Test questions on Montesquieu and Separation of Powers for AP European History

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🏛️ Montesquieu: A French political philosopher who lived from 1689-1755.
• 📜 Key Work: *The Spirit of the Laws* (1748), where he articulated his ideas on the separation of powers.
• ⚖️ Separation of Powers: The division of governmental power among different branches, typically legislative, executive, and judicial, to prevent tyranny and ensure liberty.
• 🛡️ Checks and Balances: A system where each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches.
• 🌍 Influence: Montesquieu's ideas heavily influenced the drafting of the United States Constitution and other democratic constitutions around the world.
• 💡 Goal: To prevent any single branch from becoming too powerful, thus protecting individual rights and freedoms.

Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following best describes Montesquieu's main contribution to political thought?
   1. A) Advocating for absolute monarchy.
   2. B) Developing the concept of the social contract.
   3. C) Articulating the theory of separation of powers.
   4. D) Promoting religious tolerance above all else.
2. In *The Spirit of the Laws*, what did Montesquieu argue was essential for protecting liberty?
   1. A) A strong centralized government.
   2. B) The concentration of power in a single ruler.
   3. C) The division of power among different branches of government.
   4. D) A system of direct democracy.
3. What is the purpose of "checks and balances" in a government system, according to Montesquieu's principles?
   1. A) To ensure the executive branch has ultimate authority.
   2. B) To prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
   3. C) To streamline the legislative process.
   4. D) To promote social equality.
4. Which historical document was significantly influenced by Montesquieu's ideas on the separation of powers?
   1. A) The Magna Carta.
   2. B) The English Bill of Rights.
   3. C) The United States Constitution.
   4. D) The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
5. According to Montesquieu, which branches of government should ideally exist to ensure separation of powers?
   1. A) Executive and Legislative only.
   2. B) Legislative and Judicial only.
   3. C) Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
   4. D) Monarchical and Aristocratic.
6. What was Montesquieu's primary concern regarding the concentration of power in a single entity?
   1. A) It leads to economic instability.
   2. B) It inevitably results in tyranny and oppression.
   3. C) It slows down decision-making processes.
   4. D) It creates social unrest.
7. Which of the following is an example of "checks and balances" in the U.S. government?
   1. A) The President's power to declare war.
   2. B) The Supreme Court's power of judicial review.
   3. C) The Congress's power to appoint judges.
   4. D) The states' power to coin money.