Government Clep Exam 2023 with complete solutions

President - Answer- The president of the U.S. can serve only 2 terms of 4 years each (due to the 22nd amendment) and is the head of the executive branch of the government. He can authorize military action (but not declare war) and holds veto power over any law passed by Congress. Vice President - Answer- The vice president is the president of the Senate, and is given the authority to lead discussion in Congress. However, he rarely takes on that duty. Additionally, he is first in line for the president if the president dies, and he can cast a tie-breaking vote for bills in Congress. Presidential Line of Succession - Answer- If the president dies or becomes otherwise unable to do his job, the line of succession is as follows - Vice president, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore, Secretary of State, and then other members of the Cabinet. Cabinet - Answer- The Cabinet is a group of select advisors for the President who also holds other responsibilities. Members include the attorney general, secretary of state, secretary of treasury, and the secretary of defense (and many others). Though each has member of the President's Cabinet must be confirmed by a simple majority of Congress, they all serve at the President's will, which means they can be fired, or moved to another position anytime he or she wishes. Secretary of State - Answer- The Secretary of State is the highest ranking member of the cabinet. He or she is responsible for foreign relations and policy. Secretary of the Treasury - Answer- The Secretary of Treasury advises the president on economic policy, and holds expertise on banking, finance, and economics, among other things. Secretary of Defense - Answer- Person in charge of the Department of Defense. By law the person has to be a member of the National Security Council, but is also usually a member of the Executive Cabinet as well. Attorney General - Answer- Head of the Department of Justice and chief law enforcement officer in the United States. The primary purpose is to advice the President on any legal matters, and for this reason the person holding the office is considered the be the chief lawyer in the United States. Veto - Answer- The president can veto a bill, meaning he formally refuses to sign it. If this happens, the bill is sent back to Congress and will not become law unless it is passed again by both Houses with a 2/3 majority vote. If the President doesn't officially veto the bill and just waits 10 days (not including Sundays), then two things can happen. If Congress has adjourned during those 10 days, then the bill fails. This is known as a "Pocket Veto". If Congress has not adjourned in those 10 days, then the bill automatically passes! The line-item veto or partial veto - Answer- Is a special form of veto power that authorizes a chief executive to reject particular provisions of a bill enacted by a legislature without vetoing the entire bill. Many countries have different standards for invoking the line-item veto, if it exists at all. Each country or state has its own particular requirement for overriding a line-item veto. Executive Agreement - Answer- This is an agreement that is made between the President of the United States and foreign heads of states. An easy example of this is the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreements) which deals with US Service Members overseas. If you're arrested for something serious, the SOFA is what determines whether you stand before a local judge or get shipped back home for trial. War Powers Resolution - Answer- It says that the President must notify Congress within 48 hours of using forces overseas and Congress must approve that use within 60 days or they must be brought home. Great Seal of the United States - Answer- The great seal of the U.S. is used to authenticate documents produced by the government. It is held by the secretary of state. Executive Departments - Answer- Departments of the Executive Branch which covers various areas of interest. Some of these include the Department of Defense, State, and the Treasury. Department of Agriculture - Answer- This department is responsible for affairs related to farming and crop production. It also holds responsibility for the management of herbicides and pesticides related to farming. Department of Veteran's Affairs - Answer- This department is responsible for the healthcare and benefits of veterans. The Department of Defense - Answer- The DoD has three military subsections which include the Departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. As well, the Department of Defense oversees several agencies, including the National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency. On a broad scale, the DoD is responsible for the armed forces and national security. Department of the Interior - Answer- Management of federal land natural resources, as well as conservation of ecology. The department includes the Fish and Wildlife service as well as the National Park service. Department of Commerce - Answer- The Department of Commerce works to promote economic growth and gathers economic and demographic data. It also issues patents and trademarks Department of the Treasury - Answer- The Department of Treasury mints and prints all currency used in the United States, and also is responsible for tax collection and managing the finances of the United States. Department of Transportation - Answer- The DoT manages transportation in