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 separation of people by race.






2. Groups whose views serve as guidelines to an individual's opinion. See also primary groups and secondary groups.






3. Today the Senate operates with ____ standing and select committees. These select committees - however - are permanent in nature and are treated as standing committees under Senate rules.






4. 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






5. Laws passed by state legislatures that are designed to protect reporters from being forced to reveal their news sources.






6. 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.






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






8. In 2002 - a federal appeals court struck down the Pledge of Allegiance on the grounds that it violated ________________.






9. Overturning unjust laws is the responsibility of _________________.






10. In this case - a gay man from Georgia charged with committing sodomy in his own home with a consenting adult. The court ruled that the Constitution does not explicitly grant the right for homosexuals to practice their lifestyle and that laws against






11. A registered voter may vote in any party primary regardless of his own party affiliation. When voters do not register with a party before the primary - it is called a pick-a-party primary because the voter can select which party's primary he or she w






12. 1925 Supreme Court case overturned Baron v. Baltimore and applied the Bill of Rights to states.






13. 6 In the view of Robert L. Lineberry - policy analysts focus on the _______________.






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






15. Responsible for assigning bills to committee in the Senate.






16. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an example of an






17. 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






18. This amendment applied the Bill of Rights to states.






19. 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






20. In _______________ cases such as Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) - the Supreme Court has upheld that while Affirmative action policies are legal - race and gender cannot be the only determining factors.






21. This rule established by US v. Leon (1984) angered civil liberties groups by allowing exception to the Exclusionary Rule in instances where probably cause may not fully exist.






22. 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






23. The way things actually are.






24. This 1957 judgement prohibited pornography material as utterly without redeeming social significance - later reversed in Miller v. California






25. This 1963 case extended the right to counsel to all felony cases.






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






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






28. ______________ refers to the differences in political attitudes and voting behavior between men and women






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






30. The structure and set of regulations in place to control activity - usually in large organizations and government. it is represented by standardized procedure (rule-following) that dictates the execution of most or all processes within the body - for






31. While the verbiage of the 4th Amendment is vague as to what constitutes 'reasonable'. Police departments must rely on _____________; they cannot act on unfounded suspicion.






32. The expression of attitudes about government and politics.






33. Passed in 1883 - it created a federal civil service so that hiring and promotion would be based on merit rather than patronage.






34. It the job of _________ committees of a political party to hold voter registration drives - recruit new party members and final candidates for city and county positions.






35. The belief that one is effective when participating in politics - for example that the government will respond to one's demands






36. In an election with more than 2 options - the number of votes for the candidate or party receiving the greatest number - but less that half of the votes.






37. What occurs when government adopts a public policy that provides - or distributes - benefits to people or groups.






38. The Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) - founded in 1932 by President Herbert Hoover to help combat the Great Depression - was the predecessor of which federal agencies?






39. Powers of the national government that flow from its enumerated powers and the 'elastic clause' of the Constitution.






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






41. This Supreme Court case infamously decided that a slave was not a citizen but property to be 'used in subservience to the interests - the convenience - or the will of his owner'






42. Prompted by FDR's 4th election to the Presidency - the 22nd Amendment limited the number of Presidential terms to _____ terms.






43. 19th century case establishing that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government - upheld until the 20th century. Ruling allowed stated to engage in activities such as establishing state churches and denying public office to people of ce






44. A form of city government under which a council - usually elected on a nonpartisan ticket - hires a professional city manager - who runs the city government and has power to hire and fire officials.






45. First step in the Policy Making Cycle.






46. The action - or actions - taken by government to carry out a policy.






47. _____ out of 9 justices must agree to hear an appellate case brought to them from a lower court.






48. 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.






49. This group of voters historically supported Republicans - a party founded on an anti-slavery platform. During the 1930's they began supporting the New Deal policies of the Democratic party.






50. 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.