Deck 3: Political Theory

Question 1

In political science, normative theory is concerned with ______.

A) how the world should be and focuses on the exploration of values and what should be done based upon those values
B) developing and utilizing mathematical models and techniques to construct theories of political phenomena and deduce findings about politics, behavior, and institutions
C) how the world is and focuses on the exploration and interpretation of results derived from repeated observations that are verifiable
D) the application of logical techniques in order to attain conceptual clarity by emphasizing argumentative clarity and precision, formal logic, consistent with the success of modern science

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Plato explored the nature of truth, knowledge, and subjectivity through which of the following stories?

A) the allegory of the ring of Gyges
B) the allegory of the cave
C) the allegory of the ship of state
D) the allegory of the divided line

Answer 2

B

Question 3

To which of the following does Plato refer when speaking of enlightened rulers who govern with reason?

A) cave dwellers
B) balanced souls
C) philosopher kings
D) enlightened oligarchs

Answer 3

C

Question 4

To Plato, what is the purpose of a city?

A) to create a partnership of persons "who cannot exist without one another"
B) to provide for the basic needs of individuals who are compelled to enter into this society
C) to preserve life, and "a more contented life thereby"
D) to preserve life, liberty, and property.

Question 5

Which of the following regime types would Aristotle argue is unjust?

A) monarchy
B) aristocracy
C) polity
D) democracy

Question 6

The inspiration for checks and balances in the American political system can be traced back to ______.

A) ancient Greece
B) ancient Rome
C) the Renaissance
D) the Enlightenment

Question 7

In political science, Aristotle is known for composing ______.

A) The Republic
B) The Prince
C) Leviathan
D) Politics

Question 8

The role of religion in government appears to have first been contemplated in which historical era?

A) ancient Greek times
B) Roman times
C) the medieval period
D) the Renaissance

Question 9

Augustine's concept of a 'City of God' can be described by which of the following statements?

A) a city that attempts to balance out the needs and happiness of individuals with a need for a just and fair society
B) a city ruled over by individuals who have balanced souls who abide by reason and wisdom
C) a city that includes a chosen people who live in both a state of grace and an earthly city
D) a city that may be permitted to engage in warfare so long as the conflict is justified

Question 10

According to Augustine, a conflict that is engaged to pursue peace and punish wrongdoers is known as a ______.

A) just war
B) necessary war
C) righteous war
D) virtuous war

Question 11

Which philosopher is considered a founder of Western philosophy who melded ancient philosophy with developing Christian ethos?

A) Augustine of Hippo
B) Thomas Aquinas
C) Catherine of Siena
D) Clement of Alexandria

Question 12

Which of the following is the culmination or end-point of Aquinas' logic and positions on ethics and governance?

A) divine law
B) eternal law
C) human law
D) natural law

Question 13

In political science, Thomas Aquinas is known for authoring ______.

A) City of God
B) Summa Contra Gentiles
C) Leviathan
D) Two Treatises on Government

Question 14

Which of the following movements signalled one of the first major weakenings in the political power of Rome?

A) the Western Schism
B) the Protestant Reformation
C) the Counter-Reformation
D) the Enlightenment

Question 15

In political science, Thomas Hobbes is known for authoring ______.

A) City of God
B) Summa Contra Gentiles
C) Leviathan
D) Two Treatises on Government

Question 16

In political science, John Locke is known for authoring ______.

A) City of God
B) Summa Contra Gentiles
C) Leviathan
D) Two Treatises on Government

Question 17

How did Thomas Hobbes describe the state of nature?

A) a war of every man against every man
B) a state where all order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature
C) a morally neutral and peaceful condition, preceding socialization, in which individuals act according to basic urges and the desire for self-preservation
D) the principles of governance that would be accepted by a group of rational individuals who have been made ignorant of their positions in society

Question 18

How did John Locke describe the state of nature?

