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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Book Two, The Growth of Rome's Empire, Preface, Methods of Expansion, Colonization and War: Its Causes and Cost, Diplomacy and War.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does Machiavelli consider the Roman Caesars to have been a benefit to the Roman Empire?
(a) The Roman Caesars were skilled in choosing advisers to direct the directions of the Republic.
(b) The Roman Caesars acted ruthlessly when confronted with challenges.
(c) Because without the power of the Caesars, the empire would have had difficulty avoiding hazards.
(d) The Roman Caesars had the convenience of acting quickly to confront hazards.

2. What is a Prince as Machiavelli uses the term?
(a) A hereditary noble.
(b) An underling to the ruling authority.
(c) A dispatched bureaucrat that carries out orders over a territory.
(d) A monarch over a sovereign system of government and territory.

3. According to Machiavelli, how did the Agrarian Laws violate the foundation of well-ordered Republics?
(a) Agrarian laws allowed the government to decide what was to be grown on land in spite of the expertise of the land owner.
(b) Agrarian laws distributed land from those who had more than the law allowed among plebes rather than among Nobles with which they could enrich themselves.
(c) Agrarian laws allowed land owners to use their land to help the poor become wealthy.
(d) Agrarian laws allowed Nobles to take land from Plebes with the intent to increase the land's productivity.

4. What does Machiavelli suggest causes corruption?
(a) Princes who are not cruel enough with punishment.
(b) An insufficiency of or inability to enforce laws that deal effectively with corruption.
(c) Rebellious citizens who defy ruling authorities.
(d) Princes who are preoccupied with seeking pleasure rather than power.

5. From what did Machiavelli develop the information that he wrote into "The Discourses"?
(a) From research that he did in the many libraries throughout the former Roman Empire.
(b) From interviews with political thinkers of the day.
(c) From long experience and continuous study of worldly affairs.
(d) From his world travels to study governments in other cultures.

Short Answer Questions

1. What are two reasons Machiavelli gives for foreign forces building a city?

2. Of what should Princes be most ashamed in Machiavelli's view?

3. Why does Machiavelli claim these forms of government developed?

4. 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.

5. What does Machiavelli predict will come to Republics that do not provide for dictatorships or powerful authorities in times of urgent perils?

(see the answer key)

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