What is it called when people make an agreement between themselves and the government?
A social contract
According to the social contract theory, what is the origin of society?
Society is the product of human desire and effort
Which of the following did John Locke view as the most important p...
WGU C963 - Learning Checks &
Quizzes Questions and Answers (100%
Pass)
What is it called when people make an agreement between themselves and the government?
✓ A social contract
According to the social contract theory, what is the origin of society?
✓ Society is the product of human desire and effort
Which of the following did John Locke view as the most important protections under the
social contract?
✓ Liberty and property
Which of these accurately describes John Locke's view on the state of nature?
✓ The state of nature was peaceful and consisted of rational human beings
According to John Locke, how much authority should society have over its citizens under
the social contract?
✓ Limited authority, the social contract should provide a society in which the society
has no more power than is necessary to regulate the natural rights and co-existence
of its citizens
Describe the characteristics of a social contract.
In what way is the state of nature important for constructing a social contract?
✓ Society should be a reflection of what it means to be human, and natural rights must
be acknowledged and protected in a social contract.
Why is it important to know what the quality of life is like in the state of nature?
✓ How bad or good life is in the state of nature will guide the need to cooperate with
others, and the subsequent social contract will help overcome the drawbacks
experienced in the state of nature.
What is the purpose of a social contract?
✓ Social contracts are created to acknowledge and protect natural rights.
What is an important weakness of a social contract?
✓ Social contracts require consensus, which is difficult to obtain in any society.
What do natural rights let you do?
✓ Natural rights let you do what you need to survive and be secure, and they impart
an equality of all people.
What did the Enlightenment philosophers used the state of nature for?
✓ Enlightenment philosophers used the state of nature to define human nature and
argued for a proper society and government based on that nature.
What conditions are required for a social contract to work?
What does the theory of a social contract acknowledge?
✓ The social contract acknowledges that the people are in relationship with the
government and there are obligations the citizens have to a society.
What are social contracts constructed to be compatible with?
✓ The social contract recognizes both human nature and natural rights and when
constructed, natural rights are a central part because they are too important to our
individual lives.
What natural right was explicitly protected in the Declaration of Independence?
✓ Liberty. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence based on the
ideas of John Locke who argued that one of our most important natural rights is
liberty.
Which Constitutional principle, suggested by Montesquieu, lessens the potential harm of the
national government over the people?
✓ Separation of Powers. By separating the legislative, executive, and judicial power and
placing each branch into the control of different political actors this would prevent
government tyranny over the people by limiting the harm any one branch might do
on its own.
Which Constitutional mechanism, suggested by Montesquieu, balances the national
government and prevents any one section of government from having sole/complete power?
Which of the following protects Locke's idea of natural rights and provides Montesquieu's
protections known as due process of law?
✓ The Bill of Rights. This addition to the Constitution focuses on protecting the
liberties or freedoms by protecting such rights as freedom of speech and providing
due process.
Which was designed with a concern for the tyranny of factional majority?
✓ The Constitution. The potential for the tyranny of factional majority was a key
consideration at the time of the drafting of the Constitution.
What is the Enlightenment?
✓ A period of Western European history following the Middle Ages (1650-1800) that
occurred mainly in Great Britain, France, and Germany. Its philosophy produced the
idea of natural rights.
Why does the Enlightenment influence American politics and government?
✓ Those who settled the American colonies were seeking freedom and opportunity,
and Locke's ideas about the consent to be governed and the right to rebellion had a
major influence in the establishment of American government. Early Americans were
not drawn to the idea of the divine right of kings.
How do conflicting ideas of the Enlightenment influence government and politics?
✓ Separation of powers in the Constitution works to undermine popular democratic
input and control, but even when dealing with important social needs, protection of
private property limits the government's actions.
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