CLEP American Government Study Hub CLEP American Government lesson
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CLEP American Government Study Hub

Study constitutional foundations, institutions, civil liberties, elections, and political participation through exam-ready lessons.

2 free pop-up tests · 281 flashcards · 58 connected lessons
2 pop-up practice tests58 connected topics1 complete flashcard deck
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CLEP American Government Practice Center

Take a full practice test, review the explanations, then use the flashcards to repair the terms and ideas that slowed you down.

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CLEP American Government Study Blueprint

Open each area to see what to master. The bars show how this hub distributes its study units, so you can plan study time without mistaking the map for an official exam weighting.

58 study units
01 Constitutional foundationsBegin with political ideas, founding debates, federalism, and constitutional structure. 6study units
10% of this study map
  • Origins, ratification, and governing principles
  • Federalism, separation of powers, and checks
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02 Institutions and public policyCompare the powers, incentives, and interactions of national institutions. 12study units
21% of this study map
  • Congress, presidency, bureaucracy, and courts
  • Policy development, implementation, and oversight
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03 Civil liberties and civil rightsApply constitutional protections and legal standards to concrete disputes. 7study units
12% of this study map
  • First Amendment and rights of the accused
  • Privacy, equal protection, and civil-rights development
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04 Parties, elections, and interest groupsUnderstand how organized political activity connects citizens to government. 9study units
16% of this study map
  • Party systems, campaigns, elections, and finance
  • Interest groups, media, and participation strategies
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05 Political beliefs, behavior, and dataInterpret political culture, opinion, participation, and evidence. 8study units
14% of this study map
  • Socialization, ideology, and public opinion
  • Polling, voting behavior, and data analysis
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06 Cumulative applicationCombine institutions, rights, behavior, and policy in mixed exam-style situations. 16study units
28% of this study map
  • Constitutional and institutional comparisons
  • Source interpretation and full-course review
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Study-map shares describe the learning resources on this page. They are not presented as official test percentages.

College-credit exam preparation

CLEP American Government Study Hub

Learn the ideas in plain language, check your recall with focused flashcards, and use realistic practice tests to find exactly what to review next.

41 chapters | 539 lessons | 290 flashcards

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📝2Printed testsFull-length practice in the book
💻10Online testsFresh forms for book readers

🗂️290FlashcardsSearchable chapter review

📚539Focused lessonsOne clear destination for every topic

15% to 20% of the exam

Constitutional Underpinnings of American Democracy

Founding ideas, constitutional design, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, majority rule, and minority rights.

Chapter 1: Origins of American Government

Chapter 2: The Articles of Confederation

Chapter 3: The Constitutional Convention

Chapter 4: Ratification and Constitutional Principles

Chapter 5: Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances

Chapter 6: Federalism

30% to 35% of the exam

Institutions and Policy Processes

Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, the federal courts, their relationships, and the public-policy process.

Chapter 7: Congress-Structure and Membership

Chapter 8: Congressional Organization

Chapter 9: The Legislative Process

Chapter 10: Congressional Powers

Chapter 11: The Presidency

Chapter 12: Presidential Organization and Decision-Making

Chapter 13: The Federal Bureaucracy

Chapter 14: Bureaucratic Accountability

Chapter 15: The Federal Courts

Chapter 16: Supreme Court Processes and Power

Chapter 17: Public Policy Process

Chapter 18: The Bill of Rights and Incorporation

10% to 15% of the exam

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

The Bill of Rights, incorporation, due process, equal protection, civil liberties, and civil-rights development.

Chapter 19: Freedom of Religion

Chapter 20: Freedom of Speech and Press

Chapter 21: Assembly, Association, and Petition

Chapter 22: Rights of the Accused

Chapter 23: Privacy and Personal Liberty

Chapter 24: Equal Protection and Civil Rights

Chapter 25: Development of Civil Rights

Chapter 26: Political Parties

15% to 20% of the exam

Political Parties and Interest Groups

Party organization and change, interest-group activity, campaigns, elections, and the electoral process.

Chapter 27: Development of the Party System

Chapter 28: Interest Groups

Chapter 29: Interest-Group Strategies

Chapter 30: Campaigns and Nominations

Chapter 31: General Elections

Chapter 32: Campaign Finance

Chapter 33: The Media and Politics

Chapter 34: American Political Culture

15% to 20% of the exam

Political Beliefs and Behavior

Political culture, socialization, public opinion, participation, voting behavior, and interpretation of political data.

