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 class of independent voters who do not vote according to party affiliation - but who typically have a broader range of concerns than single-issue voters - are known colloquially as






2. The tendency of presidents to lose support over time.






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






4. 1917 Reincarnation of the Sedition Act during WWI






5. The 5th amendment protect against _____________.






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






7. Article I of the Constitution establishes the ___________________ branch.






8. _____________ is responsible for monetary policy.






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






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. Belief in the value of strong government to provide economic secruity and protection for civil rights - combined with a belief in personal freedom from government intervention in social conduct






12. A court decision in an earlier case with facts and legal issues similar to a dispute currently before a court.






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






14. Since 1960 - there has been a general trend of ______________ participation in elections.






15. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over lawsuits filed against the agency.






16. 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






17. There is an _____________ relationship between Presidential approval ratings and unemployment.






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






19. Court cases that concern crimes committed against the public order.






20. Petition that - if signed by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives - will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration






21. Which office serves as a watchdog into waste or fraud in the bureaucracy and conducts investigations at the request of congressional committees






22. These candidates win re-election to the House 80-90% of the time.






23. Freedoms that protect the individual from the government.






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






25. Spending determined by the number of qualified recipients and their legally determined need is called






26. 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 ______________)






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






28. In the 1964 case of ____________ - the Supreme Court: established 'one person - one vote' -






29. The spread of nuclear weapons to more nations.






30. An economic system in which the factors of production are owned by the publicand operate for the welfare of all.






31. The Constitution requires that state governments - like the federal government - must be _____________ in form - with final authority resting with the people.






32. States that states may draw reasonable distinctions between the rights of residents and non-residents (ex. In state and out of state tuition)






33. 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.






34. Executive office responsible for helping the President write the federal budget and monitoring federal spending.






35. 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






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






37. Unwritten law based on custom and tradition.






38. Programs of government - universities - and businesses designed to favor minorities and remedy past discrimination.






39. This called for three-fifths of all slaves in a state were counted for purposes of apportioning representation in the House of Representatives.






40. Formed as a third party on the issue of slavery by many former Whigs in the 1850's. Anti-slavery platform. Supported by farmers - laborers - and newly-freed blacks.






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






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






43. This contraversial 2001 law allows anti-terrorism authorities to monitor e-mail and Internet traffic in order to prevent terrorist attacks. The government argues that cyberspace is public domain and that no warrants should be needed to access informa






44. A word that comes from two Greek roots - demos - 'the populace -' and kratia - 'rule'






45. Cabinet department responsible for collective bargaining and union activity. Established in 1913






46. Th joint listing of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ballot as required by the twelfth amendment






47. These party members tend to be ideologues who put issues ahead of winning elections and withhold support from candidates who do not share their stance on issues. Very active in special interest groups and caucuses within the party. Willing to break a






48. 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.






49. In the 1962 case of Robinson v. California - the Supreme Court ruled that incarcerating a drug addict is ______________________ because drug addiction is an illness.






50. 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.