JAMB Government 1985 past questions and answers

Public opinion is important because it

1. A.tells government what action it must take
2. B.lets government know what the people want
3. C.allows the police to determine trouble makers
4. D.protects minorities
5. E.guarantees a free press

Which branch of government is responsible for implementing laws? The

1. A.Executive
2. B.Legislature
3. C.Judiciary
4. D.Police
5. E.Civil Service

Universal Adult Suffrage means all

1. A.adult citizens can vote
2. B.citizens can vote
3. C.qualified citizens can vote
4. D.literate citizens can vote
5. E.males can vote

In a democracy, sovereignty is vested in

1. A.the community
2. B.public officials
3. C.judges
4. D.the Head of State
5. E.the legislature

A bill that applies to the whole population and is intended to promote the general welfare is called

1. A.a private bill
2. B.a decree
3. C.an appropriation bill
4. D.a public bill
5. E.an edict

In a federal state, powers are shared

1. A.between the central government and local governments
2. B.between the centre and other co-ordinate units of the state
3. C.among the major regions of the country
4. D.among the federal ministers
5. E.equally among the ethnic groups in the country

The rule of law implies

1. A.the rule by lawyers
2. B.that only the Head of State is above the law
3. C.the absence of a military government
4. D.that no one is above the law
5. E.that only the National Assembly can make laws

A one party system of government

1. A.is found only in Africa
2. B.allows no official opposition
3. C.does not provide for a legislature
4. D.is practised only where the citizens share identical views about policy
5. E.does not accept the doctrine of separation of powers

A constitution is classified as unwritten because it

1. A.is used in Britain
2. B.has no written records
3. C.makes no provision for a clear-cut separation of powers
4. D.does not emanate from the legislature
5. E.is not contained in any one document

Delegated legislation is the power to make laws by

1. A.local councils when parliament is in recess
2. B.bodies other than parliament
3. C.the International Law Commission
4. D.military rulers
5. E.parliament

In a unitary system of government

1. A.political power is diffused
2. B.there is a high degree of centralization
3. C.there is no separation of powers
4. D.parliament is very weak
5. E.legislative powers cannot be delegated to local councils

Case-laws are made by the

1. A.Legislature
2. B.Executive
3. C.Judiciary
4. D.Attorney-General and Minister of Justice
5. E.President

The theory of separation of powers was for the first time clearly formulated by

1. A.Jean Bodin
2. B.Jean Austin
3. C.Baron de Montesquieu
4. D.Lord Bryce
5. E.A. V. Dicey

The deliberate tampering with the delimitation of constituencies in order to win more seats is called

1. A.gerontocracy
2. B.gerrymandering
3. C.delimitation
4. D.bureaucracy
5. E.devolution

Fascism developed in

1. A.France
2. B.Germany
3. C.Italy
4. D.Soviet Union
5. E.China

Which of the following is a good example of a confederal state?

1. A.Nigeria
2. B.Switzerland
3. C.USA
4. D.Ghana
5. E.ECOWAS

In a simple majority electoral system, the candidate that wins is the one who

1. A.obtains the greatest number of votes cast
2. B.has spent the most amount of money
3. C.has travelled most widely in the country
4. D.is endorsed by the traditional rulers
5. E.has most support among labour union leaders

An election conducted to fill a vacant post in a legislature is known as

1. A.a primary election
2. B.a general election
3. C.a by-election
4. D.a referendum
5. E.an indirect election

Constitutionalism means

1. A.the constitution is largely made up of conventions
2. B.the constitution is not easy to amend
3. C.the provisions of the constitution are strictly adhered to
4. D.there is a constitutional Head of State
5. E.there is parliamentary supremacy

Which of these is NOT a member of the Judiciary?

1. A.The chief justice
2. B.A high court judge
3. C.A magistrate
4. D.A lawyer
5. E.A grand khadi

A person who is disenfranchised is

1. A.allowed to be voted for
2. B.allowed to exercise his voting right
3. C.not permitted to vote
4. D.allowed to nominate a candidate
5. E.a prohibited immigrant

The head of the executive branch in a parliamentary system is called the

1. A.prime minister
2. B.president
3. C.majority leader
4. D.senate president
5. E.governor-general

The political neutrality of civil servants implies that they

1. A.are not allowed to join any organization or group
2. B.have no dealings with politicians
3. C.are not allowed to be involved in partisan politics
4. D.have permanent tenure
5. E.are not allowed to vote

The supreme power of a state to make and enforce laws within its jurisdiction is called

1. A.decolonization
2. B.independence
3. C.nationalism
4. D.sovereignty
5. E.enfranchisement

Ceremonial and executive powers are usually fused in a

1. A.unitary system of government
2. B.federal government
3. C.democratic system of government
4. D.presidential system of government
5. E.parliamentary system of government

The members of the Nigerian Constituent Assembly were elected by

1. A.bye-election
2. B.a general election
3. C.electoral colleges
4. D.referenda
5. E.indirect election

The name of the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress elected in 1983 is

