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. 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.






2. 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.






3. Constitutionally empowered to appoint judges - ambassadors - and other high officials - Constitutionally empowered to make treaties with foreign countries.






4. Most Americans support ______________ primarily as part of their criticism of PACs






5. 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






6. A decision of the Supreme Court cannot be ___________.






7. Ruling by the Supreme Court in 1954 that racial segregation in public schools violates the Fourteenth Amendment's requirement of equal protection of the laws for all persons.






8. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






9. 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






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






11. 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.






12. The possible tendency of some voters or convention delegates to support the candidate who is leading in the polls and seems likely to win.






13. Define US Citizenship as any person born or naturalized in the United States.






14. In _______________ cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) - the Supreme Court has upheld that while Affirmative action policies are legal - race and gender cannot be the only determining factors.






15. Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.






16. Overall spending targets set by the Congress.






17. 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.






18. A law passed in 1966 that requires federal executive branch and regulatory agencies to make information available to journalists - scholars - and the public unless it falls into one of several confidential categories.






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






20. 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.






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






22. Passed in 1883 - it created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.






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






24. Political strategists believe that presidential elections will normally be won or lost in _______________states.






25. The framers of the Constitution created the Senate to function as a check on the ________________.






26. Each Senate committee may have ________ subcommittees.






27. Prompted by FDR's 4th election to the Presidency - the 22nd Amendment limited the number of Presidential terms to _____ terms.






28. The foreign policy of the United States during the period after the Second World War - designed to contain the expansion of Soviet power.






29. The process through which an individual acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about political and social issues.






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






31. Inherent powers of state governments to pass laws to protect health - safety - and welfare; the national government has no directly granted police powers but accomplishes the same goals through other delegated powers.






32. 3 person executive panel responsible for helping the President develop an economic plan for the nation.






33. Guarantees the right to a speedy and public trial.






34. After a bill has passed both the House and Senate - it goes to _________________ where any differences between the house bill and the senate bill are resolved before sending to the President for signature






35. In addition to the doctrine of implied powers - Chief Justice Marshall - in his decision in the Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - established the key concept of:






36. 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.






37. Although camera are allowed in most trial courts - they are banned from ______________.






38. This Supreme Court case infamously decided that a slave was not a citizen but property to be 'used in subservience to the interests - the convenience - or the will of his owner'






39. Which office serves as a watchdog into waste or fraud in the bureaucracy and conducts investigations at the request of congressional committees






40. Senators have a __________ rate of re-election than Representatives primarily because of their larger constituency and lack of direct involvement with them.






41. Since 1960 - there has been a general trend of ______________ participation in elections.






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






43. Organizations or groups - such as labor unions or fraternal - professional - or religious groups - that may influence an individual's opinion.






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






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






46. There are 11 circuit ____________________ who have no original jurisdiction.






47. Responsible for assigning bills to committee in the Senate.






48. Groups named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service code under which they must report their expenditures. The tax-exempt groups were created to exploit a loophole in the law regulating campaign finance.






49. Legislative opinions on a matter that do not require Presidential signature.






50. This category of interest groups has been the strongest and most effective in lobbying Washington