Liberalism and Conservatism Questions

1. As an ideology, conservatism is largely a matter of temperament, of a disposition to preserve the tried-and-true ways of life. a. True b. False ____ 2. Conservatives place a higher value on the authority of established government than on individual liberty. a. True b. False ____ 3. Thomas Hobbes is considered the founding father of conservatism. a. True b. False ____ 4. As used by Burke, "prejudice" is a disposition to prefer the familiar habits and traditions of one's own society. a. True b. False ____ 5. Winston Churchill was a Tory democrat. a. True b. False ____ 6. Despite the fact that the United States had no experience of feudalism, hereditary aristocracy, monarchy, nor a national church, American conservatism and European conservatism are strikingly similar. a. True b. False ____ 7. Many conservatives took fascism to be the logical result of the democratic excesses of mass society. a. True b. False ____ 8. According to many conservatives, to check the excesses of mass society more power must be given to those who rise above the mass in terms of ability, experience, and temperament to govern. a. True b. False ____ 9. Leveling is the effort to diminish or eliminate the gap between the wealthiest and poorest members of a society. a. True b. False ____ 10. In the conservative conception of freedom, the agent that is or should be free is... a. common working people. b. the individual. c. interconnected individuals. d. the nation-state. ____ 11. In the conservative conception of freedom, the goal the agent must be free to pursue is... a. the power and glory of the state. b. order, stability; harmony, continuity. c. to live as one chooses. d. fulfillment of human needs, e.g., satisfying work, fair share of product. ____ 12. In the conservative conception of freedom, the main obstacle/barrier/restraint encountered by the agent is... a. laws, customs, or conditions that block individual choice. b. radical ideas, innovation; passions, desires, lack of restraint. c. class divisions, economic inequalities, unequal life-chances, false consciousness. d. individualism, independent groups, class divisions. ____ 13. Conservatives understand human beings to be... a. emotional, defined by their differences, and locked in conflict. b. imperfect, weak, and marked by original sin. c. rational, self-interested, and competitive. d. communal creatures, cooperative, and perfectible. ____ 14. Which of the following statements about conservatives is TRUE? a. All conservatives share a desire to preserve something. b. All conservatives want to preserve the same things. c. Anyone who wants to preserve something is a conservative. d. All of the answers to this question are true. ____ 15. As an ideology, conservatism began as a reaction against the liberal elements of... a. the American Revolution. b. the French Revolution. c. the Glorious Revolution. d. all of the answers to this question. ____ 16. According to Edmund Burke... a. society is a living and changing organism, a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.b. private property is an important stabilizing force in society because it strengthens one's attachment to the society and government that surround and protect this property. c. the traditional authority of churches, families, and other groups must be respected. d. all of the answers to this question. ____ 17. Which of the following is NOT a concept Edmund Burke shared with early liberals?a. the social contract b. an atomistic view of society c. government as a necessary evil d. Edmund Burke did not share any of the concepts in the answers to this question with early liberals. ____ 18. Edmund Burke believed... a. democracy is absolutely necessary to the health of representative government. b. elected representatives should always vote as their constituents want them to vote. c. an individual's interests cannot be well represented unless that individual has the right to vote. d. none of the answers to this question. ____ 19. For Edmund Burke... a. change must be brought about carefully and gradually through reform. b. all power should be placed in government so that government is strong enough to protect society. c. freedom is always a destructive force and therefore freedom is never a good thing. d. all of the answers to this question. ____ 20. Which of the following is NOT a belief held by Edmund Burke? a. The "true natural aristocracy" is the rare few who have the ability, the experience and the inclination to govern wisely in the interest of society. b. The "true natural aristocracy" and the hereditary aristocracy are one and the same. c. A society deprived of its hereditary aristocracy is a society deprived of many of its best and brightest members. d. All of the answers to this question are beliefs held by Edmund Burke. ____ 21. Liberalism reacted to the Industrial Revolution with welfare liberalism; conservatism reacted to the Industrial Revolution with... a. Burkean conservatism. b. cultural conservatism. c. individualist conservatism. d. reactionary conservatism. ____ 22. Which of the following American Founders is considered to be more Burkean in his conservatism? a. Alexander Hamilton b. Benjamin Franklin c. Thomas Jefferson d. James Madison ____ 23. Which of the following did NOT contribute to the rise of mass society in the 20th