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. Article I of the Constitution establishes the ___________________ branch.






2. 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






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






4. This clause of the 1st amendment establishes a 'wall of separation' between church and state.






5. According to this nineteenth-century British peer and historian - 'power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.'






6. These voters tend to have a high voter turnout because of their strong since of civic duty due to growing up during an era of political and civil unrest.






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






8. Literally meaning 'right of soil' - confers citizenship by place of birth.






9. The number of ______________ a state receives is based on the number Representatives and Senators that the state has in Congress






10. Which form of registration prevails in all but a few states?






11. The only instance in which the government can prohibit religious activities






12. ____________________ define Congressional voting districts acting within constraints set down by Congress and the Supreme Court.






13. Love of country and a desire for independence; it can also mean an excessive form of patriotism exploited by political leaders.






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






15. Age Requirement for House of Representatives.






16. A method available in most states that allows voters - in effect - to 'veto' a bill passed by the legislature or to accept or reject a proposal - such as a bond issue - made by a government agency.






17. A jury of 6 to 12 persons who determine guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action






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






19. The ___________ aspects of Federalism include: diversity/diffusion of power - more access points for political participation - fostering of experimentation and innovation - and allowing local governments to manage local problems effectively






20. 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






21. Presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President. Position awarded to the longest serving Senator from the majority party. 3rd in line of succession for the Presidency.






22. This 1964 case established strict standards for proving slander and libel - court must prove intent of malice on the part of the publisher.






23. First proposed in 1789 - this amendment passed in 1992 prohibits Congress from raising their own pay. Pay raises may not take affect until the beginning of the next term.






24. Established the Federal Reserve Bank - responsible for conducting the nation's monetary policy - maintaining the stability of the financial system - supervising and regulating banking institutions - and protecting the credit rights of consumers - and






25. A coherent set of beliefs about politics - public policy - and public purpose. It helps give meaning to political event - personalities - and policies.






26. A close contest; by extension - any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.






27. A legislature with only one house.






28. The practice under which victorious politicians reward their followers with jobs.






29. 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






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






31. A method of polling - considered less reliable than a random sample - in which interviewers are instructed to question members of a particular group in proportion to their percentage in the population as a whole.






32. In lieu of an indictment - the state prosecutor may file a _______________ charging the person with a crime.






33. The 1892 platform of the Populist party repudiating laissez-faire and demanding economic and political reform






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






35. The issue of slavery split the Democratic Party into what two factions?






36. Laws passed by state legislatures that are designed to protect reporters from being forced to reveal their news sources.






37. Prohibits the use of cruel or unusual punishment.






38. The oldest House committee still in existence.






39. This controversial clause of the 9th Amendment has allowed government to expand rights to suit its needs.






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






41. Law intended to promote free competition in the market place by outlawing monopolies






42. 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






43. Germany - Switzerland - and India are examples of countries with a _______________ system of government.






44. Polls taken as people leave voting places. In the past - television networks sometimes used these polls to predict election outcomes before the polls close. In 1992 - the television networks agreed not to project the winner in a state until the major






45. Wisconsin Republican who exploited public concern for political gain during the 1950's through freewheeling investigations of alleged Communists.






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






47. Puerto Rico has ____________ status.






48. Presidential staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for government agencies.






49. A philosophy that Supreme Court justices and other judges should boldly apply the Constitution to social and political questions.






50. 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