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. Which powers of the national government flow from its enumerated powers and from the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution?






2. A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a 'bundle -' thus increasing the PAC's influence.






3. 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.






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






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






6. The Supreme Court's broad interpretation of this clause has denied direct aid from the government for religious groups - but does allow religious groups to make use of government services such as police and fire.






7. In addition to a quick and speedy trial - the 6th Amendment also guarantees ________________.






8. The drawing of the lines of congressional districts - or of any other political district - in order to favor one political party or group over another.






9. A power of the president to kill a bill by taking no action (if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period after the president receives the bill). Some court rulings have suggested that a president may exercise a pocket veto only when Congress adjour






10. Constitutional protection of the accused to not be tried for the same crime twice.






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






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






13. In the Federalist Papers - James Madison proposed that the states under the new Constitution would retain ____________ sovereignty.






14. Guarantees the right to a civil trial by jury.






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






16. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.






17. 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






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

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19. At one time - the press generally refrained from publishing personal information that would be damaging. FDR - Eisenhower - and JFK all benefited from this reluctance to engage in _____________________. However - the American publics appetite for sen






20. Plan that proposed unicameral legislature with each state having one vote.






21. During the 1800's and early 1900's - some state and local party committees became ________________ dominating party activities. Committee members would promise new recruits money - jobs - and other benefits for joining and voting the straight party t






22. Communication with legislators or other government officials to try to influence their decisions.






23. Committees that pull members from both the house and the senate who meet to discuss major policy issues such as economy and taxation.






24. First Executive Branch






25. After hearings are complete - a congressional subcommittee will usually determine a bill's future in final deliberations known as






26. Its the responsibility of ___________ committees of a political party to solidify the party within each state and organize primary elections






27. Political leaders typically try to both lead and follow ____________.






28. First Roman Catholic elected President.






29. Legislative house responsible for impeachment trials.






30. This 1957 judgement prohibited pornography material as utterly without redeeming social significance - later reversed in Miller v. California






31. Leader of the House of Representatives - elected by the majority party. 2nd in line of succession for the Presidency.






32. A centralized system of government - such as that of France - where most of the important policy decisions are made by a central government.






33. These candidates win re-election to the House 80-90% of the time.






34. Petition that - if signed by a majority of the members of the House of Representatives - will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration






35. Article I of the Constitution establishes the ___________________ branch.






36. In the view of W. Lance Bennett - the people who hold and express opinions are constantly changing - as are the issues and conditions to which the public responds. As a result - Bennett suggests that public opinion is______________.






37. The reason that electors are chosen in each state by popular vote is ____________.






38. A term popularized by sociologist Floyd Hunter to describe the community leaders who he said determined policy in Atlanta - Georgia. More broadly - the term is used to describe 'power elites' generally.






39. Permitted court authorized wire-tapping and bugging by federal - state - and local authorities and use of such evidence in trial. Later reversed by the Supreme Court based on 4th Amendment rights.






40. Which committee assignments would confer the most power and influence on members of the Senate?






41. Literally meaning 'right of blood' - confers citizenship to a child from the parents.






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






43. This contraversial legal technicality intended to protect civil liberties has allowed criminals to remain free when the courts refuse to admit evidence that may have been obtained illegally.






44. This may be done by a national constitutional convention called by Congress on the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures OR By the passage of a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress






45. There is an _____________ relationship between Presidential approval ratings and unemployment.






46. Economists generally agree that the major responsibility for promoting prosperity and full employment falls on ________________.






47. In 1998 - the Supreme Court struck down the________________ law - declaring it unconstitutional - because Congress did not have the constitutional authority to hand that power to the President.






48. The 1803 case in which the Supreme Court - by declaring a portion of an act of Congress unconstitutional - first firmly set forth and established the power of judicial review.






49. A system in which national and state government have shared or overlapping powers. FDR's New Deal legislation established this system in the US.






50. The Supreme Court has ruled that Congress_________________ take away a person's citizenship unless it is freely renounced.