| ----- |
|
| WWW.HOMESCHOOLCOLLEGEUSA.COM |
CLEP exam description and sample questions
PRIMARY SOURCES:©2010, Homeschool College USA. All rights reserved.
HippoCampus American Government lessons
Democracy in America - videos, reading assignments, and lessons
PASS American Government - (This is the teacher's guide with student workbook following in one large file.)
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
The Constitution: That Delicate Balance - 13 one-hour videos
Outline of US Government
US Government and Citizenship
Principles of American Democracy online flashcards
Pink Monkey American Government Study Guide
SparkNotes American Government Study Guide
CLEP American Government
TESTING PRACTICE AND FINAL EXAM:
SparkNotes AP American Government Practice Test - requires signing up for free account
The U.S. Citizenship Exam - designed to be administered orally
Practice tests and End-of-Course exam - Please note: the End of Course exam is for government AND economics, so both courses should be studied before taking the test. The Regents exam is for U.S. History and Government.
CLEP American Government Exam Outline (2010)
The following is a breakdown of the topics covered by the CLEP test for American Government. Keep this outline handy during your studies and make notes for each portion of the exam, for reviewing later.
30-35% Institutions and Policy Processes: Presidency, Bureaucracy, and Congress
The major formal and informal institutional arrangements and powers Structure, policy processes, and outputs Relationships among these three institutions and links between them and political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion
15-20% Federal Courts, Civil Liberties, and Civil Rights
Structure and processes of the judicial system with emphasis on the role and influence of the Supreme Court The development of civil rights and civil liberties by judicial interpretation The Bill of Rights Incorporation of the Bill of Rights Equal protection and due process
15-20% Political Parties and Interest Groups
Political parties (including their function, organization, mobilization, historical development, and effects on the political process) Interest groups (including the variety of activities they typically undertake and their effects on the political process) Elections (including the electoral process)
10-15% Political Beliefs and Behavior
Processes by which citizens learn about politics Political participation (including voting behavior) Public opinion Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and its leaders Political culture (the variety of factors that predispose citizens to differ from one another in terms of their political perceptions, values, attitudes, and activities) The influence of public opinion on political leaders
15-20% Constitutional Underpinnings of American Democracy
The development of concepts such as:
Federalism (with attention to intergovernmental relations) Separation of powers Checks and balances Majority rule Minority rights Considerations that influenced the formulation and adoption of the Constitution Theories of democracy
Recommended Course of Study:
Complete the lessons at the HippoCampus website. Watch the videos and complete assignments/readings at the Democracy in America website. Download the PASS American Government textbook and read and complete the activities. The additional resources are provided for further studying. Be sure to keep thorough notes, especially if you are planning to take the CLEP exam.
MAIN PAGE