The Origins of Totalitarianism Quizzes

The Origins of Totalitarianism Quiz 1

1 Which of the following is NOT characteristic of a bureaucracy?
The purpose of bureaucratic rule in imperial colonies is endless expansion.

Rule by secrecy.

Rulers and bureaucrats have a strong sense of duty to their country.

Law is replaced with decree.
2 What does Arendt mean when she calls the first imperial colonists “superfluous” men?
They are superfluous because there is overpopulation in the metropole.

They are superfluous because they are not necessary to the colony they are moving to.

They are superfluous because they are not well integrated into society and likely do not maintain traditional jobs or family ties.

They are superfluous because their heroism does not fit into the dull pace of regular civilization.
3 What was the difference between the alliance of capital and the mob in British Imperialism and in the Pan-Movements?
In imperialism the alliance was only temporary, while in the pan-movements the alliance was permanent.

In imperialism the alliance was secret, while in the pan-movements the alliance was known to all.

In imperialism the alliance was initiated by business interests, while in the pan-movements the alliance was initiated by the mob.

In imperialism the alliance was founded upon racism, while in the pan-movements it was not.
4 Which statement best describes tribal nationalism?
It is characterized by a feeling of rootlessness amongst its members, who only feel at home when they are with members of their “tribe.”

It is the identification of the state with the nation and nationality.

It always looks down on people who live in other countries.

It arose following the French Revolution’s failure to reconcile the conflict between the state and the nation.
5 According to Arendt, which of the following statements is true of Hobbes’ philosophy?
It inspired the ideals of imperialism.

It accounts for the coming bourgeois society by arguing that power is the motor of all things human and divine.

It states that even criminals and outcasts have responsibilities to society and their fellow man.

His conclusions are based on the insight that individuals want security while the Commonwealth is inherently characterized by instability.
6 Why does Arendt think that Edmund Burke's opinion that the Rights of Man are too abstract has been confirmed?
Stateless people in the 20th century live without legal protections and no nation is able to incorporate them, despite the “Rights of Man” often being referenced in many nations’ founding documents.

Every nation-state has openly rejected the rights of man and refuses to accept immigrants.

Antisemitism predates the Rights of Man and was not solved by the Declaration of the Rights of Man. It will always persist meaning that only a purely Jewish state can guarantee the rights of Jewish people.

Racism has proven that rights cannot be guaranteed by society.
7 Which of the following is NOT characteristic of ideologies according to Arendt?
Ideologies attempt to be scientific in character and follow a strict logic.

Ideologies claim to explain all of history by deducing from a single premise.

Ideologies are concerned with the movement of becoming, not with being.

Ideologies are irrational and the masses who follow them have always been tricked.
8 Which descriptor best describes the organization of the totalitarian state?
Monarchical

Hierarchical

Structureless

A Dual Power Structure
9 Which of the following is true of antisemitism according to Arendt?
In the nation-state it originated because Jews were not assimilated and appeared to have a parasitic relationship with society due to the coincidence of their wealth and lack of power or influence.

It originated due to the political power of the Jewish elite in Europe.

It is merely coincidence. Jews were chosen as a scapegoat because they were unlucky enough to be the easiest target.

It has always existed.
10 What is the difference between the mob and the people?
The mob is violent.

The mob desires a “strong man” or “great leader.”

There is no difference.

The mob is only made of industrial workers.
11 What is significant about race relations in South Africa under Boer rule for Arendt?
It was the first time racism was used as an ideology.

It was the origin of racism in history.

It was the first time a minority had established itself at the head of a racial hierarchy.

It was the first time racism was used as a device of rule.
12 Which of the following is NOT a difference between crime and vice?
Something that is merely a vice will not be persecuted, while people will be persecuted for crime.

Man is responsible for a crime, but no one is responsible for a vice.

Vice is often temporarily accepted by society while a crime is punished.

A vice is an inherent quality, but a crime is the result of a choice.
13 Which two elements of the Dreyfus Affair grew in importance in the 20th century?
The suspicion of the republic, Parliament and the state machine and the conflict of the aristocracy with the state.

The hatred of the Jews and the suspicion of the republic, Parliament and the state machine.

The importance of the mob and the hatred of the Jews.

