Deck 3: Sovereignty, State and Citizenship

Question 1

Which of the following comparisons is the most accurate? Citizens are to the state,as:

A) Students are to the university,
B) Voters are to elections,
C) Politicians are to Parliament
D) Members are to an organization

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to Jean Bodin,writing in the late 1500s,how did sovereignty originate?

A) It originated in the medieval papacy and was based on the undivided powers of the Pope.
B) It originated in Roman law and was based on the undivided powers of the government.
C) It originated in the rules of conduct and was based on the uniform conduct of citizens.
D) It originated in the stateless society and was based on the traditional inheritance of authority.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What is the term for the procedure by which an adult is granted citizenship?

A) jus civitas
B) sanguinis civis
C) stare decisis
D) naturalization

Answer 3

D

Question 4

Which of the following political arrangements would most likely be supported by Jean Bodin?

A) A federal system where national and regional governments share power.
B) A monarchy where an individual inherits supreme power over defined territory.
C) A liberal democracy where citizens vote directly on political issues.
D) A parliamentary system where members are democratically elected to represent citizens.

Question 5

What is the principle underlying the American Declaration of Independence (1776)?

A) direct democracy
B) consent of the governed
C) parliamentary democracy
D) personal sovereignty

Question 6

While it might be possible to abandon the concept of sovereignty for purpose of domestic politics,why is sovereignty still a relevant concept for international politics?

A) It guides relations between leaders of different countries.
B) It mostly belongs to international organizations, such as the European Union.
C) It promotes the spread of freedom and democracy.
D) It minimizes conflict and regulates economies.

Question 7

Even though Rousseau's ideas influenced the American Declaration of Independence,why might he be critical of the structure of American government?

A) It requires elected representatives.
B) It is based on parliamentary sovereignty
C) It requires the frequent election of legislators
D) It is based on personal sovereignty

Question 8

Who was the sixteenth-century author who first used the term sovereignty in its modern sense?

A) Jean-Jacques Rousseau
B) Max Weber
C) Jean Bodin
D) William Blackstone

Question 9

Which term refers to a sovereign power ruling over a population residing within the boundaries of a fixed territory?

A) nation
B) government
C) state
D) community

Question 10

What is the main principle underlying the modern British constitution?

A) the personal sovereignty of the monarch
B) the judicial sovereignty of the courts
C) the sovereignty of a political institution made up of elected representatives
D) popular sovereignty

Question 11

What is the most significant challenge faced by societies wishing to be sovereign states?

A) Recognition of autonomy in the international community.
B) Having a large enough population to constitute a state.
C) Residing primarily in one area or territory.
D) Being capable of forming a government.

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a state?

A) An indigenous community that is granted certain self-governing powers.
B) A historical kingdom such as Saudi Arabia
C) Monaco
D) France

Question 13

Which of the following is the most important benefit of sovereignty?

A) It guarantees peaceful interactions between societies.
B) It organizes society around a clear, central authority.
C) It allows governments to be democratic.
D) It takes power away from individuals and gives it to governments.

Question 14

Which of the following is an example of a sovereign authority?

A) A Bishop representing the Pope outside of Rome.
B) A Member of Parliament who wins a democratic election.
C) The king in a monarchy.
D) The leader of an armed rebel group.

Question 15

The Canadian constitution,while inherited from the British,has several important differences.Which of the following is the most significant distinction?

A) Legislation must be passed by both the House of Commons and the Senate.
B) The Supreme Court of Canada has the power to strike down legislation.
C) The Queen "reigns but does not rule" in Britain.
D) Some areas of legislation are the exclusive legislative power of provincial governments.

Question 16

The concept of the state is relatively new.The state as we know it today might not have come into existence if:

A) monarchs had not wanted absolute sovereignty.
B) communities had sufficient land and resources to be self-sustaining.
C) agricultural societies had all shared a common language.
D) World War II had not inspired the creation of the United Nations.

Question 17

Which of the following situations demonstrates Rousseau's concept of sovereignty?

