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 system in which national and state governments are competitors with distinct powers. This system was prominent in the US from the during the 19th century until 1937.






2. Each Senate committee may have ________ subcommittees.






3. Wisconsin Republican who exploited public concern for political gain during the 1950's through freewheeling investigations of alleged Communists.






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






5. In 2002 - a federal appeals court struck down the Pledge of Allegiance on the grounds that it violated ________________.






6. Programs are designed to give preferential access to education - employment - health care - or social welfare to groups of people - especially minorities and women - who have historically been discriminated against.






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






8. In addition to a quick and speedy trial - the 6th Amendment also guarantees ________________.






9. The philosophy that government should intervene as little as possible in economic affairs.






10. Finding that enough evidence exists to warrant a criminal trial.






11. Article VII of the Constitution outlines the process of ____________________.






12. In a 1943 case - the Supreme Court upheld the right to refuse to salute the American flag on the basis of the constitutional guarantee of _________________.






13. A legal principle of fair dealing - which may provide preventive measures and legal remedies that are unavailable under existing common law and statutory law.






14. In _______________ cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) - the Supreme Court has upheld that while Affirmative action policies are legal - race and gender cannot be the only determining factors.






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 group of independent states or nations that come together for a common purpose and whose central authority is usually limited to defense and foreign relations.






17. This 1957 judgement prohibited pornography material as utterly without redeeming social significance - later reversed in Miller v. California






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






19. 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.






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






21. Number of Electoral College votes required to win the Presidency.






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






23. Presidential refusal to allow an agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and appropriated.






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






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






26. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






27. Number of Senators elected at large per state -






28. Established by President Hoover - It is the _______________ job to keep the press informed and orchestrate press conferences






29. Lobbyists for special interest groups have found ____________________ to be the most direct and effective method to secure their objectives in Congress.






30. 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






31. Legislative house responsible for impeachment trials.






32. It is possible either to describe people - government - politics - and power as isolated - static elements - or to look at them as interacting elements in a_______________.






33. Committees appointed for investigative or crisis situations.






34. Law intended to promote free competition in the market place by outlawing monopolies






35. A system in which the national government provides grants-in-aid to states using conditions to elicit control.






36. Organizations or groups - such as labor unions or fraternal - professional - or religious groups - that may influence an individual's opinion.






37. Organization of individuals with similar policy goals who enter the political process to influence legislation that affects the organizations interests






38. Overturning unjust laws is the responsibility of _________________.






39. An official document - published every weekday - which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.






40. Charge of misconduct brought against a government official.






41. Gave authority over atomic energy from military to civilians.






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






43. Dissenting Democrats focused on foreign affairs. Aligned with the US Communist Party.

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44. A declaration by the President in 1823 that warned European powers to keep out of the Western Hemisphere and pledged that the United States would not intervene in the internal affairs of Europe.






45. Dayton Board of Education v. Brinkman (1979) upheld that bussing programs were an acceptable way to enforce ______________________.






46. The 1803 case in which the Supreme Court - by declaring a portion of an act of Congress unconstitutional - first firmly set forth and established the power of judicial review.






47. This house committee is responsible for Supervising the authority of the federal government to borrow money - Raising the revenue required to finance the federal government by levying taxes - Overseeing Social Security and other social insurance prog






48. Amendment that delegated the election of Senators to popular vote.






49. Age requirement for President






50. The Articles of Confederation established a ________________ legislature.