PSC Core Political Theory 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which philosopher argued in 'The Social Contract' that political authority is derived from an agreement among the people?
- Thomas Hobbes
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau (Correct answer)
- John Locke
- Immanuel Kant
Correct answer: Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 'The Social Contract' (1762) argued that legitimate political authority rests on a social contract in which the people collectively sovereign.
Question 2: What does the concept of 'legitimacy' refer to in political theory?
- The legal authority of a court ruling
- The population's acceptance of a government's right to rule (Correct answer)
- The military strength of a state
- The number of seats held in a legislature
Correct answer: The population's acceptance of a government's right to rule
Legitimacy in political theory refers to the perceived right of a government or authority to exercise power, which depends on citizens accepting its authority as valid.
Question 3: Which term describes a political system where citizens directly vote on laws and policies rather than electing representatives?
- Representative democracy
- Direct democracy (Correct answer)
- Constitutional monarchy
- Oligarchy
Correct answer: Direct democracy
Direct democracy allows citizens to vote directly on legislation and policy questions rather than delegating that authority to elected representatives.
Question 4: John Locke's theory of natural rights held that all people are born with which three fundamental rights?
- Liberty, equality, fraternity
- Life, liberty, and property (Correct answer)
- Speech, religion, and assembly
- Happiness, justice, and security
Correct answer: Life, liberty, and property
Locke argued in his 'Second Treatise of Government' that all individuals possess natural rights to life, liberty, and property that governments must protect.
Question 5: What is 'pluralism' as it applies to political theory?
- A system where one party holds all power
- The belief that multiple competing groups share political power in a society (Correct answer)
- The doctrine that citizens must serve the state
- A theory of racial hierarchy in government
Correct answer: The belief that multiple competing groups share political power in a society
Pluralism holds that political power is distributed among many competing interest groups rather than concentrated in a single elite or institution.
Question 6: Which concept, developed by Max Weber, refers to the exclusive right of a state to use physical force within its territory?
- Sovereignty
- Hegemony
- Monopoly on the legitimate use of violence (Correct answer)
- Imperialism
Correct answer: Monopoly on the legitimate use of violence
Max Weber defined the state as the entity that holds a monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force (violence) within a given territory.
PSC Core Political Theory 1
Which philosopher argued in 'The Social Contract' that political authority is derived from an agreement among the people?