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. Literally meaning 'right of soil' - confers citizenship by place of birth.






2. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.






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. Private groups that attempt to influence the government to respond to the shared attitudes of their members.






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






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






7. The ___________ aspects of Federalism include: conflicts between state and national government - economic and racial discrimination - uneven enforcement of law - and dominance of local governments by special interest groups






8. In which case did the Supreme Court rule that the concept of privacy included the right to a legal abortion?






9. 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.






10. Head of the Supreme Court.






11. Responsible for assigning bills to committee in the Senate.






12. Government employees who publicly expose evidence of official waste or corruption that they have learned about in the course of their duties.






13. Constitutionally empowered to appoint judges - ambassadors - and other high officials - Constitutionally empowered to make treaties with foreign countries.






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






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






16. A White House council created under the National Security Act of 1947 to advise the president and help coordinate American military and foreign policy.






17. 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






18. A federal tax on imports.






19. The single biggest item in campaign spending at the presidential level is ___________________.






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






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






22. According to V. O. Key - Jr. - the Populist Party of the 1890s is an example of a ____________________.






23. A legislative leader of each party who is responsible for rounding up party members for important votes.






24. 1974 Act mandating that all government files about private citizens be kept confidential.






25. Largest interest group in the US.






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






27. The individuals - institutions - and processes that make the rules for society and possess the power to enforce them.






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






29. Redefined Presidential succession and disability.






30. A procedure that in certain circumstances permits voters to remove elected state or local officials from office before their terms have expired.






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






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






33. The body composed of electors from the 50 states who formally have the power to elect the president and vice president of the United States. Each state has a number of electors and electoral votes equal to its number of senators and representatives i






34. The right to renounce one's citizenship.






35. When the population's overall feeling of political efficacy is low - voter turnout is _______.






36. The spread of nuclear weapons to more nations.






37. Provisions tacked on to a piece of legislation that are not relevant to the bill.






38. Courts of original jurisdiction in federal crimes - civil suits under federal law - civil suits between citizens of different states where the amount in question exceeds $50 -000 - bankruptcy proceedings - cases involving some federal administrative






39. Also known as the Indiana ballot - lists the candidates of each party in a row or column - beside or under the party emblem. In most cases - the voter can make one mark at the top of the column - or pull one lever - and thus vote for all the party's






40. The Articles of Confederation established a ________________ legislature.






41. Powers of government exercised independently by both the federal and state governments - such as the power to tax.






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






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






44. Legislature bills that affect only a small group of citizens.






45. A series of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton - John Jay - and James Madison under the pseudonym Publius advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution.






46. Money spent by individuals or gorups not asociated with candidates to elect or defeat candidates for office






47. This amendment includes the due process clause - the equal protection clause - and gave rights to former slaves.






48. 1944 case established that as as long as a person accepted their beliefs in good faith that it is not the government's authority to determine whether those beliefs are valid.






49. 3 person executive panel responsible for helping the President develop an economic plan for the nation.






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