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. Designed to protect the individual against the arbitrary power of the state.






2. In Schenck v. US (1919) - The Supreme Court ruled that government may prohibit speech that creates an immediate threat of criminal action. Essentially established different standards for speech during wartime than in peacetime. Thus - establishing th






3. The coming to power of a new coalition - replacing an old dominant coalition of the other party






4. Agencies that were at one time semi-autonomous but that through legislation have been placed under presidential control since 1945.






5. Presidential staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for government agencies.






6. 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.






7. The right to privacy is ___________ in the Constitution.






8. These courts only hear appeals on cases from lower courts.






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






10. First African American appointed to the Supreme Court






11. 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.






12. Laws must be administered in a fair manner.






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






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






15. The Supreme Court has sometimes used a narrow interpretation of the Establishment Clause allowing the government to provide aid to religious groups as long as it remains ______________ and does not promote one religion at the expense of another. This






16. The President's role in the armed forces which during the 20th century has allowed Presidents to circumvent Congress' refusal to declare war.






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






18. Bills that benefit legislators' home districts - or powerful corporate contributors - with sometimes wasteful or unnecessary public works or other projects.






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






20. 1944 case established that as as long as a person accepted their beliefs in good faith that it is not the government's authority to determine whether those beliefs are valid.






21. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






22. 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_______________.






23. Proposed by Benjamin Franklin in 1754 as an attempt to form a union of the colonies. Later used to help form the Articles of Confederation.






24. A broad concept that may be defined in many ways - but the term is generally used to refer to the basic protection and defense of the nation.






25. The responsibility of the President to appoint federal judges when vacancies occur on the bench is referred to as






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






27. Law enacted in 1939 to prohibit civil servants from taking activists roles in partisan campaigns .This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions - working for a particualr party -or campaining for a particualr canidate






28. The term 'Reagan Democrats' has become a generic term for






29. Members of this party typically include Conservative Christian groups - higher socio-economic classes - middle-class white collar - and suburban voters.






30. An ideology that advocates limits on government power to address economic and social problems - relying instead on economic markets and individual initiative to address problems like health care and education - while promoting government involvement






31. Number of current cabinet positions under GW Bush.






32. The European political philosophers whose writings influenced the concepts of liberty and government contained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution belonged to the intellectual and cultural movement known as






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






34. Includes the 13th - 14th - and 15th Amendments. Abolished slavery and guaranteed due process and equal protection to all citizens.






35. The 1896 case of Plessy v. Fergusan established the racial segregation policy of __________________.






36. Committees appointed for investigative or crisis situations.






37. 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.






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






39. The reason that electors are chosen in each state by popular vote is ____________.






40. Total number of Representatives apportioned to the states based on population and reapportioned with the census every 10 years






41. Which historical figure described democracy as 'the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time?'






42. The agency that provides Congress with evaluations of public policies is the






43. Eisenhower's philosophy of being liberal in all things human and being conservative with all things fiscal. Appealed to both Republicans and Democrats.






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






45. This influential English document signed by King John in 1215 limited the absolute power of the monarchy - established due process - and limited arbitrary seizure of property.






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






47. Each Senate committee may have ________ subcommittees.






48. Included are Agriculture - Nutrition - and Forestry; Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking - Housing and Urban Affairs; Commerce - Science and Transportation; Energy and Natural Resources; Environment and Public Works; Finance; Health - Education -






49. Also known as the Massachusetts ballot - groups candidates according to the office for which they are running






50. A Latin phrase meaning 'stand by past decisions -' a principle that judges often use in deciding cases. Ruling based on precedents.