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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. Political theorist proposed the separation of church and state.






2. A primary in which any registered voter is able to vote for candidates from more than one party. A voter - for example - may vote for a Democrat for U.S. senator and for a Republican for governor. In 2000 - the Supreme Court struck down the blanket p






3. Test whereby the Supreme Court established criteria by which state may provide aid to religious groups.






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






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






6. 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






7. 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.






8. Procedure typically requiring 3/5 vote of the entire Senate to end a filibuster.






9. Committees created by Congress to conduct special investigations. Although normally temporary - some become - in effect - permanent.






10. A policy adopted by the United States after the Second World War that assumed that if enough nuclear weapons were deployed by the United States - an enemy would not attack for fear of being destroyed in retaliation.






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






12. In 1992 - the television networks agreed not to release these until a majority of polling places had closed in each state






13. In the year 2000 - the Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America had a constitutional right to ban _____________ members.






14. A group of high-level administrators and managers at the top of the government bureaucracy. SES members have less job tenure but are eligible for substantial cash bonuses for merit.






15. The belief that one can understand politics and therefore participate in politics






16. Theory of democracy in which competition among common interest groups promote ideas to influence politics






17. Number of years a President must reside in the US prior to taking office






18. The proceeding before a judge in which the formal charges of an indictment or information are read to an accused person - who may plead guilty or not guilty.






19. This act prohibited Discrimination because of race - color - sex - religion - or national origin by employers or labor unions; The adoption by voting registrars of different standards for black and white applicants; and Racial or religious discrimina






20. The pursuit and exercise of power






21. Most house committees are limited to _____ subcommittees.






22. A device that allows the House of Representatives to conduct its business with fewer restrictions on debate and a quorum of only 100 members.






23. The oldest House committee still in existence.






24. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendment to bills or provides that only memebers of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments






25. Cabinet positions must be ____________ by the Senate






26. A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a 'bundle -' thus increasing the PAC's influence.






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. Government regulation of the economy through its control over the supply of money and the cost and availability of credit. Controlled by the Federal Reserve Board.






29. A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary - it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she w






30. Laws - rules - and government programs designed to protect individual rights and specific groups - as well as to benefit society as a whole in such areas as health - worker safety - consumer protection - and the environment.






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






32. Defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing - pictures






33. In Reynolds v. US (1879) - the Supreme Court denied this right to Reynolds because his religion's practice of polygamy violated federal law.






34. Established national income tax.






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






36. Direct oral or written speech directed at a specific individual or group






37. Considered the most sacred right in American history. Colonists felt oppressed by the tyranny of the crown but were unable to speak up about it for fear of repercussion.






38. Programs mandated by law and not subject to annual review by Congress or the president.






39. Type of interest group represented in Washington by another individual or organization. (Ex. Ford Motor Company pays a lobbyist in Washington to represent them.)






40. An economic system of free enterprise with private ownership of the means of production.






41. ________________ of the Constitution governs the relationships of the states.






42. 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.






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






44. A loose grouping of people and organizations who seek to influence policy formation.






45. Responsible for further investigation - hearings - and amendment to a bill






46. The federal fiscal year begins ___________.






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






48. Amendment that delegated the election of Senators to popular vote.






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






50. Overall spending targets set by the Congress.







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