CLEP Exam American Government Questions With 100% Correct Answers

CLEP Exam American Government Questions With 100% Correct Answers Which of the following statements best reflects the pluralist theory of America? American politics is dominated my a small elite. Public policies emerge from cooperation among elites in business, labor, and government. Public policies emerge from compromises reached among competing groups. American politics is dominated by cities at the expense of rural areas. - answerPublic policies emerge from compromises reached among competing groups. Which of the following is generally the most significant influence on an individual's identification with a particular political party? Religious affiliation. Family. Level of education. Television. The party identification of the incumbent president. - answerFamily. Which of the following committee assignments would confer the most power and influence on members of the House of Representatives. Agriculture. Ways and Means. Veteran's Affairs. Armed Services. Education and Labor. - answerWays and Means. Which of the following statements about Brown v Board of Education of Topeka is correct? It declared segregation by race in the public schools unconstitutional. It established the principle of one person, one vote. It required that citizens about to be arrested be read a statement concerning their right to remain silent. It declared Bible reading in public schools unconstitutional. It declared segregation by race in places of public accommodation unconstitutional. - answerIt declared segregation by race in the public schools unconstitutional. Prior to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, literacy tests were used by some southern states to: - answerPrevent African Americans from exercising their right to vote. The practice whereby individual senators can veto federal judicial nominations in their respective states is called: - answerSenatorial Courtesy. Differences between House and Senate versions of a bill are resolved: - answerIn a conference committee. Which of the following principles protects a citizen from imprisonment without trial? Representative government. Separation of powers. Due process. Checks and balances. Popular sovereignty. - answerDue process. The passage of legislation in Congress often depends on mutual accomodations among members. This suggests that, to some extent, congressional behavior is based on: - answerThe principle of reciprocity. Which of the following statements accurately describes the president's veto power? A president sometimes threatens to veto a bill that is under discussion in order to influence congressional decision making. A president typically vetoes about a third of the bills passed by Congress. Congress is usually unable to override a president's veto. - answerA president sometimes threatens to veto a bill that is under discussion in order to influence congressional decision makin. Congress is usually unable to override a president's veto. All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 EXCEPT: Representation in the legislature. Voting qualifications of the electorate. The method of electing the president. Congressional power to override a presidential veto. Qualifications for members of the house and Senate. - answerVoting qualifications of the electorate. The principle of stare decisis refers to which of the following? The process in which groups write leal briefs to influence the outcome of a case. The process by which Supreme Court justices decide which cases to hear. The process by which judges interpret common law principles along with constitutional law. The judicial principle of following precedents that were established in previous court decisions. A legal principle that allows parties to settle their disputes outside the courtroom. - answerThe judicial principle of following precedents that were established in previous court decisions. The usefulness to the president of having cabinet members as political advisors is undermined by the fact that: - answerThe loyalties of cabinet members are often divided between loyalty to the president or loyalty to their own executive departments. All of the following are constitutional rights that neither the federal government nor the states can restrict EXCEPT the right to: Remain silent during questioning. Be represented by counsel. Be indicted by grand jury. Not be tried for the same offense twice. Receive a trial by jury in a criminal case. - answerBe indicted by grand jury. In the electoral history o the United States, third parties have been effective vehicles of protest when they: - answerDramatized issues and positions that were being ignored by the major parties. Which of the following best defines the term "judicial activism"? The tendency of judges to hear large numbers of cases on social issues. The efforts of judges to lobby Congress for funds. The unwillingness of judges to remove themselves from cases in which they have a personal interest. The attempts by judges to influence elective outcomes. The attempts by judges to influence public policy through their case decisions. - answerThe attempts by judges to influence public policy through their case decisions. High levels of political participation have been found to be positively associated with which of the following? A high level of interest in politics. A sense of political efficacy. A strong sense of civic duty. - answerAll of the above. 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: - answerIncumbency. Which of the following best describes the concept of federalism embodied in the United States government: The Constitution divides power between a central government and its constituent governments, with some powers being shared. The Constitution grants all governmental powers to the central government, which may delegate authority to state governments. The central government creates state governments. State governments are sovereign in all matters except foreign policy, which is reserved to the central government. - answerThe Consitution divides power between a central government and its constituent governments, with some powers being shared. The power of the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives primarily stems from its authority to: - answerLimit the time for debate and determine whether amendments to a bill can be considered. Which of the following is a function of the White House Office: Advising the president on political decisions. Heading federal departments as the president's representative. Preparing the national budget for the president. Supervising national security agencies such as the CIA and FBI. Actin as a liaison between the vice president and Congress. - answerAdvising the president on political decisions. A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that interest groups generally do NOT: - answerOccupy a place on the ballot. An election is a realigning or critical election if: - answerThere is a lasting change in party coalitions. Which of the following Supreme Court cases involved the principle of one person, one vote? Baker v. Carr. Roe v. Wade. Mapp v. Ohio. Korematsu v. United States. Gideon v. Wainwright. - answerBaker v. Carr. The passage of broad legislation that leaves the making of specific rules to the executive branch is an example of: - answerDelegated authority. The redrawing of congressional districts in such a way as to give special advantage to one political party is referred to as: - answerGerrymandering.