67 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
The primary function of government in a state is to
Answer: D (maintain law and order)
The first duty of any government is to keep law and order and protect lives and property; other services depend on peace and security.
A country is most likely to have a good government only if it had
Answer: C (a good constitution and good operators)
A good constitution can be ruined by bad leaders, and good leaders are limited by a bad constitution, so both are needed.
Which of the following is a basic principle of democracy? Rule by
Answer: A (the majority and the right of the minority)
Democracy is majority rule with the rights of minorities protected.
Which of the following is a legal source of political authority?
Answer: D (Power from the electorate)
Authority is legal and legitimate when it comes from the people through elections. Power taken by the gun is not lawful authority.
Which organ of government is vested with the responsibility of initiating bills and recommending them to the legislature for consideration? The
Answer: B (Executive)
Most bills, including the budget, are drafted by the executive (ministries) and sent to the legislature to debate and pass.
The independence of the Judiciary can be enhanced in all the following cases except where
Answer: E (the President is also the Chief Judge.)
If the President also headed the judiciary, the executive would control the courts, destroying judicial independence.
Which of the following is a unique feature of a feudalism?
Answer: D (Lord-Serf relationship)
Feudalism was built on the relationship between land-owning lords and the serfs who worked their land in return for protection.
Which of the following is a unique feature of a monarchy?
Answer: B (Succession is hereditary)
In a monarchy the throne passes within a royal family by inheritance, and the monarch usually rules for life.
There is no separation of powers in a Cabinet system because
Answer: C (the Prime Minister and his cabinet ministers are also members of parliament)
In the cabinet (parliamentary) system, the Prime Minister and ministers are drawn from parliament, so the executive and legislature are fused.
In democracies, political participation could be restricted on the basis of
Answer: E (age.)
Democracies set a minimum age (e.g. 18) for voting and holding office, but they do not exclude people because of religion, class, race or sex.
Disenfranchisement refers to the
Answer: C (denial of right to vote in an election)
To disenfranchise someone is to take away or deny his right to vote.
The limitation on the right to life can be found
Answer: B (in the case of a convicted person)
The constitution allows the right to life to be taken away when a court sentences a person convicted of a capital offence to death.
Which of the following is not an agent of political socialization?
Answer: A (Tourism)
Family, peer groups, schools and the mass media all pass on political values. Tourism is not an agent of political socialisation.
Political sovereignty belongs to
Answer: A (the people)
Political sovereignty lies with the electorate (the people), who choose the law-makers. Parliament holds legal sovereignty.
An alien who has lived in Nigeria for twenty years may acquire citizenship by
Answer: B (naturalization)
A foreigner who has lived in a country for the required number of years and meets other conditions can apply to become a citizen by naturalisation.
Which of the following is not a feature of capitalism?
Answer: E (Dictatorship of the proletariat.)
Dictatorship of the proletariat (rule by the working class) is a Marxist/communist idea, not a feature of capitalism.
A representative government can be established through
Answer: A (a general election)
Representative government means rule by people elected by the citizens, so it is established through elections.
Delegate legislation is suitable for
Answer: A (relieving the parliament of its work-load)
Parliament has too much work and too little time and expertise to make every detailed rule, so it delegates some law-making to ministers and agencies.
A necessary companion of the Rule of Law is
Answer: C (the supremacy of the ordinary law)
Rule of law requires that ordinary law, applied by ordinary courts, is supreme over everyone. The other options all violate the rule of law.
An appropriation bill is
Answer: D (a monetary bill)
An appropriation bill authorises government spending from public funds, such as the annual budget, so it is a money (monetary) bill.
A coalition government can be described as one which
Answer: A (is made up of more than one political party)
A coalition government is formed when two or more parties join together to govern, usually because none has a majority alone.
One of the modern principles of government found in the traditional political system of the Yoruba is that of
Answer: B (checks and balances)
In the old Oyo empire the Alaafin, Oyo Mesi and Ogboni checked one another's powers, similar to modern checks and balances.
The function of the age-group in the Igbo pre-colonial society was to
Answer: A (enforce laws and punish erring members)
Igbo age grades carried out decisions of the village assembly, kept order, did public works and disciplined offenders.
An important feature of the traditional government in West Africa was the Council of
Answer: C (Elders)
Most traditional West African societies were governed with the help of a council of elders who advised rulers, made rules and settled disputes.
