46 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
In a parliamentary system, the functions of the head of state and the head of government are vested in
Answer: C (two different individuals)
A parliamentary system has a dual executive: a ceremonial head of state (monarch or president) and a separate head of government (prime minister).
Government by the wealthy is known as
Answer: A (plutocracy)
Plutocracy is rule by the rich. Oligarchy is rule by a few, and aristocracy is rule by a privileged noble class.
A collegial executive is a government in which power is vested in a
Answer: C (committee)
A collegial executive shares executive power among a group (a council or committee) of equal members, as in Switzerland's Federal Council.
The unrestrained power of the state over its citizens is underlined by
Answer: A (sovereignty)
Sovereignty is the supreme, unlimited power of the state to make and enforce laws over everyone within its territory.
Removal by impeachment applies to the position of a
Answer: A (president)
Impeachment is the process by which the legislature removes an executive president. A prime minister is removed by a vote of no confidence instead.
One of the duties of the legislature is to
Answer: D (exercise oversight.)
Besides making laws, the legislature watches over (oversees) the executive, for example through committees, probes and approval of budgets. Implementing laws is the executive's job and settling disputes is the judiciary's.
The independence of the judiciary can be undermined through the
Answer: A (politicization of the appointment of judges)
If judges are appointed for political reasons, they may favour those who appointed them instead of judging fairly, so their independence suffers.
A common feature of government is
Answer: B (the making of public policy)
Every government, whatever its form, makes and carries out public policy. Separation of powers, independent courts and written constitutions are found only in some governments.
The best form of government for a heterogeneous society is a
Answer: B (federal system)
Federalism lets different ethnic, religious and language groups keep some self-rule in their own units while still belonging to one country.
Capitalism is a system of economic organization based on
Answer: B (individual ownership of the means of production)
Under capitalism, land, factories and other means of production are owned privately by individuals and firms, who run them for profit.
Election as a political process is significant because it
Answer: C (facilitates constitutional change of government)
Elections allow a government to be replaced peacefully and lawfully, according to the constitution, instead of by force.
Associations whose main interest is to influence public policies without having to capture power are
Answer: D (pressure groups.)
Pressure groups try to influence what government does but, unlike political parties, do not seek to take control of government.
Constitutional disputes in states with written constitutions are resolved by the
Answer: B (judiciary)
The courts interpret the constitution, so disputes over its meaning are settled by the judiciary.
The citizenship of a country could be acquired through
Answer: B (birth and naturalization)
Citizenship is usually acquired by birth, by registration (e.g. marriage) or by naturalization after living in the country for a required period.
Socialism is a mode of production based on
Answer: A (state ownership of the means of production)
Under socialism the major means of production are owned and controlled by the state on behalf of the people, rather than by private individuals.
The civil service embraces all workers in
Answer: C (government ministries)
The civil service is made up of the employees of government ministries and departments. Staff of public corporations and private firms are not civil servants.
A meeting of the legislature is usually brought to an end with
Answer: B (an adjournment)
A single sitting of the legislature ends with an adjournment. Prorogation ends a whole session, and dissolution ends the life of the legislature itself.
What distinguishes a political party from other social institutions is the desire to
Answer: C (win elections and form a government)
Only political parties aim to win elections and take control of government; other groups only try to influence it.
The operation of the rule of law is undermined by the
Answer: B (existence of administrative tribunals and special immunities)
The rule of law requires equality before the law and trial by ordinary courts. Immunity for some officials and special administrative tribunals break both rules.
The type of government operated in Nigeria between October 1st 1979 and December 31st 1983 is called a
Answer: B (presidential system of government)
The 1979 Constitution set up the Second Republic with an executive president, Shehu Shagari, elected directly by the people.
The Arthur Richards Constitution was designed to last for
Answer: A (nine years)
Richards' constitution (1946) was planned to last nine years, but strong criticism by nationalists led to its early replacement by the Macpherson Constitution in 1951.
In the pre-colonial Igbo society, the maintenance of peace and order was the function of the
Answer: C (age-grades)
Igbo age-grades acted like a police force: they kept order, enforced decisions of the village assembly and carried out public works.
The smooth operation of the civil service in Nigeria is mostly hampered by
Answer: B (corruption and inefficiency)
Corruption and inefficiency, such as bribery, delays and poor discipline, are the biggest obstacles to an effective Nigerian civil service.
