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. Lead by Theodore Roosevelt - this party platform focused on women's suffrage - social reform - fair business practices - and direct election of senators. The won 25% of the popular vote in 1911 - splitting the Republican vote and allowing Democrat Wo






2. In which case did the Supreme Court rule that the 1964 Civil Rights Act does not prohibit private affirmative action programs?






3. Loose - competitive relationships among policy experts - interest groups - congressional committees - and federal agencies. Many observers argue that these have replaced iron triangles.






4. Between 1909 and 2002 - the number of daily newspapers in the United States______________.






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






6. A term coined by President Lyndon B. Johnson to describe his own view of the relationship between Washington and the states.






7. In states using primaries - the most common form of primary election is the ___________ primary.






8. In the Federalist Papers - James Madison proposed that the states under the new Constitution would retain ____________ sovereignty.






9. This 1st amendment clause prohibits the government from making any law prohibiting the exercise of any religion






10. Cabinet department responsible for insuring mortgages and providing housing subsidies. Established in 1965






11. The only court specifically outlined in the Constitution.






12. Senators are re-elected every ___ years with 1/3 of the Senate being up for election every 2 years.






13. 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






14. After the Vietnam war - American politics entered an era of __________________ during which neither party maintained control over the government.






15. A law passed in 1966 that requires federal executive branch and regulatory agencies to make information available to journalists - scholars - and the public unless it falls into one of several confidential categories.






16. Multi-interest and often multinational corporations that - under one corporate roof - may manufacture a wide variety of products.






17. A broadly based coalition that attempts to gain control of the government by winning elections in order to exercise power and reward its members.






18. During the period from 1976 to 1824 - This party was lead by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. They wanted a stronger national government that would rectify the pitfalls of the Articles of Confederation. Their supporters held a stronghold in New






19. First governing document of the Plymouth Colony establishing freedom of religion.






20. Eisenhower's philosophy of being liberal in all things human and being conservative with all things fiscal. Appealed to both Republicans and Democrats.






21. Baby boomers - women - and voters with higher levels of education tend to have a ____________ voter turnout.






22. Term limit for House of Representatives.






23. The name commonly given to a private group - regardless of size - organized to elect political candidates. An organization becomes one by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1 -000 for the purpose of influencing a federal ele






24. The 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act - the 1965 Highway Beautification Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act are all examples of ____________________.






25. The power of some municipalities to modify their charters and run their affairs without approval by the state legislature.






26. The doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group






27. In an election with more than 2 options - the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number - but less that half of the votes.






28. Which historical figure described democracy as 'the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time?'






29. The European political philosophers whose writings influenced the concepts of liberty and government contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution belonged to the intellectual and cultural movement known as






30. Cabinet department responsible for regulating and promoting trade and maintaining the census Established in 1913..






31. 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.






32. The executive office established in response to intelligence lapses during WWI. Oversees American foreign policy and includes the President - Vice President - Secretary of State - Secretary of Defense and is lead by the National Security Advisor.






33. The view advocated by Supreme Court Justices Hugo Black and William O. Douglas that there are provisions of the Bill of Rights that cannot be diluted by judicial decisions.






34. The structure and set of regulations in place to control activity - usually in large organizations and government. it is represented by standardized procedure (rule-following) that dictates the execution of most or all processes within the body - for






35. 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






36. A public assistance program established in 1965 to help pay hospital - doctor - and medical bills for people with low incomes.






37. An economic philosophy that advocates both tax and budget cuts to increase incentives to produce in order to expand the total supply of the nation's goods and services.






38. The overall public has a ___________ view of PACS in terms of bought votes and adding to the cost of running for office






39. High School Dropouts - Blacks - Hispanics - Recent immigrants - and People under 25 or over 75 tend to have a _________ voter turnout.






40. (1781-1789) The written framework for the government of the original 13 states before the Constitution was adopted. Under this - the national government was weak and dominated by the states. There was a unicameral legislature - but no national execut






41. The spread of nuclear weapons to more nations.






42. Form of government in which the people are sovereign but their power is exercised by their elected representatives.






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






44. Age requirement for President






45. Powers of government that are specifically granted to the three branches of the federal government under the Constitution.






46. A ruling by the Supreme Court in 1857






47. The yearly value of goods and services produced within a country.






48. Committees appointed for investigative or crisis situations.






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






50. German sociologist theorized that the engine of government needs bureaucracies to provide expertise in a way that short-term elected or appointed official cannot.