A) The Supreme Court of Canada has the authority to strike down unconstitutional laws.
B) British citizens possess the personal freedom to elect their political representatives.
C) The President of the United States must have the support of the majority of US citizens.
D) Switzerland holds regular referendums where citizens vote on important political issues.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a necessary aspect of sovereignty?

A) power to make laws
B) power to deal with sovereigns of other communities
C) power to enforce rules of conduct
D) democratic government

Question 19

Which of the following elements constitute the common definition of a state?

A) sovereignty, society, territory
B) provinces, territories, sovereignty
C) people, sovereignty, territory
D) sovereignty, territory, government

Question 20

Many groups seek to obtain member status within the United Nations.What is the main reason for wanting this recognition?

A) The United Nations is the largest international organization.
B) The United Nations has the ability to give out important resources.
C) Membership in the United Nations prevents states from failing.
D) Membership in the United Nations means states are considered sovereign.

Question 21

What are the three main requirements for a modern state to exist? Explain how they must be present together in some form to make the state a reality.

Question 22

The decision making structure and process of the state is known as ________.

Question 23

Which of the following situations would William Blackstone be most likely to support?

A) A community sets up a means for direct participation in law-making through referendums
B) A King agrees to give some law-making power to cities.
C) A former British colony renounces the Monarch as its sovereign leader
D) A Queen unites her subjects around a common ruler.

Question 24

In Canada and the U.S.A.,sovereignty is not concentrated but divided among levels of government.

Question 25

Citizenship means the right to participate in the politics of the state.

Question 26

_____________ is still the main principle of the British constitution.It means that ________ can make or repeal whatever laws it chooses.

Question 27

The __________ is a community organized and armed with coercive power to protect the social order from internal and external attack and to provide public services to the community.

Question 28

The voluntary,spontaneously emerging order of relationships,in which we coexist with and serve the needs of one another,is called _________.

Question 29

There are two basic principles of citizenship law,known by their Latin names: ________ (right of blood)and ________ (right of soil).

Question 30

For all intents and purposes,there's not much of a difference between the concepts of government and state.

Question 31

A state is defined by the joint presence of population,territory,and sovereignty.

Question 32

The term jus soli,meaning right of soil,is the basic principle of citizenship law in the United Kingdom,France,Canada,and the United States.

Question 33

The power of the courts to declare that actions taken by other branches of government violate the constitution is known as _________.

Question 34

The earth's entire land mass,with the exception of Antarctica,is divided into territories under the control of sovereign states.

Question 35

Which of the following is an example of parliamentary sovereignty?

A) Parliament passes a law, expecting it to stand until dissolved by a future government.
B) Parliament passes a law, hoping that an independent judicial branch does not strike it down.
C) Parliament requires the ascent of the sovereign to pass laws.
D) Parliament passes laws, but cannot dissolve them without the ascent of the sovereign.

Question 36

According to jus sanguinis,which is a basic principle of citizenship law,anyone born within the boundaries of the state automatically becomes a citizen.

Question 37

The _________ is the universal form of political organization in the modern world.The earth's entire landmass,with the exception of __________ is divided into territories under the control of _____________.

Question 38

The category of Canadian citizenship did not exist until January 1,1947,when the first Citizenship Act came into effect.

Question 39

The first real states began to emerge in Europe after World War II.

Question 40

In Britain,Parliament is still the highest court in the land and cannot be overruled by the judiciary.

Question 41

Compare and contrast the meaning of the words "society,""state,""politics,"and"government."

Question 42

What are the essential differences between parliamentary sovereignty and popular sovereignty?

Question 43

Is international recognition necessary for a state to be considered sovereign? Why,or why not? Use examples from the text in your answer.

Question 44

How did states develop in modern Europe? In your answer,review the main historical events that precipitated their origin.

Question 45

Survey the meaning of sovereignty,as understood by Bodin,Blackstone,and Rousseau.

Question 46

International organizations such as the United Nations,NATO,or the European Union are important institutions.Are member states fully sovereign nations? Why,or why not?

Question 47

Compare and contrast British,American,and Canadian systems of sovereignty.Are the sovereign arrangements different from Bodin's original conception?