American Government CLEP Exam Questions With 100% Correct Answers

American Government CLEP Exam Questions With 100% Correct Answers The U.S. Constitution guarantees the protections of minority rights even while allowing the majority to rule. Which amendment to the Constitution most supports the protection of minority rights? - answerFirst Amendment - The First Amendment guarantees rights including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religious exercise, and freedom of assembly. All of these allow minority groups to express their opinions and act on their beliefs even though they do not match with those of the majority. The Second, Fifth, and Eighth Amendments relate to personal liberties that do not draw on the balance between majority and minority rule; the Tenth Amendment grants many powers to the states. All of the following are major agents of political socialization except: A. Family B. Peers C. Communities D. Pollsters E. Teachers - answerPollster - Researchers have found that family is the leading agent of political socialization, or the development of a political identity. In a household in which both parents belong to the same political party, a child will most likely grow up to support that party. Communities, peer groups, and high school and college instructors can also exert noticeable influence on a person's political beliefs. What is the first formal step in the hearing of a case by the U.S. Supreme Court? - answerThe Court issues a writ of certiorari to lower courts - Before a case can be heard before the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices must agree that the case is worthy of such a trial. This results in the issuance of a writ of certiorari to the lower courts to gather their records. Justices and their clerks then begin doing research into the case and the issues it involves. After attorneys present oral arguments, the justices meet and discuss their opinions before issuing a ruling. All of the following features of U.S. politics support the dominance of the two-party system except: A. Campaign finance law B. Electoral College C. Winner-take-all system D. Political realignments E. Pragmatism by voters - answerPolitical realignments - Political alignments reshape the nature of support for a particular party, but do not especially support the dominance of a two- party system. On the other hand, formal restrictions such as campaign finance laws that virtually eliminate public funding for third parties, and the majority rules nature of the Electoral College and winner-take-all systems, help keep the two major parties strong. Voters' own desire to vote for a candidate that has a chance of winning and the general lack of extreme views in the United States also keep the two parties dominant. Which two political parties were the first to emerge in the United States? - answerDemocratic Republicans and Federalists - Although the U.S. Constitution says nothing about the use of political parties, the earliest parties had begun to emerge even during the presidency of George Washington. Led by Alexander Hamilton, the Federalists supported the power of a strong central government. In contrast, the Democratic Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, preferred to assign power to the states. This struggle between national and state authority has long influenced the U.S. political discussion. The purpose of the filibuster is to - answerdelay or prevent the passage of laws - One way that senators can prevent the passage of a bill they oppose is to keep talking until the time allotted to debate the bill has passed. This process is called the filibuster. Because the House has set time limits for each member to speak without further approval, the filibuster functions only in the Senate. Its use dates back to 1790, and although it sometimes draws criticism from members of the majority party, has been used through U.S. history. "The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment." - answerChecks and balances - This section of the U.S. Constitution grants the House of Representatives, one of the two bodies within the U.S. Congress, the right to select their leader and the right to begin impeachment proceedings. Impeachment is one of the leading checks that the House has on the power of the president, and thus closely relates to the fundamental idea of checks and balances within U.S. government. Although the selection of a Speaker draws on the idea of direct democracy, the United States is not founded on this belief. Which Supreme Court case created the "clear and present danger" rule to test the limits of free speech? - answerSchenck v. United States - The World War I-era ruling in Schenck v. United States stated that constitutional right to free speech did not extend to those statements that presented a "clear and present danger" to national security. In this instance, the defendant's conviction for distributing literature against the draft during wartime was allowed to stand. The other rulings do not relate to the issue of freedom of speech and national security. Which of the following is NOT a power granted to Congress? A. Levy taxes B. Declare war C. Establish courts D. Suspend habeas corpus E. Govern the federal district - answerSuspend habeas corpus - The U.S. Constitution grants many powers to Congress, including the rights to levy taxes, declare war, establish a system of federal courts, and oversee the federal district, Washington, DC. However, the Constitution specifically bars Congress from some actions. Among these is a denial of the right to suspend habeas corpus— the right of a prisoner to be charged with a crime before a judge without indefinite detainment. This may be done during times of war or revolt, and in fact was carried out during the Civil War. Which term best describes a polling distribution in which a graph of responses resembles a bell curve? - answerNormal distribution - A normal distribution most closely resembles a bell curve, with many responses around a central point and few at either extreme. A skewed distribution