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. 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 -






2. Which of the following factors is likely to be the weakest indicator of an individual's political beliefs and opinions? Age - Race - Intelligence - or Religion






3. The practice under which victorious politicians reward their followers with jobs.






4. Procedure typically requiring 3/5 vote of the entire Senate to end a filibuster.






5. Laws must be reasonable. The Supreme Court has abandoned this concept in regards to business matters citing that it is the responsibility of Congress to regulate economic matters. The court has continued to apply this to matters of civil liberties an






6. 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






7. These voters tend to have a high voter turnout because of their strong since of civic duty due to growing up during an era of political and civil unrest.






8. Most likely to board a foreign ship suspected of drug trafficking at a U.S. port






9. Concept of the British statesman Edmund Burke that legislators should act according to their own consciences.






10. A place of work in which any person may be hired provided that he or she joins the union within a specified time.






11. A system - until modified and reformed in the 1970s - that automatically resulted in the selection as committee chair of those members of the majority party in Congress who had the longest continuous service on a committee.






12. A group of high-level administrators and managers at the top of the government bureaucracy. SES members have less job tenure but are eligible for substantial cash bonuses for merit.






13. Assigns bills to the appropriate House committee.






14. The ___________ aspects of Federalism include: diversity/diffusion of power - more access points for political participation - fostering of experimentation and innovation - and allowing local governments to manage local problems effectively






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






16. The spread of nuclear weapons to new nations






17. Executive office responsible for helping the President write the federal budget and monitoring federal spending.






18. 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.






19. Political party lead by Andrew Jackson from 1828 to 1856. Campaigned against strong central government and fought to end elitism.






20. Overall spending targets set by the Congress.






21. Constitutionally required address by the President typically given in a joint session of Congress.






22. During the period from 1976 to 1824 - This party was lead by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. They wanted a stronger national government that would rectify the pitfalls of the Articles of Confederation. Their supporters held a stronghold in New






23. Committees created by Congress to conduct special investigations. Although normally temporary - some become - in effect - permanent.






24. The Supremacy Clause appears in ________________ of the Constitution.






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






26. A federal law passed by Congress in 1939 to restrict political activities by federal workers. The law prevents federal employees while on duty from taking an active part in party politics or campaigns and also bars federal employees from running for






27. Process by which citizens propose an amendment by petition.






28. This house committee is responsible for Supervising the authority of the federal government to borrow money - Raising the revenue required to finance the federal government by levying taxes - Overseeing Social Security and other social insurance prog






29. 1966 Act allowing citizens to inspect all government records with the exception of classified military or intelligence documents - trade secrets or private personnel files.






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






31. A provision of the Federal Communications Act that requires broadcasters to provide the same amount of exposure to all legally qualified political candidates.






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






33. In 1872 - Susan B Anthony was arrested in Rochester - New York for






34. The proceeding before a judge in which the formal charges of an indictment or information are read to an accused person - who may plead guilty or not guilty.






35. Political leaders typically try to both lead and follow ____________.






36. Considered the most sacred right in American history. Colonists felt oppressed by the tyranny of the crown but were unable to speak up about it for fear of repercussion.






37. Number of justices of the Supreme Court.






38. Most states have ___________ legislatures.






39. Voting based on looking back and making judgments about the way things have gone and the kind of government experienced during a political leader's time in office.






40. In his classic study of community power in New Haven - Connecticut - political scientist Robert A. Dahl concluded that the city was a __________ system dominated by many different sets of leaders






41. The primary purpose of _______________consolidate the nation's disability laws and provide for strong federal enforcement of a strengthened disability rights mandate






42. The gap between the government's income and outlays.






43. Redefined Presidential succession and disability.






44. PACs may donate a ______________ amount of indirect or in-kind donations to a campaign. (Ex. placing ads to support their candidate)






45. Cabinet positions must be ____________ by the Senate






46. Devolutionary system in which the national government returns tax dollars to the state and local governments primarily in the form of block grants.






47. A procedure that in certain circumstances permits voters to remove elected state or local officials from office before their terms have expired.






48. A world economy characterized by the free movement of goods - capital - labor - and information across national borders.






49. 3 person executive panel responsible for helping the President develop an economic plan for the nation.






50. 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.