A political party is mainly interested in
Answer: A (contesting elections to gain power)
The main aim of a political party, unlike a pressure group, is to win elections and control government.
The most important merit of a multi-party system is that it
Answer: D (gives representation to the widest shades of opinion and interest)
With many parties, people with different views and interests can find a party that represents them.
A pressure group can be defined as a
Answer: E (group organized around an interest for government action.)
A pressure group is an organised group of people with a common interest who try to influence government decisions, without trying to take power.
An election in which people vote for issues of public policy rather than candidates is known as a
Answer: E (referendum.)
In a referendum the electorate votes directly 'yes' or 'no' on a policy or constitutional question, not on candidates.
Where no absolute majority is obtained in the first round of elections, the most viable option is the
Answer: C (second ballot)
Under the second ballot (run-off) system, if no candidate wins an absolute majority, a second round is held, usually between the leading candidates.
Which of the following is a function of Electoral Commission?
Answer: B (Arranging and conducting elections)
An electoral commission organises and conducts elections, registers voters and announces results. It must stay neutral among parties.
The Indirect Rule system succeeded in Hausa/Fulani society because the
Answer: D (existing administration favoured the system)
The emirates already had centralised rule by emirs with officials, courts and tax systems, so the British could easily rule through them.
The policy of association was adopted by the
Answer: B (French to replace their policy of Assimilation)
France replaced assimilation with association, which respected African cultures more and allowed traditional institutions to continue under French control.
Nationalism in Africa eventually led to
Answer: C (Decolonization)
The main result of African nationalism was the end of colonial rule and independence for African states (decolonisation).
One major achievement of the Richards Constitution of Nigeria was that it
Answer: A (united the North and South under a single legislature)
The 1946 Richards Constitution created a central Legislative Council that legislated for the whole country, including the North for the first time. The elective principle came earlier, in 1922.
The 1954 Constitution of Nigeria made the country a true Federation because it provided for
Answer: C (a division of functions between the centre and the regions)
Federalism means dividing powers between the centre and component units; the 1954 constitution did this through exclusive, concurrent and residual lists.
The Chicks Commission in Nigeria was set up to look into the issue of
Answer: A (revenue allocation)
Sir Louis Chick's commission of 1953 examined revenue allocation and recommended the derivation principle.
The decision to separate Lagos from the Western Region and make it a neutral Federal territory was taken at the
Answer: B (1953 constitutional conference)
At the London constitutional conference of 1953 it was decided that Lagos would be taken out of the Western Region and become federal territory; this took effect under the 1954 constitution.
Which of the following was not required of a Presidential candidate for the 1979 election in Nigeria? He must
Answer: B (be an indigene of the northern states)
The 1979 constitution and electoral law required a presidential candidate to be a Nigerian by birth, at least 35, sponsored by a party and up to date with taxes. Coming from any particular region was not required.
Between 1960 and 1980, Nigeria experienced all the following systems of government except
Answer: C (confederal)
Nigeria had parliamentary federalism (1960-66), a brief unitary system (1966 Decree 34), military federalism and, from 1979, a presidential system. It never had a confederation.
The functions of the Governor-General in Nigeria after independence did not include
Answer: E (legislating by proclamation.)
The Governor-General had ceremonial and formal powers (appointing the Prime Minister, pardon, formally dismissing ministers on advice), but law-making belonged to Parliament.
Which of the following was the first political party in Nigeria? The
Answer: D (Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP))
Herbert Macaulay founded the NNDP in 1923. The NCNC came in 1944, the AG in 1951 and the NPC in 1949/51.
Which of the following is not true of a federal system of government? The
Answer: B (Powers are not constitutionally shared)
In a federation powers are shared by the constitution between the central and regional governments, so 'powers are not constitutionally shared' is false.
The main criticism against pre-independence political parties in Nigeria was that they
Answer: A (were not national in outlook)
The NPC, NCNC and AG were each based mainly in one region and ethnic group, so they lacked a national outlook.
Which of the following did not generate political crises in Nigeria? The
Answer: E (adoption of Abuja as the new Federal Capital.)
The choice of Abuja as federal capital (1976) was generally accepted. The 1953 self-government motion, the 1962/63 census and the 1964 and 1965 elections all caused crises.
