Free CLEP American Government Practice Test (2026)

Question 1

In 1964 the owner of a large Atlanta motel argued that Congress had no power to stop him from refusing rooms to Black guests. The Supreme Court upheld the Civil Rights Act's ban on discrimination in public accommodations mainly on the basis of

Accepted Answer

Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce

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the Fifteenth Amendment's protection of the right to vote

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the privileges and immunities clause of Article IV

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the Tenth Amendment's reservation of powers to the states

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the equal protection clause, which the Court said applies directly to private businesses

Question 2

During a campaign, voters receive calls that seem to be a survey but ask questions such as "Would you still support Smith if you knew she missed half her votes in the legislature?" No real data are collected. This tactic is

Accepted Answer

a push poll

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a tracking poll

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a straw poll

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an exit poll

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a benchmark poll

Question 3

In a state's general election for a US Senate seat, both candidates on the ballot are Democrats. Which election rule most likely produced this result?

Accepted Answer

A top-two primary, in which the two leading vote-getters advance regardless of party

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A runoff primary, held within a party when no candidate wins a majority

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A closed primary, in which only registered party members may vote

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Straight-ticket voting, in which one mark selects every candidate of a party

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A caucus system, in which party members meet in person to choose one nominee per party

Question 4

Which statement correctly describes how a federal official is removed through impeachment?

Accepted Answer

The House impeaches by a majority vote, and the Senate holds a trial in which conviction requires two-thirds of the senators present.

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Both houses must impeach by a majority vote, and the official is then removed at once.

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The Senate impeaches by a majority vote, and the House holds a trial in which conviction requires a two-thirds vote.

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The House impeaches by a majority vote, and conviction requires a simple majority of the whole Senate.

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The House impeaches by a two-thirds vote, and the Supreme Court decides whether to remove the official.

Question 5

Which method has been used to propose and ratify all but one of the amendments to the US Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Proposal by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, then ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures

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Proposal by two-thirds of both houses of Congress, then ratification by conventions in three-fourths of the states

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Proposal by the president, then approval by three-fourths of the Senate

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Proposal by a national convention called by two-thirds of the states, then ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures

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Proposal by a majority of Congress, then approval in a national referendum

Question 6

A voter wants low taxes and little regulation of business, and also opposes laws that ban drug use or limit same-sex marriage. This combination of views is best described as

Accepted Answer

libertarian

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socialist

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populist

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conservative

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liberal

Question 7

A president wants to make a deal with another country but expects it would not win two-thirds approval in the Senate. Which tool lets the president make an international deal without the two-thirds Senate approval a treaty needs?

Accepted Answer

An executive agreement

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A pocket veto

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A signing statement attached to a bill

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Executive privilege

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A recess appointment

Question 8

In Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the dangers of faction are best controlled by

Accepted Answer

a large republic with so many interests that no single faction can easily gain a majority

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a strong executive with the power to veto any law that a single faction pushes through Congress

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a bill of rights that bans political parties and other organized factions outright

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a small direct democracy, in which citizens can watch their leaders closely

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removing the causes of faction by giving all citizens the same opinions

Question 9

The Supreme Court receives thousands of petitions for review each year. Under the Court's usual practice, it agrees to hear a case when

Accepted Answer

at least four of the nine justices vote to hear it

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the chief justice alone decides that it is important

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a majority of five justices votes to hear it

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the solicitor general certifies that it raises a federal question

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the lower federal court asks the Supreme Court to review its decision

Question 10

If no candidate for president wins a majority of the electoral votes, the Twelfth Amendment provides that

Accepted Answer

the House of Representatives chooses among the top three candidates, with each state delegation casting one vote

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the Senate chooses among the top three candidates, with each senator casting one vote

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the candidate with the most popular votes nationwide becomes president

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a runoff election is held between the top two candidates

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the House of Representatives chooses between the two leading candidates, with each individual member casting one vote

Question 11

Which office in the executive branch prepares the president's budget proposal and reviews major agency regulations before they are issued?

Accepted Answer

The Office of Management and Budget

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The Federal Reserve Board

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The Congressional Budget Office

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The Government Accountability Office

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The Council of Economic Advisers

Question 12

Congress gives each state a lump sum for public health with only broad guidelines, letting the states decide how to spend it. This is an example of

Accepted Answer

a block grant

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an unfunded mandate

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a categorical grant

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an interstate compact

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federal preemption

Question 13

Which feature of American elections does the most to explain why two major parties dominate politics in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Most offices are filled from single-member districts in which the candidate with the most votes wins.