century? a. the expansion of voting rights b. the spread of public education c. the increase in mass production/affordability of consumer goods d. all of the answers to this question contributed to the rise of mass society in the 20th century ____ 24. Which of the following is a conservative assertion about the effects of leveling? a. Leveling leads to economic and social stagnation. b. Leveling causes serious literature, music, and art to be overwhelmed by fads and fancies. c. Leveling produces a loss of local variety and diversity. d. All of the answers to this question are conservative assertions about the effects of leveling. ____ 25. Twentieth-century conservatives were most unified in their fear/hatred of.... a. atheists. b. communists. c. fascists. d. liberals. ____ 26. Log Cabin Republicans are... a. environmental conservatives. b. gay conservatives. c. individualist conservatives. d. traditional conservatives. ____ 27. Despite their differences, all conservatives agree on... a. the importance of private property. b. laissez-faire capitalism. c. prayer in public school. d. all of the answers to this question. ____ 28. In its explanatory function, conservatism understands social, political and economic conditions to be as they are because of... a. economic and class relations. b. the frailty of imperfect human nature. c. individual choices and actions. d. those who conspire to keep the nation weak in order to serve their own personal interests.____ 29. In its evaluative function, conservatism advises that... a. the more freedom people have, the better; the more restrained/controlled people are, the worse. b. the more harmonious the social relations, the better; the more conflictive the social relations, the worse. c. the more slight the class divisions, the better; the more sharp the class divisions, the worse. d. the more unified the nation, the better; the more fragmented the nation, the worse. ____ 30. In its orientative function, conservatism explains that... a. each of us is part of a greater whole. b. we find ourselves in a particular position in the class structure. c. we are the nation. d. our identity is an individual identity. ____ 31. In its programmatic function, conservatism directs us to.... a. cherish and conserve what we already have. b. promote individual liberty and opportunity. c. create a society that is as nearly classless as possible. d. give everything to the state, keep nothing from the state, and do nothing against the state. ____ 32. Conservatives... a. reject democracy altogether. b. support a chastened/modest form of representative democracy in which the people have limited power and make limited demands. c. favor democracy so long as it protects individual rights and interests in privacy and free action. d. are committed to democracy that is truly of, by, and for the people. [Matching Questions Found on Next Page]Match each of the ideologies listed in answers a-e with the correct statement listed in 33-1 to 33-5. Each correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 33 is worth up to a total of 1 point. a. individualist conservatives b. neoconservatives c. traditional conservatives d. reactionaries e. religious right ____33-1. Want to preserve the traditional features of existing society through cautious reform. ____33-2. Advocate less reliance on government, an assertive foreign policy, and an emphasis on the value of work, thrift, family, and self-restraint. ____33-3. Favor reducing the size of government in order to free individuals to compete for profits in the free market. ____33-4. Want to reverse social change and return to an earlier form of society and politics. ____33-5. Push for biblical morality in government and society. Match each of the authors listed in answers a-e with the correct statement listed in 34-1 to 34-5. Each correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 34 is worth up to a total of 1 point. a. Edmund Burke b. Benjamin Disraeli c. Joseph de Maistre d. Clemens von Metternich e. Pope Pius IX/the Catholic Church ____34-1. Devised the plan for restoring hereditary monarchs and the old aristocratic order in Europe after the defeat of Napoleon in 1815. ____34-2. Understood society to be like a fabric - the "social fabric" - and its individual members are like the interwoven threads of a richly textured tapestry. ____34-3. Pursued the policies of Tory democracy: address the needs of the working class while instilling in the workers a respect for the traditional order. ____34-4. His Syllabus of Errors sharply criticized liberalism for undermining religion and the traditional order. ____34-5. Saw the Enlightenment as an age of arrogance that led to the downfall of the most sacred and necessary institutions of "throne and altar."  