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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. 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.






2. This 1st amendment clause prohibits the government from making any law prohibiting the exercise of any religion






3. An unwritten custom by which individual senators who belong to the same political party as the president exercise an informal veto power over presidential appointments in their states.






4. Committees appointed for investigative or crisis situations.






5. Several Presidents have been elected without winning the popular vote. As a result - In 1970 and 1979 - Amendments were proposed to disband the ______________ - neither passed.






6. This author was highly influential on Thomas Jefferson - rejecting divine right - proposing that government is a social contract requiring the consent of the govern and establishing the concept of self-evident rights of life - liberty - and property.






7. Government branch established in Article I of the Constitution.






8. 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.






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






10. The 24th amendment banned _____________ - making it harder for states to discriminate against poor and minority voters.






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






12. Groups named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service code under which they must report their expenditures. The tax-exempt groups were created to exploit a loophole in the law regulating campaign finance.






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






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






15. A federal tax on imports.






16. Broadly worded warrants used by British soldiers during colonial America to search for contraband and prevent smuggling.






17. Senators are re-elected every ___ years with 1/3 of the Senate being up for election every 2 years.






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






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






20. The expansion of cable and satellite tv has _________________ the president's power to influence public opinion.






21. 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.






22. The house armed services and foreign affairs committees each have ___ subcommittees.






23. The overall public has a ___________ view of PACS in terms of bought votes and adding to the cost of running for office






24. 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.






25. The claim by presidents of an inherent right to withhold information from Congress and the judiciary.






26. Limitations on this freedom including prohibition of defamation and obscenity - limitation on commercial speech - and restriction of inciting words that may cause immediate danger.






27. A form of city government under which power is divided between a mayor and an elected city council.






28. In Woodson v. North Carolina - the Supreme Court struck down mandatory sentencing of capital punishment as ______________________ because it does not allow for any discretion.






29. The name commonly given to a private group - regardless of size - organized to elect political candidates. An organization becomes one by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1 -000 for the purpose of influencing a federal ele






30. A method available in most states that allows voters - in effect - to 'veto' a bill passed by the legislature or to accept or reject a proposal - such as a bond issue - made by a government agency.






31. Which office serves as a watchdog into waste or fraud in the bureaucracy and conducts investigations at the request of congressional committees






32. 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






33. Presidential management model in which corporate CEO tactics are used employing committees - task forces - and special advisors. Successfully utilized by Clinton and G W Bush.






34. Committees created by Congress to conduct special investigations. Although normally temporary - some become - in effect - permanent.






35. A method of amending state constitutions under which proposed constitutional amendments can be placed on the ballot if enough signatures are obtained on a petition. Almost half the states also employ the initiative on the ballot to allow voters to en






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






37. In the 1962 case of Robinson v. California - the Supreme Court ruled that incarcerating a drug addict is ______________________ because drug addiction is an illness.






38. The Articles of Confederation established a ________________ legislature.






39. A philosophy that Supreme Court justices and other judges should boldly apply the Constitution to social and political questions.






40. The most important committees - always assembled and delegated with the responsibility of handling all bills under their concern. Includes the Ways and Means - Appropriations - Budget - Rules and Agriculture Committees.






41. Federal grants in which the recipient has a lot of discretion over how the money is spent. These grants are issued in support of general government functions such as education and law enforcement.






42. The right of the Supreme Court - under the Constitution - to hear certain kinds of cases directly - such as cases involving foreign diplomats - or cases in which one of the 50 states is a party.






43. 1974 Act mandating that all government files about private citizens be kept confidential.






44. The head of a national political party






45. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






46. Assistants to the Majority and Minority Leaders of both the House and Senate.






47. The belief that one is effective when participating in politics - for example that the government will respond to one's demands






48. A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary - it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she w






49. This 1689 English Document made the monarch






50. 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







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