CLEP American Government

Which of the following powers is granted exclusively to the U.S. House of Representatives by the Constitution?

• AInitiating all bills for raising revenue
• BConfirming presidential appointments to the federal courts
• CRatifying treaties with foreign nations
• DTrying impeachment cases and removing officials from office

The constitutional power to declare war is assigned to which branch or institution of the federal government?

• AThe President as commander in chief
• BCongress
• CThe Supreme Court
• DThe Department of Defense

What is the primary constitutional function of the U.S. Senate's power to provide 'advice and consent'?

• ATo write the federal budget each fiscal year
• BTo override presidential vetoes by a simple majority
• CTo confirm major presidential appointments and ratify treaties
• DTo select the President when no candidate wins the Electoral College

The presidential power to issue an executive order is best described as the authority to do which of the following?

• ACreate new criminal laws without congressional approval
• BAppoint Supreme Court justices without Senate confirmation
• CAmend the Constitution through unilateral presidential action
• DDirect federal government operations and agencies

Judicial review, the power of courts to declare laws unconstitutional, was established in which landmark Supreme Court case?

• AMarbury v. Madison (1803)
• BMcCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
• CGibbons v. Ogden (1824)
• DDred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

What is the main purpose of a congressional committee in the legislative process?

• AReplace floor votes by the full chamber entirely
• BReview, amend, and advance bills to the full chamber
• CAppoint federal judges to vacant judicial seats
• DNegotiate treaties with foreign governments directly

A filibuster in the U.S. Senate is a tactic used primarily to accomplish which of the following?

• ASpeed a bill through to an immediate floor vote
• BForce the President to sign legislation into law
• CDelay or block a Senate vote through extended debate
• DOverride a Supreme Court constitutional decision

The federal bureaucracy is best described as which of the following?

• ACourts that interpret federal statutory law
• BAdvisers who draft Supreme Court majority opinions
• CCongressional committees that draft new legislation
• DFederal agencies that implement and enforce federal laws

Which action represents a presidential check on the legislative branch?

• AVetoing a bill passed by Congress
• BConfirming cabinet nominees
• CImpeaching a member of Congress
• DDeclaring a federal law unconstitutional

What is the term length for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and how does it compare to a senator's term?

• AFour years for the House and four years for the Senate
• BTwo years for the House and six years for the Senate
• CSix years for the House and two years for the Senate
• DTwo years for both the House and the Senate

The process by which a presidential appointment to the federal courts becomes official requires which of the following?

• AA two-thirds vote of the House of Representatives
• BApproval by the sitting Supreme Court justices
• CPresidential nomination and Senate confirmation
• DA national popular vote of approval for nominees

A 'pocket veto' occurs when the President does which of the following?

• ASign a bill into law immediately upon receipt
• BVeto only a portion of an appropriations spending bill
• CReturn a bill to Congress with written objections
• DTake no action on a bill for ten days while Congress is adjourned

Which of the following best describes the jurisdiction of the U.S. Supreme Court?

• ALimited original jurisdiction and broad appellate jurisdiction
• BJurisdiction limited to state criminal law cases only
• CAuthority to issue advisory opinions to the President
• DA mandatory duty to hear every case appealed to it

The power of Congress to investigate the executive branch and hold hearings is an example of which function?

• AJudicial review of executive branch actions
• BCongressional oversight of the executive branch
• CExecutive privilege over congressional information requests
• DFederal preemption of conflicting state statutory law

Which of the following officials presides over the U.S. Senate and votes only to break a tie?

• AThe Speaker of the House of Representatives
• BThe Chief Justice of the United States
• CThe Vice President of the United States
• DThe Senate Majority Leader in Congress

What is the primary role of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within the executive branch?

• AConfirm presidential appointments to executive posts
• BRegulate elections and federal campaign finance rules
• CHear appeals from lower federal district courts
• DPrepare the federal budget and oversee agency spending

When the President and a majority of Congress belong to different political parties, the situation is known as which of the following?

• ADivided government
• BJudicial activism
• CCooperative federalism
• DLogrolling

A conference committee in Congress is convened primarily to do which of the following?

• ASchedule debate on legislation on the chamber floor
• BReconcile House and Senate versions of the same bill
• CConfirm presidential appointments to the cabinet
• DInvestigate the conduct of federal regulatory agencies

Which constitutional clause has been used to justify the creation of many federal regulatory agencies and the expansion of national power over economic activity?

• AThe Establishment Clause
• BThe Full Faith and Credit Clause
• CThe Commerce Clause
• DThe Double Jeopardy Clause

Which of the following best describes the role of the President as 'chief diplomat'?

