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. A group of high-level administrators and managers at the top of the government bureaucracy. SES members have less job tenure but are eligible for substantial cash bonuses for merit.






2. Responsible for determining which bills will be considered on the House floor - and when they will be considered.






3. Under this governing document - national government lacked authority to set up tariffs - regulate commerce - levy taxes - control international relations - establish common currency






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






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






6. A vote in the House of Representatives in which the position of each member is noted and published in the Congressional Record.






7. Process by which citizens propose an amendment by petition.






8. Clause of the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 10) intended to prohibit state governments from modifying contracts made between individuals; interpreted as prohibiting state governments from taking actions that adversely affect property rights.






9. Elections that reflect the basic party identification of the voters.






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






11. 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.






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






13. Inherent powers of state governments to pass laws to protect health - safety - and welfare; the national government has no directly granted police powers but accomplishes the same goals through other delegated powers.






14. This controversial clause of the 9th Amendment has allowed government to expand rights to suit its needs.






15. 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.






16. A legislator who automatically mirrors the will of the majority of his or her constituents.






17. After a bill has passed both the House and Senate - it goes to _________________ where any differences between the house bill and the senate bill are resolved before sending to the President for signature






18. 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______________.






19. The right to renounce one's citizenship.






20. A system of _______________ - as in Italy - encourages the existence of many parties by allotting seats to competing candidates according to the percentage of votes they win.






21. A world economy characterized by the free movement of goods - capital - labor - and information across national borders.






22. 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






23. Form of government in which the people are sovereign but their power is exercised by their elected representatives.






24. 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






25. First Roman Catholic elected President.






26. (1945-1991) The period after the Second World War marked by rivalry and tension between the two nuclear superpowers - the United States and the communist government of the Soviet Union. The Cold War ended when the Soviet government collapsed in 1991.






27. Clause in the 14th Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The 5th Amendment also imposes this limitation on the national government.






28. Laws must be administered in a fair manner.






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






30. Which two British Acts - passed in 1764 - caused American colonists for the first time to organize protests against the injustices of British rule - and sparked the rallying cry 'no taxation without representation'?






31. This Supreme Court case infamously decided that a slave was not a citizen but property to be 'used in subservience to the interests - the convenience - or the will of his owner'






32. A tax on voting abolished by the Twenty-fourth Amendment in 1964 - long used by southern states to keep blacks (and - in some cases - poor whites) from participating in elections.






33. The demands of and supports for a political system






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






35. James Madison proposed to deal with the threat of political factions by ______________________.






36. 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






37. Act of exchanging favors for mutual gain






38. Congress defined the steps for the creation and admission of new states. It forbade slavery while the region remained a territory although citizens could legalize it. First congress would appoint a territorial governor and judges. Second as soon as 5






39. 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






40. A nation's set of fundamental beliefs about how government and politics should be conducted.






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






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






43. An offical who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of the legislator






44. Define US Citizenship as any person born or naturalized in the United States.






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






46. Although camera are allowed in most trial courts - they are banned from ______________.






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






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






49. Guarantees that citizens cannot be compelled by the government to act in a way that is contrary to their religious beliefs. (ex. Conscientious objection to military service required by the draft is the execution of ______________)






50. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.