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. Although camera are allowed in most trial courts - they are banned from ______________.






2. Beginning with the election of Abraham Lincoln - the period between 1860 and the Great Depression was dominated by this political party.






3. 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






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






5. Political theorist proposed the separation of church and state.






6. A place of work in which any person may be hired provided that he or she joins the union within a specified time.






7. Government employees who publicly expose evidence of official waste or corruption that they have learned about in the course of their duties.






8. Devolutionary system in which the national government returns tax dollars to the state and local governments primarily in the form of block grants.






9. The drawing of the lines of congressional districts - or of any other political district - in order to favor one political party or group over another.






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






11. 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.






12. Constitutionally required address by the President typically given in a joint session of Congress.






13. A law passed by Congress in 1973 in an effort to set a time limit on the use of combat forces abroad by a president.






14. The expression of attitudes about government and politics.






15. While the verbiage of the 4th Amendment is vague as to what constitutes 'reasonable'. Police departments must rely on _____________; they cannot act on unfounded suspicion.






16. This amendment applied the Bill of Rights to states.






17. Assistants to the Majority and Minority Leaders of both the House and Senate.






18. _____ out of 9 justices must agree to hear an appellate case brought to them from a lower court.






19. The response of the rest of society to actions by the authorities.






20. A provision of the Federal Communications Act that requires broadcasters to provide the same amount of exposure to all legally qualified political candidates.






21. A public policy that takes something away from one person or group and gives it to another person or group.






22. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 restructured the number of ______________ in both the House and Senate.






23. In the area of foreign affairs - _______________ often have the advantage because






24. Electoral college system and other campaign practices make it exceedingly difficult for even popular ______________ candidates to successfully run for the presidency.






25. The concept that all people are of equal worth - even if not of equal ability.






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






27. ________ of voters identify with one political party in advance of the campaign.






28. _____________ is responsible for monetary policy.






29. When the President's own party gains power and influence - it more puts pressure on the President to conform to the will of the party - leading to________________ between the President and the party to define their public identities






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






31. A strand of American foreign policy that was visible by the end of the 19th century; it included 'gunboat diplomacy' and other forms of military involvement by the United States in various parts of the world.






32. The right to privacy is ___________ in the Constitution.






33. 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






34. Prompted by the ____________________ - the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.






35. The power of the president - struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998 - to veto parts of appropriations bills. Most state governors have this power.






36. Unwritten law based on custom and tradition.






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






38. Age Requirement for the Senate






39. Article VII of the Constitution outlines the process of ____________________.






40. A system in which national and state government have shared or overlapping powers. FDR's New Deal legislation established this system in the US.






41. 1976 Law requiring all governmental agency meetings to be open to the public unless classified information will be discussed.






42. Which branch has the power to stop an executive order?






43. Contacts - coalitions - and interactions across national boundaries






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






45. ________________ of the Constitution dictates how the Constitution shall be amended.






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






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






48. The provisions of the Constitution that divide power among three constitutionally equal and independent branches of government






49. Guarantees that citizens cannot be compelled by the government to act in a way that is contrary to their religious beliefs. (ex. Conscientious objection to military service required by the draft is the execution of ______________)






50. Representing - characterized by - or including members from two parties or factions