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WGU C963 AMERICAN POLITICS PRE-ASSESSMENT V1
2026/2027 | US Constitution | Grade A Verified |
Complete Solutions | Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Foundational Principles & Social Contract Thinkers
(Q1-12)
Q1. Which Enlightenment philosopher argued that individuals possess natural rights
to life, liberty, and property, and that government's legitimacy derives from the
consent of the governed?
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. John Locke
C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D. Baron de Montesquieu
Correct Answer: B. John Locke [CORRECT] Rationale: Locke's Second Treatise of
Government established natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the consent of the
governed as the basis of legitimate government. Hobbes (A) emphasized absolute
sovereignty and self-preservation; Rousseau (C) emphasized the general will;
Montesquieu (D) focused on separation of powers.
Q2. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes described the state of nature as a "war of every
man against every man" and concluded that:
A. Citizens retain an inherent right to revolution when government violates natural
rights
B. Absolute sovereignty is necessary to prevent the chaos of the state of nature, and
subjects may not legitimately rebel
C. Direct democracy best expresses the general will of the people
D. Government power should be separated into three distinct branches
Correct Answer: B. Absolute sovereignty is necessary to prevent the chaos of the
state of nature, and subjects may not legitimately rebel [CORRECT] Rationale:
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Hobbes argued that the absolute sovereign is necessary to escape the state of
nature, and once established, subjects cannot rebel. Locke (A) supported the right to
revolution; Rousseau (C) advocated direct democracy; Montesquieu (D) proposed
separation of powers.
Q3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of the "general will" in The Social Contract
refers to:
A. The aggregate of individual private interests
B. The collective good of the community as a whole, which may differ from what
individuals personally desire
C. The will of the monarch as determined by divine right
D. The legislative agenda proposed by elected representatives
Correct Answer: B. The collective good of the community as a whole, which may
differ from what individuals personally desire [CORRECT] Rationale: Rousseau
distinguished the general will (common good) from the will of all (mere sum of
private interests). It represents what is best for the community, not individual desires
(A), monarchical authority (C), or representative proposals (D).
Q4. Baron de Montesquieu's primary contribution to constitutional design,
articulated in The Spirit of Laws, was the argument that:
A. The monarch should possess absolute authority to ensure social order
B. Liberty is best protected by dividing government into legislative, executive, and
judicial branches with checks and balances
C. The general will must be expressed through direct popular assemblies
D. Private property rights are absolute and cannot be regulated by government
Correct Answer: B. Liberty is best protected by dividing government into
legislative, executive, and judicial branches with checks and balances [CORRECT]
Rationale: Montesquieu proposed the tripartite separation of powers with checks
and balances to prevent tyranny. Absolute monarchy (A) reflects Hobbes; direct
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assemblies (C) reflects Rousseau; absolute property rights (D) reflects a libertarian
view, not Montesquieu.
Q5. A government begins confiscating private property without compensation,
suspending elections, and imprisoning citizens without trial. According to John
Locke's theory of the social contract, the citizens' appropriate response is:
A. Absolute obedience because sovereignty cannot be questioned
B. Exercise of the right to revolution, as the government has violated the social
contract
C. Submission to the general will as defined by the ruling party
D. Acceptance because the state of nature is worse than any government
Correct Answer: B. Exercise of the right to revolution, as the government has
violated the social contract [CORRECT] Rationale: Locke explicitly argued that
when government violates natural rights and the social contract, citizens have a right
to revolution. Hobbes (A, D) rejected rebellion; Rousseau's general will (C) is
unrelated to Locke's revolutionary right.
Q6. Which philosopher is correctly matched with the quote, "Man is born free, and
everywhere he is in chains"?
A. John Locke
B. Thomas Hobbes
C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D. Baron de Montesquieu
Correct Answer: C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau [CORRECT] Rationale: This famous
opening line from Rousseau's The Social Contract expresses his view that civil society
constrains natural freedom. It is not attributable to Locke (A), Hobbes (B), or
Montesquieu (D).
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Q7. A political science student is analyzing a constitution that grants the legislature
power to make laws, the executive power to enforce them, and the judiciary power to
interpret them, with each branch possessing mechanisms to check the others. This
design most directly reflects the ideas of:
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. John Locke
C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D. Baron de Montesquieu
Correct Answer: D. Baron de Montesquieu [CORRECT] Rationale: Montesquieu's
Spirit of Laws provided the intellectual foundation for tripartite separation of powers
and checks and balances. Hobbes (A) favored unified sovereignty; Locke (B)
separated powers less formally; Rousseau (C) focused on the general will.
Q8. According to Thomas Hobbes, the primary reason individuals leave the state of
nature and enter into a social contract is:
A. To secure natural rights that are already well-protected in the state of nature
B. To obtain self-preservation and escape the constant fear and danger of the state
of nature
C. To participate directly in the formation of the general will
D. To establish a limited government that can be overthrown when inconvenient
Correct Answer: B. To obtain self-preservation and escape the constant fear and
danger of the state of nature [CORRECT] Rationale: Hobbes viewed the state of
nature as brutish and dangerous; the social contract creates absolute sovereignty for
self-preservation. Locke (A, D) viewed the state of nature as less terrible and
supported limited government; Rousseau (C) emphasized the general will.
Q9. Which concept is most closely associated with Jean-Jacques Rousseau's theory of
legitimate political authority?
