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. 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.






2. Minimum number of voters per state in the Electoral College.






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






4. The state officer typically responsible for overseeing federal elections at the state level is the






5. Compromise between the large states and small states that established the bicameral Legislature consisting of a Senate and House of Representatives. Also included 3/5 compromise on the status of slaves in representation.






6. Polls taken as people leave voting places. In the past - television networks sometimes used these polls to predict election outcomes before the polls close. In 1992 - the television networks agreed not to project the winner in a state until the major






7. Signed the executive order banning segregation in the armed forces.






8. After the Vietnam war - American politics entered an era of __________________ during which neither party maintained control over the government.






9. This House committee is responsible for all taxes - tariffs - and other revenue raising measures in addition to social security - child support - Medicare - foster care - and unemployment.






10. Laws must be administered in a fair manner.






11. American politics is dominated by a small ___________ who is responsible for most of the important policy decisions






12. The net balance or relationship between total income and total expenditures by the nation in its dealings with the rest of the world - including trade - loans - and investments.






13. The ruling in this case provided that the government must prove a threat to national security in order to impose prior restraint.






14. The term most political scientists prefer to describe the bureaucratic process






15. 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






16. The president - the vice president - the heads of the major executive departments of the government - and certain other senior officials who may hold 'cabinet rank.'






17. Formal approval or consent given to a constitution - constitutional amendment - or treaty before it goes into effect.






18. An individual who does not join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.






19. In an election with more than 2 options - the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number - but less that half of the votes.






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






21. Appointed by Eisenhower - this Supreme court justice who played an important role in the court's stance on the advancement of civil rights.






22. 19th century case establishing that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government - upheld until the 20th century. Ruling allowed stated to engage in activities such as establishing state churches and denying public office to people of ce






23. International agreements between the president and foreign heads of state that - unlike treaties - do not require Senate approval.






24. The practice under which victorious politicians reward their followers with jobs.






25. Cabinet department responsible for regulating and promoting trade and maintaining the census Established in 1913..






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






27. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendment to bills or provides that only memebers of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments






28. 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






29. When the President's own party gains power and influence - it more puts pressure on the President to conform to the will of the party - leading to________________ between the President and the party to define their public identities






30. In the area of foreign affairs - _______________ often have the advantage because






31. Representatives serve ____ year terms






32. The Democrats control over politics during the 20th century ended with this President's unpopular handling of the Vietnam War.






33. Elections in which the majority party (according to party identification) is defeated in a temporary reversal.






34. Most states have ___________ legislatures.






35. 1963 ruling prohibiting prayer in public schools.






36. The structure and set of regulations in place to control activity - usually in large organizations and government. it is represented by standardized procedure (rule-following) that dictates the execution of most or all processes within the body - for






37. In Reynolds v. US (1879) - the Supreme Court denied this right to Reynolds because his religion's practice of polygamy violated federal law.






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






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






40. The constitutional requirement (in article II - sec 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed - even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws






41. 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.






42. Year of the 2nd Continental Congress.






43. In his historic decision in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - Chief Justice Marshall established the principle of _____________.






44. Early civil rights leader established the Niagara Movement and helped to establish the NAACP.






45. The principle that the government - as provided in the Fifth Amendment - can take property for 'public use' with 'just compensation' to the owners.






46. Agenda that includes issues that affect the daily lives of the people.






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






48. The FCC's equal time policy applies to _____________.






49. Th joint listing of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ballot as required by the twelfth amendment






50. The party-column ballot - or Indiana ballot - encourages _______________.