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






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. Repealed by the 21st Amendment - this Amendment prohibited alcohol.






4. Finding that enough evidence exists to warrant a criminal trial.






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






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






7. Requires that a suspect in a federal case be arraigned without unnecessary delay.






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






9. The Supreme Court's broad interpretation of this clause has denied direct aid from the government for religious groups - but does allow religious groups to make use of government services such as police and fire.






10. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendment to bills or provides that only memebers of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments






11. Clause in the 14th Amendment that forbids any state to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. The 5th Amendment also imposes this limitation on the national government.






12. The 1st Amendment states that government cannot issue ______________ - censoring publications before they are published.






13. 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






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






15. Executive check on Legislative Branch.






16. 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:






17. 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.






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






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






20. Which two British Acts - passed in 1764 - caused American colonists for the first time to organize protests against the injustices of British rule - and sparked the rallying cry 'no taxation without representation'?






21. Number of justices of the Supreme Court.






22. Legislative house whose membership was intended to represent the state.






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






24. An ideology that cherishes individual liberty and insists on a sharply limited government - promoting a free market economy - a non-interventionist foreign policy - and an absence of regulation in the moral and social spheres.






25. This term refers to the gain in the polls that a candidate often enjoys after a national convention






26. Guarantees that citizens cannot be compelled by the government to act in a way that is contrary to their religious beliefs. (ex. Conscientious objection to military service required by the draft is the execution of ______________)






27. The doctrine that the numerical majority of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group






28. This body of government has final authority on the meaning of the Constitution.






29. Electoral college system and other campaign practices make it exceedingly difficult for even popular ______________ candidates to successfully run for the presidency.






30. 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






31. Judicial Check on Legislative Branch. Not specifically outlined in the Constitution - but established in the case of Marbury v. Madison through the application of the Supremacy Clause in Article VI.






32. A powerful alliance of mutual benefit among an agency or unit of the government - an interest group - and a committee or subcommittee of Congress. Also called a triangle or iron triangle.






33. 'lame duck' amendment






34. 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






35. Groups named for the section of the Internal Revenue Service code under which they must report their expenditures. The tax-exempt groups were created to exploit a loophole in the law regulating campaign finance.






36. A pluralist theory by C. Wright Mills where a small number of wealthy elite wield most of the power. Fundamental to all governments around the world - the elite rule while they make the lower classes feel like they are involved in democracy. The elit






37. A philosophy that Supreme Court justices and other judges should boldly apply the Constitution to social and political questions.






38. First governing document of the Plymouth Colony establishing freedom of religion.






39. A loose grouping of people and organizations who seek to influence policy formation.






40. Legislature bills that affect only a small group of citizens.






41. A provision in a deed to real property prohibiting its sale to a person of a particular race or religion. Judicial enforcement is unconstitutional.






42. The claim by presidents of an inherent right to withhold information from Congress and the judiciary.






43. Head of the Supreme Court.






44. The average voter turnout between 1960 and 2004 was __________ percent






45. An election in which voters in a jurisdiction select candidates for a subsequent election. In other words - one means by which a political party nominate candidates for the following general election.s






46. This 1932 case established that a case can be too speedy and under-counseled - providing defendants in a capital case the right to a reasonable amount of time to establish a defense.






47. The main mechanism used by modern political parties to nominate their candidate for President.






48. Theory of democracy in which competition among common interest groups promote ideas to influence politics






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






50. The total amount of money that the United States owes to its creditors.