POLS 207 EXAM 1 – CHUPP QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS
What is the overall purpose of government? - Answers Promote the overall good
2. Goal of politics? - Answers Develop virtue
To be happy truly, you must be practicing virtue (Greek philosophy)
Impossible for an immoral person to be happy (ie. an addict can only feel happiness through
their addiction and eventually that fades as well)
Incocate virtue into the citizens for them to be happy
3. What are the three types of virtuous governments according to Aristotle? - Answers 1.
Monarchy
1. Lead by a virtuous person to teach other
2. Aristocracy
1. Lead by a virtuous council of people
3. Polity
1. Mix between monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy
4. What are the three vicious types of governments? - Answers 1. Tyranny
2. Oligarchy
1. Rule of the rich through the exploitation of the poor
3. Democracy
1. The rule of the poor/common folk that exploits the rich
2. Eventually turns into tyranny to keep order over a vicious population (ie. the Soviet Union)
5. What is the difference between tribe customs and laws? - Answers 1. Tribal customs are
used to solve their disagreements, use common heritage and stories to solve it
2. Laws are when non-blood related people come together to agree on a form of rule that
promotes the common good
6. What is the difference between legitimate and illegitimate government and what are their
characteristics? - Answers 1. Legitimate
,1. Peace, Justice, Security, Stability
2. Healthy body politic
2. Illegitimate
1. Insecurity, tyranny, instability, war
2. Sick body politic
What were the characteristics of the American colonists? - Answers Americans came from
religious dissenters and political and economic opportunists
1. North was populated by the former and the south was populated by the latter
What type of governments did the American colonists institute initially? - Answers Town
meeting, council government. That was how they governed as towns before
Why did America win the War for Independence? - Answers 1. Americans desire for self rule
from British neglect until they could tax them and they were too far away to be properly
governed
2. British eventually gave up because it was too much work for too little gain
What type of national government did the Strong Federalists want? - Answers 1. They wanted a
Unitary state that was superior in every way to the state governments.
2. Did not get it because it could not have been ratified at first. Current draft was the best that
they could do. Sold primarily by George Washington because they trusted George and his rule.
11. What were the theological virtues of Christendom and what was their relationship to the
cardinal virtues? - Answers 1. Virtues: Temperance, Prudence,
1. Things that people choose to do to be truly happy
2. Faith, hope and love are the Christian theological virtues
3. They did not want to get ride of the seven virtues, they wanted to include the others as well
Why were the Popes initially dominant over the early European kings? - Answers 1. The church
was the most organized society/institution after the Roman Empire fell
2. Pope exercised strong spiritual authority over the German kings, but the kings still did not like
that the Pope messed with their business
3. The German tribal kings did not have the might that the Roman Empire had, and they could
not mount a counter to the Pope
, 4. When they finally did, that is when the Reformation occurred and England and Germany broke
from the Papacy, and the Vatican never recovered to this full strength
What was the attitude of the Founders about the proper relationship between religious and
politics? - Answers 1. Secular. The first time a group of Christians set up a government in which
you did not have to be a Christian to have any power
1. Reformation and several wars gave them the idea for this
What is Natural Law? - Answers A set of principles inherent in nature that sets forth ethics and
behaviors to follow
What is the Social Contract? - Answers 1. The ruler and the ruled have a contract. The ruled are
obedient to the government and the government is to protect the population and serve them
and the public good.
2. The above is the secular update to the christian natural law that had come before it
Which two Social Contract writers were mentioned in class, what were their theories, and whose
theory was preferred by the Founders? - Answers 1. Hobbes and Locke
1. Hobbes says that leaders only owes prevention of civil war
2. Locke agreed, but said that the leader owes liberty as well
Describe Fed. 10? - Answers 1. Tiny version of the Constitution
2. Few representatives and large districts upheld in the Federalist
1. You tend to get the most virtuous and rich people if you have few
Describe the US Constitution's amendment process, its ease, and purpose? - Answers 1. 2/3rds
of the states propose or 2/3rds of congress propose
2. Ratification needs 3/4rds of the states to ratify the constitution
3. Whole idea was to make it hard to change the constitution in the first place
Were the Federalists or Anti-Federalists more accurate in their predictions about the actual
operation of the American federalism? - Answers 1. Not even close, AF.
2. Almost all of the AF predictions were right. But Feds wanted it anyway because they wanted
that unitary state.
Why did the Civil War begin when it did? - Answers 1. The election of Abe Lincoln. All negotiation
of secession before that was at an end because of Lincoln.
