American Government CLEP - ONLINE PRACTICE TEST 1-3 Rated A+

American Government CLEP - ONLINE PRACTICE TEST 1-3 Rated A+ Which of the following is not a standing committee of the United States Congress? a. Agriculture b. Appropriations c. Veterans' Affairs d. Investigations e. Budget The correct answer is D. There is no committee for investigations, although Congress may create committees to conduct investigations if the need arises. All of the other answer choices are standing (permanent) committees of both the House and Senate. Federal district court judges are a. nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. b. nominated by the Chief Justice and confirmed by the Senate. c. elected by standing judges of the same circuit. d. nominated by a senator and confirmed by the entire Senate. e. elected by the citizens of the district in which they will serve. The correct answer is A. Judges of the Federal Court system—Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges, and district court judges—are nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. This process is outlined in the Constitution and neither the public nor the judiciary itself can be formally involved in the process. The state officer typically responsible for overseeing federal elections at the state level is the a. Secretary of State. b. Attorney General. c. State Auditor. d. Governor. e. State Treasurer. The correct answer is A. The Secretary of State is appointed by the Governor to supervise the election process. For example, in the controversial 2000 presidential election, it was Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris (appointed by Governor Jeb Bush) who was responsible for making sure that Florida's election was free, fair, and impartial. Most Americans believe that a. the needs of the individual should be subordinate to those of the community. b. everyone should enjoy equal opportunities for personal and material success. c. the government should provide free healthcare for all citizens. d. the government rather than industry should be responsible for national economic development. e. Congress rather than the President should determine foreign policy. The correct answer is B. The Declaration of Independence states that all men should have the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Today, most Americans take these words to mean that every American should enjoy equal opportunities for personal and material success. All of the following are principles upon which the United States Constitution was founded EXCEPT: a. Every state is equal and the national government cannot give special rights to an individual state. b. There should be three branches of government to make, execute, and interpret the nation's laws. c. All men are equal before the law regardless of social standing. d. The best government is a government by laws not by men. e. All citizens should have the right to keep and bear arms. The correct answer is E. The right to bear arms is the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights; it was not a founding principle of the U.S. Constitution. All of the other answers deal with general principles of American governmental philosophy and structure rather than particular rights. The Department of Commerce promotes a. domestic aggregate demand and supply. b. international trade and economic growth. c. fair prices and stable markets for producers and consumers. d. improved technology through research, development, and demonstration. e. better working conditions and improved relations between labor and management. The correct answer is B. The Department of Commerce is primarily concerned with ensuring the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. The Department provides businesses with information, administers programs to protect U.S. firms from unfair international competition, and provides standards of measure for U.S. industry. Which of the following Supreme Court cases refuted the doctrine of "separate but equal"? a. Baker v. Carr b. McCulloch v. Maryland c. Garcia v. San Antonio d. Brown v. Board of Education e. Miranda v. Arizona The correct answer is D. The 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education overturned the 1896 ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson