____ 1. The word “fascism” derives from the Italian word fasciare, which means “to fasten or bind.”

a. True b. False

____ 2. The word “Nazi” is an abbreviation for the National Socialist German Worker’s Party.

a. True b. False

____ 3. When WWI started, almost all of the socialist representatives in the legislatures of the warring countries voted

to support the war efforts of their countries, despite former promises to keep out of any “capitalist” war. Many

interpreted this fact to mean that loyalty to one’s nation was a stronger force in human life than loyalty to one’s

social class.

a. True b. False

____ 4. Benito Mussolini’s (fascist) economic policy was called “corporativism” – a policy that attempted to bring

owners, workers, and government together to promote economic production and social harmony.

a. True b. False

____ 5. Fascist and Nazi ideologies are preoccupied with masculinity and its association with strength, action, and

dominance.

a. True b. False

____ 6. Adolf Hitler’s autobiography Mein Kampf demonstrates his originality as a political thinker.

a. True b. False

____ 7. It was Hitler’s idea of Lebensraum that led him to invade Poland in September 1939.

a. True b. False

____ 8. According to Malthus’s Law, human population tends to grow faster than the resources required to sustain it.

a. True b. False

____ 9. There were many commonalities between Nazism in Germany and apartheid in South Africa.

a. True b. False

____ 10. An example of recent neo-Nazi writing is a work of fiction entitled The Turner Diaries.

a. True b. False

____ 11. In the fascist conception of freedom, the agent that is or should be free is…

a. common working people.

b. the individual.

c. interconnected individuals.

d. the nation-state.

____ 12. In the fascist conception of freedom, the goal the agent must be free to pursue is…

a. the power and glory of the state.

b. order, stability; harmony, continuity.

c. to live as one chooses.

d. fulfillment of human needs, e.g., satisfying work, fair share of product.

____ 13. In the fascist conception of freedom, the main obstacle/barrier/restraint encountered by the agent is…

a. laws, customs, or conditions that block individual choice.

b. radical ideas, innovation; passions, desires, lack of restraint.

c. class divisions, economic inequalities, unequal life-chances, false consciousness.

d. individualism, independent groups, class divisions.

____ 14. Fascists understand human beings to be…

a. emotional, defined by their differences, and locked in conflict.

b. imperfect, weak, and marked by original sin.

c. rational, self-interested, and competitive.

d. communal creatures, cooperative, and perfectible.

____ 15. Which of the following beliefs can be attributed to Counter-Enlightenment thinkers?

a. Differences (e.g., race, gender, religion, nationality, etc.) define who and what people are

and shape how people think of themselves and other people.

b. Most people are irrational and if/when they use reason do so only to rationalize and

excuse their desires and deepen their prejudices rather than to critically and

dispassionately examine an issue.

c. Religious beliefs are socially necessary fictions that sustain an orderly and civilized society

by keeping people behaving well.

d. All of the beliefs in the answers to this question can be attributed to Counter-

Enlightenment thinkers.

____ 16. Which of the following authors argued that elitism should be the rule; that current tendencies toward a mass

society make it more difficult for great men to act in the bold and creative ways that lead to outstanding

accomplishments.

a. Darwin

b. Kant

c. Nietzche

d. Plato

____ 17. Which of the following authors formulated the “Iron Law of Oligarchy”; arguing that in a large organization,

power cannot be shared equally among all the members because for the organization to be effective, true

power must be concentrated in the hands of a small group – the elite, or oligarchy.

a. Roberto Michels

b. Gaetano Mosca

c. Friedrich Nietzche

d. Vilfredo Pareto

____ 18. Conservatism and fascism both…

a. want to return to a society rooted in ascribed status.

b. want rapid and radical change.

c. want to disperse power among various levels of government and groups in society.

d. none of the answers to this question.

____ 19. The attempt to control every aspect of a society – military, press, schools, religion, economy, and so on – in

order to fulfill an ideological vision of how society ought to be organized and life ought to be lived is called…

a. apartheid.

b. corporativism.

c. miscegenation.

d. totalitarianism.

