CLEP American Government Exam Questions and answers with complete solutions Latest
Updated 2025 | Verified
Representative Democracy - voters elect people who represent them (House of Reps,
etc.)
Direct Democracy - The people vote directly on issues & the majority wins
Republic - Political System w/o a monarch
Popular Sovereignty* - The political power that the people have in a republic
Salutary Neglect - the policy of the British, who were not enforcing parliamentary laws in
the colonies before the French/Indian war
British Acts Prompting Revolution (4) - Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshed Act, Coercive
Acts (Intolerable Acts)
Magna Carta - Document placing limitations on English Monarch Powers: 1) king cannot
levy taxes w/o approval of councilman, 2) imprisonment only after jury, 3) king is under
the law
Bill of Rights - First 10 amendments of constitution
Article of Confederation - First Draft - Constitution
Shay's Rebellion - 1786 - Framers revolt & suggest that Art. of Confed. needs serious
reform
Virginia Plan - Calls for bicameral legislature ; the great compromise allows for house &
senate for big & small state appeal
Federalist Papers - Collection of papers by John Jay, Hamilton, & Madison promoting
the ratification of the US constitution
Federal Election Commission (FEC) - Government agency, oversees campaign
financing
Caucuses - Locals select delegates to county meetings, then the county delegates back
a candidate
Rational Choice Theory - People decide not to vote because of the costs of doing so
Sociotropic Voters - Vote based on general economic issues rather than their own
Updated 2025 | Verified
Representative Democracy - voters elect people who represent them (House of Reps,
etc.)
Direct Democracy - The people vote directly on issues & the majority wins
Republic - Political System w/o a monarch
Popular Sovereignty* - The political power that the people have in a republic
Salutary Neglect - the policy of the British, who were not enforcing parliamentary laws in
the colonies before the French/Indian war
British Acts Prompting Revolution (4) - Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshed Act, Coercive
Acts (Intolerable Acts)
Magna Carta - Document placing limitations on English Monarch Powers: 1) king cannot
levy taxes w/o approval of councilman, 2) imprisonment only after jury, 3) king is under
the law
Bill of Rights - First 10 amendments of constitution
Article of Confederation - First Draft - Constitution
Shay's Rebellion - 1786 - Framers revolt & suggest that Art. of Confed. needs serious
reform
Virginia Plan - Calls for bicameral legislature ; the great compromise allows for house &
senate for big & small state appeal
Federalist Papers - Collection of papers by John Jay, Hamilton, & Madison promoting
the ratification of the US constitution
Federal Election Commission (FEC) - Government agency, oversees campaign
financing
Caucuses - Locals select delegates to county meetings, then the county delegates back
a candidate
Rational Choice Theory - People decide not to vote because of the costs of doing so
Sociotropic Voters - Vote based on general economic issues rather than their own
