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Questions 15 and 16 refer to the excerpt below. “Society in every state is a ble...

Oct 7, 2023

Questions 15 and 16 refer to the excerpt below. “Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one; for when we suffer, or are exposed to the same miseries which we might expect in a country without government, our calamity is heightened by reflecting that we furnish the means by which we suffer. Government, like dress, is the badge of lost innocence; the palaces of kings are built on the ruins of the bowers of paradise. For were the impulses of conscience clear, uniform, and irresistibly obeyed, man would need no other lawgiver; but that not being the case, he finds it necessary to surrender up a part of his property to furnish means for the protection of the rest; and this he is induced to do by the same prudence which in every other case advises him out of two evils to choose the least. security being the true design and end of government, it unanswerably follows that whatever thereof appears most likely to ensure it to us, with the least expense and greatest benefit, is preferable to all others.” Thomas Paine, 1776 15. Which of the following is most harmonious with the sentiment expressed in the excerpt? (A) Government is unnecessary, since humanity is capable of guiding itself by personal conscience. (B) A limited republican government is preferable to a monarchy. (C) Government is a necessary check against the corrupting influence of society. (D) Security is the only justification for government. 16. Which of the following “miseries” alluded to above were most condemned by Anti- Federalists of the Post-Revolutionary Era? (A) Organized response to Bacon’s Rebellion (B) Federal response to Shays’s Rebellion (C) Federal response to the Whiskey Rebellion (D) Federal response to Pontiac’s Rebellion

15.

Key Concept

KC-3.2.II: In the late 18th century, new experiments with democratic ideas and republican forms of government, as well as other new religious, economic, and cultural ideas, challenged traditional imperial systems across the Atlantic World.

Explanation

Thomas Paine, in the excerpt, argues that the true purpose of government is to provide security for its citizens. While he acknowledges that government is a necessary evil, he emphasizes that its justification lies in its ability to ensure the safety of its people. Therefore, option D, "Security is the only justification for government," aligns most closely with Paine's sentiment. 16.

Key Concept

KC-3.2.III: During the 18th century, resistance to imperial control in the British colonies drew on different sources and ultimately led to the formation of a new nation, the United States.

Explanation

The Anti-Federalists of the Post-Revolutionary Era were most critical of the federal government's response to Shays's Rebellion. They saw it as an overreach of federal power and a threat to individual liberties, which aligns with the "miseries" Thomas Paine refers to in the excerpt. Therefore, option B, "Federal response to Shays’s Rebellion," is the correct answer.

What is the main argument of Thomas Paine in the excerpt?, What was the Anti-Federalists' view on the federal government's response to Shays's Rebellion?