POSC 201 JMU Hammond Exam 1 2026 |
Verified Questions & Answers + Complete
Solutions | Political Science Study Guide
POSC 201 — POLITICAL SCIENCE EXAM 1 (2026)
JMU Hammond | 300 Multiple Choice Questions
QUESTION 1 What is the definition of politics according to Harold Lasswell?
A. The study of government institutions
B. The process of making collective decisions
C. Who gets what, when, and how
D. The management of public affairs
E. The exercise of authority by the state
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Harold Lasswell famously defined politics as "who gets what, when,
and how" — emphasizing the distribution of resources, power, and values in society.
This definition captures the competitive nature of political life.
QUESTION 2 Which of the following best defines the concept of sovereignty?
A. The right of citizens to vote in elections
B. The power of courts to review laws
C. Supreme authority within a territorial boundary
D. The ability of a nation to form alliances
E. The legislative power to make laws
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Sovereignty refers to the supreme, absolute authority a state holds
within its territorial boundaries, free from external interference. It is a foundational
concept in political science.
,QUESTION 3 The social contract theory is most closely associated with which group of
thinkers?
A. Marx, Engels, and Lenin
B. Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates
C. Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
D. Weber, Durkheim, and Comte
E. Madison, Hamilton, and Jay
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are the
central theorists of the social contract, each arguing that political authority derives from
an agreement among individuals to form a governed society.
QUESTION 4 According to Thomas Hobbes, life in the state of nature is:
A. Peaceful and cooperative
B. Governed by natural law and reason
C. Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
D. Organized around family and community
E. Guided by divine authority
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: In Leviathan, Hobbes described the state of nature as a condition of
perpetual war where life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short," justifying the need
for a powerful sovereign to maintain order.
QUESTION 5 John Locke's theory of natural rights includes which of the following?
A. Liberty, equality, and fraternity
B. Security, prosperity, and justice
C. Life, liberty, and property
D. Freedom, order, and equality
,E. Rights, duties, and responsibilities
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: John Locke argued that individuals possess natural rights to life,
liberty, and property. These rights exist prior to government and cannot be legitimately
taken away, forming the basis for limited government.
QUESTION 6 Which form of government places supreme power in the hands of a single
ruler with unrestricted authority?
A. Oligarchy
B. Democracy
C. Autocracy
D. Theocracy
E. Federalism
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: An autocracy is a system where a single individual holds supreme,
unchecked political power. This is distinct from oligarchies (rule by a few) or
democracies (rule by the people).
QUESTION 7 Which political philosopher wrote The Prince?
A. John Locke
B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C. Niccolò Machiavelli
D. Thomas Hobbes
E. Montesquieu
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513, offering pragmatic
advice to rulers on how to gain and maintain power. It is considered one of the
foundational texts of modern political theory.
, QUESTION 8 The concept of separation of powers in modern democracies is most
directly associated with which thinker?
A. John Locke
B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C. Montesquieu
D. Thomas Jefferson
E. James Madison
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Baron de Montesquieu articulated the doctrine of separation of
powers in The Spirit of the Laws (1748), arguing that liberty is best protected when
legislative, executive, and judicial powers are held by different bodies.
QUESTION 9 A federal system of government is one in which:
A. All power is concentrated in the central government
B. Power is exercised exclusively by regional governments
C. Power is divided between national and subnational governments
D. The legislature holds supreme authority over all other branches
E. A monarch shares power with an elected parliament
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Federalism divides governmental authority between a central
(national) government and regional or state governments, with each level holding
constitutionally guaranteed powers.
QUESTION 10 Which of the following is the best example of a unitary state?
A. United States
B. Germany
C. France
D. Canada
Verified Questions & Answers + Complete
Solutions | Political Science Study Guide
POSC 201 — POLITICAL SCIENCE EXAM 1 (2026)
JMU Hammond | 300 Multiple Choice Questions
QUESTION 1 What is the definition of politics according to Harold Lasswell?
A. The study of government institutions
B. The process of making collective decisions
C. Who gets what, when, and how
D. The management of public affairs
E. The exercise of authority by the state
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Harold Lasswell famously defined politics as "who gets what, when,
and how" — emphasizing the distribution of resources, power, and values in society.
This definition captures the competitive nature of political life.
QUESTION 2 Which of the following best defines the concept of sovereignty?
A. The right of citizens to vote in elections
B. The power of courts to review laws
C. Supreme authority within a territorial boundary
D. The ability of a nation to form alliances
E. The legislative power to make laws
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Sovereignty refers to the supreme, absolute authority a state holds
within its territorial boundaries, free from external interference. It is a foundational
concept in political science.
,QUESTION 3 The social contract theory is most closely associated with which group of
thinkers?
A. Marx, Engels, and Lenin
B. Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates
C. Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
D. Weber, Durkheim, and Comte
E. Madison, Hamilton, and Jay
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau are the
central theorists of the social contract, each arguing that political authority derives from
an agreement among individuals to form a governed society.
QUESTION 4 According to Thomas Hobbes, life in the state of nature is:
A. Peaceful and cooperative
B. Governed by natural law and reason
C. Solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short
D. Organized around family and community
E. Guided by divine authority
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: In Leviathan, Hobbes described the state of nature as a condition of
perpetual war where life is "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short," justifying the need
for a powerful sovereign to maintain order.
QUESTION 5 John Locke's theory of natural rights includes which of the following?
A. Liberty, equality, and fraternity
B. Security, prosperity, and justice
C. Life, liberty, and property
D. Freedom, order, and equality
,E. Rights, duties, and responsibilities
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: John Locke argued that individuals possess natural rights to life,
liberty, and property. These rights exist prior to government and cannot be legitimately
taken away, forming the basis for limited government.
QUESTION 6 Which form of government places supreme power in the hands of a single
ruler with unrestricted authority?
A. Oligarchy
B. Democracy
C. Autocracy
D. Theocracy
E. Federalism
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: An autocracy is a system where a single individual holds supreme,
unchecked political power. This is distinct from oligarchies (rule by a few) or
democracies (rule by the people).
QUESTION 7 Which political philosopher wrote The Prince?
A. John Locke
B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C. Niccolò Machiavelli
D. Thomas Hobbes
E. Montesquieu
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513, offering pragmatic
advice to rulers on how to gain and maintain power. It is considered one of the
foundational texts of modern political theory.
, QUESTION 8 The concept of separation of powers in modern democracies is most
directly associated with which thinker?
A. John Locke
B. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
C. Montesquieu
D. Thomas Jefferson
E. James Madison
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Baron de Montesquieu articulated the doctrine of separation of
powers in The Spirit of the Laws (1748), arguing that liberty is best protected when
legislative, executive, and judicial powers are held by different bodies.
QUESTION 9 A federal system of government is one in which:
A. All power is concentrated in the central government
B. Power is exercised exclusively by regional governments
C. Power is divided between national and subnational governments
D. The legislature holds supreme authority over all other branches
E. A monarch shares power with an elected parliament
CORRECT ANSWER: C
RATIONALE: Federalism divides governmental authority between a central
(national) government and regional or state governments, with each level holding
constitutionally guaranteed powers.
QUESTION 10 Which of the following is the best example of a unitary state?
A. United States
B. Germany
C. France
D. Canada