2. The south suspected that he would use the power of the Federal government to keep them
What is the overall purpose of government? - Answers Promote the overall good
2. Goal of politics? - Answers Develop virtue
To be happy truly, you must be practicing virtue (Greek philosophy)
Impossible for an immoral person to be happy (ie. an addict can only feel happiness through
their addiction and eventually that fades as well)
Incocate virtue into the citizens for them to be happy
3. What are the three types of virtuous governments according to Aristotle? - Answers 1.
Monarchy
1. Lead by a virtuous person to teach other
2. Aristocracy
1. Lead by a virtuous council of people
3. Polity
1. Mix between monarchy, aristocracy, and democracy
4. What are the three vicious types of governments? - Answers 1. Tyranny
2. Oligarchy
1. Rule of the rich through the exploitation of the poor
3. Democracy
1. The rule of the poor/common folk that exploits the rich
2. Eventually turns into tyranny to keep order over a vicious population (ie. the Soviet Union)
5. What is the difference between tribe customs and laws? - Answers 1. Tribal customs are
used to solve their disagreements, use common heritage and stories to solve it
2. Laws are when non-blood related people come together to agree on a form of rule that
promotes the common good
6. What is the difference between legitimate and illegitimate government and what are their
characteristics? - Answers 1. Legitimate
,1. Peace, Justice, Security, Stability
2. Healthy body politic
2. Illegitimate
1. Insecurity, tyranny, instability, war
2. Sick body politic
What were the characteristics of the American colonists? - Answers Americans came from
religious dissenters and political and economic opportunists
1. North was populated by the former and the south was populated by the latter
What type of governments did the American colonists institute initially? - Answers Town
meeting, council government. That was how they governed as towns before
Why did America win the War for Independence? - Answers 1. Americans desire for self rule
from British neglect until they could tax them and they were too far away to be properly
governed
2. British eventually gave up because it was too much work for too little gain
What type of national government did the Strong Federalists want? - Answers 1. They wanted a
Unitary state that was superior in every way to the state governments.
2. Did not get it because it could not have been ratified at first. Current draft was the best that
they could do. Sold primarily by George Washington because they trusted George and his rule.
11. What were the theological virtues of Christendom and what was their relationship to the
cardinal virtues? - Answers 1. Virtues: Temperance, Prudence,
1. Things that people choose to do to be truly happy
2. Faith, hope and love are the Christian theological virtues
3. They did not want to get ride of the seven virtues, they wanted to include the others as well
Why were the Popes initially dominant over the early European kings? - Answers 1. The church
was the most organized society/institution after the Roman Empire fell
2. Pope exercised strong spiritual authority over the German kings, but the kings still did not like
that the Pope messed with their business
3. The German tribal kings did not have the might that the Roman Empire had, and they could
not mount a counter to the Pope
, 4. When they finally did, that is when the Reformation occurred and England and Germany broke
from the Papacy, and the Vatican never recovered to this full strength
What was the attitude of the Founders about the proper relationship between religious and
politics? - Answers 1. Secular. The first time a group of Christians set up a government in which
you did not have to be a Christian to have any power
1. Reformation and several wars gave them the idea for this
What is Natural Law? - Answers A set of principles inherent in nature that sets forth ethics and
behaviors to follow
What is the Social Contract? - Answers 1. The ruler and the ruled have a contract. The ruled are
obedient to the government and the government is to protect the population and serve them
and the public good.
2. The above is the secular update to the christian natural law that had come before it
Which two Social Contract writers were mentioned in class, what were their theories, and whose
theory was preferred by the Founders? - Answers 1. Hobbes and Locke
1. Hobbes says that leaders only owes prevention of civil war
2. Locke agreed, but said that the leader owes liberty as well
Describe Fed. 10? - Answers 1. Tiny version of the Constitution
2. Few representatives and large districts upheld in the Federalist
1. You tend to get the most virtuous and rich people if you have few
Describe the US Constitution's amendment process, its ease, and purpose? - Answers 1. 2/3rds
of the states propose or 2/3rds of congress propose
2. Ratification needs 3/4rds of the states to ratify the constitution
3. Whole idea was to make it hard to change the constitution in the first place
Were the Federalists or Anti-Federalists more accurate in their predictions about the actual
operation of the American federalism? - Answers 1. Not even close, AF.
2. Almost all of the AF predictions were right. But Feds wanted it anyway because they wanted
that unitary state.
Why did the Civil War begin when it did? - Answers 1. The election of Abe Lincoln. All negotiation
of secession before that was at an end because of Lincoln.
2. The south suspected that he would use the power of the Federal government to keep them
