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






2. Clause in the 14th Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The 5th Amendment also imposes this limitation on the national government.






3. Form of obstruction in the Senate where an attempt is made to infinitely extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay the progress or completely prevent a vote on the proposal taking place.






4. These voters are registered as a party member but only participate by voting in primary and general elections. Tend to vote straight-party ticket and follow the leads of local party officials.






5. The formal source of all authority in each major political party. It nominates the party candidates for president and vice president - writes a platform - settles disputes - writes rules - and elects the members of the national committee.






6. Age Requirement for House of Representatives.






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






8. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was somewhat undermined by racist practices in the real estate market such as _____________ and ______________ - which continued illegally in many areas following passage of the Act.






9. Number of current cabinet positions under GW Bush.






10. 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.






11. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) - founded in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover to help combat the Great Depression - was the predecessor of which federal agencies?






12. 1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.






13. The response of the rest of society to actions by the authorities.






14. New Jersey v. TLO (1985) established that school authorities may search students without _____________ as long as they are reasonable.






15. Federal laws limit the amount of ___________ that can be donated directly to campaign coffers.






16. ______________________is responsible for the management of the federal debt and the printing of currency. It is the major fiscal policy agency.






17. In Argersinger v. Hamlin (1972) - the Supreme Court extended the right to counsel to those accused of misdemeanors if the defendant is _____________.






18. 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.






19. Cabinet department responsible for the management of public lands - wildlife - natural resources - and Native American affairs. Established in 1849






20. 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______________.






21. A small group of voters chosen by a political campaign for their demographic similarities who are brought together to gauge how the group they represent feels about the candidate.






22. ____________ often influence political appointments in an effort to influence bureaucracy.






23. Multi-interest and often multinational corporations that - under one corporate roof - may manufacture a wide variety of products.






24. Formerly known as the Anti-Federalist - this party lead by Thomas Jefferson advocated states rights pressing the causes of the common people and agrarian interest. Dominated the political arena until the Civil War.






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






26. Economists generally agree that the major responsibility for promoting prosperity and full employment falls on ________________.






27. A study of Bennington College students in the 1930s illustrated that the influence of the family on political attitudes tends to ______________ as they grow older and come into contact with other groups.






28. First Roman Catholic elected President.






29. An opinion of one or more judges expressing disagreement with the majority opinion of the court which gives rise to its judgment.






30. Powers of government that the national government may exercise simply because it exists as a government - such as the right to conduct foreign relations.






31. An economic system of free enterprise with private ownership of the means of production.






32. Infamous 1735 English case established the precedent for Freedom of the Press in the US.






33. Head of the Supreme Court.






34. A writ designed to protect against illegal imprisonment by requiring that a person who is detained be brought before a judge for investigation.






35. The belief that all people possess certain basic rights that may not be abridged by government.






36. This term refers to the gain in the polls that a candidate often enjoys after a national convention






37. A vote in the House of Representatives in which the position of each member is noted and published in the Congressional Record.






38. A policy that takes something away from one person and gives it to someone else -






39. In addition to overseeing the activities of one or more federal agencies - a ___________________may also serve as the authorizing committee for federal agencies' programs and operations.






40. Smith v. Allwight (1994) was the first vase in which the Supreme Court upheld the voting rights of _____________ in state primary elections.






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






42. Judges in Legislative Courts serve _______ terms and do not require impeachment.






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






44. These parties often emerge as off-shoots of major parties or as single-issue parties. They typically act as critic/innovator bringing attention to issues and influencing the platforms of the major parties.






45. The principle - established by Chief Justice John Marshall in 1819 in the case of McCulloch v. Maryland - that the Constitution must be interpreted flexibly to meet changing conditions.






46. A powerful alliance of mutual benefit among an agency or unit of the government - an interest group - and a committee or subcommittee of Congress. Also called a triangle or iron triangle.






47. 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.






48. If 10 days remain in session and the president does not sign an act of Congress - the law is ___________.






49. 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.






50. Most modern political scientists believe there is ________________ between politics and government.