This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Book One, The Development of Rome's Constitution, Sundry Reflections on the Kings of Rome, The Introduction of New Forms of Government, Ingratitude.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What are the five types of government identified by Machiavelli?
(a) Monarchy, aristocracy, democracy, oligarchy, and anarchy.
(b) Tyranny, constitutional, military oligarchy, principality, and democracy.
(c) Democracy, anarchy, monarchy, constitutional, and institutional.
(d) Republic, fascistic, democracy, principality, and oligarchy.

2. To what does Machiavelli compare great kingdoms and republics from history?
(a) To great works of antique art that have been found and preserved.
(b) To his projections of the future in which Machiavelli speculated on how power would be preserved.
(c) To the state of political instability in which was common to Machiavelli's day.
(d) To his ideal state that combined the most successful institutions from those civilizations.

3. According to Machiavelli, what caused the Roman Republic to form?
(a) Class warfare between the patricians and the plebes.
(b) Political rivalries between powerful generals.
(c) Trade agreements between cities with resources and cities with technologies.
(d) Economic agreements between fertile cities.

4. What can be inferred of Machiavelli's idea of virtue from reading the review of the first three kings of Rome as he begins his discourse of weak Princes and excellent Princes?
(a) That he considers the most weak Princes to practice ambivalence to virtue.
(b) The he considers moral integrity to be the primary virtue for Princes.
(c) That he considers bureaucratic expertise to be an important virtue for Princes.
(d) That he believes being ferocious and warlike is an indispensible virtue for a Prince.

5. How did Machiavelli begin the preface to "The Discourses"?
(a) As a letter to two political thinkers from Florence.
(b) With advice to two friends on how to keep their friends close and their enemies closer.
(c) As a cynical commentary to the weakness of leaders of his time.
(d) As a warning to future generations of the tenuous nature of freedom.

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Machiavelli predict a citizen will conduct himself if he is not punished for his misdeeds because of his reputation for doing good deeds, according to Machiavelli.

2. What did Machiavelli establish as the cycle of governing forms?

3. What are reasons Machiavelli cited for a group of people leaving their native country to seek a new home?

4. What does Machiavelli suggest causes corruption?

5. What can be inferred of Machiavelli's view of freedom based upon reading view of weak and strong Princes?

(see the answer key)

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