1. A.Mr. Wahab Goodluck
2. B.Alhaji Shehu Kangiwa
3. C.Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu
4. D.Dr. Lasisi Osunde
5. E.Alhaji Ali Ciroma

Under the 1979 Nigerian Constitution, the Supreme Court judges were appointed by the

1. A.Judicial Service Commission
2. B.president
3. C.honourable chief justice
4. D.senate
5. E.National Assembly

The annual budget of the OAU is approved by the

1. A.Assembly of Heads of State and Governments
2. B.Council of Ministers
3. C.Secretary-General
4. D.General Assembly
5. E.Economic Commission for Africa

Lagos was first amalgamated with the Western Region as a result of the

1. A.Clifford Constitution (1922)
2. B.Richard Constitution (1946)
3. C.Macpherson Constitution (1951)
4. D.Lyttleton Constitution (1954)
5. E.Independence Constitution (1960)

One of the non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council is

1. A.Britain
2. B.USSR
3. C.USA
4. D.China
5. E.Nigeria

Local governments in Nigeria are created in order to

1. A.create more civil service jobs
2. B.encourage competition and rivalry among groups
3. C.bring the government nearer to the people
4. D.prevent the creation of more states
5. E.levy import duties

The amalgamation of the Northern and Southern Protectorates of Nigeria was in

1. A.1914
2. B.1922
3. C.1951
4. D.1954
5. E.1960

ECOWAS is

1. A.an international military/defence organization
2. B.a regional economic organization
3. C.a trans-national religious group
4. D.a West African English-speaking organization
5. E.an international organ of the United Nations

Which of the following is NOT a member of ECOWAS

1. A.Niger
2. B.Togo
3. C.Ghana
4. D.Burkina Faso
5. E.Cameroon

The Lyttleton Constitution is important because it

1. A.confirmed that Nigeria would be independent in 1960
2. B.confirmed Nigeria's federal structure
3. C.introduced franchise into Nigerian politics
4. D.made Nigeria sovereign
5. E.abolished the principle of Indirect Rule

The Macpherson Constitution of Nigeria created a

1. A.bicameral legislature for Eastern Nigeria
2. B.bicameral legislature for the Central government
3. C.unicameral legislature for Western Nigeria
4. D.bicameral legislature for Western Nigeria
5. E.unicameral legislature for Northern Nigeria

The Arthur Richards Constitution introduced into Nigeria

1. A.federalism
2. B.republicanism
3. C.regionalism
4. D.the multi-party system
5. E.the office of Prime Minister

In 1966 the military intervened in Nigerian politics because

1. A.the country was not operating a presidential system of government
2. B.the number of legislators was too large
3. C.crude oil had been discovered in the country
4. D.there was a high level of corruption in the country
5. E.the political processes had broken down

The Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) of the pre-independence era

1. A.dominated the political scene in Lagos
2. B.was formed to replace the Action Group as the ruling party in the Western Region
3. C.had branches all over the country
4. D.was warmly supported by traditional rulers
5. E.was not opposed to Indirect Rule

The Clifford Constitution

1. A.provided for universal adult suffrage
2. B.made the Governor dependent on the Executive Council
3. C.provided for an unofficial majority membership of the Legislative Council
4. D.provided for African representation on the Executive Council
5. E.introduced the elective principle into Nigerian politics

Under the Independence Constitution

1. A.the governor-general could appoint any member of the House of Representatives as prime minister
2. B.a bicameral legislature was introduced in the country
3. C.forty-four members were selected into the Senate
4. D.higher education was made the exclusive responsibility of the federal government
5. E.the Supreme Court of Nigeria was made the highest judicial authority in the country

Which of the following countries does not have veto power in the Security Council of the UNO?

1. A.Britain
2. B.China
3. C.France
4. D.Germany
5. E.USA

Public corporations are established mainly to

1. A.cater for the welfare of their board members
2. B.give advice to the government on commerce
3. C.co-ordinate the affairs of several ministries
4. D.provide essential services and amenities on a commercial basis
5. E.develop the rural areas

The first military coup in Nigeria occurred on

1. A.October 1, 1960
2. B.October 1, 1963
3. C.January 15, 1966
4. D.January 15, 1967
5. E.December 31, 1983

Nigeria adopted a republican constitution on

1. A.October 1, 1960
2. B.October 1, 1963
3. C.October 1, 1966
4. D.May 1, 1967
5. E.October 1, 1979

In Nigeria the office of the Prime Minister was first created in

1. A.1954
2. B.1957
3. C.1958
4. D.1959
5. E.1960

The non-permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations Organization (UNO) are elected for

1. A.5-year term
2. B.4-year term
3. C.3-year term
4. D.2-year term
5. E.1-year term

The Economic Commission for Africa is an organ of

1. A.OAU
2. B.ECOWAS
3. C.UNO
4. D.EEC
5. E.UNESCO