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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What form of government comes from a long line of ancestors?
(a) An elected dynasty.
(b) New princedoms.
(c) Princedoms formed by warring factions.
(d) A hereditary princedom.

2. Why does Machiavelli say that new territories are harder to govern than hereditary ones?
(a) People think the new government will be more of the same.
(b) It is rarely the case that new rulers improve the lives of the conquered.
(c) Men always think a new government will be worse than before.
(d) Old leaders must be kept alive and included in the new government.

3. In THE PRINCE, why does Machiavelli deal only with dominions and not republics?
(a) He thought dominions were much harder to keep.
(b) There were no republics in his day.
(c) He wrote about republics in another work.
(d) Dominions are much larger than republics.

4. Before Pope Alexander VI, what prevented the Church from gaining even more power?
(a) The threat of invasion by France.
(b) Wars fought between the Colonna, the Orsini and the Pope.
(c) The separation of Church and State.
(d) The commercial power of the Venetians.

5. Aside from granting favors to his subjects during a siege, what does Machiavelli suggest a wise prince might do?
(a) Have parties within the walls as though nothing is wrong outside.
(b) Bribe his nobles to help him.
(c) Get his subjects to do favors for him.
(d) Make promises he knows he could never keep.

6. What example does Machiavelli give of a conquered territory rebelling against 100 years of servitude?
(a) Persia throwing off the rule of Alexander the Great.
(b) Egypt going to war with Sparta.
(c) Carthage getting its independence from Rome.
(d) Pisa arising against the Florentines.

7. Why does Machiavelli not discuss democracies?
(a) He called democracy by another name.
(b) He rejected the idea outright as a madness of the Greeks.
(c) None existed at that time.
(d) He considered them inferior.

8. What is it that Machiavelli prizes most of his possessions?
(a) Fine fabrics.
(b) Horses and armor.
(c) His knowledge of the actions of great men.
(d) Gold and precious gems.

9. Machiavelli says that tensions between the nobles and commoners may result in a principality, a republic, or what other condition?
(a) Heavy taxation.
(b) Democracy.
(c) Indifference.
(d) Anarchy.

10. Aside from humble beginnings, what does Machiavelli say that Agathocles and Oliverotto have in common?
(a) They were both Italians.
(b) They refused to resort to political assassination.
(c) They knew what they wanted and made a plan to get it.
(d) They got their positions from other princes.

11. What was the motivation for Machiavelli to write THE PRINCE?
(a) He wanted to become a prince.
(b) He wanted to start a revolution.
(c) He wanted to become a famous author.
(d) He wanted Prince Lorenzo de Medici to employ him.

12. What can deprive a prince of his princedom?
(a) Extrodinary and irresistable force.
(b) Revolution among the lowest class of subjects.
(c) Public elections.
(d) Disagreements within a family of hereditary rulers.

13. One Princedom, according to Machiavelli, is ruled by a sole prince; the other is by a prince and his barons. What does Machiavelli see as a weakness of the latter?
(a) The barons hold their titles by heredity and not by the favor of the prince, so there is less loyalty.
(b) The prince becomes lazy and leaves everything up to the barons.
(c) The prince does always knows what the barons are doing in their territories.
(d) If the prince dies the barons all lose their hereditary titles.

14. What does Machiavelli say was the reason for successes by Cyrus, Romulus, and Theseus?
(a) It had nothing to do with fortune, but was because of their own talents.
(b) They were standing in the right place at the right time.
(c) They did not understand the thinking of the people.
(d) Like Moses, they could talk with God.

15. What ancient example does Machiavelli use to illustrate the rise to power through criminal actions?
(a) Agathocles of Sicily.
(b) Pope Alexander IV.
(c) Alexander the Great.
(d) Moses.

Short Answer Questions

1. If a city is well fortified against attack, what will cause the enemy to retreat?

2. Why does Machiavelli not use Agathocles as an example of meritorious rise to power?

3. How does Machiavelli think New Dominions were formed?

4. What were the results of Sparta setting up oligarchies in Athens and Thebes after they conquered them?

5. What is the custom of Machiavelli's day in approaching a prince?

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