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Third parties are barred from running candidates for Congress.

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Seats in the House of Representatives are filled by proportional representation.

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The Constitution limits each general election ballot to two parties.

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Federal law gives campaign money only to the two largest parties.

Question 14

A poll of likely voters finds 52 percent support for a ballot measure, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. What is the most accurate conclusion?

Accepted Answer

Support could be below 50 percent, so the poll cannot show that a majority favors the measure.

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Support on election day will fall between 49 and 55 percent.

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A majority clearly favors the measure, because 52 is more than 50.

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The poll is invalid, because a margin of error should never exceed 2 points.

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Exactly 52 percent of all voters in the state favor the measure.

Question 15

Members of a congressional agriculture subcommittee, officials in the Department of Agriculture, and a farm lobby work closely together for years to protect a crop subsidy program. Political scientists call this kind of relationship

Accepted Answer

an iron triangle

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senatorial courtesy

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a logroll

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an issue network

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divided government

Question 16

A survey respondent agrees with the statement "People like me don't have any say about what the government does." This answer shows low

Accepted Answer

political efficacy

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political socialization

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political tolerance

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party identification

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ideological consistency

Question 17

An interest group is not a party to a case before the Supreme Court, but it files a written argument urging the justices to rule a certain way. This filing is

Accepted Answer

an amicus curiae brief

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a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court

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an injunction

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a class action suit

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a writ of mandamus

Question 18

Benjamin Gitlow was convicted under a New York law for publishing a manifesto that called for revolution. The Supreme Court's 1925 decision in his case is remembered mainly because the Court

Accepted Answer

assumed the states must respect free speech, yet upheld his conviction

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held that every part of the Bill of Rights applies to the states at once

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created the clear and present danger test for judging limits on speech in wartime

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ruled, as in earlier cases, that the Bill of Rights limits only the federal government

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overturned his conviction because his words posed no clear and present danger

Question 19

In US elections, which of the following is most strongly linked to a higher chance that a person will vote?

Accepted Answer

A higher level of formal education

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Having recently moved to a new state

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Identifying as an independent

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Living in a large city

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Being under age 25

Question 20

In Marbury v. Madison (1803), the Supreme Court declared part of which law unconstitutional?

Accepted Answer

The Judiciary Act of 1789, because it added to the Court's original jurisdiction

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The Judiciary Act of 1801, because it created too many new federal judgeships

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The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, because they limited free speech

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The Embargo Act of 1807, because it restricted foreign trade

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The Missouri Compromise of 1820, because it banned slavery in some territories

Question 21

Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation most directly left the national government unable to pay its debts?

Accepted Answer

Congress could ask the states for money but could not levy taxes itself.

Answer

Each state's vote in Congress was weighted by the size of its population.

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Congress had no power to make treaties with other nations.

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There was no national legislature.

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The president could veto every tax bill.

Question 22

A state board of education writes a short prayer that names no particular faith and has public school classes recite it each morning. Students who object may stay silent or leave the room. Under Supreme Court precedent, this practice

Accepted Answer

violates the establishment clause, because the government wrote and sponsored the prayer

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is allowed, because the prayer favors no particular religion

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cannot be reviewed by federal courts, because public education is a power reserved to the states

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violates the free exercise clause, because students already pray at home

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is allowed, because no student is forced to say the prayer

Question 23

Before a major bill reaches the floor of the House of Representatives, one committee sets how long it will be debated and whether members may offer amendments. Which committee is this?

Accepted Answer

The House Rules Committee

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The House Ways and Means Committee

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A conference committee

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The Committee of the Whole

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The Senate Judiciary Committee

Question 24

Many people who benefit from a clean-air law never join or give money to the environmental group that lobbied for it. This problem for interest groups is called

Accepted Answer

the free-rider problem

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the revolving door between government and lobbying

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logrolling

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the iron triangle

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agenda setting

Question 25

Congress passes a bill, sends it to the president, and adjourns for the year three days later. The president neither signs the bill nor returns it, and the session ends before the ten-day period (Sundays excepted) runs out. What happens to the bill?

Accepted Answer

It dies, and Congress has nothing to override because no veto was returned.

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It goes to the Supreme Court, which decides whether the president acted in time.

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It is held over, and the president must act on it within ten days of the next session.

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It becomes law without the president's signature once ten days pass.

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It goes back to the House, where a two-thirds vote can still make it law.

Free CLEP American Government Practice Test (2026)

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