Chapter 35: Political Socialization

Chapter 36: Public Opinion

Chapter 37: Measuring Public Opinion

Chapter 38: Political Participation

Chapter 39: Voting Behavior

Chapter 40: Voting Rights and Electoral Participation

Chapter 41: Political Behavior and Data Analysis

Complete course map

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580 lessons
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01Origins of American Government 02Natural rights and social-contract theory 03Enlightenment thinkers, especially John Locke 04Republicanism and representative government 05Limited government 06Popular sovereignty 07Rule of law 08Majority rule and minority rights 09The Declaration of Independence 10Colonial government and political traditions 11Theories and forms of democracy 12The Articles of Confederation 13Structure of government under the Articles 14Powers of the Confederation Congress 15Weaknesses of the national government 16State sovereignty 17Economic and interstate conflicts 18Shays’ Rebellion 19Reasons for replacing the Articles 20The Constitutional Convention 21Major disputes at the convention 22Virginia Plan 23New Jersey Plan 24Great—or Connecticut—Compromise 25Three-Fifths Compromise 26Commerce and slave-trade compromises 27Electoral College compromise 28Constitutional compromises over representation 29Goals and concerns of the framers 30Ratification and Constitutional Principles 31Federalists and Anti-Federalists 32The Federalist Papers 33Federalist No. 10 and factions 34Federalist No. 51 and checks and balances 35Federalist No. 70 and executive power 36Federalist No. 78 and the judiciary 37The ratification process 38The demand for a Bill of Rights 39Formal constitutional amendment process 40Informal constitutional change 41Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances 42Legislative, executive, and judicial powers 43Shared powers 44Checks between branches 45Congressional oversight 46Presidential veto 47Senate confirmation 48Impeachment and removal 49Judicial review 50Institutional conflict and cooperation 51Federalism 52Delegated, expressed, implied, inherent, reserved, and concurrent powers 53Supremacy Clause 54Necessary and Proper Clause 55Commerce Clause 56Full Faith and Credit Clause 57Privileges and Immunities Clause 58Dual federalism 59Cooperative federalism 60Fiscal federalism 61Grants-in-aid 62Categorical grants 63Block grants 64Unfunded mandates 65Devolution 66Intergovernmental relations 67Conflicts between national and state authority 68Congress-Structure and Membership 69Bicameralism 70House of Representatives 71Senate 72Constitutional qualifications 73Terms of office 74Apportionment and reapportionment 75Redistricting 76Gerrymandering 77Majority-minority districts 78Constituency representation 79Incumbency advantage 80Descriptive and substantive representation 81Delegate, trustee, and politico models of representation 82Congressional Organization 83Speaker of the House 84Senate majority leader 85Majority and minority parties 86Whips 87President pro tempore 88Party caucuses and conferences 89Standing committees 90Select and special committees 91Joint committees 92Conference committees 93Committee chairs 94Seniority 95House Rules Committee 96Congressional staff 97Congressional caucuses 98The Legislative Process 99Bill introduction 100Committee referral 101Hearings and markups 102Committee reports 103Floor debate 104House and Senate voting 105Conference committees 106Presidential action 107Vetoes and veto overrides 108Pocket veto 109Filibuster 110Cloture 111Unanimous consent 112Holds 113Discharge petitions 114Logrolling 115Pork-barrel legislation 116Earmarks 117Legislative gridlock 118Congressional Powers 119Taxing and spending 120Regulation of interstate commerce 121War powers 122Advice and consent 123Confirmation of appointments 124Treaty ratification 125Impeachment 126Oversight and investigations 127Necessary and Proper Clause 128Congressional control of the budget 129Congressional limits on the executive 130Casework and constituency service 131Federal budget and appropriations process 132The Presidency 133Constitutional qualifications 134Election and succession 135Twenty-Second Amendment 136Twenty-Fifth Amendment 137Formal presidential powers 138Informal presidential powers 139Chief executive 140Commander in chief 141Chief diplomat 142Chief legislator 143Head of state 144Party leader 145Economic leadership 146Appointment and removal powers 147Pardon power 148Executive orders 149Executive agreements 150Signing statements 151Presidential veto 152Bargaining and persuasion 153Public appeals and the “bully pulpit” 154Presidential Organization and Decision-Making 155Cabinet 156Executive Office of the President 157White House staff 158National Security Council 159Office of Management and Budget 160Vice presidency 161Presidential management styles 162Divided government 163Unified government 164Executive privilege 165Presidential approval and political capital 166Presidential relations with Congress 167War Powers Resolution 168The Federal Bureaucracy 169Cabinet departments 170Independent executive agencies 171Independent regulatory commissions 172Government