• ALead the armed forces in active combat operations
• BAppoint all federal judges without any Senate involvement
• CSign all domestic spending bills into federal law
• DNegotiate treaties and conduct U.S. foreign relations

The Twenty-second Amendment to the Constitution affects the presidency by doing which of the following?

• ALimiting a President to two elected terms
• BSetting the voting age at eighteen
• CAllowing the President to serve for life
• DRequiring the President to be at least forty years old

Which of the following is an example of an independent regulatory commission in the federal bureaucracy?

• AThe Department of State cabinet-level agency
• BThe Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• CThe Executive Office of the President staff unit
• DThe Supreme Court of the United States judiciary

In the federal court system, which of the following correctly orders the courts from lowest to highest?

• ASupreme Court, Courts of Appeals, District Courts
• BCourts of Appeals, District Courts, Supreme Court
• CDistrict Courts, Courts of Appeals, Supreme Court
• DDistrict Courts, Supreme Court, Courts of Appeals

The President's cabinet is composed primarily of which of the following?

• AElected members of the U.S. Congress
• BState governors chosen directly by the President
• CSitting federal judges appointed to the bench
• DHeads of executive departments and key presidential advisers

A writ of certiorari issued by the Supreme Court does which of the following?

• AOrder a lower court to send up a case for review
• BRemove a sitting President from elected office
• CVeto a bill passed by both chambers of Congress
• DCreate a new federal regulatory agency by order

Which of the following best explains the concept of 'iron triangles' in policymaking?

• AThe three separate branches of the federal government
• BAlliances among committees, agencies, and interest groups
• CThe three hierarchical levels of the federal court system
• DThe relationship among the President, Vice President, and cabinet

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is best described as which of the following?

• AAn official appointed directly by the President
• BA nonpartisan referee chosen by the Supreme Court
• CThe presiding officer and leader of the House majority party
• DThe constitutional presiding officer of the Senate

Which of the following is a constitutional requirement to be elected President of the United States?

• AA U.S. citizen at least thirty years of age
• BA property owner in at least one U.S. state
• CA former member of the U.S. Congress
• DA natural-born citizen at least thirty-five years old

Which of the following statements about the legislative process is accurate?

• APassage in both chambers in identical form, then presidential action
• BImmediate lawmaking upon passage in one chamber alone
• CDirect presidential introduction of most bills in Congress
• DExclusive Senate authority to introduce all legislation

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 was intended primarily to do which of the following?

• AGrant the President unlimited authority to wage war abroad
• BLimit presidential combat deployments without congressional authorization
• CAbolish the presidential role as commander in chief
• DTransfer all war powers entirely to the Supreme Court

Which of the following describes the principle of 'stare decisis' used by courts?

• ADecide cases based on the sitting President's policy wishes
• BRefuse to hear any constitutional questions brought before the Court
• CFollow precedent from prior court decisions
• DAllow trial juries to write binding legal opinions for courts

Which of the following is the best example of the federal budget and appropriations process?

• AThe Supreme Court sets federal income tax rates annually
• BState legislatures approve the national debt ceiling each year
• CThe President personally collects all federal tax revenues
• DCongress passes appropriations bills funding agencies and programs

Which of the following is a key informal source of presidential power not explicitly listed in Article II?

• ASet the national agenda through public communication
• BThe constitutional veto of legislation passed by Congress
• CThe constitutional pardon power over federal offenses
• DThe constitutional appointment of ambassadors to foreign nations

The principle of federalism in the U.S. Constitution refers to which of the following?

• ADivision of power among the three national government branches
• BDivision of power between national and state governments
• CSupremacy of the executive branch over the legislative branch
• DRequirement that all federal laws be approved by national referendum

The system of 'checks and balances' was designed by the framers primarily to accomplish which goal?

• ATo make one branch of government dominant over the others
• BTo eliminate the need for a federal court system
• CTo prevent any single branch from gaining too much power
• DTo give states control over the national military

The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution is significant because it does which of the following?

• AGuarantee freedom of speech and religion for all citizens
• BAbolish slavery throughout the United States permanently
• CEstablish the constitutional right to a jury trial in all cases
• DReserve undelegated powers to the states or the people

How can the U.S. Constitution be formally amended according to Article V?

• ACongress or a convention proposes; three-fourths of states ratify
• BA simple majority vote in Congress alone amends the document
• CA presidential executive order formally amends the Constitution
• DA Supreme Court ruling formally amends the constitutional text

The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution establishes which of the following principles?

• AState laws always take priority over conflicting federal laws
• BFederal law and the Constitution are supreme law of the land
• CThe President is supreme over Congress and the federal courts
• DInternational treaties have no legal force within the United States