____ 20. In the fascist worldview…

a. common people were to unquestioningly follow their leaders to glory.

b. individuals were to be absorbed into a mighty nation under the control of a single party

and supreme leader.

c. intuition and emotions were more reliable than reason.

d. all of the answers to this question reflect the fascist worldview.

____ 21. Fascism emerged as a political ideology…

a. during the Protestant Reformation.

b. after the French Revolution.

c. following WWI.

d. out of the Cold War.

____ 22. Which of the following is NOT an element of fascism?

a. elitism

b. irrationalism

c. nationalism

d. all of the answers to this question are elements of fascism

____ 23. The Italian Fascist Party….

a. promised to unite Italy by ending the bickering between various political parties.

b. declared that it was time for Italy to take her rightful place among the major powers of

Europe.

c. appealed to the glories of the ancient Roman empire by invoking Roman symbols of

authority.

d. all of the answers to this question.

____ 24. Simply put, fascism plus _____ equals Nazism.

a. militarism

b. racism

c. totalitarianism

d. all of the answers to this question

____ 25. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

a. The word “Aryans” originally referred to a group of people from whom all Indo-European

languages supposedly derive.

b. Overtime, the “Aryan race” was believed by some to be an extraordinary race from which

all that was civilized and worthwhile in the world developed.

c. The Nazis believed that the Germanic people were the highest or purest remnant of the

Aryan race.

d. All of the statements in answers to this question are true.

____ 26. The number of Jews and other supposedly “inferior” peoples (e.g., gays, the disabled, Gypsies, Slavs, etc.)

murdered by Hitler’s Nazi regime was approximately…

a. one million.

b. four million.

c. six million.

d. eight million.

____ 27. Hitler believed…

a. a leader and the people were bound together in Fuherprinszip.

b. if the German Volk could join together and defeat its enemies, Germany could fulfill its

great destiny.

c. the Third Reich would be a thousand-year, German empire that served as the political and

cultural leader of Europe.

d. all of the answers to this question.

____ 28. Italy and Germany had become identifiable independent nation-states by…

a. 1630

b. 1789

c. 1871

d. 1948

____ 29. Which of the following statements is FALSE?

a. Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler were both originally marxist/socialists.

b. Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler both served in the military during WWI.

c. Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler were both unsatisfied with how WWI ended for their

respective country.

d. All of the statements in the answers to this question are true.

____ 30. Which of the following is a NOT a commonality between fascism and Nazism?

a. an emphasis on nationalism

b. a belief that race is the fundamental characteristic of human beings

c. a totalitarian spirit

d. All of the answers to this question are commonalities between fascism and Nazism.

____ 31. Which of the following countries also experienced fascist governments or governments with strong fascist

elements?

a. Argentina under Juan Peron

b. Iraq under Saddam Hussein

c. Spain under Francisco Franco

d. All of the countries in the answers to this question also experienced fascist governments

or governments with strong fascist elements.

____ 32. Which of the following is evidence that fascist/Nazi ideologies did not disappear after the defeat of Hitler and

Mussolini at the end of WWII?

a. Allesandra Mussolini winning a seat in the Italian Parliament in 1992.

b. Firebombings and other attacks on immigrants in Germany.

c. Jean-Marie Le Pen’s stunning second place finish in the first round of the French

presidential elections in 2002.

d. All of the answers to this question are evidence that fascist/Nazi ideologies did not

disappear after the defeat of Hitler and Mussolini at the end of WWII.

____ 33. Which of the following is NOT a commonality among militia groups in the United States?

a. a fondness for firearms

b. suspicion of the US government

c. neo-Nazi ideological leanings

d. All of the answers to this question are commonalities among militia groups in the United

States.

____ 34. In its explanatory function, fascism understands social, political and economic conditions to be as they are

because of…

a. economic and class relations.

b. the frailty of imperfect human nature.

c. individual choices and actions.

d. those who conspire to keep the nation weak in order to serve their own personal interests.