A) a war of every man against every man
B) a state where all order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature
C) a morally neutral and peaceful condition, preceding socialization, in which individuals act according to basic urges and the desire for self-preservation
D) the principles of governance that would be accepted by a group of rational individuals who have been made ignorant of their positions in society

Question 19

Which of the following Enlightenment philosopher sis best known for incorporating ideas about the state of nature, natural rights, and the social contract to develop the structure of proper or good government?

A) Hobbes
B) Locke
C) Rousseau
D) Kant

Question 20

The theory that argues, among other things, that history is a series of conflicts that will eventually lead to a society rid of the causes of inequality is known as ______.

A) communism
B) existentialism
C) objectivism
D) utilitarianism

Question 21

Immanuel Kant's work is considered fundamental in what sense?

A) It establishes the association between virtue, enlightenment, and reason as the basis of good governance.
B) It establishes the link between the state of nature, the social contract, and best practice in government.
C) It considers international frameworks to develop one of the earliest formulations of liberal foreign policy.
D) It invokes utilitarian principles as the foundation for protecting liberty and the specification of law by measuring and identifying best approaches in any situation.

Question 22

The theory that argues what is right and wrong should be determined by what brings the most happiness or good to the most people is called ______.

A) communism
B) existentialism
C) objectivism
D) utilitarianism

Question 23

In order to facilitate a transition to communism, Marx and Engels posited which of the following as an initial prerequisite?

A) the establishment of a Communist Party to mentor and organize the revolution
B) the establishment of a revolution to wrest power from those who will not give it up freely
C) the establishment of a self-awareness by those being exploited that they are being exploited
D) the establishment of a society with no social classes to speak of, nor a government

Question 24

Ironically, some of Marx' work shares which theoretical motif in common with Medieval philosophers?

A) the ethical and reason-based virtues of governance
B) the role of religion in state and society
C) the preservation of liberty in society
D) the foundations of justice and a just society

Question 25

The theory that argues for the centrality of the individual over categorization or the individual above the state is a focus of ______.

A) communism
B) existentialism
C) objectivism
D) contractarianism

Question 26

The theory that argues for the centrality of the individual as holding the moral right to act on their own judgment directs and to keep the product of their own efforts is a central tenet of ______.

A) communism
B) existentialism
C) objectivism
D) contractarianism

Question 27

A state in which every person has the same equal basic liberties, all positions are open to everyone under fair equality of opportunity, and all decisions should "be to the greatest benefit of the least-advantaged members of society" is known as ______.

A) the state of nature
B) the basic state
C) the liberal state
D) the utilitarian state

Question 28

How would John Rawls think about the state of nature?

A) a war of every man against every man
B) a state where all order their actions, and dispose of their possessions and persons, as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature
C) a morally neutral and peaceful condition, preceding socialization, in which individuals act according to basic urges and the desire for self-preservation
D) the principles of governance that would be accepted by a group of rational individuals who have been made ignorant of their positions in society

Question 29

According to Rawls, which of the following is designed to be a fair and impartial point of view that is adopted in reasoning about fundamental principles of justice?

A) original position
B) veil of ignorance
C) constructivism
D) contractarianism

Question 30

John Rawls is notably famous for penning which of the following works?

A) Anarchy, State, and Utopia
B) A Theory of Justice
C) The Racial Contract
D) The Sexual Contract

Question 31

The philosophy that argues that moral norms and political authority originate in agreements that we make with one another is known as ______.

A) communism
B) existentialism
C) objectivism
D) contractarianism

Question 32

Robert Nozick is notably famous for penning which of the following works?

A) Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
B) A Theory of Justice.
C) The Racial Contract.
D) The Sexual Contract.

Question 33

Nozick's response to Rawls on the best type of state and government provides what type of basis of interpretation for the social contract?

A) democratic
B) liberal
C) libertarian
D) objectivist

Question 34

Charles W. Mills is notably famous for penning which of the following works?

A) Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
B) A Theory of Justice.
C) The Racial Contract.
D) The Sexual Contract.

Question 35

Which of the following thinkers emphasized and argued that the social contract developed as an agreement only between people who "counted," ignoring or eliminating an entire group (or groups) of people from consideration?

