In this passage about democracy and dictatorship, choose the noun that best completes the phrase: “dictators may rise to ______ and establish a new regime … ”

Introduction / Context:
Here, the cloze test targets the very familiar expression “rise to power”. The passage compares the slow development of democracy with the rapid, dramatic success of dictators. You must choose the noun that correctly completes the phrase “rise to ______ and establish a new regime”. The answer depends on recognising a fixed political collocation.

Given Data / Assumptions:

1) The fragment is “dictators may rise to ______ and establish a new regime with dramatic success”.
2) The options are: fame, generosity, glory, power.
3) It comes immediately after “dictators may rise”, so the whole phrase becomes “rise to ______”.
4) The goal of dictators in the passage is to control a state and establish a regime.
5) We want the noun that logically matches both the verb “rise” and the idea of establishing a regime.

Concept / Approach:
In political language, “rise to power” is an extremely common phrase meaning to gain political control or authority. While “rise to fame” and “rise to glory” also exist, they do not fit as well in the context of establishing a regime. “Rise to generosity” is not a recognised collocation at all. Therefore we must select the noun that yields the precise idea of gaining political control.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the likely verb noun combination: “rise to …” is a standard pattern. Step 2: Test “fame”: “rise to fame” is correct English, but fame is about being well known, not about establishing a regime. Step 3: Test “generosity”: “rise to generosity” is not an idiomatic phrase and does not connect logically with establishing a new regime. Step 4: Test “glory”: “rise to glory” is used in poetic contexts, usually about heroic achievements, not political control. Step 5: Test “power”: “dictators may rise to power and establish a new regime” directly describes gaining control of the state. Step 6: Therefore, “power” is the noun that best fits the political context and the collocation with “rise”.

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the full part of the sentence with “power”: “whereas dictators may rise to power and establish a new regime with dramatic success, under peculiar conditions.” This is exactly the sort of expression you see in history and civics textbooks. Using “fame” or “glory” would shift the focus from political control to reputation or honour, which does not match the author’s point.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“fame” refers to being widely known, not necessarily to ruling or creating a regime. “generosity” refers to kindness or willingness to give, and does not commonly follow “rise to”. “glory” has heroic or religious connotations, but is not normally linked with the specific act of establishing political rule in this kind of neutral, analytical passage.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes pick “fame” or “glory” because they are familiar collocations with “rise to”, forgetting to check whether they fit the immediate context of “establish a new regime”. Another pitfall is ignoring the word “dictators”, which clearly points towards power and control rather than personal generosity. Always connect the blank with the surrounding words to ensure the whole phrase communicates the intended idea.

Final Answer:
The noun that correctly completes the phrase is power.