____ 35. In its evaluative function, fascism advises that…

a. the more freedom people have, the better; the more restrained/controlled people are, the

worse.

b. the more harmonious the social relations, the better; the more conflictive the social

relations, the worse.

c. the more slight the class divisions, the better; the more sharp the class divisions, the

worse.

d. the more unified the nation, the better; the more fragmented the nation, the worse.

____ 36. In its orientative function, fascism explains that…

a. each of us is part of a greater whole.

b. we find ourselves in a particular position in the class structure.

c. we are the nation.

d. our identity is an individual identity.

____ 37. In its programmatic function, fascism directs us to….

a. cherish and conserve what we already have.

b. promote individual liberty and opportunity.

c. create a society that is as nearly classless as possible.

d. give everything to the state, keep nothing from the state, and do nothing against the state.

____ 38. Fascists…

a. reject democracy altogether.

b. support a chastened/modest form of representative democracy in which the people have

limited power and make limited demands.

c. favor democracy so long as it protects individual rights and interests in privacy and free

action.

d. are committed to democracy that is truly of, by, and for the people.

Match each premise of the Enlightenment listed in answers a-e with the correct definition listed in 39-

1 to 39-5. Each correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 39 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. humanism

b. progressivism

c. rationalism

d. secularism

e. universalism

____39-1. The belief that despite differences of race, culture, religion, etc., human beings share the same essential

nature that binds us all together.

____39-2. The belief that all individuals are equal in dignity and worth.

____39-3. The belief that human history is the story of progress and improvement of the human condition.

____39-4. The belief that truth can be discovered through reason and scientific analysis.

____39-5. The belief that religion may offer comfort and insight, but should not guide public policy.

Match each of the authors listed in answers a-e with the correct statement listed in 40-1 to 40-5. Each

correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 40 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. William James

b. Gustav Le Bon

c. Gaetano Mosca

d. Vilfredo Pareto

e. Georges Sorel

____40-1. Argued that human behavior in crowds is different from human behavior as individuals; acting collectively and

therefore anonymously, people will participate in acts of barbarism that they would never engage in as

individuals.

____40-2. After studying the social factors influencing individual judgment and behavior, concluded that emotions,

symbols, and what he called “sentiments” are more important than material or economic factors.

____40-3. Suggested that people are moved more by “political formulae” (e.g., slogans, symbols, flags, anthems, etc.)

than by reasoned argument and rationale debate.

____40-4. Argued that to bring about major social change, it is necessary to find an emotionally powerful myth that can

inspire people to act; people are more often moved to action by political myths than appeal to reason.

____40-5. Held that psychologically speaking, people need something in which to believe; exactly what they believe is

less important to them than that they believe in something.

Match each of the authors listed in answers a-e with the correct statement listed in 41-1 to 41-5. Each

correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 41 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. Houston Stewart Chamberlain

b. Johann Gottlieb Fichte

c. Joseph-Arthur de Gobineau

d. the Marquis de Sade

e. Ludwig Woltmann

____41-1. Argued that interracial marriage/procreation is responsible for the fall of empires.

____41-2. Praised “Germanism.”

____41-3. Used Malthus’ Law of population growth to argue that the Aryans must prepare for a racial war over

increasingly scarce resources.

____41-4. Stressed the importance of the differences between men and women.

____41-5. Believed that German was the only truly original European language; the originality of all other European

languages having been smothered by Latin.

Practice Questions for Communism Quiz (covers Ball/Dagger Chapters 5-6 – pp 127-190)

____ 1. Conservatism and communism both object to the leveling aspects of liberalism’s attempts to diminish or

eliminate the gap between the wealthiest and poorest members of a society.

a. True b. False

____ 2. The one fundamental conviction that all socialists share is that society should exercise centralized control of

public property since centralized control promotes efficiency and allows the state/government to plan,

coordinate, and manage the whole economy in the interests of every member of society.

a. True b. False

____ 3. When Karl Marx uses the term “class” he is referring to a person’s socially determined location in the structure

of social-economic relations.

a. True b. False

____ 4. Marx argued that the “law of supply and demand” was only applicable to a capitalist economy and not to a

communist economy.

