Question

standard 9.5: unit exam - absolutism & constitutionalism
standard 9.5: describe the rise of absolutism and constitutionalism and the european nations, including contrasting the philosophies of thomas hobbes and the belief in the divine right of kings; comparing absolutism as it developed in russia, and prussia, including the reigns of louis xiv, peter the great, and frederick the great; and identifying major provisions of the petition of right and the english bill of rights.
part i - multiple choice (2 points each)

1. which statement best describes absolutism?

a. a political system in which the rulers power is limited by law
b. a government where the ruler has total authority over the state
c. a democracy with equal rights for all citizens
d. a constitutional monarchy with shared power

1. louis xiv is most associated with which symbol of royal power?

a. the bastille
b. the palace of versailles
c. the magna carta
d. the kremlin

1. the quote \i am the state\ reflects what belief?

a. the power of parliament
b. divine right of kings
c. popular sovereignty
d. social contract theory

1. thomas hobbes believed that people were naturally-

a. good and cooperative
b. wicked and needed a strong ruler
c. equal and free under natural law
d. guided by reason and justice

1. john lockes philosophy most influenced which later document?

a. u.s. constitution
b. magna carta
c. code of hammurabi
d. twelve tables

1. the petition of right (1628) limited the power of the english monarch by-

a. requiring parliaments approval for taxes
b. abolishing the monarchy
c. creating a new constitution
d. granting divine right to kings

Explanation:

1. Absolutism is defined as a system where the ruler has total authority. Option B fits this definition. Options A and D describe systems with limited or shared power, and option C is democracy.
2. Louis XIV built the Palace of Versailles as a symbol of his royal power. The Bastille was a prison in Paris (not mainly Louis XIV's symbol), Magna Carta is an English document, and the Kremlin is in Russia.
3. "I am the State" reflects the divine - right of kings (ruler's power is God - given and absolute). Parliament's power (A) is about a body limiting or sharing power, popular sovereignty (C) is power of the people, and social contract (D) is an agreement between people and ruler.
4. Thomas Hobbes believed people were wicked (state of nature was "nasty, brutish, and short") and needed a strong ruler. He did not believe people were naturally good (A), equal under natural law in a positive sense (C - his natural law was more about self - preservation in a harsh state), or guided by reason (D - that was more Locke).
5. John Locke's ideas (natural rights, limited government) influenced the U.S. Constitution. Magna Carta (1215) was before Locke, Code of Hammurabi (ancient Babylon), and Twelve Tables (ancient Rome).
6. The Petition of Right limited the monarch by requiring Parliament's approval for taxes. It did not abolish monarchy (B), create a new constitution (C - that was later), or grant divine right (D - it was a limit on royal power).

Answer:

1. B. A government where the ruler has total authority over the state
2. B. The Palace of Versailles
3. B. Divine right of kings
4. B. Wicked and needed a strong ruler
5. A. U.S. Constitution
6. A. Requiring Parliament’s approval for taxes