The major policy of General Gowon's administration immediately after the Nigerian civil war was
Answer: C (Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Rehabilitation)
After the war ended in 1970, Gowon declared 'no victor, no vanquished' and pursued the 3Rs: Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Reconciliation.
Which of the following was not an election issue in Nigeria during the Second Republic?
Answer: E (Change of the colour of the Naira.)
Parties campaigned on states, local governments, free education and housing. Changing the colour of the naira (done in 1984 by the Buhari regime) was not a campaign issue.
Which of the following countries was not involved in the peace-keeping effort in Liberia?
Answer: D (Cameroun)
Cameroun is not a member of ECOWAS and took no part in ECOMOG. Nigeria, Ghana and Sierra Leone sent troops, and Togo served on the ECOWAS mediation committee.
The first military Head of State in Nigeria was General
Answer: C (Aguiyi-Ironsi)
Major-General J. T. U. Aguiyi-Ironsi took over in January 1966 after the first coup and became Nigeria's first military Head of State.
Which of the following is a feature of a public corporation? It
Answer: A (provides social services and amenities)
Public corporations are set up mainly to provide essential services and amenities. They have legal personality and are headed by boards and managing directors, not ministers, and profit is not their main aim.
One of the problems facing local government in Nigeria is the
Answer: D (lack of personnel)
Local governments have long been short of qualified staff such as engineers, doctors and accountants, which weakens their work. Grants have not been withdrawn, and interference comes mainly from state governments.
Local government are essential because they
Answer: E (train local people in the art of governance.)
Local government gives local people experience in running affairs and serves as a training ground for leaders. It does not implement policies at all levels or make national laws.
The goal which a State aspires to achieve in its relation with other states may be referred to as
Answer: C (national interest)
National interest is what a state seeks to protect or achieve (security, economic welfare, prestige) in its dealings with other states.
Nigeria's foreign policy came into the limelight at independence because
Answer: B (only at independence do states proclaim their foreign policy principles)
Before 1960 Britain handled Nigeria's external affairs; only as an independent sovereign state could Nigeria declare its own foreign policy.
Which of the following has the Organization of African Unity (OAU) failed to achieve?
Answer: A (Setting up an African High Command)
Nkrumah's idea of an African High Command (a continental army) was never achieved by the OAU. (The OAU was replaced by the African Union in 2002.)
ECOWAS was set up purely for
Answer: E (economic advantages.)
ECOWAS was founded in 1975 to promote economic co-operation and integration among West African states.
The resolutions and programmes of the OAU are executed by the
Answer: D (Council of Ministers)
Under the OAU Charter, the Council of Ministers (foreign ministers) was responsible for carrying out the decisions of the Assembly of Heads of State. (The OAU was replaced by the African Union in 2002.)
One of the objectives of the United Nations Organization (UNO) is to
Answer: B (maintain International peace and security)
The first purpose of the UN in its Charter is to maintain international peace and security.
Section A (answer two questions from this section)
Explain what is meant by Government as an academic field of study.
Government as a subject (political science) is the systematic study of the state, its institutions and how political power is gained and used
It studies political institutions: constitutions, legislature, executive, judiciary, parties, elections
It studies political ideas and theories (democracy, sovereignty, ideologies) and political thinkers
It covers public administration, local government, comparative government and international relations
It studies political behaviour of individuals and groups
It uses scientific methods: observation, data, analysis
It is inter-disciplinary: draws from history, economics, sociology, philosophy, law
Aim: produce informed, responsible citizens and leaders
Explain the scope and methods; don't confuse it with government as an institution or a process.
Section A
(a) Explain the term representative government.
(b) What conditions are essential for the existence of a representative government?
(a) A system in which citizens choose, through periodic elections, people who make decisions and govern on their behalf and who are accountable to them
(b) Periodic, free and fair elections
Universal adult suffrage
Independent electoral commission
More than one political party / freedom to choose candidates
Free press and freedom of expression
Independent judiciary and rule of law
Constitutionalism; respect for fundamental rights
Politically aware electorate
Up-to-date voters' register and well-defined constituencies
Define, then explain at least five conditions.
Section A
(a) What is political authority?
(b) Explain the various types of political authority.
