67 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
Liberal democracy thrives best in a
Answer: B (multi-party system)
Liberal democracy needs free competition between parties so that voters have real choices.
Feudalism is a system of government where
Answer: A (a few people monopolize the ownership of land)
Under feudalism a few lords own the land and the serfs who farm it serve them.
Which of the following is a feature of communism?
Answer: A (common ownership of the means of production)
Under communism the means of production are owned in common by society.
The principle that any government that loses the support of the legislature resigns is practised in a
Answer: E (cabinet system.)
In the cabinet (parliamentary) system a government defeated on a vote of no confidence must resign or call an election.
The purpose of Montesquieu's argument for the separation of powers was to
Answer: A (prevent tyranny by the government)
Montesquieu argued that putting all powers in one hand leads to tyranny, so they should be separated.
A system where at least two levels of government derive their powers from the constitution is called
Answer: C (federal)
In a federation both the central and state governments get their powers directly from the constitution.
Which of the following countries has an unwritten constitution?
Answer: D (Britain)
Britain's constitution is not contained in a single document.
A constitution that requires a complex procedure for the amendment of its provision is described as
Answer: D (rigid)
A rigid constitution needs a special and difficult procedure to amend.
One of the reasons why states form a federation is to
Answer: C (cater for local differences)
Federalism lets different groups keep control of their local affairs while uniting for common purposes.
Concurrent list in a federal constitution issues within the legislative powers of the
Answer: D (federal and state governments)
Matters on the concurrent list can be legislated on by both the federal and state governments.
In the legislature, a private member's bill is
Answer: A (introduced by a member of Parliament)
A private member's bill is introduced by an ordinary member of the legislature who is not a minister.
The legislature of a federal system of government is usually
Answer: C (bicameral)
Federations usually have two chambers, one of which (e.g. the Senate) represents the states equally.
The communist ideology was propounded by
Answer: B (Karl Marx)
Karl Marx (with Friedrich Engels) developed communist theory.
Collective responsibility implies that every member of cabinet
Answer: D (take the credit or blame for the decisions made by the cabinet)
All ministers share credit or blame for cabinet decisions and must defend them publicly.
A state is said to be unitary if it
Answer: B (is organized under a single government)
In a unitary state all power belongs to one central government, which may delegate some to local units.
In a parliamentary system of government a vote of no confidence means expression of disapproval of
Answer: A (government's general policies)
A vote of no confidence shows parliament no longer supports the government and its policies.
A government shared by two authorities is called
Answer: A (diarchy)
Diarchy (dyarchy) means rule by two authorities, e.g. the military-civilian diarchy once proposed in Nigeria.
A singled-member constituency is one in which
Answer: C (only one representative is elected from each constituency)
A single-member constituency elects one representative.
Presidential system of government allows the
Answer: E (President to select ministers from outside the Legislature.)
Under the presidential system ministers are not members of the legislature; a legislator appointed must resign his seat.
The Executive arm of government refers to a body which
Answer: C (administers the law)
The executive carries out (administers) the laws.
One major disadvantage of a two-party system is that
Answer: A (choice of political associations is limited)
With only two parties, voters have a narrow choice.
Which of the following methods can be used by the Legislature to check the Executive in a presidential system?
Answer: D (impeachment)
The legislature can remove the President through impeachment.
Indirect election refers to an election that
Answer: A (is conducted through an electoral college)
In an indirect election the voters choose an electoral college which then elects the office holder.
Universal adult suffrage means that only
Answer: C (eligible adults are allowed to vote and be voted for)
Universal adult suffrage gives all qualified adults the right to vote and stand for election.
The system of election whereby each political party is given a percentage of seats that is equal to the percentage of popular votes cast in its favour is known as
Answer: B (proportional representation)
Proportional representation gives parties seats in proportion to their votes.
Constitutional government means a government
Answer: D (subject to constitutional provisions)
A constitutional government acts within the limits set by the constitution.
A pressure group is a body of people organized for the purpose of
Answer: C (exercising influence on government)
Pressure groups try to influence government policy without seeking to hold power.
Public opinion is defined as the
Answer: B (expressed views of the active and conscious citizens)
Public opinion is the views expressed by the informed and active section of the public on public issues; it is rarely the view of every single citizen.
One of the reasons for the establishment of a public corporation is to
Answer: A (undertake projects that require huge sums of money)
Government sets up corporations for essential projects needing capital too large for private investors (e.g. power, railways).
The policy-making powers in a public corporation are vested in the
Answer: D (Board of Directors)
The Board of Directors makes policy; the Managing Director runs daily operations.
Local governments can raise funds through
Answer: C (property rates)
Property (tenement) rates are a local government revenue; customs, excise and company taxes are federal.
The 1976 local government reforms in Nigeria ensured that local governments
Answer: D (have the same functions and compositions)
The 1976 reform gave all local governments a uniform structure and the same functions.
For purposes of local government election, local government areas are generally divided into
Answer: D (wards)
Each local government area is divided into wards, each electing a councillor.
Neutrality of civil servants means that they
Answer: B (should not take part in politics)
Civil servants must not take part in partisan politics so they can serve any government.
The Unification Decree that turned Nigeria to a Unitary State was promulgated during the regime of General
Answer: B (Aguiyi Ironsi)
Ironsi's Decree No. 34 of May 1966 abolished the regions and made Nigeria unitary.
The emirate system in the Hausa/Fulani traditional administration was
Answer: A (hierarchical)
The emirate system was a centralised hierarchy from the Emir down through district and village heads.
In the Igbo traditional political system, the Okpara was the
Answer: A (administrative head of his kindred)
The Okpara, the eldest man of the lineage and holder of the Ofo, headed his kindred (umunna).
