FInal Exam GOVT 2305

The dominant governmental entity in the Articles of Confederation was

the states

"A set of rules for a government that articulate its powers and functions" is an adequate definition of

A constitution

What is the "State of Nature?"

A device used by philosophers (Thomas Hobbes and John Locke most notably) to imagine what the world must have been like without government.

When asked at the conclusion of the constitutional convention "well doctor, what we have got, a republic or an monarchy?' Benjamin Franklin is reported to have said:

A republic, if you can keep it

An ideology can be described as

A set of issue positions based on some underlying value

Which of the following best explains why the Magna Carta did not immediately succeed in limiting the power of the monarch?

A strong enough legislature did not yet exist to balance the power of the executive

A liberal would likely oppose all but which of these policy proposals?

Additional spending to stimulate the economy

Which helps explain why there was no socialist movement in the United States until the late 19th Century?

Agrarian American was more equal than industrial America, so there was little for a socialist movement to rally around.

In brief, the Magna Carta is a document that

All of these answers are are true.

The grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence were intended to argue that George III was attempting to

All of these answers are true.

Which of the following is a reasonable definition of "politics?"

All of these are reasonable definitions of "politics."

All but which of the following were objections that conservatives had to the liberal policies promoted in the New Deal?

All of these options are correct.

Which of the following components of the English Bill of Rights would later be included in the United States Constitution?

All of these parts of the English Bill of Rights were later included in the U.S. Constitution.

Of the options below, which system of government is the most efficient?

Autocracy

Which of the following individuals is regarded as having been the first conservative candidate for the presidency?

Barry Goldwater

The political process inevitably involves

Conflict over values and interests

A(n) _______ government recognizes limits on its power.

Constitutional

A liberal most likely rests his or her political opinions on the underlying value (s) of

Equality

Faith in the ability of Americans in the early years of the republic helps explains why suffrage was very broad in the late 18th century.

False

One of the more unique aspects of governing in the United States is the high level of political knowledge among the general population.

False

One of the things the founders of the US respected about Rome was that is was a republic throughout its history.

False

The farmers of the Constitution very strongly argues that a free society was likely to be a peaceful and orderly society?

False

The farmers of the U.S. Constitution deliberately establish a governing system where the preferences of the public would be quickly followed by government officials.

False

The framers of the Constitution thought populist movements were a healthy feature of a democratic system.

False

The government requirement is established in the Texas Constitution

False

While documents related to the establishment of the United States government state that an educated public is necessary for good governance, there is no similar statement made in any of Texas' founding documents.

False

Which of the following authors said the following about capitalism: It has been the first to show what man's activity can bring about. It has accomplished wonders far surpassing Egyptian pyramids, Roman aqueducts, and Gothic cathedrals; it has conducted expeditions that put in the shade all former exoduses of nations and crusades?

Karl Marx

At its simplest, the term "sovereign' refers to the source of _____ in a political community.

Legitimate authority

A conservative most likely rests his or her political opinions on the underlying value (s) of

Liberty

Governments, in order to govern at all, must contain two types of institutions in order to perform two functions. Which two functions?

The ability to coerce people to follow the law, and to collect revenue.

Which of the following occurred soon after Augustus Caesar consolidated power and created the Rome Empire?

There was a 200 year period of peace and prosperity.

What was the general attitude the Roman people had about Julius Caesar?

They preferred his personal rule over that of the Roman Senate, which they saw as corrupt.

Which of the following argued that governments should use aggressive means for alleviating the plight of the poor?

Thomas Paine

The modern "liberal" and "conservative" movements are collections of individuals that are multi-faceted and have plenty of disputes within each.

True

Which of the following best describes the reaction Pope Innocent III had to the signing of the Magna Carta?

X He agreed with it and encouraged other kings in Europe to sign similar documents. X He was opposed to it, but kept his opposition to himself since he thought it did not affect him. X He was aware of it, but was indifferent.

Which of the following is not a component of the belief system of classical liberalism?

a collective approach to solving public problems

Which of the following is more likely to support free markets?

a conservative

Which of the following is more likely to support traditional relationships over reform?

a conservative

The Security Clause of the Magna Carta eventually led to the development of

a legislature.

Which of the following is more likely to secular over religious based policies?

a liberal

The theory of the Divine Right of Kings rested on the idea that

all of these answers are true.

Governing institutions do one of three things. Which of the following is not a function of government?

all of these options above are correct.

Adam Smith argued that the public interest was best promoted by

allowing individuals to promote their own interests.

The American Constitution establishes a republic. What is a republic?

an indirect, or representative, democracy

Which of the following ideologies is based on the idea that societies of people are capable of organizing themselves "without a central coordinator imposing its own idea of order against the wills of individuals acting in their own interests."

anarchists

Complete the following quote by Baron de Montesquieu. "The tranny of a prince is not so dangerous to the public welfare

as the apathy of a citizen in a democracy."

Governments tend to originate in one of two ways

by coercion -- meaning people are forced into it -- and consent -- meaning that people agree to it.

