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. Senators are re-elected every ___ years with 1/3 of the Senate being up for election every 2 years.






2. After the bill reaches the house floor - if opponents have many changes - they may vote to ______________________.






3. A system of _______________ - as in Italy - encourages the existence of many parties by allotting seats to competing candidates according to the percentage of votes they win.






4. In the mid-term elections following a President's inauguration - his party tends to ___________ seats in Congress.






5. Number of Federal District courts across 50 states - DC and Puerto Rico.






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






7. Executive Check on the Legislative Branch.






8. Libel - obscenity - fighting words - and commercial speech - which are not entitled to constitutional protection in all circumstances.






9. Powers specifically given to the federal government by the US Constitution - for example - the authority to print money.






10. The oldest House committee still in existence.






11. Tax legislation must originate in this house.






12. A course of action decided upon by a government






13. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments provide for _____________.






14. Cabinet department responsible for collective bargaining and union activity. Established in 1913






15. A federal program established in 1965 to provide hospital and medical services to older people through the Social Security system.






16. In addition to the doctrine of implied powers - Chief Justice Marshall - in his decision in the Supreme Court case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - established the key concept of:






17. Requires reporting of financial information by companies with publicly traded securities






18. The body composed of electors from the 50 states who formally have the power to elect the president and vice president of the United States. Each state has a number of electors and electoral votes equal to its number of senators and representatives i






19. A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals and present them to a candidate or political party as a 'bundle -' thus increasing the PAC's influence.






20. In this 1972 case - the Supreme Court established four guidelines for determining if a trial was appropriately speedy and fair: cause of delay - length of delay - affect on the outcome - and the defendant's claim to a speedy trial.






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. Minor criminal offenses - such as speeding.






23. A court decision in an earlier case with facts and legal issues similar to a dispute currently before a court.






24. This branch of government checks Bureaucracy through its control over lawsuits filed against the agency.






25. The fundamental rights of a free society that are protected by the Bill of Rights against the power of the government - such as freedom of speech - religion - press - and assembly.






26. The foreign policy of the United States during the period after the Second World War - designed to contain the expansion of Soviet power.






27. Court cases that involve relations between individuals and organizations - such as a divorce action - or a suit for damages arising from an automobile accident or for violation of a business contract.






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






29. Defamation by written or printed words - pictures - or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.






30. Executive check on Legislative Branch.






31. Responsibilities include: Coordinating the nation's intelligence activities and Evaluating and disseminating intelligence that affects national security






32. An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other - so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted






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






34. An economic philosophy that advocates both tax and budget cuts to increase incentives to produce in order to expand the total supply of the nation's goods and services.






35. In the 1925 Gitlow case - the Supreme Court began a process of ______________ of the Bill of Rights to the states.






36. Most states have ___________ legislatures.






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






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






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






40. Inherent powers of state governments to pass laws to protect health - safety - and welfare; the national government has no directly granted police powers but accomplishes the same goals through other delegated powers.






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






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






43. The ______________________ were formed to unite the colonists against Britain.






44. The Supreme Court is the only judicial body that may hear disputes between _________________.






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






46. The fundamental flaw in plural theory contends that pluralism weakens the backbone of democracy with too many common interest groups attempt to wield power - often leading to standstill because of unwillingness to compromise.






47. An immigrant who wished to become a citizen may be naturalized after living in the US for ___ years.






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






49. This article of the Constitution establishes the Executive Branch.






50. A power of the president to kill a bill by taking no action (if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period after the president receives the bill). Some court rulings have suggested that a president may exercise a pocket veto only when Congress adjour