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 House appropriations committee has ___ subcommittees.






2. Number of Electoral College votes required to win the Presidency.






3. Funds spent for or against a candidate by committees not formally connected to the candidate's campaign and without coordination with the campaign.






4. Government branch established in Article I of the Constitution.






5. The right of the Supreme Court - under the Constitution - to hear certain kinds of cases directly - such as cases involving foreign diplomats - or cases in which one of the 50 states is a party.






6. A group of people who try to influence policy agendas and whose ultimate goal is to run the government by getting their favorite candidates elected.






7. A group of writers - journalists - and critics who exposed corporate malfeasance and political corruption in the first decade of the 20th century.






8. An economy in which most economic decisions result from the interaction of buyers and sellers in markets - but in which the government plays a significant role in the allocation of resources.






9. This house committee is responsible for Supervising the authority of the federal government to borrow money - Raising the revenue required to finance the federal government by levying taxes - Overseeing Social Security and other social insurance prog






10. States that arrestees must be informed of their right to remain silent - that anything they say can be held against them in a court - that they have a right to an attorney and that an attorney will be appointed to them if they cannot afford one.






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






12. 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.






13. Article I - Section 8 - of the Constitution - which allows Congress to make all laws that are 'necessary and proper' to carry out the powers of the Constitution.






14. The power to tax is an example of _______________ powers.






15. Federal grants in which the recipient has a lot of discretion over how the money is spent. These grants are issued in support of general government functions such as education and law enforcement.






16. States that states may draw reasonable distinctions between the rights of residents and non-residents (ex. In state and out of state tuition)






17. These dissenting Republicans won 17% of the popular vote in 1924 on a platform for public control of national resources and railways - tax reductions - and changes to the staff of the executive department

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18. Today the South is is a two-party battleground - in which the ______________ often have the upper hand






19. Committees of Congress composed of both representatives and senators.






20. In California v. Avecedo (1991) - The Supreme Court established that authorities may search ____________________ without a warrant providing reasonable suspicion.






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






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






23. 1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.






24. Article II of the Constitution establishes the ______________ branch.






25. Individual contributions to PACs are limited to ______________ dollars per candidate per election with primaries - general and special elections counting separately.






26. As part of the negotiations concerning the Constitution - the South fought for and won an agreement forbidding the imposition of _______________.






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






28. Executive check on Legislative Branch.






29. A place of work in which only union members may be hired.






30. Voter turnout is usually ____________ when there is a binding referendum on the ballot.






31. If 10 days remain in session and the president does not sign an act of Congress - the law is ___________.






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






33. Cabinet department responsible for managing school lunch programs and food safety. Established in 1862.






34. Year of the 2nd Continental Congress.






35. The class of independent voters who do not vote according to party affiliation - but who typically have a broader range of concerns than single-issue voters - are known colloquially as






36. A written opinion by some of the judges of a court which agrees with the majority of the court but might arrive there in a different manner.






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






38. Also known as the Indiana ballot - lists the candidates of each party in a row or column - beside or under the party emblem. In most cases - the voter can make one mark at the top of the column - or pull one lever - and thus vote for all the party's






39. A policy of avoiding foreign involvement.






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






41. Held on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November.






42. These party members are highly involved in the electoral process. Donate funds to party and candidates - demand a voice in state party agendas and tend to have a strong belief in their party's ideology.






43. 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






44. Members of the ______________ committee of a political party work to maintain influence during non election years through congressional campaign committees.






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






46. 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.






47. The concept that all people are of equal worth - even if not of equal ability.






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






49. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 restructured the number of ______________ in both the House and Senate.






50. A jury of 6 to 12 persons who determine guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action