Political Philosophy Questions

According to Aristotle, the city (or state) existsa. by natureb. by consent, since all are naturally equalc. by virtue of its creation by the godsd. by historical process, since nature can provide no standard for men

3. What ought to regulate persons in the state of nature?

According to Christina Villegas, the original purpose of the Electoral College wasa. to keep the executive subordinate to Congressb. to maintain elite control over the highest office of governmentc. to protect state interestsd. to preserve popular influence over the selection of the chief executive

2.In Federalist #49, Publius objects to Jefferson's proposal for recourse to the people inconvention as a means of repairing violations of the separation of powers becausea. the same representatives who violate the constitution could well be elected torepair violations.b. it would deprive the constitution of the veneration good government needs.c. it won't help if two branches conspire to violate the third.d. ALL of the above

It is always acceptable if you did the work.What does Locke think about attempts by the people to rebel against the government?a. Rebellion is never justified, since anarchy or civil war is the greatest evil.b. Rebellion is always justified, since the people are utterly sovereign.c. Rebellion is justified if the legislative power is changed or the governmentseriously violates the rights of the people.d. Rebellion is justified only with the Church's permission.

According to Locke, we all own the earth in common. Nonetheless, he tells us that wecan gain property for ourselves bya. asking for a sign from God that we should designate something as our own.b. mixing our labor with the things given by nature to all men.c. getting the consent of all others.d. simply taking it from others.

Which of the following does Byron Shafer NOT use as an argument in favor ofkeeping the Electoral College?a. without the system, wealthy or prominent individuals could impact the election as"spoilers"b. it maintains "retail politics" even in presidential campaignsc. the majority of voters always in the end determines who wins the Electoral Colleged. it promotes the formation of majorities, as parties seek winning coalitions

Prof. Keith Whittington believes that we should interpret the Constitution bya. asking judges to use their own subjective notions of justice.b. looking to its original meaning.c. applying generally accepted international legal principles.d. considering it to be a "living document" whose meaning evolves over time.

Finish this sentence from the Federalist: "Had every Athenian citizen been aSocrates, the Athenian assembly..."a. would have achieved nothing, being always lost in reflectionb. would still have been a mobc. would have proven the greatness of democracyd would have resigned its power to one of their number as philosopher-king

.What best describes the relation of God and government according to the Declaration of Independence?a. God gives men government and requires them to obey it.b. God gives authority to His Church, who then empower government.c. God gives men rights; men make government to secure those rights.d. None of the above: There is no relation of any sort between God and government.

How does Justice William Brennan feel about originalism? a. It fails to account for the changed relationship of the citizen to the government.b. It ignores the transformative purpose of the Constitution's text.c. It is "arrogance cloaked as humility."d. ALL of the above

What does Aquinas say about custom?a. it never has the force of lawb. it has the force of law and can change and interpret lawc. it is usually irrational, but needed in the governance of mend. d. it is usually irrational and should be replaced by human statutory law

According to the Constitution of 1787, the three branches of government, outlined inthe first three articles of the Constitution, area. king, lords, and commonsb. legislative, executive, and judicialc. monarchy, aristocracy, democracyd. the federal government, the states, and local government

The middle section of the Declaration, the "facts submitted to a candid world," referespecially toa. the principles of liberal political philosophy (Hobbes and Locke)b. the republican tradition inherited from Aristotle and Romec. the common-law constitutional tradition of Englandd. NONE of the above

According to Aristotle, the person of the most outstanding virtue ought to bea. countered by a system of the separation of powersb. ostracized, even from the best regimec. worshippedd. king

According to Hobbes, the one thing everyone agrees is good isa. libertyb. justicec. peaced. STOP: men never agree about anything

When is it acceptable in the state of nature to let picked fruit spoil and go to waste?a.It is always wrong to pick more than you can use or give away to others.b.Spoilage is not a problem if there is enough (and as good) left for others.c.Spoilage is not a problem in societies that protect private property.d.It is always acceptable if you did the work.

The Pennsylvania Anti-Federalists object to the process of ratifying the Constitution becausea. members of the Pennsylvania legislature were forced to attend the session that would call a ratifying conventionb. the dissenters at the convention were not allowed to enter on the record their reasons for objecting to the Constitutionc. only ten days were allowed between the call for a convention and election of its members, so there was no time to learn about the proposed Constitutiond. ALL of

In Federalist #10, Publius (Madison) writes that the best solution to the problem off action isa. less freedom.b. ensuring that the republic is small and thus virtuous and free.c. extending the sphere of territory governed, to ensure more factions.d educating people to hold the same opinions and beliefs.

According to the Declaration, all men are equal ina. the ability to succeed in lifetb. heir political rights, that is, to vote and hold officec. their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happinessd. the benefits to which they are entitled from government