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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How did Paine characterize constitutions and governments in Of Constitutions?

2. What did Paine think the English's reliance on law by precedence led to?

3. According to Paine in Of the Old and New Systems of Government, what was the American Presidency originally built on?

4. What was the compact between the people of the United States that Paine mentioned in Of Constitutions?

5. Why did Paine think the Articles of Confederation was ineffective?

Short Essay Questions

1. Which taxes and regulations did Paine think should be reduced or abolished in England?

2. How did Paine define the old governments and the new governments in Chapter 3?

3. Why did Paine think that natural rights rejected hereditary government?

4. What was Paine's definition of Constitution in Of Constitutions?

5. How did Paine compare the American Constitution with the constitution of England in Of Constitutions?

6. What was Paine's plan for paying off the national debt in Ways and Means of Improving the Conditions of Europe?

7. As discussed in Ways and Means of Improving the Conditions of Europe, what effect would a possible alliance with France have for England?

8. How was the Constitution passed and what concerns did people have about it at the time?

9. How did Paine end Rights of Man with the optimism of the coming Revolutions and Republics?

10. How did Paine respond to objections about Rights of Man?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the backgrounds of Paine and Burke, including an analysis of the role that the past had in their opinions of the American Revolution and the French Revolution, and Paine's surprise about Burke's criticism.

Essay Topic 2

The Conclusion of Part One summarized Paine's positions while presenting his idea of the two influences of mankind.

1) Describe the two influences of mankind, reason and ignorance, and their place in society.

2) Explain which types of government were influenced by reason and which ones were influenced by ignorance.

3) Analyze the difference in previous Revolutions and the present Revolutions of Paine's time with regard to their effects on the Republics.

Essay Topic 3

Using the information Paine provided in Chapter 2 of Part Two of Rights of Man, compare the origins of the English government with the actions that Paine had observed in the monarchical government. Also, include an analysis of the origin of government in general, the initial intentions of its development and why Paine supported the representative style of government as the best option.

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