STUDY GUIDE A

Which statement best describes a political theory of John Locke?

A government's power comes from the consent of the people.

The post-colonial distrust of strong, national governmental power can most clearly be seen in the creation of the

Articles of Confederation.

Which European philosopher proposed that dividing the government into three branches would prevent any one person or group from gaining total control?

Baron de Montesquieu

Which sentence describes the power to tax given to the U.S. Congress by the Articles of Confederation?

Congress could not tax.

USE QUOTE FROM PREVIOUS QUESTION John Locke's writing MOST LIKELY reflects the ideals of which movement?

Enlightenment

"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world." - from The Declaration of Independence This phrase from The Declaration of Independence and its primary author Thomas Jefferson can be used to justify which statement?

Jefferson knew that the colonists' actions would have an international impact.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." --Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence, 1776 Thomas Jefferson's statement about unalienable rights would MOST likely have been influenced by the writings of

John Locke

Which European philosopher believed that the purpose of government is to protect natural rights?

John Locke

Which of these was the FIRST example of a written agreement for colonial self-government in the British colonies in North America?

May Flower Compact

John Locke's Enlightenment idea of the "social contract" heavily influenced the American colonists' response to the enforcement of the Navigation Acts, the Stamp Act, the Townshend Act, the Tea Act, and the so-called Intolerable Acts. What idea is stated by "social contract" theory?

One natural right is the right to replace leaders if they fail to lead as the people desire.

French political thinker Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) was one of the Enlightenment's most important thinkers. He is famous for saying that "when the [law making] and [law enforcement] powers are united in the same person... there can be no liberty." To which principle of government is Montesquieu's statement MOST directly related?

Separation of Powers

The political theory that people form governments for their mutual protection and that government rules only with the consent of those people is known as

Social Contract Theory

Social Contract Theory holds that governments get their power from the people, and that if the government no longer serves the people it can be overthrown. Which of these offers the BEST example of Social Contract Theory in practice in America?

The Declaration of Independence

The ideas of Locke and Rousseau are found MOST easily in which of these documents?

The Declaration of Independence

The people who came to the American colonies in the 17th century had already been exposed to the idea of limited government thanks mainly to...

The Magna Carta

What did the ideas of John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Jean Jacques Rousseau have in common?

The philosophies inspired the American and French revolutions.

Which statement BEST describes the power of government provided by the Articles of Confederation?

The states had more power than the national government.

Articles of Confederation Weakness Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation Congress could not tax. All states had to agree to amend the document. The government had no executive branch. ???????? Which statement should go in the box with the question marks?

There was no national court system.

Which of these accurately reflects a WEAKNESS in the Articles of Confederation?

There was no separation of powers.

Why was it hard to get laws passed under the Articles of Confederation?

To pass a law, 9 of 13 states needed to agree.

Which of these was a major philosophy expressed in the Declaration of Independence?

a belief in the natural rights of citizens

Thomas Jefferson was important in the Revolutionary era because

he wrote much of the Declaration of Independence.

A major failing of the United States Government under the Articles of Confederation was its

inability to regulate commerce among the states.

John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and Jean Jacques Rousseau all were

influences on the ideals that shaped American government.

The Magna Carta is most important for which reason?

it put limits on the monarch's powers

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." The Declaration of Independence This quote from the Declaration of Independence is referring to the principle of

limited government

Man being born with a title to perfect freedom, and enjoyment of all the rights and privileges of the law of nature, equally with any other man, hath by nature a power, not only to preserve his life, liberty and estate, against the injuries and attempts of other men; but to judge of, and punish the breaches of that law in others. -John Locke, Two Treatises of Government, 1690 John Locke's writing reflects the ideals of the Enlightenment in that

men are created with equal rights and responsibilities under the law of nature.

Montesquieu is credited with devising the basic Constitutional principle of

separation and balance of governmental power.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." - from The Declaration of Independence What is the best definition of the word unalienable in this passage?

something that cannot be taken away

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." - from The Declaration of Independence This passage MOST accurately reflects the democratic ideals taken from

the Enlightenment

The ideas contained in the Declaration of Independence were MOST influenced by

the Social Contract Theory.

The phrase in the Declaration of Independence stating "that governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed" illustrates the principle of

the Social Contract theory.

-The Magna Carta ·The English Bill of Rights ·The Petition of Rights These documents have had a lasting impact on American democracy by providing a foundation for

the U.S. Constitution

The Sovereign, having no force other than the legislative power, acts only by means of the laws; and the laws being solely the authentic acts of the general will, the Sovereign cannot act save when the people are assembled." --Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Of The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right, 1762. Which concept is central both to the Declaration of Independence and to Social Contract Theory?

the authority of the government should be derived from the consent of the governed

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. " - Declaration of Independence According to this passage from the Declaration of Independence, who gives government the power to exist?

the people

The concept that the people of a nation have a right to overthrow a government that acts against their common interests is known as

the right of revolution.

The Mayflower Compact was unique because it

was the first example of colonial European self-government in northeastern North America.