A STEP BEYOND

TESTS AND ANSWERS

TEST 1

_____ 1. Machiavelli's immediate purpose in writing The Prince was probably to

A. summarize his political beliefs
B. appeal to the government for a pension
C. persuade Lorenzo de' Medici to employ him

_____ 2. Machiavelli's examples and historical references are drawn primarily from the

A. political books he read
B. personal experiences he had
C. popular beliefs of the times

_____ 3. The four types of principalities discussed in The Prince include

A. hereditary, mixed, old, and ecclesiastical
B. hereditary, combined, new, and ecclesiastical
C. hereditary, mixed, new, and ecclesiastical

_____ 4. The stated object of Machiavelli is to describe the nature of

A. power
B. democratic government
C. human nature

_____ 5. Louis XII of France is used frequently as an example of a ruler who

A. failed because of military and political blunders
B. succeeded because of intelligent decision-making
C. failed because of lack of respect and popular support

_____ 6. Machiavelli's political hero and role model for the prince is

A. Duke Ludovico
B. Cesare Borgia
C. Francesco Sforza

_____ 7. Machiavelli says the principal blame for Italy's political weakness should be placed on

A. powerful foreign nations like France and Spain
B. incompetent Italian princes and their advisers
C. fate and the lack of good fortune

_____ 8. Virtu is a term Machiavelli used to describe

A. an innate talent to seize the moment
B. an inherited skill to analyze historical facts
C. a learned ability to interpret current events

_____ 9. Machiavelli's limited discussion of religion in The Prince suggests he was

A. an atheist
B. an anarchist
C. a political realist

_____ 10. Machiavelli's suggestion that the end justifies the means is an invitation to use

A. caution and restraint in making all political decisions
B. betrayal, murder, and deceit when necessary to gain political power
C. wisdom and perception in making political appointments

11. List and comment upon the general characteristics Machiavelli uses to describe an able adviser or minister.

12. Summarize Machiavelli's views on military power.

13. Compare the roles that the nobles and the people play in a prince's rise to power.

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