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. The head of a national political party






2. _____________ is responsible for monetary policy.






3. Laws on Schools - Marriage - and owning property;Licensee Lawyers - Doctors - and Teachers.






4. The belief that all people possess certain basic rights that may not be abridged by government.






5. Individual contributions to PACs are limited to ______________ dollars per candidate per election with primaries - general and special elections counting separately.






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






7. The attitudes and actions of people that sustain and buttress the political system at all levels and allows the political system to continue to work.






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






9. Between conventions - the governing body of a major political party. Members of this group are chosen in the states and formally elected by the party






10. Executive office responsible for negotiating trade with foreign powers.






11. Established national income tax.






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






13. Plan that proposed bicameral legislature where states were to have representation based on size in both houses.






14. The total group from which poll-takers may select a random sample in order to measure public opinion.






15. 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.






16. The way things should be by law






17. Serious crimes - such as murder - arson - or rape.






18. A 1972 treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union limiting the number of defensive missiles each country could build. In 2001 President George W. Bush withdrew the United States from the treaty.






19. 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.






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






21. In Johnson v. Texas (1989) - the Supreme Court ruled that burning the flag in a manner that does not pose a threat to people or property is allowed as this type of freedom of speech.






22. Approximately 33% of American voters identify themselves as _______________ party.






23. Clause of the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 10) intended to prohibit state governments from modifying contracts made between individuals; interpreted as prohibiting state governments from taking actions that adversely affect property rights.






24. Includes expressive conduct/assembly/actions and symbolic behavior (ex. Picketing or burning the flag) Based on our country history of symbolic acts such as the Boston Tea Party - courts almost always uphold symbolic acts of speech unless they are cr






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






26. In a political campaign - the surest way of reaching the largest number of voters is usually _____________.






27. The elected position of President pro tempore of the Senate is almost always held by






28. The kinds of cases that a court has the authority to decide.






29. 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.






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






31. Article I - Section 8 - of the Constitution - which allows Congress to make all laws that are 'necessary and proper' to carry out the powers of the Constitution.






32. 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






33. 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.






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






35. A test established by Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes - Jr. - in 1919 to define the point at which speech loses the protection of the First Amendment.






36. Legislative house whose members were intended to represent the people.






37. 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






38. The way things actually are.






39. A technique polling organizations use in which several people from the same neighborhood are interviewed.






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






41. 14th Amendment is often used to support the right to ____________.






42. These party members take active non-leadership roles such as working polls or contributing money to campaigns. Tend to compromise on important issues and are mostly concerned about winning elections.






43. Once the Supreme Court justices have agreed to hear an appeal - they issue a _________________.






44. Government branch established in Article I of the Constitution.






45. 3 person executive panel responsible for helping the President develop an economic plan for the nation.






46. Practice by which voters of one party crossing over and voting in the primary of another party - effectively allowing a party to help choose its opposition's candidate.






47. 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.






48. Voters in a political district - or supporters of an elected official; or interest groups or client groups that are either directly regulated by the bureaucracy or vitally affected by its decisions.






49. An act of legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a trial. Constitutionally prohibited.






50. The federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers (including research and soil conservation and efforts to stabilize the farming economy)