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Difficulty: MediumImperialism and the Spanish-American War

"The Opposition tells us that we ought not to rule a people without their consent. I answer, The rule of liberty that all just government derives its authority from the consent of the governed, applies only to those who are capable of self-government. We govern the Indians without their consent... We govern our territories without their consent before they become states... Would not the people of the Philippines prefer the just, humane, civilizing government of this Republic to the savage, bloody rule of pillage and banditti from which we have rescued them?"

— Albert J. Beveridge, speech, "The March of the Flag," 1898

Based on the excerpt, which of the following arguments did supporters of United States expansionism most frequently use to counter the anti-imperialist objection?

  1. The belief that certain populations were incapable of self-government and required American guidance and paternalistic uplift.Answer
  2. B
    The assertion that military occupation of the islands was a direct retaliatory measure for the sinking of the Lusitania.
  3. C
    The argument that the Monroe Doctrine obligated the United States to enter into mutual military alliances with democratic nations in the Western Hemisphere.
  4. D
    The claim that the nation's foreign policy should adhere to absolute isolationism by refusing all diplomatic and trade ties with foreign powers.

Answer

The belief that certain populations were incapable of self-government and required American guidance and paternalistic uplift.
The correct answer is correct because the excerpt shows Albert Beveridge arguing that the principle of 'consent of the governed' does not apply to populations that are allegedly incapable of self-government, which was a central paternalistic justification used by imperialists to defend the annexation of the Philippines and other territories.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus to identify the core argument and the objection being addressed.
The author is responding to the objection that the US should not rule a people without their consent. The author argues that this principle only applies to those capable of self-government, and that Filipinos are not.
Understanding the author's logic is essential to determining how expansionists defended their policies against anti-imperialist criticism.
2
Evaluate the choices to find which one matches this paternalistic, civilizing argument.
The option emphasizing the belief that certain populations were incapable of self-government and required American guidance matches the author's justification.
This matches the historical context of social Darwinism and the 'white man's burden' arguments used by imperialists.
3
Verify that the other choices represent historical inaccuracies or irrelevant arguments.
The other choices refer to WWI events (Lusitania), misinterpret the Monroe Doctrine as a military alliance, or incorrectly describe expansionist policy as isolationist.
Ensuring the distractors are incorrect based on factual historical errors confirms the validity of the correct choice.

Key Concept

Paternalistic and racial justifications for late nineteenth-century American imperialism.
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Topics

Imperialism and the Spanish-American War

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