Karl Marx argued that capitalism created increased conflict between

capital and labor

Even though the founders of the American Republic differed in their political opinions, they all tend to fall under the label of

classical liberals.

The Declaration of Independence states that, to secure the unalienable rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the

consent of the governed

Once the English Bill of Rights was signed, Britain effectively became a

constitutional monarchy.

The Declaration of Independence claims that all men are _______ and ______ .

created equal; are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.

Which of the following forms of government did Thomas Paine argue could best be trusted to protect the equal political rights of all men?

democracy

Which of the following forms of government did the founders think was especially prone to chaos and violence?

democracy

Which of the following is not a component of democracy?

economic equality

Which of the options below best explains how the founders believed that stability could be established in a republic?

educational institutions that would enable people to make better decisions about governing matters

The advantage of an autocracy is _____, but the disadvantage is ____.

efficiency; arbitrary rule

The Declaration of Independence did all but which of the following?

establish a constitution to better structure governing powers

According to Edmund Burke, good governing systems

evolve slowly over time

By the time of the Stuart Monarchy (1603 - 1689) parliament grew sufficiently strong where it could ______ Charles I due, in part, to his refusal to acknowledge the authority of parliament.

execute

In the early to middle 20th Century, liberals argued that governmental intervention could be used to effectively

expand the economy during recessions.

According to Thomas Paine, all forms of hereditary government were based on

farce or force

Which of the following is defined by the following: "The institution, or institutions, with the monopoly on the legitimate use of coercion in society."

government

One consequence of the rise of capitalism was

growing economic inequity in society

King John signed the Magna Carta because

he was forced to by the nobility (the barons).

As I described it in the power points, the essence of the American Experiment is to determine

if self government is possible.

Under a system based on natural rights, a monarch

is beneath the law, and subject to it.

The principle accomplishment of the British Bill of Rights was

its limitation of what had been the arbitrary power of the monarchy

An oligarchic government promises ______, but with the disadvantage that it might be ______.

knowledgeable rule; bias in its decisions.

The advantage of a democracy is _____, but the disadvantage is ____.

legitimacy; mob rule

Fill in the blanks: "_______ favor government action to promote equality, whereas ________ favor government action to promote order. ________ favor freedom and oppose government action to promote either equality or order."

liberals; conservatives; libertarians

The political movement that seeks to reduce governmental intervention in both the economic and social sector is called

libertarianism

Democracy's adherence to majority rule can allow it to restrict

minority rights.

Any movement that emerges from the grassroots and reflects a general disenchantment with elites may be a labelled a _____ movement.

populist

In the Second Treatise on Government, John Locke argued that in the state of nature man

possesses certain natural rights.

As opposed to the French Revolution, the American Revolution was much more

pragmatic.

The use of one's labor in the state of nature creates

property

According to John Locke, people consent to form government in order to

provide for the mutual security of their property

All but which of the following would Adam Smith argue is a proper function of government?

providing an educated labor force for industry

Among the grievances against the Mexican government listed in the Texas declaration of Independence is that it failed to establish any

public system of education

According to John Locke, and the enlightenment in general, the defining characteristic of man is his capacity to

reason.

In Federalist #1, Alexander Hamilton put the question posed to the American people this way: It has been frequently remarked that it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from _________ , or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on _________.

reflection and choice; accident and force

Put the following stages in the course of empire in proper order

savage, pastoral, consummation, destruction, desolation

The northwest ordinance argues that is order to create the conditions for good government.

schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged

Which of the following traits did the farmers of the constitution argue fundamental parts if the human nature?

self interest and ambition

The basic premise of Natural Law is

that the universe is governed by reasonable, rational laws, humans have the capacity to reason, meaning they can understand these laws.

The group of people that wrote the Declaration of Independence also wrote the _____, which was the first written national constitution.

the Articles of Confederation

Modern disputes between liberalism and conservatism can be traced back to conflict over the

the New Deal

In a governing system founded on natural rights, the only proper justification for governmental authority is

the consent of the governed.

The subject of the First Treatise on Government was

the deficiencies of the theory of the Divine Right of Kings.

In order to become monarchs, William and Mary had to sign the English Bill of Rights which established that

the monarchy was beneath the law.

According to the Texas Constitution. a general diffusion of knowledge is essential to

the preservation of the liberties and rights of the people

According to classical liberalism, the most imprtant function of government is to

the protection of private property.

John Locke argued that in ______ people possess natural rights, which include life, liberty and property, but these rights are insecure and ______ are developed to secure them.

the state of nature; governments

Edmund Burke argued that governments should rest on _____. Thomas Pain argued that they should rest on ______.

tradition; reason

The concentration of executive, judicial and legislative power in one institution can be a definition of

tyranny

Jefferson suggested that an educated population in a democracy should be able to recognize

tyranny.

The Founders noted that democratic governments tended to be

unstable, unjust and short lived.

American government rests on the ______ of the governed.

consent

According to John Jay, "those who ___ ought to govern it."

own America