corporations 173Bureaucratic hierarchy 174Civil service 175Merit system 176Patronage and the spoils system 177Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act 178Rulemaking 179Administrative discretion 180Implementation 181Regulation 182Adjudication 183Bureaucratic expertise 184Red tape 185Agency capture 186Privatization 187Principal-agent problems and bureaucratic models 188Bureaucratic Accountability 189Congressional oversight 190Budgetary controls 191Presidential control 192Judicial review of agencies 193Inspectors general 194Whistleblowers 195Freedom of Information Act 196Administrative Procedure Act 197Iron triangles 198Issue networks 199Relationships among agencies, committees, and interest groups 200The Federal Courts 201Structure of the federal judiciary 202District courts 203Courts of appeals 204Supreme Court 205Original jurisdiction 206Appellate jurisdiction 207Criminal and civil cases 208Federal and state court systems 209Judicial appointments 210Senate confirmation 211Life tenure 212Judicial independence 213Supreme Court Processes and Power 214Judicial review 215Marbury v. Madison 216Writ of certiorari 217Rule of Four 218Standing 219Mootness 220Ripeness 221Amicus curiae briefs 222Oral arguments 223Majority opinions 224Concurring opinions 225Dissenting opinions 226Precedent and stare decisis 227Judicial restraint 228Judicial activism 229Strict and broad construction 230Solicitor general 231Supreme Court implementation and enforcement 232Limits on judicial power 233Public Policy Process 234Agenda setting 235Policy formulation 236Policy adoption 237Policy implementation 238Policy evaluation 239Incremental policymaking 240Distributive, redistributive, regulatory, and constituent policies 241Domestic policy 242Economic policy 243Fiscal policy 244Monetary policy 245Social welfare policy 246Foreign and defense policy 247Roles of institutions, parties, groups, media, and public opinion 248The Bill of Rights and Incorporation 249Purpose of the Bill of Rights 250Civil liberties versus civil rights 251Application of the Bill of Rights to the states 252Fourteenth Amendment 253Due Process Clause 254Selective incorporation 255Substantive and procedural due process 256Second Amendment 257Other Bill of Rights protections 258Freedom of Religion 259Establishment Clause 260Free Exercise Clause 261Separation of church and state 262Religious expression in public institutions 263School prayer 264Government aid to religion 265Religious exemptions 266Tests used in religion cases 267Freedom of Speech and Press 268Political speech 269Symbolic speech 270Commercial speech 271Obscenity 272Defamation 273Libel and slander 274Fighting words 275Clear-and-present-danger doctrine 276Incitement 277Prior restraint 278Student speech 279Press freedom 280Time, place, and manner restrictions 281Assembly, Association, and Petition 282Freedom of assembly 283Freedom of association 284Right to petition 285Protest rights 286Public forums 287Restrictions on demonstrations 288Political association and party membership 289Rights of the Accused 290Fourth Amendment 291Search and seizure 292Warrants and probable cause 293Exclusionary rule 294Fifth Amendment 295Self-incrimination 296Double jeopardy 297Due process 298Sixth Amendment 299Right to counsel 300Speedy and public trial 301Impartial jury 302Confrontation of witnesses 303Eighth Amendment 304Bail 305Cruel and unusual punishment 306Death penalty 307Miranda rights 308Habeas corpus 309Privacy and Personal Liberty 310Constitutional right to privacy 311Reproductive rights 312Marriage rights 313Family autonomy 314Sexual privacy 315Personal decision-making 316Substantive due process 317Tensions between liberty and public safety 318Equal Protection and Civil Rights 319Equal Protection Clause 320Standards of judicial scrutiny 321Rational-basis review 322Intermediate scrutiny 323Strict scrutiny 324Race discrimination 325Sex discrimination 326Affirmative action 327Disability rights 328LGBTQ+ rights 329Voting rights 330Civil Rights Act of 1964 331Voting Rights Act of 1965 332Civil rights enforcement 333State action requirement 334Development of Civil Rights 335Slavery and constitutional conflict 336Reconstruction Amendments 337Thirteenth Amendment 338Fourteenth Amendment 339Fifteenth Amendment 340Segregation and Jim Crow 341Plessy v. Ferguson 342Brown v. Board of Education 343Civil Rights Movement 344School desegregation 345Civil disobedience 346Expansion of equality through legislation and judicial interpretation 347Political Parties 348Functions of political parties 349Recruiting candidates 350Nominating candidates 351Mobilizing voters 352Organizing government 353Developing platforms 354Party identification 355Party organization 356National, state, and local party structures 357Party-in-the-electorate 358Party organization 359Party-in-government 360Issue ownership and party cues 361Development of the Party System 362First Party System 363Federalists and Democratic-Republicans 364Jacksonian Democrats and Whigs 365Emergence of the Republican Party 366New Deal coalition 367Party realignment 368Critical elections 369Dealignment 370Divided government 371Party polarization 372Regional party change 