The importance of the mob and the conflict of the aristocracy with the state.
14 Why could the Jews no longer stay a separate group outside of society in the late 19th century?
The state stopped giving them special privileges and incorporated them into the law.

Most Jews had decided to assimilate into different parts of European society.

Antisemitism forced them to assimilate to protect themselves.

The state machine that had supported them as a separate group was in decay.
15 What is the goal of totalitarian propaganda?
To directly incite violence against the state.

To slander political opponents.

To scare people into submission.

Organization, or the accumulation of power without use of violence.
16 What is Volksgemeinschaft?
The new folk community described in Nazi propaganda that would be based on the legal and civil equality of all men.

The new folk community described in Nazi propaganda that would be based on the natural equality of all Germans.

The new folk community described in Nazi propaganda that would be based on the natural equality of all men.

The new folk community described in Nazi propaganda that would be based on the legal and civil equality of all Germans.
17 Which of the following is true of the leader of a totalitarian movement and his innermost circle?
They are idealists who are misguided but believe in what they are doing and saying to the people.

They do not believe in the ideology they use in propaganda.

They are completely indoctrinated by the leader.

They are a clique that rules together for their private interests.
18 What is the difference between isolation and loneliness, according to Arendt?
There is no difference, they are merely different ways of describing the atomized individual.

In isolation one cannot act politically or act to influence others, while in loneliness one feels completely abandoned by men.

Loneliness is characteristic of the public sphere, while isolation concerns the private sphere.

Isolation is characteristic of totalitarianism, while loneliness is characteristic of tyranny.
19 Which of the following best describes an imperialist party?
A party for a specific racial interest.

A party against the state.

A party for a specific class interest.

A party above parties.
20 Which of the following best describes a totalitarian movement?
It wants to establish a one-party dictatorship.

It is against the state and all party systems.

It aims to be above all parties.

It has a set platform and goals.
21 When are the “infallible predictions” used in totalitarian propaganda successful tools and why?
When the totalitarian regime is in danger so that the leader can save face with the totalitarian subjects.

When the totalitarian regime commits a crime so that it can justify itself.

When the totalitarian movement is very new so that it can inspire fanaticism in its members.

When the totalitarian movement takes power, since only political power and the goal of taking over the world could possibly ensure that all the wild predictions come true.
22 Which of the following is true of totalitarian propaganda appeals to the external sphere?
They are used to scare outsiders and keep them away.

They are only used during wartime.

They may conflict with the home propaganda line and are then explained as temporary tactical measures.

They are almost never used because propaganda is intended to brainwash subjects at home.
23 Which of the following describes the totalitarian leader?
His fame is forgotten by those outside the movement, but is internal within the movement.

His fame is impermanent and he is quickly forgotten.

The leader has a cult of personality that lasts even beyond his death.

He is not famous, but his clique is.
24 Why does Arendt think that man shorn of his human relationships ceases to be man?
Because he will likely die and once he is dead he is not man.

Because he no longer has access to power, and power, according to Hobbes, drives humanity.

Because, following Aristotle, man is a “political animal,” and thus distinguishes himself from animals by being part of a community.

Because others do not recognize him.
25 Which of the following describes stateless people?
They are refugees that are always protected by international law.

They are part of minorities that never had a nation-state.

They have lost the protection of their home government and are no longer incorporated or protected by any law whatsoever.

They are usually repatriated successfully to their homeland.

Mass refers to a large group or a majority of people, who gather or bond together to support each other.

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Answered by jill d #170087 on 3/10/2021 7:05 PM

Propaganda is information, which is biased or misleading nature, and is used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.

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Answered by jill d #170087 on 3/10/2021 7:24 PM

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What is totalitarian movement?

A totalitarian movement is the essence of institutionalized obedience in an abdication of the individual responsibility of making one's own moral judgements. The individual stops thinking for himself, he obeys and conforms without questioning...

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Answered by jill d #170087 on 3/10/2021 7:22 PM

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The Origins of Totalitarianism

by Hannah Arendt

The Origins of Totalitarianism Quiz 1

The Origins of Totalitarianism Questions and Answers

Study Guide for The Origins of Totalitarianism

Wikipedia Entries for The Origins of Totalitarianism