OUHSD World Civilizations California Standards Benchmark 1 Test—2009-10
Roots of Western Civilization and the Development of Democracy
1 All citizens of Athens had the right to discuss issues openly and to vote in the assembly. This is an example of
A. republicanism.
B. monarchy.
C. democracy.
D. militarism.
2 Jewish and Christian beliefs differ from the Greco-Roman tradition in matters concerning the importance of
A. the role of law.
B. individual mortality.
C. belief in one God.
D. the family unit.
3 Who believed that in an ideal society the government should be controlled by a class of “philosopher kings”?
A. Muhammad.
B. Plato.
C. Lao Tzu.
D. Thomas Aquinas.
Use the information below to answer question 4.
He who trusts any man with supreme power gives it to a wild beast, for such his appetite sometimes makes him: passion influences those in power, even the best of men, but law is reason without desire. . .
—Aristotle
4 Which feature of modern Western democratic government reflects Aristotle’s views as given above?
A. the direct election of members of the legislature.
B. the power of the courts to review the law.
C. the granting of emergency powers to the chief executive.
D. the requirement that government actions must adhere to the law.
5 Which of the following is a concept from classical Athens that is central to Western political thought today?
A. Individuals should fight against nature and society to achieve greatness.
B. Individual achievement, ;dignity, and worth are of great importance.
C. Individual recognition impedes societal progress.
D. Individuals play an insignificant role in shaping ideas, society, and the state.
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OUHSD World Civilizations California Standards Benchmark 1 Test—2009-10
Roots of Western Civilization and the Development of Democracy
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OUHSD World Civilizations California Standards Benchmark 1 Test—2009-10
Roots of Western Civilization and the Development of Democracy
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OUHSD World Civilizations California Standards Benchmark 1 Test—2009-10
Roots of Western Civilization and the Development of Democracy
Use the chart above to answer question 6.
6 Which form of government does not involve rule by a group?
A. Monarchy.
B. Aristocracy.
C. Oligarchy.
D. Democracy.
7 What was the international effect of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution?
A. It abolished slavery throughout the world.
B. It made the idea of governing through a single written constitution popular.
C. It ended the monarchy in England.
D. It caused all nations to establish state religions.
8 What document from the American Revolution is the most imitated and most used in other national constitutions?
A. The Declaration of Independence.
B. The Federalist Papers.
C. The Articles of Confederacy.
D. The U.S. Bill of Rights.
Use the following information to answer question 9.
From the Constitution of Japan
We, the Japanese people, acting through our duly elected representatives in the National Diet, determined that we shall secure for ourselves and our posterity the fruits of peaceful cooperation with all nations and the blessings of liberty throughout this land. . .
9 Which of these is a source for the ideas outlined in the Japanese Constitution?
A. Charter of the United Nations.
B. Legal writings of Thomas Hobbes.
C. Writings on constitutions by Voltaire.
D. United States Constitution.
10 What legacy has the U.S. Constitution had in most foreign countries?
A. It provided a model for the establishment of a government by written law which is accepted by most nations.
B. It provided a model of separation of Church and State which is practiced by virtually every nation in the world today.
C. It provides a model for the separation of powers which is imitated by most nations.
D. It helped to abolish monarchy and dictatorship in virtually all the nations of the world.
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OUHSD World Civilizations California Standards Benchmark 1 Test—2009-10
Roots of Western Civilization and the Development of Democracy
11 When a country’s constitution requires the branches of government to remain independent of each other, it is adhering to the constitutional principle of
A. popular sovereignty.
B. separation of powers.
C. federalism.
D. direct democracy.
12 The ideas of Locke and Rousseau influenced Simon Bolivar and Jose De San Martin in their commitment to
A. maintain the peaceful rule of the Spanish king.
B. urge the Venezuelan government to separate into three branches.
C. negotiate a social contract between Spain and Latin America.
D. fight for democratic revolution in Latin America.
*13 In which of the following documents is the principle of limitation of governmental power first stated?
A. Magna Carta.
B. Declaration of Independence.
C. English Bill of Rights.
D. French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen.
14 The philosophes used reason to address
A. British taxes.
B. social issues.
C. abusive rulers.
D. all of the above.
15 The English philosopher John Locke argued that life, liberty and property are
A. natural rights that should be protected by government.
B. political rights to be granted as determined by law.
C. economic rights earned in a capitalistic system.
D. social rights guaranteed by the ruling class.
*16
. . . all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.
—Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776
Which philosopher’s ideas were the basis for this quotation from the Virginia Declaration of Rights?
A. Charles-Louis Montesquieu
B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C. John Locke
D. Voltaire
17 The term "unalienable rights" in the American Declaration of Independence refers to rights that
A. immigrants do not possess.
B. are guaranteed by written law.
C. a government cannot take away.
D. a government grants its people.
18 In English history, the Magna Carta (1215), the Petition of Right (1628), and the Bill of Rights (1689), all reinforced the concept of
A. universal suffrage.
B. religious toleration.
C. a limited monarchy.
D. a laissez-faire economy.
19 Both, the United States Declaration of Independence and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man emphasized the idea that governments must
A. guarantee economic prosperity.
B. protect the rights of people.
C. support established religious beliefs.
D. operate on a system of checks and balance
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OUHSD World Civilizations California Standards Benchmark 1 Test—2009-10
Roots of Western Civilization and the Development of Democracy
20 The success of the formation of the United States government after the American Revolution served as an example to the peoples of Europe that
A. it was possible to setup a government based upon Enlightenment principles.
B. the social distinction between the nobility and peasants was invalid and unnecessary.
C. building a nation on the concept of economic opportunity can be successful.
D. all of the above.
21 Unlike the French Revolution, the American Revolution produced
A. women’s suffrage.
B. short-term military rule.
C. strategic alliances.
D. a lasting constitution.
22 The principles of the American Revolution and the French Revolution are similar in many ways. Which of the following best summarizes their similarities?
A. Both favored representative government.
B. Both limited voting rights to an economic elite.
C. Both retained certain hereditary rights for aristocrats.
D. Both supported equal rights for women.
23 Among the causes of the French Revolution was the
A. excessive spending of King Louis XVI.
B. rise of the National Assembly.
C. Reign of Terror.
D. loss of the Old Regime.
24 In Pre-Revolutionary France, estates were
A. homes of noble men.
B. social classes.
C. systems of taxation.
D. clubs for radicals.
25 When members of the Third Estate took the Tennis Court Oath (1789) at the start of the French Revolution, they were attempting to
A. establish a military government.
B. draft a new national constitution.
C. restore the king to power.
D. persuade Napoleon to gain power.
26 Which of these first demonstrated that popular protest would play a role in the French Revolution?
A. The reign of the Committee of Public Safety.
B. The trial of Louis XIV.
C. The fall of the Bastille.
D. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy.
27 How did the Napoleonic Code reflect Enlightenment principles?
A. It guaranteed the equality of all citizens before the law.
B. It guaranteed women equal rights.
C. It valued individuals above all else.
D. It valued the security of the state over individual liberty.
28 Which two forces were most powerful in 19th century Western Europe?
A. Fascism and socialism.
B. Classicism and humanism.
C. Nationalism and liberalism.
D. Absolutism and mercantilism.
29 The best example of the success of nationalism in Europe is the
A. establishment of the Common Market.
B. Industrial Revolution in Great Britain.
C. unification of Italy and Germany.
D. development of socialism in France.
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OUHSD World Civilizations California Standards Benchmark 1 Test—2009-10
Roots of Western Civilization and the Development of Democracy
Benchmark 1 Test—Answer Key
Question # / Standard / Answer / Source1 / 10-1 (1) / C
2 / 10-1 (1) / C
3 / 10-1 (2) / B
4 / 10-1 (2) / D
5 / 10-1 (2) / B
6 / 10-1 (2) Chart / A
7 / 10-1 (3) / B
8 / 10-1 (3) / D
9 / 10-1 (3) / D
10 / 10-1 (3) / A
11 / 10-1 (3) / B
12 / 10-2 (1) / D
13 / 10-2 (2) / A
14 / 10-2 (1) / D
15 / 10-2 (1) / A
16 / 10-2 (1) / C
17 / 10-2 (2) / C
18 / 10-2 (2) / C
19 / 10-2 (2) / B
20 / 10-2 (3) / D
21 / 10-2 (3) / D
22 / 10-2 (3) / A
23 / 10-2 (4) / A
24 / 10-2 (4) / B
25 / 10-2 (4) / B
26 / 10-2 (4) / C
27 / 10-2 (5) / A
28 / 10-2 (5) / C
29 / 10-2 (5) / C
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