a. True b. False

____ 5. Lenin argued that proletarian revolutions will begin in the more backward nations of the world rather than

occurring first in the most advanced capitalist countries as predicted by Marx.

a. True b. False

____ 6. In the Russian counterrevolution from 1918 to 1920, the United States, England, and other capitalist countries

supported the “reds” in their attempts to defeat Lenin’s “white” revolutionary forces that had seized control of

the government in 1917.

a. True b. False

____ 7. One of Stalin’s contributions to communist thought was the idea of “socialism in one country” – that socialism

must be created and consolidated in one country, the Soviet Union, before it can be constructed anywhere

else.

a. True b. False

____ 8. In the face of a painful and difficult transition to democracy since 1991, some older Russians today appear to

long for a return to the harsh certainties of the Stalinist era.

a. True b. False

____ 9. One of Mao’s contributions to communist thought was the recasting of international relations in “class” terms –

the idea that poorer “proletarian” nations must fight a series of wars of national liberation to free themselves

from the oppression they suffer at the hands of wealthy “bourgeois” nations.

a. True b. False

____ 10. In the communist conception of freedom, the agent that is or should be free is…

a. common working people.

b. the individual.

c. interconnected individuals.

d. the nation-state.

____ 11. In the communist conception of freedom, the goal the agent must be free to pursue is…

a. the power and glory of the state.

b. order, stability; harmony, continuity.

c. to live as one chooses.

d. fulfillment of human needs, e.g., satisfying work, fair share of product.

____ 12. In the communist conception of freedom, the main obstacle/barrier/restraint encountered by the agent is…

a. laws, customs, or conditions that block individual choice.

b. radical ideas, innovation; passions, desires, lack of restraint.

c. class divisions, economic inequalities, unequal life-chances, false consciousness.

d. individualism, independent groups, class divisions.

____ 13. Communists understand human beings to be…

a. emotional, defined by their differences, and locked in conflict.

b. imperfect, weak, and marked by original sin.

c. rational, self-interested, and competitive.

d. communal creatures, cooperative, and perfectible.

____ 14. Present-day, worker-owned cooperatives owe their beginnings to…

a. Eduard Bernstein

b. Karl Marx

c. Robert Owen

d. Plato

____ 15. Marx argues that the worker under capitalism is alienated in four distinct ways. Which of the following is NOT

one of those ways?

a. The worker is alienated from the creative activity of production.

b. The worker is alienated from the product of his/her labor.

c. The worker is alienated from other workers.

d. All of the answers to this question are viewed by Marx as ways in which the worker is

alienated under capitalism.

____ 16. Marx argues that capitalism was once a progressive/radical historical force. Which of the following is a

reason why Marx viewed capitalism as a historically progressive/radical force in its own right?

a. Capitalism propelled human history forward because of its internal need for innovation and

change.

b. Capitalism motivated human beings to become masters over the natural environment.

c. Capitalism is what brought about the demise of feudalism.

d. All of the answers to this question are reasons why Marx viewed capitalism as a

historically progressive/radical force in its own right.

____ 17. According to Marx, in a class-divided society…

a. the ruling class is much smaller than the dominated class.

b. the ruling class controls the agents and agencies of coercion (e.g., the police, the courts,

the prisons, etc.).

c. the ruling class controls the thoughts, beliefs, and ideas of the working class.

d. all of the answers to this question.

____ 18. Which of the following terms does NOT describe Karl Marx?

a. Idealist

b. Radical

c. Left Hegelian

d. All of the terms in the answers to this question describe Karl Marx.

____ 19. Ferdinand Lassalle…

a. like Marx was an internationalist who held that the working class has no homeland.

b. unlike Marx held that the state would not “wither away” but rather must be captured

electorally and controlled democratically by the working class and their elected

representatives.

c. had a unique partnership with Marx – he depended on Marx for political inspiration and

Marx depended on his writing skills.

d. all of the answers to this question.

____ 20. Eduard Bernstein…

a. applied Immanuel Kant’s theory of ethics to Marxism, arguing that communists are

immoral in proposing to use workers as cannon fodder in the coming revolution.

b. is called a “revisionist” Marxist because he attempted to correct Marx’s theory to account

for predictions that had failed to come true.

c. argued that the state, rather than suppressing the workers, could be their ally and

guardian.

d. all of the answers to this question.

