What is it called when people make an agreement between themselves and the government? -Correct Answer A social contract
According to the social contract theory, what is the origin of society? -Correct Answer Society is the product of human desire and effort
Which of the following did John Lo...
WGU C963 - Learning Checks & Quizzes
2024
What is it called when people make an agreement between themselves and the
government? -Correct Answer ✔A social contract
According to the social contract theory, what is the origin of society? -Correct Answer
✔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? -Correct Answer ✔Liberty and property
Which of these accurately describes John Locke's view on the state of nature? -Correct
Answer ✔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? -Correct Answer ✔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. -Correct Answer ✔A social contract is a
collective expression of a collectively shared interest, a definition of human nature, and
a specification of natural rights.
In what way is the state of nature important for constructing a social contract? -Correct
Answer ✔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? -Correct
Answer ✔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? -Correct Answer ✔Social contracts are
created to acknowledge and protect natural rights.
What is an important weakness of a social contract? -Correct Answer ✔Social contracts
require consensus, which is difficult to obtain in any society.
What do natural rights let you do? -Correct Answer ✔Natural rights let you do what you
need to survive and be secure, and they impart an equality of all people.
WGU C963 - Learning Checks & Quizzes
,WGU C963 - Learning Checks & Quizzes
What did the Enlightenment philosophers used the state of nature for? -Correct Answer
✔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? -Correct Answer ✔The
conditions needed for a social contract to work include consensus among those
involved in the social contract and a uniformity of ability and purpose among those who
agree to it.
What does the theory of a social contract acknowledge? -Correct Answer ✔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? -Correct Answer ✔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? -Correct
Answer ✔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? -Correct Answer ✔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? -Correct Answer ✔Checks and Balances. Prevents any one branch from gaining
complete power and control over the government by allowing each branch to monitor
and influence what happens in the other branches.
Which of the following protects Locke's idea of natural rights and provides
Montesquieu's protections known as due process of law? -Correct Answer ✔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? -Correct
Answer ✔The Constitution. The potential for the tyranny of factional majority was a key
consideration at the time of the drafting of the Constitution.
WGU C963 - Learning Checks & Quizzes
, WGU C963 - Learning Checks & Quizzes
What is the Enlightenment? -Correct Answer ✔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? -Correct
Answer ✔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? -
Correct Answer ✔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.
What ideas are embodied in the Declaration of Independence? -Correct Answer ✔The
Declaration specifically mentions life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as well as the
idea that people have the right to create or abolish governments if their natural rights
are at risk.
In what key ways does the Constitution differ from the Declaration of Independence? -
Correct Answer ✔While the Declaration emphasized liberty and expressing the popular
will, the Constitution was designed to control popular will and support justice.
What type of rights are contained in the Bill of Rights? -Correct Answer ✔The Bill
contains both natural rights and procedural rights.
The Constitution's first three articles create separate legislative, executive, and judicial
branches, is consistent with? -Correct Answer ✔Montesquieu's theory for the separation
of political power.
The Constitution's demotion of liberty, and lack of protections for natural rights,
suggests the framers were what? -Correct Answer ✔The framers were interested in
creating a national government that worked.
How is unicameral Congress different from a bicameral Congress? -Correct Answer ✔A
unicameral Congress has one chamber while a bicameral Congress has two.
What was the basis of representation in Congress under the Articles of Confederation? -
Correct Answer ✔All states were viewed as equal, so each state had one vote in the
Congress.
Powers of the National Government under the Articles of Confederation? (5) -Correct
Answer ✔Borrow and coin money, declare war, make treaties and alliances with other
nations, regulate trade with Native Americans, settle disputes among other states.
WGU C963 - Learning Checks & Quizzes
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