The Eastern and Western regions of Nigeria achieved the status of self-government in
Answer: B (1957)
The Eastern and Western Regions became self-governing in 1957; the Northern Region followed in 1959.
One of the legacies of pre-colonial Nigeria destroyed by the British was the
Answer: B (indigenous cultures of the people)
Colonial rule spread Western religion, education and ways of life that weakened many indigenous cultures and traditional institutions.
The 1979 Constitution established the
Answer: B (National Population Commission)
The 1979 Constitution listed the National Population Commission among the federal executive bodies. The other bodies were created later by acts or decrees.
The expenditure of public funds by the executive in Nigeria is controlled by the
Answer: C (legislature)
The legislature approves the budget (appropriation act) and checks how the money is spent, which is its power of the purse.
The most important challenge facing the Fourth Republic is
Answer: B (the successful conduct of the 2003 elections)
When this paper was set, the big test of the new democracy was whether the 2003 elections, the first run by a civilian government since 1983, would be conducted successfully.
The Bureau for Public Enterprises is charged with the responsibility for
Answer: A (privatization and commercialization)
The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) carries out the government's programme of privatizing and commercializing public enterprises.
Financial allocation to local governments by the federal or the state government to supplement the cost of a project is called
Answer: D (matching grant.)
A matching grant is money a higher government gives to share the cost of a project with a lower government, which also puts in its own money.
A problem of Nigerian federalism that was resolved by the Supreme Court between the federal government and the littoral states centered on resource
Answer: D (control.)
The resource control (onshore/offshore) case between the federal government and the coastal states was decided by the Supreme Court in 2002.
The military head of state during the Third Republic was
Answer: B (General Ibrahim Babangida)
The Third Republic was the transition programme of General Babangida, under which civilian governors and the National Assembly were elected while he remained head of state; it was never completed.
In the First Republic, politics in the Northern region was dominated by the
Answer: D (NPC.)
The Northern People's Congress (NPC), led by Sir Ahmadu Bello, controlled the Northern Region government throughout the First Republic.
One of the reasons advanced for the overthrow of the Gowon regime was its failure to
Answer: A (honour the promise to hand over power)
In 1974 Gowon said that his promised 1976 return to civilian rule was no longer realistic; this was one of the reasons for the July 1975 coup.
The 1976 Reforms have been most beneficial to the
Answer: C (local government)
The 1976 Local Government Reform created a uniform, single-tier system recognised as the third tier of government, with statutory funding.
The dispute between Nigeria and Cameroun is over
Answer: C (territory)
Nigeria and Cameroon disputed ownership of territory, especially the Bakassi peninsula. The International Court of Justice ruled for Cameroon in 2002.
The activities of Nigeria in the international community are primarily influenced by
Answer: B (national interest)
Like every country, Nigeria's foreign policy is guided above all by its national interest.
Nigeria's relations with Britain were at a very low ebb under the
Answer: B (Buhari Regime)
Under Buhari (1984-85) the attempted kidnapping of Umaru Dikko in London led to the expulsion of diplomats on both sides.
Nigeria's high standing in the UN General Assembly is underscored by her
Answer: C (contribution to global peace)
Nigeria has sent troops to many UN peacekeeping missions, which has earned it respect in the UN.
Nigeria's Non-Alignment Policy is constrained by her
Answer: A (strong ties with Western powers)
Nigeria claimed to be non-aligned, but its close economic and historical links with Britain and other Western countries pulled it towards the West.
The main constraint on Nigeria-Francophone West African cooperation is
Answer: C (economic dependence)
French-speaking West African states depend heavily on France economically (for example through the CFA franc), which limits their cooperation with Nigeria.
The majority of the OPEC members are from
Answer: B (The Middle East)
Most OPEC members, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and the UAE, are in the Middle East.
The non-British colony which is a member of the Commonwealth is
Answer: C (Mozambique)
Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony, joined the Commonwealth in 1995. Rwanda, a former Belgian territory, also joined later, in 2009, after this paper was set.
The ECOWAS Treaty was reviewed in 1991 to
Answer: B (make it responsive to new challenges)
The ECOWAS Treaty review that began in 1991 (adopted in 1993) updated the community's aims to meet new economic and security challenges.
The headquarters of the International Court of Justice is in
Answer: D (The Hague.)
The International Court of Justice, the UN's main court, sits in the Peace Palace at The Hague, Netherlands.
The tenure of the President of the UN Security Council is
Answer: B (one month)
The Security Council presidency rotates monthly among its members in English alphabetical order, so each president serves one month.