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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 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






2. A judicial opinion agreed to by a majority of the members of a court. A majority opinion sets forth the decision of the court and an explanation of the rationale behind the court's decision.






3. 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.






4. Germany - Switzerland - and India are examples of countries with a _______________ system of government.






5. Important during the Revolution - these bodies organized by the local governments of the Thirteen Colonies during the American Revolution for the purposes of coordinating written communication outside of the colony.






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






7. 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 _________________.






8. The practice under which victorious politicians reward their followers with jobs.






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






10. Age requirement for President






11. An ideology that advocates limits on government power to address economic and social problems - relying instead on economic markets and individual initiative to address problems like health care and education - while promoting government involvement






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






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






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






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






16. The philosophy that government should intervene as little as possible in economic affairs.






17. Laws passed by state legislatures that are designed to protect reporters from being forced to reveal their news sources.






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






19. The formal source of all authority in each major political party. It nominates the party candidates for president and vice president - writes a platform - settles disputes - writes rules - and elects the members of the national committee.






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






21. Literally - a 'friend of the court' brief - filed by an individual or organization to present arguements in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case






22. The way things should be by law






23. Direct oral or written speech directed at a specific individual or group






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






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






26. Powers of government that the national government may exercise simply because it exists as a government - such as the right to conduct foreign relations.






27. German sociologist theorized that the engine of government needs bureaucracies to provide expertise in a way that short-term elected or appointed official cannot.






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






29. Independent agencies governed by an appointed and confirmed commission. Examples include the Food and Drug Administration - Environmental Protection Agency - and the Securities and Exchange Commission.






30. 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






31. The power of the president - struck down by the Supreme Court in 1998 - to veto parts of appropriations bills. Most state governors have this power.






32. 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.






33. These two Senate standing committees have existed - largely unchanged - since 1816.






34. Age Requirement for the Senate






35. New Jersey v. TLO (1985) established that school authorities may search students without _____________ as long as they are reasonable.






36. 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






37. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






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






39. Presides over the Senate in the absence of the Vice President. Position awarded to the longest serving Senator from the majority party. 3rd in line of succession for the Presidency.






40. The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act banned contributions of soft money to______________.






41. Capital punishment is also known as the _________________.






42. A place of work in which any person may be hired provided that he or she joins the union within a specified time.






43. 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






44. During the period from 1976 to 1824 - This party was lead by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. They wanted a stronger national government that would rectify the pitfalls of the Articles of Confederation. Their supporters held a stronghold in New






45. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an example of an






46. The binding decisions that the government makes whether in the form of laws -regulations - or judicial decisions






47. Established by President Hoover - It is the _______________ job to keep the press informed and orchestrate press conferences






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






49. Law intended to promote free competition in the market place by outlawing monopolies






50. Units of government under the president - within the executive branch - that are not part of a cabinet department.







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