____ 21. Bolsheviks…

a. means “red” in Russian.

b. led the Russian Revolution in 1917.

c. ascribed to Stalin’s version of Marxism.

d. all of the answers to this question.

____ 22. __________ said, “What is certain is that I am not a Marxist.”

a. Lenin

b. Mao

c. Marx

d. Stalin

____ 23. __________ said, “You cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs.”

a. Lenin

b. Mao

c. Marx

d. Stalin

____ 24. __________ sought to eliminate not only potential political opponents but also theoretical and ideological

critics through political purges and show trials.

a. Lenin

b. Mao

c. Marx

d. Stalin

____ 25. __________ called for a Cultural Revolution to drive out the ideologically corrupt “experts” and restore the

ideologically pure “reds” to their rightful place in the communist revolution.

a. Lenin

b. Mao

c. Marx

d. Stalin

____ 26. Which of the following individuals is NOT considered an anti-Stalinist?

a. Lenin

b. Mao

c. Trotsky

d. All of the individuals in the answers to this question are considered anti-Stalinist.

____ 27. Which of the following is NOT a reason why so many Americans find socialism/communism unappealing?

a. Socialism is a working-class ideology and most Americans consider themselves as

belonging to the middle-class.

b. Collectivist ideologies such as socialism are unappealing to Americans because of our

long-standing tradition of liberal individualism.

c. Americans are unlikely to vote for a communist or socialist party candidate because of our

two-party political system.

d. All of the answers to this question are reasons why so many Americans find

socialism/communism unappealing.

____ 28. In its explanatory function, communism understands social, political and economic conditions to be as they

are because of…

a. economic and class relations.

b. the frailty of imperfect human nature.

c. individual choices and actions.

d. those who conspire to keep the nation weak in order to serve their own personal interests.

____ 29. In its evaluative function, communism advises that…

a. the more freedom people have, the better; the more restrained/controlled people are, the

worse.

b. the more harmonious the social relations, the better; the more conflictive the social

relations, the worse.

c. the more slight the class divisions, the better; the more sharp the class divisions, the

worse.

d. the more unified the nation, the better; the more fragmented the nation, the worse.

____ 30. In its orientative function, communism explains that…

a. each of us is part of a greater whole.

b. we find ourselves in a particular position in the class structure.

c. we are the nation.

d. our identity is an individual identity.

____ 31. In its programmatic function, communism directs us to….

a. cherish and conserve what we already have.

b. promote individual liberty and opportunity.

c. create a society that is as nearly classless as possible.

d. give everything to the state, keep nothing from the state, and do nothing against the state.

____ 32. Communists…

a. reject democracy altogether.

b. support a chastened/modest form of representative democracy in which the people have

limited power and make limited demands.

c. favor democracy so long as it protects individual rights and interests in privacy and free

action.

d. are committed to democracy that is truly of, by, and for the people.

Match each of the ideologies listed in answers a-e with the correct statement listed in 33-1 to 33-5.

Each correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 33 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. Anarcho-Communism

b. Critical Western Marxism

c. Fabian Socialism

d. Market Socialism

e. Utopian Socialism

____33-1. Consists of hypothetical visions of egalitarian and communalist societies created by early 19th century

intellectuals.

____33-2. Combines socialist economics (public ownership of the means of production) with capitalist competition

(prices are set by the law of supply and demand).

____33-3. Argues that movies, television, radio, and other forms of “entertainment” brainwash people to become passive

workers and thoughtless consumers instead of active and critical democratic citizens.

____33-4. Emphasizes the nonrevolutionary, peaceful, piecemeal, and gradual transition from a capitalist to a socialist

society.

____33-5. Believes that abolition of the state and the abolition of private property are two sides of the same coin; it is

only when both are abolished and replaced by a system of voluntary cooperation will everyone be free to

satisfy his or her needs.

