49 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
A society that is politically organized under a government is called a
Answer: D (polity)
A polity is any society that is politically organized under a government. A national (nation) state is a narrower idea: a state whose people share one nationality.
Political power is naked force when it is exercised without
Answer: C (governmental legitimacy)
Power becomes authority when people accept it as rightful (legitimate). Without legitimacy, power rests only on force or coercion.
The major difference between a state and a nation is that the latter presupposes a
Answer: B (homogenous population)
A nation is a group of people bound by a common language, culture or history, so it implies a homogeneous population. A state needs territory and government, but its people may be very mixed.
The principle of judicial independence makes sense only when judges
Answer: C (have permanent tenure of office)
Judges can decide cases without fear only if they cannot be sacked at will by the executive. Security (permanence) of tenure is therefore the key safeguard of judicial independence.
A federal system of government has the following three advantages
Answer: A (economies of scale, uniform development and political unity)
By bringing units together, federalism allows economies of scale, balanced (uniform) development across the units and unity among diverse peoples while each keeps some self-rule.
Constitutionalism means
Answer: B (respect for the constitution)
Constitutionalism means that rulers and citizens respect the constitution and that government power is limited by it. Elections are only one part of this.
Switzerland is often cited as a classic example of a country with
Answer: D (confederal constitution)
Switzerland's official name is the Swiss Confederation, and textbooks use it as the classic example of a confederal arrangement in which the cantons keep strong powers. (In practice it has worked as a federation since 1848.)
What is the major distinguishing characteristic between flexible and rigid constitutions?
Answer: C (Amendment procedure)
A flexible constitution can be amended like an ordinary law, while a rigid one needs a special, more difficult procedure. The difference lies in how they are amended.
Which of the following best defines democracy?
Answer: C (Government based on the free consent of the governed)
Democracy is government by the people, so its core is that rulers govern with the free consent of the governed, usually shown through free elections.
An economic system in which the major means of production are owned and controlled by a few individuals is called
Answer: D (capitalism)
Under capitalism the factories, land and capital are privately owned, so in practice they are held by a relatively small group of individuals.
The essence of checks and balances is to
Answer: A (enhance the functioning of government and prevent arbitrary use of power)
Checks and balances let each arm of government limit the others, so no arm can use power arbitrarily while government still works as a whole.
The power of a head of state to dissolve the legislature and order a general election is usually associated with the
Answer: C (parliamentary system of government)
In a parliamentary system the head of state, on the prime minister's advice, can dissolve parliament and call fresh elections. A president in a presidential system cannot dissolve the legislature.
Accountability in public office means that officers shall
Answer: B (render good account of their activities)
Being accountable means public officers must explain and answer for how they use the power and resources given to them, i.e. give a good account of their activities.
The act of bringing a legislative session to an end only for business to continue later is called
Answer: A (adjournment)
Adjournment suspends a sitting so that business can continue at a later date. Prorogation formally ends a whole session, and abrogation means cancelling a law.
Which of the following violates the principle of the rule of law?
Answer: C (Arbitrariness of government policies)
The rule of law means government must act according to known laws, not at its own whim. Arbitrary government policies break this principle.
An electoral system which restricts voting rights to only male adults is termed
Answer: D (limited franchise)
When the right to vote is denied to some adults, such as women, the franchise is limited (restricted). Universal adult suffrage gives every adult citizen the vote.
Which of the following best represents duties and obligations of government?
Answer: B (Provision of public utilities)
Respecting symbols, caring for public property and obeying laws are duties of citizens. Providing public utilities such as water, roads and electricity is a duty of government.
An electoral process in which candidates for elective offices are selected by party members is known as
Answer: A (primary election)
A primary election is held inside a party so that members choose who will be the party's candidate in the general election.
The principle whereby a legislator's tenure is abruptly brought to an end by his constituency is known as
Answer: C (recall)
Recall lets voters in a constituency remove their representative before his term ends, usually through a petition and vote.
One of the main functions of a political party is
Answer: B (interest aggregation)
Political parties gather many different interests and demands and combine them into one programme. This is called interest aggregation.
Which of the following traditional Nigerian societies practised the system of checks and balances?
Answer: B (Yoruba)
In the old Oyo (Yoruba) system, the Alaafin was checked by the Oyomesi, who were in turn checked by the Ogboni. This is a classic example of checks and balances.
In terms of administrative structure, which of the following sets of pre-colonial Nigerian political systems do NOT match?
Answer: B (Benin and Igbo)
Benin was a centralized kingdom, while the Igbo were acephalous (no central ruler). The other pairs share the same structure: Igbo and Tiv are both acephalous; Sokoto, Oyo and Benin are all centralized.
Nationalist activities were earlier in British than in French West Africa because the
Answer: C (French administrative policies did not allow for political agitation)
France's policy of assimilation and its tight direct control left little room for political agitation, while British indirect rule allowed more political activity and press freedom.
In British West Africa, the elective principle was first introduced in
Answer: A (Nigeria)
The Clifford Constitution of 1922 introduced the elective principle in Nigeria, giving Lagos and Calabar elected members on the Legislative Council, earlier than the other British West African colonies.
A thorny issue during the 1957/58 Nigerian constitutional conferences was the
Answer: B (problem of ethnic minorities)
Minority groups feared domination by the major ethnic groups and demanded their own states. The conference set up the Willink Commission (1957) to look into their fears.
