American Government CLEP(Actual) Exam 2023

1. Which of the following statements best reflects the pluralist theory of American politics? (A) American politics is dominated by a small elite. (B) Public policies emerge from cooperation among elites in business, labor, and government. (C) Public policies emerge from compromises reached among competing groups. (D) American politics is dominated by cities at the expense of rural areas. (E) The American political arena is made up of isolated individuals who have few group affiliations outside the family - ANSWER-(C) Public policies emerge from compromises reached among competing groups. Which of the following statements best reflects the pluralist theory of American politics? - ANSWER-Public policies emerge from compromises reached among competing groups. pluralist theory - ANSWER-Pluralism summarized: A. citizens are not politically motivated or self interested B. elections are not the only or the most important means of linking citizens to government C. citizens participate widely in the interest group system by virtue of their economic , social, religious, and political interests D. political action by interest groups is costly E. despite the costs of participation, the group system is reasonably inclusive and balanced in the interests it represents before government F. So, government power should be dispersed and fragmented. ***GROUPS*** 2. Which of the following is generally the most significant influence on an individual's identification with a particular political party? (A) Religious affiliation (B) Family (C) Level of education (D) Television (E) The party identification of the incumbent president - ANSWER-(B) Family Which of the following is generally the most significant influence on an individual's identification with a particular political party? - ANSWER-Family 3. Which of the following committee assignments would confer the most power and influence on members of the House of Representatives? (A) Agriculture (B) Ways and Means (C) Veterans' Affairs (D) Armed Services (E) Education and Labor - ANSWER-(B) Ways and Means Which of the following committee assignments would confer the most power and influence on members of the House of Representatives? - ANSWER-Ways and Means Ways and means - ANSWER-methods and resources for accomplishing something and especially for defraying expenses; methods and resources for raising the necessary revenues for the expenses of a nation or state; a legislative committee concerned with this function 4. Which of the following statements about Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka is correct? (A) It declared segregation by race in the public schools unconstitutional. (B) It established the principle of one person, one vote. (C) It required that citizens about to be arrested be read a statement concerning their right to remain silent. (D) It declared Bible reading in the public schools unconstitutional. (E) It declared segregation by race in places of public accommodation unconstitutional. - ANSWER-(A) It declared segregation by race in the public schools unconstitutional. Which of the following statements about Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka is correct? - ANSWER-It declared segregation by race in the public schools unconstitutional. 5. Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, literacy tests were used by some southern states to (A) determine the educational achievement of potential voters (B) prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote (C) assess the general population's understanding of the Constitution (D) hinder the migration of northerners (E) defend the practice of segregation - ANSWER-(B) prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, literacy tests were used by some southern states to - ANSWER-prevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote 6. The practice whereby individual senators can veto federal judicial nominations in their respective states is called (A) logrolling (B) preferential treatment (C) senatorial prerogative (D) senatorial courtesy (E) judicial selection - ANSWER-(D) senatorial courtesy The practice whereby individual senators can veto federal judicial nominations in their respective states is called - ANSWER-senatorial courtesy logrolling - ANSWER-the exchanging of assistance or favors; specifically: the trading of votes by legislators to secure favorable action on projects of interest to each one preferential treatment - ANSWER-If you get preferential treatment, you are treated better than other people and therefore have an advantage over them. senatorial courtesy - ANSWER-a custom of the U.S. Senate of refusing to confirm a presidential appointment of an official in or from a state when the appointment is opposed by the senators or senior senator of the president's party from that state judicial selection - ANSWER-Though each state has a unique set of guidelines governing how they fill their state and local judiciaries, there are five main methods: Partisan elections: Judges are elected by the people, and candidates are listed on the ballot alongside a label designating political party affiliation. Nonpartisan elections: Judges are elected by the people, and candidates are listed on the ballot without a label designating party affiliation. Legislative elections: Judges are selected by the state legislature. Gubernatorial appointment: Judges are appointed by the governor. In some cases, approval from the legislative body is required. Assisted appointment, also known as merit selection or the Missouri Plan: A nominating commission reviews the qualifications of judicial candidates and submits a list of names to the governor, who appoints a judge from the list. After serving an initial term, the judge must be confirmed by the people in a yes-no retention election to continue serving. 