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






2. When neither political party is dominant.






3. Which branch has the power to stop an executive order?






4. Concurrent resolution - adopted by both Houses of Congress - that sets forth a Congressional budget plan for the budget year and at least four out-years.






5. Minimum number of voters per state in the Electoral College.






6. The primary purpose of _______________consolidate the nation's disability laws and provide for strong federal enforcement of a strengthened disability rights mandate






7. Head of the Supreme Court.






8. A federal tax on imports.






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






10. Population migration patterns since the second World War have increased the power of _____________.






11. 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






12. Court cases that involve relations between individuals and organizations - such as a divorce action - or a suit for damages arising from an automobile accident or for violation of a business contract.






13. A form of city government under which a council - usually elected on a nonpartisan ticket - hires a professional city manager - who runs the city government and has power to hire and fire officials.






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






15. Senators are re-elected every ___ years with 1/3 of the Senate being up for election every 2 years.






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






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






18. Colonies in which freely elected legislatures chose the governor and the king could not veto laws.






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






20. A legal principle of fair dealing - which may provide preventive measures and legal remedies that are unavailable under existing common law and statutory law.






21. 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.






22. This amendment applied the Bill of Rights to states.






23. This group of voters historically supported Republicans - a party founded on an anti-slavery platform. During the 1930's they began supporting the New Deal policies of the Democratic party.






24. These parties often emerge as off-shoots of major parties or as single-issue parties. They typically act as critic/innovator bringing attention to issues and influencing the platforms of the major parties.






25. 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.






26. A legislator who automatically mirrors the will of the majority of his or her constituents.






27. The right to renounce one's citizenship.






28. The main mechanism used by modern political parties to nominate their candidate for President.






29. An issue on which voters distinguish rival parties by the degree to which they associate each party or candidate with conditions - goals - or symbols the electorate universally approves or disapproves of. Examples of such issues are economic prosperi






30. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) - founded in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover to help combat the Great Depression - was the predecessor of which federal agencies?






31. Powers specifically outlined in the Constitution as assigned to one branch of government.






32. Early civil rights leader established the Niagara Movement and helped to establish the NAACP.






33. This powerful House committee is in charge of determining under what rule other bills will come to the floor.






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






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






36. Most modern political scientists believe there is ________________ between politics and government.






37. Redefined Presidential succession and disability.






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






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






40. 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






41. The concentration of economic power in the hands of a relatively few large companies.






42. Between conventions - the governing body of a major political party. Members of this group are chosen in the states and formally elected by the party






43. The attitudes and actions of people that sustain and buttress the political system at all levels and allows the political system to continue to work.






44. 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.






45. Responsible for determining which bills will be considered on the House floor - and when they will be considered.






46. First African American appointed to the Supreme Court






47. Presidential management model in which the Chief of Staff plays a prominent role as the head of a military style chain of command. Used successfully by Reagan and Eisenhower.






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






49. 1974 Act mandating that all government files about private citizens be kept confidential.






50. A course of action decided upon by a government