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 term most political scientists prefer to describe the bureaucratic process






2. 14th Amendment is often used to support the right to ____________.






3. A system in which the national government provides grants-in-aid to states using conditions to elicit control.






4. First Roman Catholic elected President.






5. 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.






6. Tests of a voter's ability to read and write - which were often used to keep recent immigrants and blacks from voting.






7. 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.






8. Requires reporting of financial information by companies with publicly traded securities






9. 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






10. Political party lead by Andrew Jackson from 1828 to 1856. Campaigned against strong central government and fought to end elitism.






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






12. Voting based on looking back and making judgments about the way things have gone and the kind of government experienced during a political leader's time in office.






13. A course of action decided upon by a government






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






15. Guarantees that any rights not explicitly outlined heretofore are reserved for the states.






16. Legislative branch incorporating two houses.






17. 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






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






19. Colonies in which freely elected legislatures chose the governor and the king could not veto laws.






20. In lieu of an indictment - the state prosecutor may file a _______________ charging the person with a crime.






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






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






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






24. 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.






25. 1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.






26. Number of years a Representative must reside in the US prior to taking office






27. Constitutional Article that establishes the Judicial Branch.






28. The only instance in which the government can prohibit religious activities






29. Which branch has the power to stop an executive order?






30. A plan to provide billions of dollars of American aid to Western Europe to speed its economic and social recovery after the Second World War.






31. _____________ are expected to specialize in a few policy areas rather than claim expertise in the whole range of legislative concerns






32. In charge of all state funds. Supervises the collection of taxes and payment of state's bill






33. Which historical figure described democracy as 'the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time?'






34. The fundamental rights of a free society that are protected by the Bill of Rights against the power of the government - such as freedom of speech - religion - press - and assembly.






35. This 1973 ruling gave local communities the authority to determine obscenity - established three part test for obscene material. To qualify as obscene - speech must be considered obscene by the 'average' person - depict or describe material that is a






36. Programs are designed to give preferential access to education - employment - health care - or social welfare to groups of people - especially minorities and women - who have historically been discriminated against.






37. The 23rd Amendment guaranteed voting rights to whom?






38. Information sent out in order to observe the reaction of an audience. Used by politicians who deliberately leak information on a policy change under consideration.






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. This type of government suits a large country with a diverse population






41. The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases






42. The Articles of Confederation established a ________________ legislature.






43. Responsibilities include: Coordinating the nation's intelligence activities and Evaluating and disseminating intelligence that affects national security






44. Overturning unjust laws is the responsibility of _________________.






45. Elections that may lead to a basic shift in the party identification of the electorate.






46. Corporations formed by the government to act as a business to produce a product or service. Often monopolies with varying degrees of independence.






47. A policy of avoiding foreign involvement.






48. The kinds of cases that a court has the authority to decide.






49. 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.






50. The 1896 case of Plessy v. Fergusan established the racial segregation policy of __________________.