CLEP American Government study guide
CLEP American Government · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CLEP American Government exam is a credit-by-examination option for learners who already command the material usually taught in a one-semester introductory college course in American government and politics. It suits independent learners, adult students, and undergraduates who want to demonstrate knowledge of civics, political processes, and political behavior without completing the full course. The exam draws on institutions and policy processes, civil liberties and civil rights, political parties and interest groups, political beliefs and behavior, and the constitutional underpinnings of American democracy. College Board states that the exam contains approximately 100 questions to be answered in 90 minutes, including unscored pretest questions, and registration costs $97. The CLEP American Government study guide has 5 sections and about 1,500 words.
01Institutions and Policy Processes: Presidency, Bureaucracy, Congress, and the Federal Courts
Formal powers come from Article II: commander in chief, treaties (ratified by two-thirds of the Senate), veto (overridden by two-thirds of each chamber), pardons, and appointments with Senate consent. Informal power grows from the "take care that the laws be faithfully executed" clause, executive orders, executive agreements, and the bully pulpit.
302 words, about 2 min02Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Civil liberties protect individuals from government action (speech, religion, criminal procedure). Civil rights guarantee equal treatment and protect against discrimination by government and, under statutes, by private actors.
305 words, about 2 min03Political Parties and Interest Groups
Parties link citizens to government, recruit candidates, mobilize voters, and organize legislatures. Party identification is the single strongest predictor of vote choice.
305 words, about 2 min04Political Beliefs and Behavior
Family is the strongest early agent of political socialization; schools, peers, religion, and media reinforce or modify it. Most Americans cluster near the ideological middle.
293 words, about 1 min05Constitutional Underpinnings of American Democracy
The Articles of Confederation created a league of states with no power to tax or regulate commerce, no executive or judiciary, and an amendment process requiring unanimity. Shays' Rebellion exposed the weakness and pushed elites toward Philadelphia.
295 words, about 1 min