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. In charge of state's legal business. provide advice to other state official and represents the state in court if the state is involved in a lawsuit






2. This clause of the 1st amendment establishes a 'wall of separation' between church and state.






3. The term 'Reagan Democrats' has become a generic term for






4. 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






5. Federal aid that states and localities may use mostly as they wish.






6. People may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party. Independents cannot participate. Note that because some political parties name themselves independent - the term 'non-partisan' often replaces 'independent' when






7. Electoral college system and other campaign practices make it exceedingly difficult for even popular ______________ candidates to successfully run for the presidency.






8. Designed to protect the individual against the arbitrary power of the state.






9. A word that comes from two Greek roots - demos - 'the populace -' and kratia - 'rule'






10. 1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.






11. Number of years a Senator must reside in the US prior to taking office






12. First proposed in 1789 - this amendment passed in 1992 prohibits Congress from raising their own pay. Pay raises may not take affect until the beginning of the next term.






13. Dissenting Democrats focused on foreign affairs. Aligned with the US Communist Party.

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14. Government agencies that exercise quasi-judicial and quasi-legislative powers and are administratively independent of both the president and Congress (although politically independent of neither).






15. 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.






16. Cabinet department responsible for collective bargaining and union activity. Established in 1913






17. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






18. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.






19. 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.






20. 1976 Law requiring all governmental agency meetings to be open to the public unless classified information will be discussed.






21. Executive office responsible for helping the President write the federal budget and monitoring federal spending.






22. 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.






23. This 1967 Supreme Court case prohibited illegal eavesdropping and extending the zone of privacy to include the home - office - person - and immediate public arena.






24. Federal grants in which the recipient has little discretion over how the money is spent. The national government sets narrowly defined rules for use of funds and often requires the states or local governments to provide matching funds. These grants a






25. Considered the most sacred right in American history. Colonists felt oppressed by the tyranny of the crown but were unable to speak up about it for fear of repercussion.






26. Washington v. Chrisman (1982) established the _________________ - allowing police officers to seize evidence without a warrant if the evidence is in obvious sight.






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






28. 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.






29. A federal program established in 1965 to provide hospital and medical services to older people through the Social Security system.






30. 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






31. Disapproval of a bill by a chief executive - such as the president or a governor.






32. 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.






33. An extraordinary writ commanding an official to perform a ministerial act that the law recognizes as an absolute duty and not a matter for the official's discretion






34. Minor criminal offenses - such as speeding.






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






36. Legislature bills that affect all citizens.






37. The 15th Amendment - also know as _________________ - was intended to help recently freed blacks from unconstitutional state laws designed to circumvent federal laws.






38. This influential English document refuted divine right of monarchy and made monarchs subject to laws and responsible for crimes






39. When the President's own party gains power and influence - it more puts pressure on the President to conform to the will of the party - leading to________________ between the President and the party to define their public identities






40. The amount of money available when the government's income is greater than what it spends in a fiscal year.






41. The 1st Amendment states that government cannot issue ______________ - censoring publications before they are published.






42. The 24th amendment banned _____________ - making it harder for states to discriminate against poor and minority voters.






43. Requires the Electoral College to vote for President and Vice President separately.






44. Political commercials that strongly attack a rival candidate.






45. The Immigration Act of 1965 abolished the practice of _______________ allowing more diversity among immigrants.






46. In Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969) - the Supreme Court established precedents for ___________________ in schools and government institutions.






47. In 1872 - Susan B Anthony was arrested in Rochester - New York for






48. An immigrant who wished to become a citizen may be naturalized after living in the US for ___ years.






49. 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.






50. After analyzing 1 -795 platform pledges over a 10-year period - Gerald M. Pomper concluded that almost ____________ of these promises were fulfilled