A) Charles W. Mills
B) Bhikhu Parekh
C) Carol Pateman
D) Ida B. Wells

Question 36

In Rethinking Multiculturalism, Bhikhu Parekh wrestles with the idea that ______.

A) the social contract ignores or eliminated an entire group of people from consideration
B) women and minorities fall under the notion of property ensconced in the traditional social contract
C) the traditional social contract implies the assimilation of groups and identities within a given society
D) moral norms and interpersonal agreements do not form the basis of the social contract as is traditionally argued

Question 37

In political science, empirical theory is concerned with ______.

A) how the world should be and focuses on the exploration of values and what should be done based upon those values
B) developing and utilizing mathematical models and techniques to construct theories of political phenomena and deduce findings about politics, behavior, and institutions
C) how the world is and focuses on the exploration and interpretation of results derived from repeated observations that are verifiable
D) the application of logical techniques in order to attain conceptual clarity by emphasizing argumentative clarity and precision, formal logic, consistent with the success of modern science

Question 38

In political science, formal theory is concerned with ______.

A) how the world should be and focuses on the exploration of values and what should be done based upon those values
B) developing and utilizing mathematical models and techniques to construct theories of political phenomena and deduce findings about politics, behavior, and institutions
C) how the world is and focuses on the exploration and interpretation of results derived from repeated observations that are verifiable
D) the application of logical techniques in order to attain conceptual clarity by emphasizing argumentative clarity and precision, formal logic, consistent with the success of modern science

Question 39

In political science, analytic theory is concerned with ______.

A) how the world should be and focuses on the exploration of values and what should be done based upon those values
B) developing and utilizing mathematical models and techniques to construct theories of political phenomena and deduce findings about politics, behavior, and institutions
C) how the world is and focuses on the exploration and interpretation of results derived from repeated observations that are verifiable
D) the application of logical techniques in order to attain conceptual clarity by emphasizing argumentative clarity and precision, formal logic, consistent with the success of modern science

Question 40

As a subfield of political science, political theory focuses primarily on government and society.

Question 41

The philosophy of Socrates forms the basis, or starting point, for most of political philosophy that has come after.

Question 42

Aristotle notes that as the creation of cities is a natural phenomenon, so too do its citizens know how to behave in a just manner from the outset.

Question 43

St. Thomas Aquinas argued that true evil does not exist; rather, evil is the absence of good.

Question 44

St. Thomas Aquinas spends much of his writings specifying how we are to know human versus natural law.

Question 45

For a long time, governments and rulers in Europe split their power and loyalties between themselves and Rome.

Question 46

The English Reformation consequentially led many to question the notion of the divine right to rule.

Question 47

A common theme in political theory regarding the value of institutions is the act of imagining their absence.

Question 48

John Stuart Mill argued that there are situations in which liberties must be curtailed.

Question 49

Communist states that have existed, and those that continue to exist, were originally formulated through Marx and Engels' theorized methodology.

Question 50

Modern theory in political science has focused on the social contract, its construction, and its impact on politics today.

Question 51

Political theory today has moved on from ancient philosophy to pursue contemporary applications.

Question 52

Discuss the transition between political philosophy of ancient times and developments that occurred in the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. What influence does this transition have on political philosophy and theory today?

Question 53

How did the Enlightenment change the way we think about politics, behavior, society, and government? How have those developments influenced recent developments in political theory?

Question 54

What is the impact of the development of the theory of communism on political philosophy? Discuss Marx and Engels' theory in the context of political theory's evolution, its impact on normative worldviews, and its legacy and relevance to political theory today.

Question 55

Where does political theory fit in political science? Is it, or should it be considered, a discipline within this field, or is it more aligned with philosophy and humanities disciplines? Justify your argument using examples not only from your readings, but from real world examples.

Question 56

Discuss some of the more recent notable works in political theory (in the last century or so). How have these approaches been influenced by developments of past eras? Provide some examples and explain how these developments relate to one another.