Chapter 1 Test

Question 1

In his work Leviathan, which philosopher advocated for absolute sovereign power to prevent societal chaos?

Answer 1

Thomas Hobbes

Question 2

Which of John Locke’s works emphasized natural rights and the idea of government as a social contract?

Answer 2

Second Treatise of Civil Government

Question 3

Who introduced the concept of separation of powers in their work The Spirit of the Laws?

Answer 3

Baron de Montesquieu

Question 4

In The Social Contract, Rousseau argued that government should be a reflection of what?

Answer 4

the general will of the people

Question 5

Which Founding Father was a key figure in the American Enlightenment and advocated for compromise and unity in American politics?

Answer 5

Benjamin Franklin

Question 6

Who co-authored the Federalist Papers and championed the idea of a strong central government?

Answer 6

Alexander Hamilton

Question 7

Which Founding Father was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence and promoted democratic ideals and individual rights?

Answer 7

Thomas Jefferson

Question 8

Who is known as the “Father of the Constitution” and played a pivotal role in drafting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?

Answer 8

James Madison

Question 9

Which two documents are considered the foundational texts that define the U.S. political structure and philosophy?

Answer 9

Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution

Question 10

What theory of democracy emphasizes the role of a small number of elected leaders making decisions on behalf of the people?

Answer 10

Elite democracy

Question 11

What are organizations that try to influence public policy in favor of their particular interest called?

Answer 11

Interest groups

Question 12

Which model of democracy stresses the broad participation of constituents in the direction and operation of political systems?

Answer 12

Participatory democracy

Question 13

In which political system is there no single group that dominates the political process?

Answer 13

Pluralist democracy

Question 14

What type of democracy is founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people?

Answer 14

Representative democracy

Question 15

Who were the opponents of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, advocating for a decentralized governmental structure?

Answer 15

Anti-Federalists

Question 16

Who were the supporters of the U.S. Constitution, advocating for a strong federal government?

Answer 16

Federalists

Question 17

What is the process that allows citizens to propose legislation and submit it for a vote by the electorate called?

Answer 17

Initiative

Question 18

What is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is invited to vote on a particular proposal called?

Answer 18

Referendum

Question 19

In Federalist No. 10, Madison argues that a large republic can better guard against what, compared to smaller republics?

Answer 19

the dangers of factionalism

Question 20

Which Anti-Federalist paper argued against the expansive jurisdiction of the federal government?

Answer 20

Brutus No. 1

Question 21

What is the concept that a government’s power is not absolute, underpinned by laws and constitutional protections?

Answer 21

Limited government

Question 22

The doctrine that people have basic rights, such as those to life, liberty, and property in a state of nature, is known as what?

Answer 22

Natural rights philosophy

Question 23

What is the principle that the government’s power is derived from the consent of the governed?

Answer 23

Popular sovereignty

Question 24

What is a collection of sovereign states that gather for the national interest, national needs, and national defense called?

Answer 24

Representative republic

Question 25

Which philosophy advocates for limited government with elected representatives serving at the will of the people?

Answer 25

Republicanism

Question 26

What is the principle that government power should be constrained by laws and constitutional limits?

Answer 26

Limited government

Question 27

Which philosophy holds that individuals have inherent rights, such as life, liberty, and property, that exist independently of government?

Answer 27

Natural rights

Question 28

What is the idea that individuals consent to give up some freedoms to a government in exchange for protection of their remaining rights?

Answer 28

Social contract

Question 29

The Declaration of Independence reflects the influence of which philosopher’s ideas about natural rights and the social contract?

Answer 29

John Locke

Question 30

Which section of the Declaration of Independence lists grievances against the British King?

Answer 30

Indictment

Question 31

The Declaration of Independence asserts the right of the people to do what, if a government fails to protect their rights?

Answer 31

Alter or abolish it

Question 32

In what form of democracy do citizens elect representatives to make political decisions on their behalf?

Answer 32

Representative democracy

Question 33

What form of democracy emphasizes the direct participation of citizens in decision-making processes?

Answer 33

Participatory democracy

Question 34

Which democratic model suggests that political power is distributed among multiple competing groups?

Answer 34

Pluralist democracy

Question 35

In what form of democracy is political power concentrated in the hands of a small, privileged group?

Answer 35

Elite democracy

Question 36

In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argues that a large republic is better able to control the effects of what?

Answer 36

Factions

Question 37

According to Federalist No. 10, what is the primary cause of factions?

Answer 37

Unequal distribution of property

Question 38

In Brutus No. 1, what does the author argue will be the result of the expansive jurisdiction of the federal government under the proposed Constitution?

Answer 38

Consolidation of states into one government

Question 39

Brutus No. 1 suggests that the power of the federal judiciary under the Constitution would do what to the authority of state courts?

Answer 39

Diminish it

Question 40

The Federalists supported the ratification of the Constitution and advocated for what kind of central government?

Answer 40

Strong

Question 41

Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution, favoring what kind of governmental structure instead?

Answer 41

Decentralized

Question 42

What document, which predated the Constitution, created a loose confederation of states with a weak central government?

Answer 42

Articles of Confederation

Question 43

Under the Articles of Confederation, what power did the central government lack?

Answer 43

Taxation

Question 44

What 1786-1787 uprising in Massachusetts, led by debt-ridden farmers, exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 44

Shays’s Rebellion

Question 45

Shays’s Rebellion highlighted the need for what change in the American political system?

Answer 45

Stronger central government

Question 46

What did the Federalists believe was necessary to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 46

Constitution

Question 47

Which branch of government, as outlined in the Constitution, did Anti-Federalists fear would become too powerful?

Answer 47

Judiciary

Question 48

Federalist No. 10 argues that the diversity of interests in a large republic would make it more difficult for what to form?

Answer 48

Majority faction

Question 49

In the social contract theory, what do individuals give up in order to gain the protection of their rights by the government?

Answer 49

Some natural freedoms

Question 50

The Declaration of Independence’s emphasis on natural rights and the consent of the governed reflects the influence of which Enlightenment philosopher?

Answer 50

John Locke