What is the term for a nonviolent, public refusal to obey allegedly unjust laws?

• A. Civil Disobedience
• B. Civil War
• C. Nonviolent resistance
• D. Passive resistance

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is civil disobedience: a deliberate, peaceful refusal to obey laws that are viewed as unjust, carried out openly to highlight the injustice and elicit change. It’s nonviolent and public, and the protester accepts the legal penalties that come with breaking the law to show the seriousness of the grievance and to mobilize public support.

This is distinct from civil war, which is violent armed conflict, and from broader nonviolent resistance, which includes a range of tactics like protests, boycotts, and strikes that don’t necessarily involve knowingly breaking specific laws. It’s also distinct from passive resistance, which emphasizes enduring hardship or avoiding confrontation without necessarily choosing to disobey particular laws. Civil disobedience specifically centers on purposeful law-breaking as a protest and willingness to accept consequences.