1. The word "liberal" derives from the Latin liber, meaning "free." a. True b. False ____ 2. Liberals believe that everyone can and should be equally successful. a. True b. False ____ 3. The British parliament gave little attention to the American colonists' complaints of being taxed unfairly because although the colonists may not have been "actually" represented in the British parliament they were "virtually" represented by the members of parliament who looked after the interests of the entire commonwealth. a. True b. False ____ 4. The American Revolution began as an effort by the colonists to restore their rights under the Crown and only later transformed into a fight for independence from the Crown. a. True b. False ____ 5. While the American revolutionaries were influenced both by classical republicanism and liberalism, the French Revolution was a purely liberal revolution. a. True b. False ____ 6. When the French revolutionaries attacked aristocratic privilege, they were attacking a form of political absolutism. a. True b. False ____ 7. As used by Utilitarians, the concept of "utility" means seeking pleasure in immediate gratification. a. True b. False ____ 8. Social Darwinism uses Darwin's theory of natural selection as "scientific" support for the policies and practices of laissez-faire capitalism. a. True b. False ____ 9. Most neoclassical liberals today base their arguments on evolutionary premises. a. True b. False ____ 10. By the mid 1900s, neoclassical liberals were being referred to as "conservatives." a. True b. False ____ 11. Welfare liberals want to replace capitalism with a system of publicly owned and democratically controlled enterprises. a. True b. False ____ 12. In the liberal conception of freedom, the agent that is or should be free is... a. common working people. b. the individual. c. interconnected individuals. d. the nation-state. ____ 13. In the liberal conception of freedom, the goal the agent must be free to pursue is... a. the power and glory of the state. b. order, stability; harmony, continuity. c. to live as one chooses. d. fulfillment of human needs, e.g., satisfying work, fair share of product. ____ 14. In the liberal conception of freedom, the main obstacle/barrier/restraint encountered by the agent is... a. laws, customs, or conditions that block individual choice. b. radical ideas, innovation; passions, desires, lack of restraint. c. class divisions, economic inequalities, unequal life-chances, false consciousness. d. individualism, independent groups, class divisions. ____ 15. Liberals understand human beings to be... a. emotional, defined by their differences, and locked in conflict. b. imperfect, weak, and marked by original sin. c. rational, self-interested, and competitive. d. communal creatures, cooperative, and perfectible. ____ 16. Which of the following statements about life in medieval Europe is FALSE? a. The Church understood its mission to be saving souls for the kingdom of God by upholding "correct belief." b. Secular rulers were unwilling to join forces with the Church to suppress those whom the Church considered heretics or infidels. c. People from all ranks of society could hope to find a place among the clergy. d. All of the statements about life in medieval Europe in the answers to this question are true.____ 17. Which of the following statements about life in medieval Europe is TRUE? a. A person's social standing was fixed by birth and there was little that s/he could do to change it. b. Feudalism was the main form of social and economic organization. c. Different liberties attached to different levels of status in society. d. All of the statements about life in medieval Europe in the answers to this question are true.____ 18. Which of the following is a social, economic, or cultural change that disturbed the medieval order in Europe? a. the Black Death b. the Renaissance c. the Protestant Reformation d. all of the answers to this question ____ 19. During the Protestant Reformation, Martin Luther.... a. wanted people to be able to believe and worship in whatever way they chose. b. agitated to separate church from state. c. counseled his followers to resist their rulers in the name of God. d. none of the above. ____ 20. When we compare/contrast Hobbes' Leviathan to Locke's Second Treatise, we see that both believed that... a. the state of nature is a state of war. b. government is founded on the consent of the people. c. the only reason for government is to provide security. d. all of the answers to this question. ____ 21. Which of the following statements comparing/contrasting classical republicanism and early liberalism is TRUE? a. Classical republicans were more concerned about civic virtue than were early liberals. b. Early liberals understood freedom as a matter of governing oneself whereas classical republicans understood freedom as a matter of being left alone by the government. c. Both early liberals and classical republicans worried about the corruption of the people as much as they worried about the corruption of the government. d. All of the statements comparing/contrasting classical republicanism and early liberalism in the answers to this question are true. ____ 22. Which of the following is NOT a tactic used by mercantilist countries? a. colonies b. high tariffs c. monopolies d. all of the answers to this question are tactics used by mercantilist countries ____ 23. The Utilitarians were most concerned with... a. economic liberty. b. the right to vote. c. religious tolerance. d. equal opportunity. ____ 24. Many blamed the (global) Great Depression of the 1930s on capitalism and turned to _______ instead. a. fascism b. socialism/communism c. welfare liberalism d. all of the answers to this question ____ 25. According to John Maynard Keynes, during periods of inflation (rising prices) government should... a. do nothing. b. raise taxes. c. increase spending. d. both raise taxes and increase spending.