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Locke and Montesque

Total questions: 26

Worksheet time: 48mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Read the following excerpt and answer the question below.

“We hold these truths to be self­evident, 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.”


­Declaration of Independence

Source: National Archives


Based on this excerpt, which is the best definition of natural rights?

a)

rights that are determined by the courts

b)

rights that are granted by the monarch

c)

rights that are guaranteed by laws

d)

rights that are granted at birth

2.

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....


What is the main idea of this passage?

a)

Only citizens can enjoy the rights guaranteed by a government

b)

Government is necessary to promote equality.

c)

Government must equally distribute power among people

d)

People have rights that cannot be denied by any government

3.

How did common sense affect colonial thinking?

a)

By encouraging colonist to favor federalism

b)

By encouraging to protest taxation

c)

By encouraging colonist to abolish slavery

d)

By encouraging to declare independence

4.

The statements below are from the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights.


Which statement reflects the Enlightenment ideas of government as expressed by Montesquieu?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

5.

The passage below is from a historical document


“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....:”


Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

Based on the passage, where should governments get their power;

a)

from the legislative branch

b)

from the executive branch

c)

from the public

d)

from elected leaders

6.

The quote below is from a historical document


"A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people."


How does this quote reflect the influence of Enlightenment ideas on the Founding Fathers?

a)

They created a limited monarchy.

b)

They supported individual liberties.

c)

They had reservations about self-government.

d)

They were concerned with property rights.

7.

Read the following excerpt from On the Spirit of Laws, by Baron de Montesquieu, and answer the question below.


"When the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the same body of magistrates, there can be no liberty; because apprehensions may arise, lest the same monarch or senate should enact tyrannical laws, to execute them in a tyrannical manner."


Source: Public Domain\ ucs.louisiana.edu

Which aspect of the U.S. Constitution shows the influence of Montesquieu on the Founding Fathers?

a)

dividing power between two legislative bodies of government

b)

separating power among three branches of government

c)

balancing power between the people and the government

d)

dividing power between the state and national government

8.

How did Common Sense impact the way colonists thought about government?

a)

They began to believe that they should be governed by the King rather than by Parliament.

b)

They began to believe that it was not practical to be governed by England.

c)

They began to believe that they should boycott laws with which they did not agree.

d)

They began to believe that it was important to develop their own English style of government

9.

The image below concerns government.


Which Enlightenment idea is represented by the image?

a)

separation of powers

b)

checks and balances

c)

social contract

d)

natural law

10.

Read the information and answer the question below.


Magna Carta---------

English Bill of Rights--------


What idea from these documents influenced the development of government in the American colonies?

a)

Governments should not have kings.

b)

Governments should not have legislative bodies.

c)

Governments should grant citizens specific rights.

d)

Governments should allow leaders to have unlimited power

11.

What did many American colonists use Thomas Paine's Common Sense to justify?

a)

Acts of sabotage against British merchants

b)

Supporting the British monarchy

c)

Declaring independence from Britain

d)

Joining the army instead of the militia

12.

Look at the diagram and answer the question below.

What is the main reason the Founders structured the government in this way?

a)

to prevent any branch from having too many duties

b)

to promote efficiency by delegating official responsibilities

c)

to promote participation by creating a large bureaucracy

d)

to prevent any branch from having too much power

13.

Below is a newspaper headline.


Below is a newspaper headline.

a)

separation of powers

b)

checks and balances

c)

social contract

d)

natural law

14.

Which right is an example of an Enlightenment idea?

a)

Fifth Amendment self-incrimination protection

b)

First Amendment freedom of speech guarantees

c)

First Amendment freedom of religion guarantees

d)

Fourth Amendment search and seizure protection

15.

How are the Enlightenment ideas that influenced the Founding Fathers reflected in modern institutions?

a)

Colonies have been re-established to preserve popular sovereignty.

b)

Oligarchies have increased to safeguard natural rights.

c)

The United Nations promotes universal human rights.

d)

The European Union encourages economic stability.

16.

Read the following excerpt and answer the question below.


. . . 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.

-Declaration of Independence

Which Enlightenment principle most influenced the ideas in this excerpt?

a)

John Locke's idea of the social contract

b)

Thomas Hobbes’s idea of natural equality

c)

Montesquieu’s idea of separation of powers

d)

Voltaire’s idea of the importance of toleration

17.

The statements below are from the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights.


The idea in statement number 1 came from which historical document?

a)

Magna Carta

b)

Common Sense

c)

English Bill of Rights

d)

Mayflower Compact

18.

The diagram below describes a cause that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence.


Which action completes this diagram?

a)

Colonial agriculture trade increases.

b)

Colonial demand for political change increases.

c)

Colonial demand for military assistance increases.

d)

Colonial religious devotion increases.

19.

Look at the excerpt below


Article 1

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty, and security of person.

- Universal Declaration of Human Rights


The Declaration of Independence and the articles above are similar because both

a)

describe the powers of government.

b)

are enforced in every country in the world.

c)

describe personal freedoms to which every person is entitled.

d)

are used by the World Court to resolve international disputes.

20.

Which statement from the Declaration of Independence best supports the concept of natural rights?

a)

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.”

b)

“He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”

c)

“The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations.”

d)

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights.”

21.

The chart above describes the major weaknesses of the

a)

Constitution of the United States.

b)

Articles of Confederation

c)

Mayflower Compact.

d)

Declaration of Independence.

22.

Which Enlightenment thinker argued that all people were born equal and had natural rights to life, liberty, and property?

a)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

b)

Baron de Montesquieu

c)

Thomas Hobbes

d)

John Locke

23.

This is the idea that “the people” give the government power to protect their natural rights and must live by the rules?

a)

Separation of Powers

b)

Checks and Balances

c)

Social Contract

d)

Rule of Law

24.

The “Enlightenment” was a time known for?

a)

a lot of crime and poverty

b)

learning to make the world a better place

c)

fighting against the British

d)

returning to the way things used to be

25.

Montesquieu is most known for his ideas on?

a)

social Contract

b)

separation of powers

c)

natural rights

d)

protection of life liberty and property

26.

Thomas Jefferson described the social contract as?

a)

consent of the governed

b)

life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

c)

natural law

d)

a declaration of independence