occurs when many more people favor one side of an issue than the other; in a bimodal distribution, opinions split about evenly. A stable distribution describes one that remains about the same over time. A pluralist distribution does not exist. The chief of staff and national security advisor are both part of the - answerExecutive Office of the President - Most Americans think only of the president when considering the executive branch. However, thousands of others serve in the federal executive branch in bureaucracies set up under the auspices of the president. Two of the leading members of the Executive Office of the President, which operates from the White House, are the chief of staff and the national security advisor. The U.S. Constitution introduced the idea of federalism to divide power between/among - answerthe national and state governments - The Tenth Amendment specifically grants all powers not directly given to the federal government to the states. This concept underlies the idea of federalism, or the division of power between the federal, or national, government and that of the various states. Federalism helps keep the national government from exercising too much authority over the internal affairs of states, but also gives the federal government enough power to oversee truly national issues. On July 2, 1864, Congress passed the Wade-Davis Bill. Congress adjourned, and Lincoln did not sign the bill. Why did the bill fail to become law? - answerBy not signing the bill, Lincoln exercised the pocket veto - Normally, when a president does sign a bill within ten days it simply proceeds to become law. The exception to this rule is during times of congressional recess. In this instance, a refusal to sign the bill is known as the pocket veto. The bill then does not become law. A consensus opinion is one that most Americans agree on, such as the right of law-abiding adults to vote. Among these examples, Americans showed a strong consensus opinion that the military was good at its job. The other options reflect divided opinions, or those in which many people hold different ideas. - answer What was one way that the Fourteenth Amendment expanded rights in the United States? - answerBy granting equal protection under the law to African Americans - Passed during the Reconstruction era, the Fourteenth Amendment asserted that states could not deny African Americans equal protection under the law. Nevertheless, some states continued to limit the rights of African American citizens through segregation, voting restrictions, and other measures. Not until the mid-twentieth century were these limits finally eliminated through federal action. The act of seeking to influence members of government to support certain issues or policies is known as - answerlobbying - Special-interest groups often hire lobbyists, or professionals who seek to influence government actions on certain issues or policies. Legislation has been passed since the mid-twentieth century to try to prevent lobbying from corrupting political actions. Nevertheless, lobbyists and congressmen and women are still sometimes found guilty of improper actions. What is the main reason that the use of political action committees (PACs) has grown since the 1970s? - answerCampaign finance laws prevent individuals from giving large amounts of money directly to candidates - Campaign finance laws have worked to limit the amount of money that any one person can give to a particular candidate in an attempt to make elections more fair. However, PACs, which pool money from various donors to support candidates, parties, or issues, have no such restrictions. The usage of PACs has grown dramatically since the 1970s as a result; since the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, new and even more potentially powerful Super PACs have also emerged. Which type of federalism is closest to that laid out in the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? - answerDual federalism - In the U.S. Constitution, the Tenth Amendment suggests a distinct division between the powers of the federal government and the powers reserved for the states. This concept is closest to that of dual federalism, an idea that relates to the clear split between the powers of each level of government. Cooperative federalism—also known as marble-cake federalism—and layer-cake federalism both relate to the interaction of the levels of power as they are frequently practiced in modern government. Sovereign federalism does not exist. The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are known collectively as the - answerBill of Rights - The Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution shortly after its ratification; the passage of a series of amendments like these had been one of the sticking points for opponents of the document. The first ten amendments thus guarantee a variety of personal liberties for U.S. citizens and place limits on national governmental power. Among the best known of the rights granted under the Bill of Rights are the freedom of speech, freedom of religious practice, freedom from self-incrimination, and the right to bear arms. Politicians must pay attention to public opinion primarily because - answerotherwise people may decide not to reelect them - In the United States, elected officials face reelection by voters on a regular basis. As a result, a politician that supports an issue or law that goes against the majority opinion of his or her voters faces the prospect of losing a reelection bid. Therefore, politicians pay attention to public opinion in order to protect their jobs. How did the Seventeenth Amendment change the process of U.S. government? - answerIt allowed for the direct election of senators - Before the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment, U.S. senators were chosen by state legislators, not the people. The Seventeenth Amendment granted the people direct election of senators, making them more directly accountable to voters. The Nineteenth Amendment, passed at about the same time, granted women suffrage.