7. Differences between House and Senate versions of a bill are resolved (A) in a conference committee (B) by the Rules committees of both chambers (C) in subcommittee hearings (D) by the president before the bill is signed into law (E) during the bill's markup phase - ANSWER-(A) in a conference committee Differences between House and Senate versions of a bill are resolved - ANSWER-in a conference committee 8. Which of the following principles protects a citizen from imprisonment without trial? (A) Representative government (B) Separation of powers (C) Due process (D) Checks and balances (E) Popular sovereignty - ANSWER-(C) Due process Which of the following principles protects a citizen from imprisonment without trial? - ANSWER-Due process Popular sovereignty - ANSWER-a doctrine in political theory that government is created by and subject to the will of the people; a pre-Civil War doctrine asserting the right of the people living in a newly organized territory to decide by vote of their territorial legislature whether or not slavery would be permitted there Checks and balances - ANSWER-a system that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch so as to prevent any one branch from exerting too much power Due process - ANSWER-a course of formal proceedings (such as legal proceedings) carried out regularly and in accordance with established rules and principles — called also procedural due process; a judicial requirement that enacted laws may not contain provisions that result in the unfair, arbitrary, or unreasonable treatment of an individual — called also substantive due process Separation of powers - ANSWER-The Separation of Powers devised by the framers of the Constitution was designed to do one primary thing: to prevent the majority from ruling with an iron fist. Based on their experience, the framers shied away from giving any branch of the new government too much power. The separation of powers provides a system of shared power known as Checks and Balances. Representative government - ANSWER-An electoral system where citizens vote to elect people to represent their interests and concerns. Those elected meet to debate and make laws on behalf of the whole community or society, instead of the people voting directly on laws and other debates. 9. The passage of legislation in Congress often depends on mutual accommodations among members. This suggests that, to some extent, congressional behavior is based on (A) ideological divisions (B) partisan division (C) the principle of reciprocity (D) deference to state legislatures (E) norms of seniority - ANSWER-(C) the principle of reciprocity The passage of legislation in Congress often depends on mutual accommodations among members. This suggests that, to some extent, congressional behavior is based on - ANSWER-the principle of reciprocity deference to state legislatures - ANSWER-humble submission and respect to state legislatures the principle of reciprocity - ANSWER-in many social situations we pay back what we received from others. In other words, if John does you a favor, you're likely to return it to him 10. Which of the following statements accurately describes the president's veto power? I. A president sometimes threatens to veto a bill that is under discussion in order to influence congressional decision making. II. A president typically vetoes about a third of the bills passed by Congress. III. Congress is usually unable to override a president's veto. (A) I only (B) III only (C) I and III only (D) II and III only (E) I, II, and III - ANSWER-(C) I and III only I. A president sometimes threatens to veto a bill that is under discussion in order to influence congressional decision making. III. Congress is usually unable to override a president's veto. Which of the following statements accurately describes the president's veto power? - ANSWER-A president sometimes threatens to veto a bill that is under discussion in order to influence congressional decision making. Congress is usually unable to override a president's veto. 11. All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 EXCEPT (A) representation in the legislature (B) voting qualifications of the electorate (C) the method of electing the president (D) congressional power to override a presidential veto (E) qualifications for members of the House and Senate - ANSWER-(B) voting qualifications of the electorate All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 EXCEPT - ANSWER-voting qualifications of the electorate Constitutional Convention of 1787 - ANSWER-in Philadelphia met between May and September of 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. Oliver Ellsworth and Roger Sherman, among others, in what is sometimes called the Connecticut, or Great, Compromise, proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house. All revenue measures would originate in the lower house. That compromise was approved July 16. the creation of a new form of government that allowed for several types of representation for the states. this resulted in the constitution. 12. Which of the following is an example of soft money? (A) Money that is given to a member of the House of Representatives for a reelection campaign (B) Money that is given to a major party candidate running for president (C) Money that is given to a minor party candidate running for Senate (D) Money that is given to candidates for Congress during primary campaigns (E) Money that is given to a political party for advertisements about the party's goals - ANSWER-(E) Money that is given to a political party for advertisements about the party's goals Which of the following is an example of soft money? - ANSWER-Money that is given to a political party for advertisements about the party's goals soft money - ANSWER-a contribution to a political party that is not accounted as going to a particular candidate, thus avoiding various legal limitations. 