Match each of the early socialists writers listed in answers a-d with the correct statement listed in 34-

1 to 34-4. Each correct match is worth 0.25 points; Question 34 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. Diggers

b. Early Christians

c. Plato

d. Thomas More

____34-1. The Guardian class is to share goods and spouses communally.

____34-2. Each has a duty to share his/her labor and worldly goods with one another.

____34-3. Communal ownership is an antidote to the sins of pride, envy, and greed.

____34-4. God created the earth for all people to share in common; private property is therefore forbidden by Him and

ought to be abolished.

Match each of the Leninist terms listed in answers a-e with the correct definition listed in 35-1 to 35-5.

Each correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 35 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. Democratic Centralism

b. Imperialism

c. Soviets

d. Trade-Union Consciousness

e. Vanguard Party

____35-1. Must take a leading role in a communist revolution to overthrow capitalism; without such leadership, the

working class would at best fail to become a revolutionary force and at worst become a reactionary force.

____35-2. Necessary because the masses could not yet be trusted to know their own real interests.

____35-3. The policy by which capitalist countries bribe their own workers into supporting the colonization and

exploitation of workers in other less developed countries.

____35-4. Because of this, members of the working class in advanced capitalist countries have, in effect, become

“bourgeois” and cannot be counted on to participate in a communist revolution.

____35-5. Workers’ councils that formed the basis of the Russian government after the 1917 Communist Revolution.

Match each of the Marxist terms listed in answers a-e with the correct definition listed in 36-1 to 36-5.

Each correct match is worth 0.20 points; Question 36 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. Alienation

b. Bourgeoisie

c. Dialectic

d. False Consciousness

e. Proletariat

____36-1. The separation or estrangement of persons or classes of people from their human potential (e.g., the worker’s

inability to control his/her labor).

____36-2. An exchange of propositions (theses) and counter-propositions (antitheses) resulting in a synthesis of the

opposing assertions, or at least a qualitative transformation in the direction of the dialogue.

____36-3. The class that controls wealth and property in a capitalist society.

____36-4. The class of workers who sell their labor to capitalists.

____36-5. The working class is unaware of its own interests and revolutionary political possibilities because it has

mistakenly understood that its interests are the same as the interests of the capitalists.

Match each of the utopian socialists listed in answers a-d with the correct statement listed in 37-1 to

37-4. Each correct match is worth 0.25 points; Question 37 is worth up to a total of 1 point.

a. Auguste Comte

b. Charles Fourier

c. Robert Owen

d. Count Claude-Henri de Saint Simon

____37-1. Argued that scientific methods should be applied to planning and running the economic system so as to

produce a more efficient and more just system than laissez-faire capitalism.

____37-2. A “positivist” who advocated for a technocracy as a form of government for the scientific planning, prediction,

and social control of the economy it would offer.

____37-3. Put forth the principle of “attractive labor” which held that people living in small communities (“phalansteries”)

would happily work voluntarily because they will be able to do the work that suits their talents and interests.

____37-4. Felt that the cure for the evils of capitalism (drunkenness, debauchery, theft, etc.) was a new system of

cooperative production for public profit as well as a new system of education.

38. Below are the 7 stages of the revolutionary sequence from capitalism to communism as predicted by Marx.

Indicate the proper order of these stages by placing the correct sequence number in the box to the right of a

particular stage. For example, for the first stage of the revolutionary sequence you would put the number “1”

in the box to the right of that particular stage; for the second stage of the revolutionary sequence you would

put the number “2” in the box to the right of that particular stage; etc.

Workers become more and more unhappy as they lose their jobs, their income, and finally their

ability to provide food/shelter for themselves and/or their families.

The workers use their control of the government to prevent a bourgeois counterrevolution.

Workers realize that the capitalist system is responsible for their poverty and oppression (and

therefore must be overthrown).

The achievement of an open and democratic society in which the major means of production are

publicly owned with planned and orderly economic production.

The workers take control of government institutions – most likely through a long, difficult, and violent

struggle.

Periodic recessions and depressions become more frequent and more severe with less likelihood of

correcting themselves.

A transitory period in which there is continued use of wage incentives to encourage people to work

hard.