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






2. The state officer typically responsible for overseeing federal elections at the state level is the






3. A philosophy that the Supreme Court should avoid constitutional questions when possible and uphold acts of Congress unless they clearly violate a specific section of the Constitution.






4. If 10 days do not remain in session and the president does not sign an act of Congress - the bill __________.






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






6. Several Presidents have been elected without winning the popular vote. As a result - In 1970 and 1979 - Amendments were proposed to disband the ______________ - neither passed.






7. The vagueness of this phrase has allowed juries to exclude specific genders or races in order to affect the outcome of the verdict.






8. In 1943 - The Supreme Court upheld the Jehovah's Witnesses right to refrain from saluting the American flag based on their right to _____________.






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






10. 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






11. The average voter turnout between 1960 and 2004 was __________ percent






12. Finding that enough evidence exists to warrant a criminal trial.






13. A political candidate who is thought to have only an outside chance of gaining the nomination.






14. A group of people - chosen by poll-takers - that is representative of the universe that is being polled.






15. Contacts - coalitions - and interactions across national boundaries






16. Independent agencies governed by an appointed and confirmed commission. Examples include the Food and Drug Administration - Environmental Protection Agency - and the Securities and Exchange Commission.






17. The pursuit and exercise of power.






18. This may be done by a national constitutional convention called by Congress on the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures OR By the passage of a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress






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. (1781-1789) The written framework for the government of the original 13 states before the Constitution was adopted. Under this - the national government was weak and dominated by the states. There was a unicameral legislature - but no national execut






21. The strongest factor contributing to an individual's political socialization tends to be






22. The Supremacy Clause appears in ________________ of the Constitution.






23. 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.






24. The introductory statement of the U.S. Constitution - setting forth the general principles of American government and beginning with the words - 'We the people of the United States - in order to form a more perfect union. ...'






25. In this case - a gay man from Georgia charged with committing sodomy in his own home with a consenting adult. The court ruled that the Constitution does not explicitly grant the right for homosexuals to practice their lifestyle and that laws against






26. The agency that provides Congress with evaluations of public policies is the






27. In Johnson v. Texas (1989) - the Supreme Court ruled that burning the flag in a manner that does not pose a threat to people or property is allowed as this type of freedom of speech.






28. Each Senate committee may have ________ subcommittees.






29. Government regulation of the economy through its control over taxes and government spending. Controlled by the Department of Treasury.






30. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 required states in the covered jurisdiction to attain _________________ from the Attorney General before making changes to voting standards - practice - or procedure






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






32. 1798 Act that criminalized speech that was derisive to the government. Later ruled unconstitutional - Andrew Jackson issued blanket pardon in 1801






33. A pluralist theory by C. Wright Mills where a small number of wealthy elite wield most of the power. Fundamental to all governments around the world - the elite rule while they make the lower classes feel like they are involved in democracy. The elit






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






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






36. Multi-interest and often multinational corporations that - under one corporate roof - may manufacture a wide variety of products.






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






38. A system in which the power to govern is shared between national and state governments






39. Method by which federal court judges may lose their position.






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






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






42. 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.






43. Elections in which the majority party (according to party identification) is defeated in a temporary reversal.






44. 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






45. ___________ vote in both the House and Senate may override a Presidential veto of legislation.






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






47. An election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election. In other words - one means by which a political party nominate candidates for the following general election.s






48. The party-column ballot - or Indiana ballot - encourages _______________.






49. Important during the Revolution - these bodies organized by the local governments of the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution for the purposes of coordinating written communication outside of the colony.






50. Grants that an accused may not be held in custody without charge - literally 'You shall have the body'.