373Third parties and minor parties 374Barriers to third-party success 375Two-party system and electoral rules 376Party sorting, negative partisanship, and affective polarization 377Interest Groups 378Economic and noneconomic groups 379Business groups 380Labor unions 381Professional associations 382Public-interest groups 383Ideological groups 384Single-issue groups 385Membership incentives 386Collective-action problem 387Free-rider problem 388Leadership and organization 389Pluralism 390Elite theory 391Hyperpluralism 392Interest-Group Strategies 393Lobbying 394Direct lobbying 395Grassroots lobbying 396Litigation 397Amicus curiae briefs 398Electioneering 399Political action committees 400Campaign contributions 401Issue advocacy 402Public-relations campaigns 403Protest and civil disobedience 404Revolving door 405Iron triangles and issue networks 406Information subsidies and venue shopping 407Campaigns and Nominations 408Candidate recruitment 409Primary elections 410Open, closed, and blanket primaries 411Caucuses 412Front-loading 413National conventions 414Delegates 415Superdelegates 416Party platforms 417Candidate-centered campaigns 418Campaign organizations 419Consultants and polling 420Media strategy 421Presidential nomination process 422Nomination electorates and delegate allocation 423General Elections 424Congressional elections 425Presidential elections 426Electoral College 427Winner-take-all allocation 428Battleground states 429Popular vote versus electoral vote 430Midterm elections 431Coattail effects 432Incumbency advantage 433Retrospective voting 434Prospective voting 435Rational-choice voting 436Split-ticket voting 437Straight-ticket voting 438Electoral systems and direct democracy 439Campaign Finance 440Individual contributions 441Political action committees 442Super PACs 443Independent expenditures 444Dark money 445Hard and soft money 446Disclosure requirements 447Public financing 448Campaign-finance regulation 449Constitutional issues involving political spending 450The Media and Politics 451Traditional news media 452Digital and social media 453Media ownership 454News selection 455Agenda setting 456Framing 457Priming 458Horse-race coverage 459Investigative journalism 460Watchdog role 461Sound bites 462Political advertising 463Selective exposure 464Misinformation and political communication 465American Political Culture 466Liberty 467Equality 468Individualism 469Democracy 470Civic duty 471Rule of law 472Limited government 473Free enterprise 474Political tolerance 475Trust in government 476Competing interpretations of equality and freedom 477Ideological conflict 478Cross-cutting and reinforcing political cleavages 479Political Socialization 480Family 481Schools 482Peers 483Religion 484Media 485Community 486Social class 487Race and ethnicity 488Gender 489Region 490Major political events 491Generational effects 492Life-cycle effects 493Public Opinion 494Formation of political attitudes 495Ideology 496Liberalism, conservatism, and moderates 497Issue positions 498Political knowledge 499Intensity and salience 500Stability and change in opinion 501Consensus and polarization 502Public opinion’s influence on officials 503Government responsiveness 504Measuring Public Opinion 505Scientific polling 506Population and samples 507Random sampling 508Representative samples 509Sampling error 510Margin of error 511Question wording 512Question order 513Response bias 514Nonresponse bias 515Push polls 516Exit polls 517Tracking polls 518Interpreting charts, graphs, and polling data 519Survey mode, weighting, and panel designs 520Political Participation 521Conventional participation 522Voting 523Campaign work 524Contacting officials 525Donating money 526Attending meetings 527Joining organizations 528Unconventional participation 529Protests 530Boycotts 531Civil disobedience 532Political violence 533Online participation 534Social movements 535Resources, civic skills, and mobilization 536Voting Behavior 537Voting-age population 538Voting-eligible population 539Registered voters 540Voter turnout 541Demographic influences 542Education 543Income 544Age 545Race and ethnicity 546Gender 547Religion 548Region 549Party identification 550Candidate characteristics 551Issue voting 552Economic conditions 553Mobilization 554Political efficacy 555Pocketbook and sociotropic economic voting 556Voting Rights and Electoral Participation 557Expansion of suffrage 558Fifteenth Amendment 559Seventeenth Amendment 560Nineteenth Amendment 561Twenty-Fourth Amendment 562Twenty-Sixth Amendment 563Voting Rights Act 564Registration requirements 565Motor Voter Act 566Voter identification laws 567Early voting 568Absentee and mail voting 569Felony disenfranchisement 570Institutional and legal barriers to participation 571Political Behavior and Data Analysis 572Reading political maps 573Interpreting election returns 574Comparing demographic groups 575Reading tables, charts, and graphs 576Identifying correlations 577Distinguishing correlation from causation 578Drawing conclusions from survey data 579Identifying patterns in turnout and party support 580Evaluating claims supported by political data
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