Practice a College Board-style Short Answer Question on Absolutism and Constitutionalism. Write your response, then reveal the model answer to see exactly what earns each point.
Short Answer Question · Unit 3 · Absolutism and Constitutionalism
"It is God who establishes kings... The royal power is absolute... Without this absolute authority, the king could neither do good nor repress evil. It is necessary that his power be such that no one can hope to escape him, and, finally, the sole defense of individuals against the public authority ought to be their innocence... So, too, all the power of the state is in [the prince's] hands. There is no other authority in the state but his own."
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, "Politics Drawn from the Very Words of Holy Scripture," written for the education of the French dauphin, c. 1679
A
Using the excerpt, identify ONE specific claim Bossuet makes about the source and scope of royal authority.
✓ Model answer (earns the point)
Bossuet claims that God establishes kings, meaning royal power derives from divine authority rather than from the people or any earthly institution. He also asserts that the king's power is absolute and total — "there is no other authority in the state but his own" — meaning no other body, such as a parliament or nobility, can check it.
Why it scores: Identifies a specific claim from the text (divine origin of royal power, or its absolute/unchecked scope) rather than a vague statement like "Bossuet supported the king."
B
Explain ONE way that Louis XIV's actual governance of France (other than what is shown in the excerpt) put Bossuet's theory of absolutism into practice.
✓ Model answer (earns the point)
Louis XIV required the French nobility to reside at the Palace of Versailles, where elaborate court ritual and dependence on royal favor stripped the nobility of independent political power and bound their status directly to the king. This practice reflected Bossuet's theory that "there is no other authority in the state" but the monarch's, since it eliminated a potential rival source of power within France.
Why it scores: Names a specific governing practice (Versailles and the domestication of the nobility, or alternatively Colbert's mercantilist economic centralization) and explains how it embodies absolutist theory, rather than vaguely stating Louis XIV "had a lot of power."
C
Explain ONE way that developments in England during the same period (1648–1715) represented a significant contrast to the absolutist theory described in the excerpt.
✓ Model answer (earns the point)
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the subsequent English Bill of Rights (1689) established that the monarch could not tax, maintain a standing army, or rule without Parliament's consent — directly contradicting Bossuet's claim that "there is no other authority in the state" but the king's. Rather than absolute, divinely-derived royal power, England moved toward a constitutional system in which the monarch's authority was shared with and limited by a representative body.
Why it scores: Explains a specific contrasting development (the Glorious Revolution, the Bill of Rights, or the execution of Charles I) and clearly connects it to how it differs from Bossuet's absolutist theory, rather than just asserting "England was different" without explanation.
How to score points on AP European History SAQs
Answer exactly what's asked. "Identify" needs a name or fact only. "Explain" needs a claim PLUS supporting reasoning — don't skip the "why" or "how."
Use the stimulus, but don't just summarize it. Strong SAQ responses connect the source to outside historical knowledge, not just restate what the excerpt says.
Be specific, not general. Name specific developments (Versailles, the Bill of Rights, mercantilism) rather than vague references to "absolutism" or "new ideas."
Keep each part short and focused. 2–3 sentences per part is usually enough — SAQs reward precision over length.
Connect cause to effect. Don't just describe a development; explain why it mattered or how it connects to the question's claim.