In Respondeat Superior, who is the 'master'?

• A. Employee
• B. Employer
• C. Government
• D. Court

Answer: (B)

Respondeat superior rests on vicarious liability: a party can be held responsible for the actions of another when there is an employment or agency relationship and the acts occur within the scope of that relationship. In this setup, the person who hires, directs, and has control over the worker—the employer—is the one treated as the “master.” Because the employer supervises and directs how work is done, damages caused by the employee acting within the course of employment can fall on the employer.

The other options don’t fit this role. The employee is the person who performs the work, not the master in this doctrine. Government and court are not the participants described by the master–servant relationship at issue in respondeat superior.