WGU C963 AMERICAN POLITICS PRE-ASSESSMENT V1
2026/2027 | US Constitution | Grade A Verified |
Complete Solutions | Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Foundational Principles & Social Contract Thinkers
(Q1-12)
Q1. Which Enlightenment philosopher argued that individuals possess natural rights
to life, liberty, and property, and that government's legitimacy derives from the
consent of the governed?
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. John Locke
C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D. Baron de Montesquieu
Correct Answer: B. John Locke [CORRECT] Rationale: Locke's Second Treatise of
Government established natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the consent of the
governed as the basis of legitimate government. Hobbes (A) emphasized absolute
sovereignty and self-preservation; Rousseau (C) emphasized the general will;
Montesquieu (D) focused on separation of powers.
Q2. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes described the state of nature as a "war of every
man against every man" and concluded that:
A. Citizens retain an inherent right to revolution when government violates natural
rights
B. Absolute sovereignty is necessary to prevent the chaos of the state of nature, and
subjects may not legitimately rebel
C. Direct democracy best expresses the general will of the people
D. Government power should be separated into three distinct branches
Correct Answer: B. Absolute sovereignty is necessary to prevent the chaos of the
state of nature, and subjects may not legitimately rebel [CORRECT] Rationale:
,2
Hobbes argued that the absolute sovereign is necessary to escape the state of
nature, and once established, subjects cannot rebel. Locke (A) supported the right to
revolution; Rousseau (C) advocated direct democracy; Montesquieu (D) proposed
separation of powers.
Q3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of the "general will" in The Social Contract
refers to:
A. The aggregate of individual private interests
B. The collective good of the community as a whole, which may differ from what
individuals personally desire
C. The will of the monarch as determined by divine right
D. The legislative agenda proposed by elected representatives
Correct Answer: B. The collective good of the community as a whole, which may
differ from what individuals personally desire [CORRECT] Rationale: Rousseau
distinguished the general will (common good) from the will of all (mere sum of
private interests). It represents what is best for the community, not individual desires
(A), monarchical authority (C), or representative proposals (D).
Q4. Baron de Montesquieu's primary contribution to constitutional design,
articulated in The Spirit of Laws, was the argument that:
A. The monarch should possess absolute authority to ensure social order
B. Liberty is best protected by dividing government into legislative, executive, and
judicial branches with checks and balances
C. The general will must be expressed through direct popular assemblies
D. Private property rights are absolute and cannot be regulated by government
Correct Answer: B. Liberty is best protected by dividing government into
legislative, executive, and judicial branches with checks and balances [CORRECT]
Rationale: Montesquieu proposed the tripartite separation of powers with checks
and balances to prevent tyranny. Absolute monarchy (A) reflects Hobbes; direct
,3
assemblies (C) reflects Rousseau; absolute property rights (D) reflects a libertarian
view, not Montesquieu.
Q5. A government begins confiscating private property without compensation,
suspending elections, and imprisoning citizens without trial. According to John
Locke's theory of the social contract, the citizens' appropriate response is:
A. Absolute obedience because sovereignty cannot be questioned
B. Exercise of the right to revolution, as the government has violated the social
contract
C. Submission to the general will as defined by the ruling party
D. Acceptance because the state of nature is worse than any government
Correct Answer: B. Exercise of the right to revolution, as the government has
violated the social contract [CORRECT] Rationale: Locke explicitly argued that
when government violates natural rights and the social contract, citizens have a right
to revolution. Hobbes (A, D) rejected rebellion; Rousseau's general will (C) is
unrelated to Locke's revolutionary right.
Q6. Which philosopher is correctly matched with the quote, "Man is born free, and
everywhere he is in chains"?
A. John Locke
B. Thomas Hobbes
C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D. Baron de Montesquieu
Correct Answer: C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau [CORRECT] Rationale: This famous
opening line from Rousseau's The Social Contract expresses his view that civil society
constrains natural freedom. It is not attributable to Locke (A), Hobbes (B), or
Montesquieu (D).
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Q7. A political science student is analyzing a constitution that grants the legislature
power to make laws, the executive power to enforce them, and the judiciary power to
interpret them, with each branch possessing mechanisms to check the others. This
design most directly reflects the ideas of:
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. John Locke
C. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D. Baron de Montesquieu
Correct Answer: D. Baron de Montesquieu [CORRECT] Rationale: Montesquieu's
Spirit of Laws provided the intellectual foundation for tripartite separation of powers
and checks and balances. Hobbes (A) favored unified sovereignty; Locke (B)
separated powers less formally; Rousseau (C) focused on the general will.
Q8. According to Thomas Hobbes, the primary reason individuals leave the state of
nature and enter into a social contract is:
A. To secure natural rights that are already well-protected in the state of nature
B. To obtain self-preservation and escape the constant fear and danger of the state
of nature
C. To participate directly in the formation of the general will
D. To establish a limited government that can be overthrown when inconvenient
Correct Answer: B. To obtain self-preservation and escape the constant fear and
danger of the state of nature [CORRECT] Rationale: Hobbes viewed the state of
nature as brutish and dangerous; the social contract creates absolute sovereignty for
self-preservation. Locke (A, D) viewed the state of nature as less terrible and
supported limited government; Rousseau (C) emphasized the general will.
Q9. Which concept is most closely associated with Jean-Jacques Rousseau's theory of
legitimate political authority?
