuit brought by an individual or group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated






5. Also known as the Indiana ballot - lists the candidates of each party in a row or column - beside or under the party emblem. In most cases - the voter can make one mark at the top of the column - or pull one lever - and thus vote for all the party's






6. Voting based on looking back and making judgments about the way things have gone and the kind of government experienced during a political leader's time in office.






7. In this case - a gay man from Georgia charged with committing sodomy in his own home with a consenting adult. The court ruled that the Constitution does not explicitly grant the right for homosexuals to practice their lifestyle and that laws against






8. Things government decides to do - example: taxation - crime control - national defense - education - etc.






9. Author of The Spirit of the Laws advocating balance of power in politics with liberty is dependant upon a separation of the judicial - legislative - and executive branches of government.






10. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over budget and appointments of leadership.






11. A writ designed to protect against illegal imprisonment by requiring that a person who is detained be brought before a judge for investigation.






12. Between conventions - the governing body of a major political party. Members of this group are chosen in the states and formally elected by the party






13. Number of years a Representative must reside in the US prior to taking office






14. Serious crimes - such as murder - arson - or rape.






15. The house armed services and foreign affairs committees each have ___ subcommittees.






16. The main mechanism used by modern political parties to nominate their candidate for President.






17. Court cases that involve relations between individuals and organizations - such as a divorce action - or a suit for damages arising from an automobile accident or for violation of a business contract.






18. In this essay - James Madison recognized that reconciling the competing interests of various groups was what legislation was all about






19. Designed to protect the individual against the arbitrary power of the state.






20. A world economy characterized by the free movement of goods - capital - labor - and information across national borders.






21. The Supreme Court has ruled that Congress_________________ take away a person's citizenship unless it is freely renounced.






22. Today the South is is a two-party battleground - in which the ______________ often have the upper hand






23. Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman (1979) upheld that bussing programs were an acceptable way to enforce ______________________.






24. This contraversial legal technicality intended to protect civil liberties has allowed criminals to remain free when the courts refuse to admit evidence that may have been obtained illegally.






25. 3 person executive panel responsible for helping the President develop an economic plan for the nation.






26. The concentration of economic power in the hands of a relatively few large companies.






27. An offical who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of the legislator






28. The ruling in this case provided that the government must prove a threat to national security in order to impose prior restraint.






29. The body composed of electors from the 50 states who formally have the power to elect the president and vice president of the United States. Each state has a number of electors and electoral votes equal to its number of senators and representatives i






30. Number of years a President must reside in the US prior to taking office






31. The elected position of President pro tempore of the Senate is almost always held by






32. What principle - contained in the Fourth Amendment - protects a citizen from unwarranted search and seizure?






33. Total number of Representatives apportioned to the states based on population and reapportioned with the census every 10 years






34. Which of the following factors is likely to be the weakest indicator of an individual's political beliefs and opinions? Age - Race - Intelligence - or Religion






35. The framers of the Constitution created the Senate to function as a check on the ________________.






36. When the population's overall feeling of political efficacy is low - voter turnout is _______.






37. ______________________is responsible for the management of the federal debt and the printing of currency. It is the major fiscal policy agency.






38. The expression of attitudes about government and politics.






39. 6 In the view of Robert L. Lineberry - policy analysts focus on the _______________.






40. A system of voter registration in which voters must register only once in their district.






41. A controversial law overwhelmingly passed by Congress in October 2001 - after the terrorist attacks of September 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It greatly expanded the power of federal law enforcement authorities to move against suspe






42. Federal aid that states and localities may use mostly as they wish.






43. The President's role in the armed forces which during the 20th century has allowed Presidents to circumvent Congress' refusal to declare war.






44. Authority based on an individual's outstanding traits - which attract followers






45. The Jacksonian Era marked an important change in the process used to nominate Presidential candidates with the emergence of party _________________ - eliminating caucuses.






46. Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.






47. Legislative house whose membership was intended to represent the state.






48. In 2002 - a federal appeals court struck down the Pledge of Allegiance on the grounds that it violated ________________.






49. Government regulation of the economy through its control over taxes and government spending. Controlled by the Department of Treasury.






50. Voters in a political district - or supporters of an elected official; or interest groups or client groups that are either directly regulated by the bureaucracy or vitally affected by its decisions.