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. Disapproval of a bill by a chief executive - such as the president or a governor.






2. 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.






3. Federal grants in which the recipient has a lot of discretion over how the money is spent. These grants are issued in support of general government functions such as education and law enforcement.






4. Political leaders typically try to both lead and follow ____________.






5. An act of legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial. Constitutionally prohibited.






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. These party members take active non-leadership roles such as working polls or contributing money to campaigns. Tend to compromise on important issues and are mostly concerned about winning elections.






8. A policy of avoiding foreign involvement.






9. A group of people who try to influence policy agendas and whose ultimate goal is to run the government by getting their favorite candidates elected.






10. The federal fiscal year begins ___________.






11. Private groups that attempt to influence the government to respond to the shared attitudes of their members.






12. Something given in exchange for something else; swap






13. The Medicaid and Food Stamp programs are examples of two very large






14. Number of Federal District courts across 50 states - DC and Puerto Rico.






15. In this essay - James Madison recognized that reconciling the competing interests of various groups was what legislation was all about






16. Established by President Hoover - It is the _______________ job to keep the press informed and orchestrate press conferences






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






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






19. Law enacted in 1939 to prohibit civil servants from taking activists roles in partisan campaigns .This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions - working for a particualr party -or campaining for a particualr canidate






20. 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






21. Agenda that includes issues that affect the daily lives of the people.






22. Which two British Acts - passed in 1764 - caused American colonists for the first time to organize protests against the injustices of British rule - and sparked the rallying cry 'no taxation without representation'?






23. It is possible either to describe people - government - politics - and power as isolated - static elements - or to look at them as interacting elements in a_______________.






24. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






25. Provisions tacked on to a piece of legislation that are not relevant to the bill.






26. Assigns bills to the appropriate House committee.






27. Author of The Spirit of the Laws advocating balance of power in politics with liberty is dependant upon a separation of the judicial - legislative - and executive branches of government.






28. This influential English document refuted divine right of monarchy and made monarchs subject to laws and responsible for crimes






29. The term 'Reagan Democrats' has become a generic term for






30. If 10 days remain in session and the president does not sign an act of Congress - the law is ___________.






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






32. 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.






33. The expansion of cable and satellite tv has _________________ the president's power to influence public opinion.






34. Impact elections by siphoning off votes from major parties spoiling a party's chance in a close race.






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






36. 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






37. The spread of nuclear weapons to new nations






38. Tips the balance between two leading candidates by attracting a minority of voters who otherwise might have voted for one of the leading candidates.






39. A policy that takes something away from one person and gives it to someone else -






40. A meeting of party leaders to select candidates - elect convention delegates - etc






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






42. Number of justices of the Supreme Court.






43. A joint committee of Congress established to help negotiate discrepancies and gain consensus between legislation passed in each house before sending the bill to the President.






44. Voters tendency to identify with a party that shares their views on important issues ignoring the party's stance on issues they deem less important. to be life-long unless there is a major change in the party's platform. 2. Influenced by ra






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






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






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






48. Federal categorical grants in which the granting agency has much discretion over how the recipient spends the money.






49. In Argersinger v. Hamlin (1972) - the Supreme Court extended the right to counsel to those accused of misdemeanors if the defendant is _____________.






50. Which powers of the national government flow from its enumerated powers and from the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution?