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. In the 1964 case of ____________ - the Supreme Court: established 'one person - one vote' -






2. A system of voter registration in which voters must register only once in their district.






3. 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






4. 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.






5. Number of justices of the Supreme Court.






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






7. The oldest House committee still in existence.






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






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






10. Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.






11. What principle - contained in the Fourth Amendment - protects a citizen from unwarranted search and seizure?






12. 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






13. If 10 days do not remain in session and the president does not sign an act of Congress - the bill __________.






14. Most states have ___________ legislatures.






15. 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.






16. The separation of people by race.






17. Executive office responsible for helping the President write the federal budget and monitoring federal spending.






18. Special courts assigned to deal with specific legislative issues such as taxes - military appeals - and international trade.






19. Prompted by the ____________________ - the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.






20. A group of people who try to influence policy agendas and whose ultimate goal is to run the government by getting their favorite candidates elected.






21. Decides which bills will be considered.






22. Programs of government - universities - and businesses designed to favor minorities and remedy past discrimination.






23. After analyzing 1 -795 platform pledges over a 10-year period - Gerald M. Pomper concluded that almost ____________ of these promises were fulfilled






24. Article VI - Paragraph 2 - of the Constitution - which declares that the Constitution - and the laws and treaties of the United States made under it - are 'the supreme Law of the Land' and prevail over any conflicting state constitutions or laws.






25. Prohibits conviction of a crime that occurred before the act became illegal






26. A political candidate who is thought to have only an outside chance of gaining the nomination.






27. Concept of government by the people in which everyone is free to vote - but normally whoever gets the most votes wins the election and represents all the people - including those who voted for the losing candidate.






28. Requires that a suspect in a federal case be arraigned without unnecessary delay.






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






30. Powers of government that are specifically granted to the three branches of the federal government under the Constitution.






31. ________ of voters identify with one political party in advance of the campaign.






32. (1781-1789) The written framework for the government of the original 13 states before the Constitution was adopted. Under this - the national government was weak and dominated by the states. There was a unicameral legislature - but no national execut






33. 1940 Act Prohibiting any person from advocating overthrowing the government through violence or force.






34. 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.






35. In presidential campaigns - federal matching funds are provided to candidates who ______________.






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






37. Impact elections by siphoning off votes from major parties spoiling a party's chance in a close race.






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






39. The 1970 Occupational Safety and Health Act - the 1965 Highway Beautification Act and the 1964 Civil Rights Act are all examples of ____________________.






40. Tips the balance between two leading candidates by attracting a minority of voters who otherwise might have voted for one of the leading candidates.






41. Laws - rules - and government programs designed to protect individual rights and specific groups - as well as to benefit society as a whole in such areas as health - worker safety - consumer protection - and the environment.






42. ________________ of the Constitution dictates how the Constitution shall be amended.






43. The period of time after the election of FDR until the Vietnam War was dominated by the Democratic Party and know as the __________________ Era.






44. The issue of slavery split the Democratic Party into what two factions?






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






46. The 19th Century __________ party platform was opposed to the spread of slavery - promoted preservation of the union - supported the abolition of slavery - and promoted post civil was reconstruction.






47. In 1943 - The Supreme Court upheld the Jehovah's Witnesses right to refrain from saluting the American flag based on their right to _____________.






48. A controversial law overwhelmingly passed by Congress in October 2001 - after the terrorist attacks of September 11 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It greatly expanded the power of federal law enforcement authorities to move against suspe






49. 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.






50. 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______________.