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. Puerto Rico has ____________ status.






2. The provisions of the Constitution that divide power among three constitutionally equal and independent branches of government






3. The view advocated by Supreme Court Justices Hugo Black and William O. Douglas that there are provisions of the Bill of Rights that cannot be diluted by judicial decisions.






4. The expansion of cable and satellite tv has _________________ the president's power to influence public opinion.






5. 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.






6. Requests from people or groups for health care for the aged - loans for college students - equal opportunity for minorities - and higher subsidies for farmers are examples of:






7. In 1987 - the FCC abandoned the fairness doctrine on the grounds that it unconstitutionally restricted the ______________ rights of broadcasters.






8. The vote cast by a person who does not like either candidate and so votes for the less objectionable of the two - putting a clothespin over his nose to keep out the unpleasant stench






9. The 24th amendment banned _____________ - making it harder for states to discriminate against poor and minority voters.






10. The 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act banned contributions of soft money to______________.






11. 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.






12. 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






13. 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.






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






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






16. Congress defined the steps for the creation and admission of new states. It forbade slavery while the region remained a territory although citizens could legalize it. First congress would appoint a territorial governor and judges. Second as soon as 5






17. Elects the President if no candidate receives 270 Electoral College votes.






18. A law passed by Congress in 1973 in an effort to set a time limit on the use of combat forces abroad by a president.






19. Cabinet department responsible for managing school lunch programs and food safety. Established in 1862.






20. The issue of slavery split the Democratic Party into what two factions?






21. The name commonly given to a private group - regardless of size - organized to elect political candidates. An organization becomes one by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1 -000 for the purpose of influencing a federal ele






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






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






24. Provisions tacked on to a piece of legislation that are not relevant to the bill.






25. Age requirement for President






26. A policy adopted by the United States after the Second World War that assumed that if enough nuclear weapons were deployed by the United States - an enemy would not attack for fear of being destroyed in retaliation.






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






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






29. Established the Federal Reserve Bank - responsible for conducting the nation's monetary policy - maintaining the stability of the financial system - supervising and regulating banking institutions - and protecting the credit rights of consumers - and






30. In states using primaries - the most common form of primary election is the ___________ primary.






31. The practice of victorious politicians to reward their followers with jobs. Also known as the spoils system.






32. A legislative leader of each party who is responsible for rounding up party members for important votes.






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






34. First African American appointed to the Supreme Court






35. A ruling by the Supreme Court in 1857






36. The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases






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






38. The practice that allows senators to delay or even kill floor action on legislation - a nomination - or other matters by asking their party leaders not to schedule them.






39. Cabinet department that includes the FAA and the National Hwy Traffic Safety Administration. Established in 1966.






40. A term coined by President Lyndon B. Johnson to describe his own view of the relationship between Washington and the states.






41. 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.






42. Cabinet department oversees nuclear reactors.Established in 1973 in response to the Energy Crisis.






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






44. ________________ of the Constitution dictates how the Constitution shall be amended.






45. 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.






46. Court cases that concern crimes committed against the public order.






47. Presides over the Senate without voting privileges except in the case of a tie.






48. Philosopher John Locke - in his 1690 work Civil Government (second treatise) - advised separation of government power between






49. In the area of foreign affairs - _______________ often have the advantage because






50. Programs of government - universities - and businesses designed to favor minorities and remedy past discrimination.