13. The usefulness to the president of having cabinet members as political advisers is undermined by the fact that (A) the president has little latitude in choosing cabinet members (B) cabinet members have no political support independent of the president (C) cabinet members are usually drawn from Congress and retain loyalties to Congress (D) the loyalties of cabinet members are often divided between loyalty to the president and loyalty to their own executive departments (E) the cabinet operates as a collective unit and individual members have no access to the president - ANSWER-(D) the loyalties of cabinet members are often divided between loyalty to the president and loyalty to their own executive departments The usefulness to the president of having cabinet members as political advisers is undermined by the fact that - ANSWER-the loyalties of cabinet members are often divided between loyalty to the president and loyalty to their own executive departments 14. All of the following are constitutional rights that neither the federal government nor the states can restrict EXCEPT the right to (A) remain silent during questioning (B) be represented by counsel (C) be indicted by grand jury (D) not be tried for the same offense twice (E) receive a trial by jury in a criminal case - ANSWER-(C) be indicted by grand jury All of the following are constitutional rights that neither the federal government nor the states can restrict EXCEPT the right to - ANSWER-be indicted by grand jury be indicted by grand jury - ANSWER-formally accuse of or charge with a serious crime by the grand jury grand jury - ANSWER-a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity of an accusation before trial 15. In the electoral history of the United States, third parties have been effective vehicles of protest when they (A) aligned themselves with one of the major parties (B) presented innovative programs in Congress (C) dramatized issues and positions that were being ignored by the major parties (D) chose the president by depriving either of the major parties of an electoral college victory (E) supported a political agenda that appealed especially to women - ANSWER-(C) dramatized issues and positions that were being ignored by the major parties In the electoral history of the United States, third parties have been effective vehicles of protest when they - ANSWER-dramatized issues and positions that were being ignored by the major parties 16. Which of the following best defines the term "judicial activism"? (A) The tendency of judges to hear large numbers of cases on social issues (B) The efforts of judges to lobby Congress for funds (C) The unwillingness of judges to remove themselves from cases in which they have a personal interest (D) The attempts by judges to influence election outcomes (E) The attempts by judges to influence public policy through their case decisions - ANSWER-(E) The attempts by judges to influence public policy through their case decisions Which of the following best defines the term "judicial activism"? - ANSWER-The attempts by judges to influence public policy through their case decisions 17. High levels of political participation have been found to be positively associated with which of the following? I. A high level of interest in politics II. A sense of political efficacy III. A strong sense of civic duty (A) III only (B) I and II only (C) I and III only (D) II and III only (E) I, II, and III - ANSWER-(E) I, II, and III I. A high level of interest in politics II. A sense of political efficacy III. A strong sense of civic duty High levels of political participation have been found to be positively associated with which of the following? - ANSWER-A high level of interest in politics A sense of political efficacy A strong sense of civic duty 18. In the past 30 years, the single most important variable in determining the outcome of an election for a member of the House of Representatives has been (A) incumbency (B) the candidate's personal wealth (C) the previous political office the candidate held in the district (D) the candidate's membership in the political party of the president (E) the candidate's positions on key social issues - ANSWER-(A) incumbency In the past 30 years, the single most important variable in determining the outcome of an election for a member of the House of Representatives has been - ANSWER-incumbency Incumbency - ANSWER-the holder of an office or ecclesiastical benefice; one that occupies a particular position or place; ***the period during which someone has a particular official position*** 19. Which of the following best describes the concept of federalism embodied in the United States government? (A) The Constitution divides power between a central government and its constituent governments, with some powers being shared. (B) The Constitution grants all governmental powers to the central government, which may delegate authority to state governments. (C) State governments join together and form a central government, which exists solely by approval of the state governments. (D) The central government creates state governments. (E) State governments are sovereign in all matters except foreign policy, which is reserved to the central government. - ANSWER-(A) The Constitution divides power between a central government and its constituent governments, with some powers being shared. Which of the following best describes the concept of federalism embodied in the United States government? - ANSWER-The Constitution divides power between a central government and its constituent governments, with some powers being shared. federalism - ANSWER-the distribution of power in an organization (such as a government) between a central authority and the constituent units