the United States, including but not limited to roads, railways, air transportation and shipping routes. Its agencies include the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). Interstate Commerce Commission - Answer- The Interstate Commerce Commission was first authorized to manage railroad shipping and traffic. Later, its responsibilities expanded to include commerce within the United States as well as trucking. Standing committee - Answer- A standing committee is one which is permanently appointed by members of Congress. U.S. Congressional Committee - Answer- The U.S. Congress appoints representatives and senators to committees, which are small subgroups of between 6 and 20 members who specialize in a certain area. These committees draft bills and laws in their area, and advise the rest of Congress. Committees include the Veteran's Affairs, Intelligence, Foreign relations, and Finance committees. Note that the House and Senate have separate committees. Select committee - Answer- A select committee is one which is appointed for a short duration to advise Congress or the White House on special matters. Joint committee - Answer- A joint committee is one which contains members from both the House and Senate. Committee chair - Answer- Each committee has a committee chair, which is usually the most senior member of the majority party in that committee. Congressional Oversight - Answer- The Congress has the ability to oversee federal programs and agencies, and limit their power or spending if need be. Although the Constitution does not specifically state that Congress has this power, it is implied. Ways and Means Committee - Answer- The Ways and Means committee oversees legislation on taxation and tariffs, which are taxes on goods coming from another country. Appropriations Committee - Answer- This committee is probably the most powerful in the Congress, since their approval is required before any money from the treasury or budget is actually spent. They authorize spending for different agencies and federal programs. Checks and Balances - Answer- The checks and balances theory is that each of the three branches of government (legislative, executive and judicial) have powers that the others do not, which limits the ability of any individual branch from too much control. For example, although Congress (legislative) holds power over passage of bills and budgets, the president (executive) can veto it. Likewise, the judicial branch (Supreme Court) can declare laws or bills unconstitutional, essentially getting rid of them. The Speaker of the House of Representatives - Answer- The Speaker of the House is usually one of the most senior members of the majority party of the House of Representatives. He or she leads discussion in Congress, and is 2nd in the line for the presidency (after the Vice President). The speaker of the House also has the power to choose many of the committee members for committees in the House President Pro Tempore - Answer- The president pro tempore is the replacement for the vice president's leadership of Congress if he decides not to assume it. It is usually a senior member of Congress, of either the majority or minority party. The President Pro Tempore is 3rd in line for the presidency, after the Speaker of the House. Markup Session - Answer- A markup session can be called to amend or add to a bill which is being considered by the House or the Senate. Although the amendments are not directly added to the bill, they are voted on by a later meeting of Congress. Budget Committee - Answer- 'pork' in a legislative bill is extra spending added on to by the vote of another politician. For example, if one politician wants a bill passed, but needs several extra votes, he will add some spending that will benefit the other politician's constituents (members of his district) so that he will feel inclined to vote for the bill. Iron Triangle - Answer- This is a term used for the relationships between Congressional Committees, Government Agencies, and corporations with their special interest groups. The problem is that the consumers and individual voters are often not served by this behavior. Instead, it is only the members of the triangle that benefit Quid pro quo - Answer- Latin for 'this for that' is the practice of trading favors or votes between Congressmen. This can be used to pass bills that may be un-favored in Congress. If a Congress member has enough favors owed, he can call in those favors to get votes for his favorite bill. This is also called "Logrolling". Passing of a Bill - Answer- A bill can originate (be authored) by a member in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. The only exception is a bill that has to do with taxes or spending, in which case it must originate in the House. Once authored, it goes to a committee which decides whether or not it will be voted upon. If approved for voting, it must pass a majority (50%) in both the House and the Senate. If the bill passes these hurdles, then it then needs to be signed by the President in order to become a law. Senate - Answer- The Senate is composed of 100 members, 2 for each state. They are considered the 'upper' House of Congress. The Senate can originate bills or legislation (except those dealing with taxation or spending), and their approval is also needed to confirm cabinet appointments and Supreme Court appointments. Senator - Answer- A member of the Senate, each Senator serves terms of 6 years. Senators have no term limits, and may