College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) History and Social Sciences Syllabus

History and Social Sciences syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for History and Social Sciences in College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   American Government

   6 topics

   • Constitutional Foundations
     • Federalist and Anti-Federalist debates
     • Separation of powers and checks and balances
     • Federalism and division of powers
     • Amendment process and the Bill of Rights
   • Institutions of National Government
     • Structure and powers of Congress
     • The presidency and executive bureaucracy
     • The federal judiciary and judicial review
   • Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
     • First Amendment freedoms
     • Due process and rights of the accused
     • Equal protection and landmark cases
   • Political Beliefs and Behavior
     • Political socialization and ideology
     • Public opinion and polling
     • Voting behavior and participation
   • Parties, Interest Groups, and Media
     • Two-party system and elections
     • Interest groups and lobbying
     • Role of mass media
   • Public Policy and Federalism in Practice
     • Policymaking process
     • Fiscal and monetary policy roles
2. 2

   History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877

   5 topics

   • Colonial Era and Settlement
     • Native American societies and European contact
     • Establishment of the thirteen colonies
     • Colonial economy and labor systems
   • Road to Revolution
     • Imperial conflicts and taxation disputes
     • Revolutionary ideology and the Declaration
     • War for independence
   • Creating a Nation
     • Articles of Confederation
     • Constitutional Convention and ratification
     • Early republic and political parties
   • Expansion and Reform
     • Jacksonian democracy
     • Westward expansion and Manifest Destiny
     • Antebellum reform movements
   • Sectionalism, Civil War, and Reconstruction
     • Slavery and sectional tensions
     • Secession and the Civil War
     • Reconstruction policies and aftermath
3. 3

   History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present

   5 topics

   • Industrialization and the Gilded Age
     • Rise of big business and labor
     • Immigration and urbanization
     • Populism and agrarian unrest
   • Progressivism and Imperialism
     • Progressive reforms
     • Overseas expansion and Spanish-American War
     • World War I and its aftermath
   • Boom, Bust, and the New Deal
     • The 1920s and cultural change
     • Great Depression
     • New Deal programs
   • World War II and the Cold War
     • American entry and home front
     • Containment and Cold War conflicts
     • McCarthyism and domestic politics
   • Postwar Society and Modern America
     • Civil rights movement
     • Vietnam and social upheaval
     • Late 20th and 21st century developments
4. 4

   Western Civilization and World History

   4 topics

   • Ancient and Classical Foundations
     • Near Eastern civilizations
     • Greece and Rome
   • Medieval and Early Modern Europe
     • Feudalism and the Church
     • Renaissance and Reformation
     • Age of Exploration
   • Revolutions and Industrial Change
     • Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
     • French Revolution and Napoleon
     • Industrial Revolution
   • Nationalism, Imperialism, and World Wars
     • Nationalism and unification
     • World Wars I and II
     • Cold War and decolonization
5. 5

   Introductory Psychology

   6 topics

   • Foundations and Methods
     • History and approaches
     • Research methods and statistics
     • Ethics in research
   • Biological Bases of Behavior
     • Neurons and the nervous system
     • Brain structures and the endocrine system
   • Sensation, Perception, and Consciousness
     • Sensory processes
     • Perceptual organization
     • States of consciousness and sleep
   • Learning, Memory, and Cognition
     • Classical and operant conditioning
     • Memory processes
     • Language and problem solving
   • Development and Personality
     • Lifespan development
     • Theories of personality
     • Motivation and emotion
   • Psychological Disorders and Social Behavior
     • Classification of disorders
     • Treatment approaches
     • Social influence and attitudes
6. 6

   Introductory Sociology and Human Growth and Development

   4 topics

   • Sociological Perspectives and Methods
     • Major theoretical paradigms
     • Research methods in sociology
   • Culture, Socialization, and Groups
     • Culture and norms
     • Socialization across the lifespan
     • Groups and organizations
   • Social Stratification and Institutions
     • Class, race, and gender inequality
     • Family, religion, and education
   • Human Growth and Development
     • Theories of development
     • Physical and cognitive development
     • Social and emotional development

History and Social Sciences flashcards for College-Level Examination Program (CLEP)

21 of 50 cards from the History and Social Sciences deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What constitutional principle divides government power among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches?

   Separation of powers.

2. What system allows each branch of the U.S. government to limit the powers of the others?

   Checks and balances.

3. Which Supreme Court case (1803) established the principle of judicial review?

   Marbury v. Madison.

4. What is the difference between enumerated and implied powers of Congress?

   Enumerated powers are listed explicitly in the Constitution (Article I, Section 8); implied powers are derived from the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause.

5. How many members are in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate?

   435 voting members in the House and 100 in the Senate (2 per state).

6. What is the term length for a U.S. President, Senator, and House member?

   President: 4 years; Senator: 6 years; House member: 2 years.

7. What is a filibuster, and how is it ended in the Senate?

   A filibuster is prolonged debate to delay or block a vote; it is ended by invoking cloture, which requires 60 votes.

8. Which amendments make up the Bill of Rights, and what do they primarily protect?

   The first ten amendments; they protect individual liberties and limit federal government power.

9. What does the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment prohibit?

   It prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or favoring one religion over another.

10. Which 1954 Supreme Court case overturned 'separate but equal' in public schools?

    Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

11. What is selective incorporation?

    The process by which the Supreme Court applies most Bill of Rights protections to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

12. What is political socialization?

    The process through which individuals develop their political beliefs and values, influenced by family, education, media, and peers.

13. What is the difference between a primary and a general election?

    A primary selects a party's candidate for office; a general election determines who wins the actual office.

14. What role do political action committees (PACs) play in U.S. politics?

    PACs raise and spend money to elect or defeat candidates, serving as a key channel for interest-group campaign funding.

15. What is meant by the media's 'gatekeeping' function?

    The media's power to decide which issues and stories receive coverage, shaping what the public considers important.

16. What is the difference between categorical grants and block grants in federalism?

    Categorical grants are federal funds for specific, narrowly defined purposes; block grants give states broad discretion within a general area.

17. What is cooperative federalism (often called 'marble cake' federalism)?

    A system in which federal, state, and local governments share responsibilities and work together on policy rather than acting in separate spheres.

18. Which 1607 settlement was the first permanent English colony in North America?

    Jamestown, Virginia.

19. What document did the Pilgrims sign in 1620 to establish self-government at Plymouth?

    The Mayflower Compact.

20. What was the triangular trade?

    A transatlantic trading system exchanging goods, enslaved Africans, and raw materials among Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

21. What 1765 act taxed printed materials in the colonies and sparked the cry 'no taxation without representation'?

    The Stamp Act.

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