(a) The recognised and accepted right to make and enforce decisions and laws that citizens obey; power that is legitimate
(b) Traditional authority: based on custom and inheritance (e.g. Emirs, Obas, chiefs)
Charismatic authority: based on the exceptional personal qualities of a leader that inspire loyalty (e.g. Nkrumah, Gandhi)
Legal-rational authority: based on laws and constitutionally defined offices (e.g. an elected President, a judge)
(Max Weber's classification); may also mention delegated authority
Use Weber's three types and give an example of each.
Section A
State the functions and problems of public corporation.
Functions: provide essential services (electricity, water, transport, communication)
Provide services that need huge capital private firms cannot raise
Prevent exploitation by private monopolies; keep prices reasonable
Create employment
Generate revenue for government
Undertake strategic projects (e.g. minting, defence industries)
Promote national development and even distribution of amenities
Problems: political interference and patronage appointments
Corruption, embezzlement and mismanagement
Inadequate funding and poor maintenance
Over-staffing and lack of qualified staff
Red tape and inefficiency due to monopoly
Poor attitude of workers ('government work is nobody's business')
Frequent changes of board and policy
Give both parts roughly equal weight.
Section A
What are the functions of pressure groups?
Represent and protect the interests of their members
Influence government policies and legislation (lobbying)
Provide government with information and expert advice
Educate the public and their members politically
Act as a check on government and expose abuses
Serve as a link between the people and government
Promote participation in politics
Help in policy implementation and mobilisation
Training ground for future leaders
Explain at least five functions with examples (NLC, NUT, NMA, NBA).
Section B (answer two questions from this section)
Explain the factors that necessitated the adoption of the Nigerian Federalism
Large size of the country and population
Ethnic, cultural, language and religious diversity
Fear of domination of minorities by majority groups
Colonial history: separate administration of North and South and regionalism under Richards/Macpherson
Desire for unity in diversity while keeping local autonomy
Uneven development and resources among regions
Demands of nationalist leaders (e.g. Awolowo) at the constitutional conferences
Economic advantages of a large common market
Bringing government nearer to the people
The 1953 crisis (self-government motion, Kano riots) showing a unitary system would not work
Explain each factor; dates and events earn extra marks.
Section B
Highlight the aims and objectives of the National Council for Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC).
Founded 1944 (Herbert Macaulay president, Nnamdi Azikiwe secretary/later leader)
To achieve self-government and independence for Nigeria
To unite the different peoples of Nigeria and the Cameroons
To promote democratic government and protect fundamental rights
To fight against obnoxious colonial laws and constitutions (e.g. the Richards Constitution, 1947 London delegation)
To educate the people politically and promote nationalism
To promote economic, social and educational development
To promote Nigerianisation of the civil service
To co-operate with other nationalist movements in Africa
List the aims clearly; a short background earns a mark.
Section B
Outline five major features of Nigeria's foreign policy since independence.
Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria's foreign policy
Non-alignment: not joining either the Western or Eastern bloc during the Cold War
Respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of all states; non-interference in others' internal affairs
Peaceful settlement of disputes
Support for decolonisation and liberation movements; opposition to apartheid and racism
Promotion of African unity and co-operation (OAU/AU, ECOWAS)
Membership of and support for international organisations (UN, Commonwealth)
Economic diplomacy / good neighbourliness
Five well-explained features are enough; give examples.
Section B
State the functions of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization.
Chief administrative officer of the UN; heads the Secretariat
Appoints and directs UN staff
Brings to the Security Council any matter that may threaten international peace
Acts as a mediator in disputes (good offices)
Prepares the annual report on the work of the UN to the General Assembly
Attends and serves meetings of the General Assembly, Security Council, ECOSOC and Trusteeship Council
Carries out tasks given by the other organs; supervises peace-keeping operations
Prepares the UN budget; represents the UN in public and at international events
State each function in a clear sentence.
Section B
What were the major changes introduced in Nigeria by the Clifford Constitution of 1922?
Introduced the elective principle for the first time: four elected African members (three for Lagos, one for Calabar)
Created a new Legislative Council of 46 members (official majority) for Lagos and the Southern Provinces
Abolished the Nigerian Council of Lugard
Created a separate Executive Council made up of officials only
The Governor continued to legislate for the North by proclamation
Restricted franchise: adult male residents with an income of at least £100 a year
Led to the formation of political parties (NNDP, 1923) and newspapers
Stimulated nationalist activities
Focus on what was new in 1922.