Multiple Choice Test A: Origins of Government

Aristotle argued that a virtuous government serves the “common good.” Which modern U.S. principle most reflects this idea?

• Representative government

• Federalism

• Checks and balances

• Judicial review

Cicero emphasized that happiness was achieved by pursuing “virtue through reason.” Which Enlightenment thinker echoed this idea by arguing for natural law?

• John Locke

• Rousseau

• Thomas Hobbes

• Montesquieu

Which of John Locke’s principles directly challenged the legitimacy of absolute monarchy?

• Federalism

• Habeas Corpus

• Consent of the governed

• Divine Right

According to Locke, if government violates natural rights, people have the right to:

• Revolt and form a new government

• Petition Parliament

• Appeal to the King

• Request judicial review

Algernon Sidney became a “martyr” for liberty because he:

• Promoted slavery’s expansion

• Supported unlimited monarchy

• Authored the Magna Carta

• Was executed for rejecting the Divine Right of Kings

Magna Carta introduced which principle that carried into U.S. founding documents?

• Military control over civilians

• Rule of Law

• Absolute sovereignty of Parliament

• Supremacy of royal decrees

Which English right influenced the U.S. Bill of Rights directly?

• Divine right of kings

• Freedom of speech in Parliament

The Mayflower Compact established self-government. Its greatest significance was that it:

• Asserted separation of church and state

• Created a covenant based on mutual consent

• Limited governors by a written constitution

• Declared independence from England

John Winthrop’s vision of a “City upon a Hill” MOST closely reflects:

• Montesquieu’s separation of powers

• Hobbes’ need for a strong ruler

• Cicero’s civic virtue

• Paine’s rejection of monarchy

Which concept ensured that both monarchs and citizens were bound by the same legal standards?

• Social Contract

• Habeas Corpus

• Natural Rights

• Rule of Law