be re-elected for as many terms as they can win. House of Representatives - Answer- The House of Representatives has 435 members, who each represent a roughly equal number of the population in the United States (this is why some states have more representatives than others). Budget or spending bills must originate (start or proposed) in the House, due to the idea that representatives of the people should have the ultimate power of spending in the federal government. Representative - Answer- Each representative that serves in the House of Representatives serves for a term of 2 years. They do not have term limits, and may serve for as many terms as they are re-elected. Lame Duck - Answer- A lame duck in politics refers to a politician who has no power due to imminent resignation or term ending. Since they will not be resuming power in the following year, he or she is perceived to have little to no influence, and thus have no bargaining power. However, on the flip side, lame ducks can also use their vote effectively as a swing vote, since they will not be facing re-election. Filibuster - Answer- A filibuster is, in essence, a never-ending debate. A Congressman has the right to hold the floor of Congress so long as he remains on topic with whatever legislature is being debated. This right however, also allows a Congressman to continue talking for as long as he likes (on topic). Thus, filibusters are used as a way to block a bill or tire out opponents so much that a bill will not be passed. Cloture - Answer- A motion for cloture can be used to end a filibuster, and essentially means 'ending of debate.' For a motion of cloture to pass, a 60% majority is needed to end the debate. General Accounting Offices (GAO) - Answer- The GAO is a subsection of the legislative branch that reports on fiscal (budget) accounts from the federal budget as well as other sectors of government spending. Their reports are mostly available online for the public to see. Regulatory Agency - Answer- Regulatory agencies are usually independent from the government (although they may be government-funded) and regulate laws for the good and safety of the public. Examples include the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Supreme Court - Answer- The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States, and its rulings overrule those of any other court. It consists of 9 justices - 1 Chief Justice and 8 associate justices. Supreme Court Justice - Answer- Supreme Court justices hold lifetime appointments, and only vacate their position if they choose to retire or pass away. They are appointed by the President, but must be confirmed (approved) by the Senate before taking office. Lemon Test - Answer- The lemon test refers to the Supreme Court case in 1971 in which it was ruled that governments could not impose laws that were religious in nature. In the Lemon test, it is stated that government action must have no religious purpose at its heart. Appellate Jurisdiction - Answer- Appellate jurisdiction refers to the 'order of precedence' for the court system in the United States. District or local court rulings can be overturned by state courts and state court rulings can be overturned by the Supreme Court. Original Jurisdiction - Answer- Original jurisdiction is a term referring to a court's jurisdiction. For example, district and local courts have original jurisdiction over lower crime cases, such as burglaries, assault, etc., whereas capital cases (murder, rape,) are typically tried by state courts, or even federal courts in some cases. Judicial Restraint - Answer- A judge who exercises judicial restraint will typically follow laws as they are written, with no additional interpretation. Judicial Activism - Answer- A judge who exercises judicial activism will sometimes interpret laws according to their own views, and may judge cases differently (depending on situation) from what the law says. For example, a judge may reduce the sentence on a nonviolent burglary if they determine that the guilty person has potential to be a better citizen, etc. Judicial Review - Answer- The concept of judicial review is established in the Constitution, and is the idea that judges have the power to review laws, and if they deem them unfair or unconstitutional, can invalidate them. Writ of Certiorari - Answer- Typically issued when a higher court wants to review the judgment of a lower court. For example, the US Supreme Court may issue a writ of certiorari when it wishes to review what a state court has decided. A person who wishes their case to be heard by the US Supreme Court must submit a "petition for writ of certiorari". If the Supreme Court decides to hear the case, they will grant the petition. Judicial Conservatism - Answer- Judicial Conservatives exercise judicial restraint typically, and interpret the law, the Constitution especially, as it is written. They believe that no interpretation is needed. Supremacy Clause - Answer- The supremacy clause simply establishes the order of law in the country, with the Constitution at the highest level, followed by federal, then state, then local laws. The clause states that laws from a lower order, such as state laws, cannot violate or supersede the authority of laws from a higher order, such as the federal or Constitutional level. Litigation - Answer- Litigation refers to the legal process for recovering a loss (time, money, property) incurred due to another person's action. The process of litigation is known as a lawsuit.