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. Presidential management model requiring the President to have strong leadership skills and a keen eye for detail. FDR and JFK were well known for this style of leadership.






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






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






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






5. Which powers of the national government flow from its enumerated powers and from the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution?






6. People may vote in a party's primary only if they are registered members of that party. Independents cannot participate. Note that because some political parties name themselves independent - the term 'non-partisan' often replaces 'independent' when






7. This may be done by a national constitutional convention called by Congress on the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures OR By the passage of a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress






8. A word that comes from two Greek roots - demos - 'the populace -' and kratia - 'rule'






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






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






11. 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.






12. In 1992 - the television networks agreed not to release these until a majority of polling places had closed in each state






13. 1946 Act requiring bureaucratic agencies to appeal to the affected parties before adopting new policies. Legislative check on Bureaucracy.






14. A method of amending state constitutions under which proposed constitutional amendments can be placed on the ballot if enough signatures are obtained on a petition. Almost half the states also employ the initiative on the ballot to allow voters to en






15. Most Americans support ______________ primarily as part of their criticism of PACs






16. First civil rights organization to use non-violent tactics to promote racial equality and desegregation






17. Presidential management model in which the Chief of Staff plays a prominent role as the head of a military style chain of command. Used successfully by Reagan and Eisenhower.






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






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






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






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






22. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






23. Act of exchanging favors for mutual gain






24. 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.






25. Executive check on Legislative Branch.






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






27. Article II of the Constitution establishes the ______________ branch.






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






29. The separation of people by race.






30. In the last 30 years - voter turnout among American 18- to 24-year-olds has been






31. This influential English document refuted divine right of monarchy and made monarchs subject to laws and responsible for crimes






32. Most house committees are limited to _____ subcommittees.






33. During Presidential election years or when the nation is divided on policy agenda - particularly regarding salient issues - voter turnout is _____________






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






35. 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






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






37. Unwritten law based on custom and tradition.






38. 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






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






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






41. Powers not specifically granted to the federal government or denied to the states belong to the states and the people






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






43. When the minority party becomes stronger than the majority party - usually the result of winning a critical election.






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






45. This 1972 Supreme Court case struck down all state laws allowing the death penalty stating that they allowed for too much discretion on the part of the judge and jury resulting in lack of consistent administration of the penalty.






46. Something given in exchange for something else; swap






47. 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






48. Government employees who publicly expose evidence of official waste or corruption that they have learned about in the course of their duties.






49. 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.






50. 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.