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. Bills that benefit legislators' home districts - or powerful corporate contributors - with sometimes wasteful or unnecessary public works or other projects.






2. Judicial Check on Legislative Branch. Not specifically outlined in the Constitution - but established in the case of Marbury v. Madison through the application of the Supremacy Clause in Article VI.






3. At one time - the press generally refrained from publishing personal information that would be damaging. FDR - Eisenhower - and JFK all benefited from this reluctance to engage in _____________________. However - the American publics appetite for sen






4. Organizations or groups - such as labor unions or fraternal - professional - or religious groups - that may influence an individual's opinion.






5. Groups whose views serve as guidelines to an individual's opinion. See also primary groups and secondary groups.






6. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






7. Most modern political scientists believe there is ________________ between politics and government.






8. Literally - a 'friend of the court' brief - filed by an individual or organization to present arguements in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case






9. A 1972 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union limiting the number of defensive missiles each country could build. In 2001 President George W. Bush withdrew the United States from the treaty.






10. These voters are registered as a party member but only participate by voting in primary and general elections. Tend to vote straight-party ticket and follow the leads of local party officials.






11. The fundamental rights of a free society that are protected by the Bill of Rights against the power of the government - such as freedom of speech - religion - press - and assembly.






12. ______________ refers to the differences in political attitudes and voting behavior between men and women






13. According to one survey - what percentage of Americans belongs to groups that sometimes take a stand on public issues






14. Independent organizations - but more often the political arms of corporations - labor unions - or interest groups - established to contribute to candidates or to work for general political goals.






15. This article of the Constitution establishes the Executive Branch.






16. Age Requirement for the Senate






17. A system in which the national government provides grants-in-aid to states using conditions to elicit control.






18. The amount of money available when the government's income is greater than what it spends in a fiscal year.






19. Term limit for House of Representatives.






20. 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






21. The period of time after the election of FDR until the Vietnam War was dominated by the Democratic Party and know as the __________________ Era.






22. According to V. O. Key - Jr. - the Populist Party of the 1890s is an example of a ____________________.






23. A plan to provide billions of dollars of American aid to Western Europe to speed its economic and social recovery after the Second World War.






24. Concept of the British statesman Edmund Burke that legislators should act according to their own consciences.






25. An official document - published every weekday - which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.






26. 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






27. Age Requirement for House of Representatives.






28. An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other - so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted






29. Legislature bills that affect only a small group of citizens.






30. The federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers (including research and soil conservation and efforts to stabilize the farming economy)






31. This Supreme Court case infamously decided that a slave was not a citizen but property to be 'used in subservience to the interests - the convenience - or the will of his owner'






32. A legislative leader of each party who is responsible for rounding up party members for important votes.






33. The permanent committees of a legislature that consider bills and conduct hearings and investigations.






34. Requests from people or groups for health care for the aged - loans for college students - equal opportunity for minorities - and higher subsidies for farmers are examples of:






35. By far - the largest amount of federal aid to state and local governments comes in the form of:






36. In some cases where blicity too much publicity surrounds a trial - courts have granted _______________ to help ensure a fair trial. One example is the trial of Timothy McVeigh for the Oklahoma City Bombing.






37. Dissenting Democrats focused on foreign affairs. Aligned with the US Communist Party.

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38. Includes expressive conduct/assembly/actions and symbolic behavior (ex. Picketing or burning the flag) Based on our country history of symbolic acts such as the Boston Tea Party - courts almost always uphold symbolic acts of speech unless they are cr






39. Process by which citizens propose an amendment by petition.






40. ____________ often influence political appointments in an effort to influence bureaucracy.






41. Literally meaning 'right of blood' - confers citizenship to a child from the parents.






42. A study of Bennington College students in the 1930s illustrated that the influence of the family on political attitudes tends to ______________ as they grow older and come into contact with other groups.






43. This house committee is responsible for Supervising the authority of the federal government to borrow money - Raising the revenue required to finance the federal government by levying taxes - Overseeing Social Security and other social insurance prog






44. During the 1800's and early 1900's - some state and local party committees became ________________ dominating party activities. Committee members would promise new recruits money - jobs - and other benefits for joining and voting the straight party t






45. Form of obstruction in the Senate where an attempt is made to infinitely extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay the progress or completely prevent a vote on the proposal taking place.






46. State legislation designed to outlaw the union shop - passed by 21 states acting under Section 14B of the federal Taft-Hartley Act.






47. The constitutional requirement (in article II - sec 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed - even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws






48. Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial.






49. A power of the president to kill a bill by taking no action (if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period after the president receives the bill). Some court rulings have suggested that a president may exercise a pocket veto only when Congress adjour






50. Communication with legislators or other government officials to try to influence their decisions.