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. Assistants to the Majority and Minority Leaders of both the House and Senate.






2. Presidential refusal to allow an agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and appropriated.






3. Clause of the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 10) intended to prohibit state governments from modifying contracts made between individuals; interpreted as prohibiting state governments from taking actions that adversely affect property rights.






4. In a 1943 case - the Supreme Court upheld the right to refuse to salute the American flag on the basis of the constitutional guarantee of _________________.






5. What principle - contained in the Fourth Amendment - protects a citizen from unwarranted search and seizure?






6. ________ of voters identify with one political party in advance of the campaign.






7. The individuals - institutions - and processes that make the rules for society and possess the power to enforce them.






8. Guaranteed women the right to vote.






9. A public policy that takes something away from one person or group and gives it to another person or group.






10. Prompted by the ____________________ - the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.






11. Powers of the national government that flow from its enumerated powers and the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution.






12. The way things should be by law






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






14. A federal law passed by Congress in 1939 to restrict political activities by federal workers. The law prevents federal employees while on duty from taking an active part in party politics or campaigns and also bars federal employees from running for






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






16. A 1972 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union limiting the number of defensive missiles each country could build. In 2001 President George W. Bush withdrew the United States from the treaty.






17. 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.






18. Assigns bills to the appropriate House committee.






19. 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.






20. Guarantees the right to a civil trial by jury.






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






22. 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






23. This amendment includes the due process clause - the equal protection clause - and gave rights to former slaves.






24. Spending by the national committees of the political parties to support the election of congressional candidates is known as






25. Independent organizations - but more often the political arms of corporations - labor unions - or interest groups - established to contribute to candidates or to work for general political goals.






26. Something given in exchange for something else; swap






27. 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.






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






29. Bills that benefit legislators' home districts - or powerful corporate contributors - with sometimes wasteful or unnecessary public works or other projects.






30. A system of voter registration in which voters must register every year or at other stated intervals.






31. The fundamental flaw in plural theory contends that pluralism weakens the backbone of democracy with too many common interest groups attempt to wield power - often leading to standstill because of unwillingness to compromise.






32. _____________ is responsible for monetary policy.






33. The belief that all people possess certain basic rights that may not be abridged by government.






34. Laws that were designed to segregate black and white Americans and give legal recognition to discrimination.






35. A system of _______________ - as in Italy - encourages the existence of many parties by allotting seats to competing candidates according to the percentage of votes they win.






36. An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other - so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted






37. Guarantees that an accused in innocent until proven guilty.






38. A study of Bennington College students in the 1930s illustrated that the influence of the family on political attitudes tends to ______________ as they grow older and come into contact with other groups.






39. _____________ are expected to specialize in a few policy areas rather than claim expertise in the whole range of legislative concerns






40. The 5th amendment protect against _____________.






41. 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






42. Southern whites prevented blacks from ____________ through use of poll taxes - literacy tests and intimidation tactics after the Civil War.






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






44. Federal laws limit the amount of ___________ that can be donated directly to campaign coffers.






45. Political theorist proposed the separation of church and state.






46. Prohibits citizens of one state or foreign country from suing another state.






47. A system of voter registration in which voters must register only once in their district.






48. In the area of foreign affairs - _______________ often have the advantage because






49. Members of this party typically include women who support liberal policies on abortion and equal pay - Jews - Catholics - Blacks and other minorities - Blue-collar working class - urban - labor unions - and intelligensia






50. By far - the largest amount of federal aid to state and local governments comes in the form of: