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CLEP AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
ACTUAL EXAM WELL ORGANIZED
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
DETAILED ANSWERS
Question 1. 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?• A) First Amendment • B) Second Amendment • C) Fifth Amendment • D) Eighth Amendment • E) Tenth Amendment
Correct Answer: (A) 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.Question 2. What is the first formal step in the hearing of a case by the U.S.Supreme Court?• A) The Court asks the solicitor general to present the case.• B) Justices on the Court begin doing research on the case.• C) Attorneys make oral arguments before the Court.• D) The Court issues a writ of certiorari to lower courts.
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• E) The justices of the Court meet and discuss their opinions on the case.
Correct Answer: (D) 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.Question 3. All of the following features of U.S. politics support the dominance
of the two-party system except:
• A) Campaign finance laws • B) Electoral College • C) Winner-take-all system • D) Political realignments • E) Pragmatism by voters
Correct Answer: (D) 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.Question 4. Which two political parties were the first to emerge in the United States?• A) Whigs and Federalists • B) Democrats and Republicans • C) Whigs and Democratic Republicans • D) Federalists and Free Soilers • E) Democratic Republicans and Federalists
Correct Answer: (E) Although the U.S. Constitution says nothing about the use
of political parties, the earliest parties had begun to emerge even during the
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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.Question 5. The purpose of the filibuster is to • A) help senators gain desirable committee seats.• B) delay or prevent the passage of laws.• C) overturn a presidential veto.• D) win support for a new bill.• E) keep cloture proceedings from taking place.
Correct Answer: (B) 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.Question 6. "The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment." • A) Federalism • B) Popular sovereignty • C) Direct democracy • D) Checks and balances • E) Minority rights
Correct Answer: (D) 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
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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.Question 7. Which Supreme Court case created the "clear and present danger" rule to test the limits of free speech?• A) Schenck v. United States • B) Miranda v. Arizona • C) Engle v. Vitale • D) Gibbons v. Ogden • E) Plessy v. Ferguson
Correct Answer: (A) 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.Question 8. 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
Correct Answer: (D) 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.Question 9. The chief of staff and national security advisor are both part of the