In the 1963 Constitution, there was separation of powers between the
Answer: D (head of government and the head of state)
The 1963 Republican Constitution kept the parliamentary system: the President was ceremonial head of state while the Prime Minister was head of government.
A major feature which differentiated the 1963 and 1979 constitutions was that in the former,
Answer: A (ministers were appointed from the National Assembly)
Under the 1963 parliamentary constitution, ministers had to be members of parliament. Under the 1979 presidential constitution, ministers were appointed from outside the National Assembly.
A court order compelling the executive or its agencies to produce an unlawfully detained person is called a writ of
Answer: C (habeas corpus)
A writ of habeas corpus orders those holding a person to bring him before the court so that the court can decide whether the detention is lawful.
The primary function of the Armed Forces of Nigeria is to
Answer: A (promote and protect the security of the nation)
The main job of the armed forces is to defend the country's territory and protect its security from external attack and internal threats.
Which organ was enshrined in the 1979 Constitution to protect public servants from political interference and arbitrary dismissal?
Answer: D (Federal Civil Service Commission)
The Federal Civil Service Commission controls appointment, promotion and discipline of civil servants. This keeps those decisions away from politicians and protects officers from arbitrary dismissal.
Apart from discussing the draft of the 1979 Constitution, what was the major pre-occupation of the constituent assembly in 1978?
Answer: B (Sharia issue)
The 1978 Constituent Assembly was famously divided over whether to create a Federal Sharia Court of Appeal, and many members walked out over it.
The first minority state to be created in the Nigerian federation was
Answer: D (Mid-West)
The Mid-Western Region was carved out of the Western Region in 1963 for minority groups. It was the first new unit created after independence.
One major constraint on the smooth operation of federalism in Nigeria is the
Answer: A (lack of an acceptable revenue allocation formula)
Arguments over how federal revenue should be shared between the federal, state and local governments have troubled Nigerian federalism since independence.
One of the basic differences between ministries and public corporations is that while ministries are
Answer: C (not established with specific statutes, public corporations are)
Each public corporation is set up by its own law (Act or Decree) that states its functions. Ministries are simply departments of the executive and are not created that way.
Privatization and commercialization of public enterprises in Nigeria will lead to further entrenchment of
Answer: B (capitalism)
Privatization moves enterprises from public to private ownership. That increases private ownership of the means of production, which is capitalism.
The 1976 Local Government Reforms has
Answer: D (reduced the political roles of traditional rulers)
The 1976 reforms made local government elected councils, a third tier of government, and limited traditional rulers to advisory and ceremonial roles.
The Babangida administration's transition to civil rule programme officially started in
Answer: C (1987)
After receiving the Political Bureau's report, the Babangida government announced its transition to civil rule programme in 1987. It was planned to end in 1990, later moved to 1992 and then 1993.
A major negative impact of military intervention in Nigerian politics is the
Answer: A (politicization of the military)
Once soldiers held political office, the military became divided by political interests and ambitions. This politicization damaged its discipline and professionalism.
The committee that recommended Abuja as the new Federal Capital was headed by
Answer: D (Akinola Aguda)
In 1975 the Murtala Mohammed government set up the panel on the location of the Federal Capital under Justice Akinola Aguda. It recommended Abuja.
The term, comprador bourgeoisie, has been used by scholars to describe
Answer: C (Nigerian businessmen who represent foreign interests)
A comprador bourgeoisie is a local business class that serves as agents or middlemen for foreign companies and capital.
Which of the following countries is closely associated with the development of Ajaokuta Steel Project?
Answer: D (Russia)
The Ajaokuta Steel Plant was designed and largely built with help from the Soviet Union (Russia).
The foreign affairs minister who advocated the 'concept of Medium powers' was
Answer: D (Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi)
As foreign minister (1985–1987), Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi proposed the 'Concert of Medium Powers', a group of middle-level nations that would speak together on world issues.
Which of the following reasons best explains why Nigeria, during the first republic, could not pursue an independent foreign policy?
Answer: D (Nigeria's economy was dependent on the Western countries)
Under Balewa, Nigeria relied heavily on Britain and the West for trade, aid and investment, so its foreign policy leaned towards the West.
The British prime minister who opposed the cancellation of Nigeria's debt was
Answer: A (Margaret Thatcher)
In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher's government insisted that Nigeria repay its debts and resisted calls for debt cancellation.
Which of the following African countries received Nigeria's assistance to fight her war of independence in 1975/76?
Answer: B (Angola)
In 1975/76 the Murtala Mohammed government recognised the MPLA government in Angola and gave it money and diplomatic support.
Which Nigerian was the executive secretary of the ECA?
Answer: B (Prof. Adebayo Adedeji)
Prof. Adebayo Adedeji led the UN Economic Commission for Africa as executive secretary from 1975 to 1991. Emeka Anyaoku was Commonwealth Secretary-General.
Nigeria was regarded as a 'Frontline State' because she
Answer: A (assisted liberation struggles in Southern Africa)
Nigeria gave so much money and diplomatic support to the fight against apartheid and white minority rule in Southern Africa that it was treated as an honorary 'Frontline State'.
The major strategy used by OPEC to influence oil price is by
Answer: A (determining the quality of oil to be produced at any given period)
OPEC sets production quotas, controlling how much oil its members produce. Cutting supply raises the price, and raising supply lowers it.
The Gulf War of 1990 is an indication that the UNO is unable to
Answer: D (ensure permanent world peace)
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 led to war despite the UN. This showed the UN could not guarantee lasting world peace.