Nationalist movements started late in French West Africa because
Answer: E (France suppressed political associations and parties.)
France suppressed political activity and the assimilation policy made the elite identify with France, so nationalism developed late.
An Oba in the traditional Yoruba political system was
Answer: A (the executive head of his people)
The Oba was the political (executive) head of his kingdom, ruling with his council of chiefs.
Universal adult suffrage was first adopted throughout Nigeria under the constitution of
Answer: E (1979.)
Women in the North could not vote until the late 1970s, so universal adult suffrage applied throughout Nigeria only under the 1979 constitution.
A recurrent problem of Nigerian federalism is
Answer: E (national unity.)
Keeping the many ethnic and religious groups united has been a constant problem of Nigerian federalism.
One of the main features of the Republican Constitution adopted by Nigeria in 1963 was that the
Answer: C (President became the Head of State)
In 1963 a Nigerian President (Azikiwe) replaced the Queen as Head of State.
In the 1922 Clifford Constitution of Nigeria
Answer: A (all the members of the Executive Council were British)
The Executive Council under the Clifford Constitution was made up only of British officials.
Who among the following nationalists founded the first political party in Nigeria?
Answer: D (Herbert Macaulay)
Herbert Macaulay founded the NNDP in 1923.
A major problem of political parties in Nigeria during the First Republic was that all
Answer: C (were tribally based)
The main parties (NPC, AG, NCNC) were each rooted in one region and ethnic group.
After the 1959 elections in Nigeria, a coalition government was formed at the centre by the
Answer: E (Northern People's Congress and Natonal Council of Nigerian Citizens.)
The NPC and NCNC formed the federal coalition government in 1959.
The Kaduna State Executive/ Legislative crisis of 1981 resulted in
Answer: E (the impeachment and removal of the governor of the state.)
The NPN-controlled Kaduna House of Assembly impeached Governor Balarabe Musa (PRP) in June 1981.
The dominant actors in the Action Group crisis of 1962 were
Answer: B (Obafemi Awolowo and Ladoke Akintola)
The crisis was a struggle between party leader Awolowo and Western Premier Akintola.
Who founded the Unity Party of Nigeria in the Second Republic?
Answer: C (Chief Obafemi Awolowo)
Awolowo founded and led the UPN (1978).
The political party that controlled the Federal Government during the Second Republic in Nigeria was the
Answer: E (National Party of Nigeria (NPN).)
Shagari's NPN controlled the federal government from 1979 to 1983.
The 1953 motion for self-government now in Nigeria was moved by
Answer: C (Chief Anthony Enahoro)
Anthony Enahoro of the Action Group moved the motion in the House of Representatives in March 1953, asking for self-government in 1956.
One of the major functions of the emir in the Hausa-Fulani traditional political system was to
Answer: D (levy, collect and spend taxes)
The Emir controlled the emirate's finances, levying taxes such as zakat, kharaj and jangali and spending them through his officials.
The traditional system of government in pre-colonial Nigeria was based largely on
Answer: C (Communalism)
Most pre-colonial Nigerian societies were communal: land belonged to the community and decisions stressed kinship and togetherness.
Which of the following bodies may be regarded as a regional organization?
Answer: E (ECOWAS.)
ECOWAS covers only the West African region; the UN, UNESCO and the Commonwealth are worldwide, and the OAU (now AU) was continental.
The non-permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations Organization are appointed for a period of
Answer: B (two years)
The ten non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms.
The veto power in the United Nations Organization (UNO) is exercised by
Answer: E (the permanent members of the Security Council.)
Only the five permanent members (USA, Russia, China, Britain, France) have the veto.
The commission for Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration is an organ of the
Answer: B (OAU)
The Commission of Mediation, Conciliation and Arbitration was one of the OAU's principal organs. The OAU was replaced by the African Union in 2002.
Section A (answer four questions in all, choosing any two from each section)
Outline the basic functions performed by a modern government.
Making laws.
Maintaining law and order and internal security.
Defending the country from external attack.
Administering justice (courts).
Protecting citizens' rights and freedoms.
Providing social services: education, health, water, roads, electricity.
Promoting economic development (agriculture, industry, commerce) and creating jobs.
Raising revenue (taxes) and spending it (budget).
Conducting foreign relations.
Conducting elections and ensuring orderly change of government.
Short, clear points are enough for 'outline'.
Section A (answer four questions in all, choosing any two from each section)
Give reasons why delegated legislation is often criticised.
Weakens the law-making role of the legislature (parliament hands power to the executive).
Violates the principle of separation of powers.
Often poorly publicised, so citizens may not know the rules.
May be made without adequate consultation of those affected.
Difficult for the legislature to control effectively.
Can be abused by officials and threaten citizens' liberties.
Too much of it: volume of rules confuses people.
Undemocratic: made by unelected officials.
Rules may be vague or go beyond the parent law (ultra vires).
Explain each criticism briefly.
Section A (answer four questions in all, choosing any two from each section)
(a) What is sovereignty of a state?
(b) Outline the limitation of sovereignty in a state.
(a) Sovereignty is the supreme legal power of a state to make and enforce laws within its territory, free from external control.
(b) Constitution (limits government power in a constitutional state); international law, treaties and agreements; membership of international organisations (UN, AU, ECOWAS); public opinion; pressure groups; customs, traditions and religion; federalism (powers shared with states); judicial review/independence of courts; economic dependence on other states or foreign aid; diplomatic immunity; military alliances; fundamental human rights.
Define clearly; then give at least five limits.
Section A (answer four questions in all, choosing any two from each section)
Explain six ways by which a citizen's right can be safeguarded.
Entrenchment of fundamental human rights in the constitution.
Rule of law: equality before the law and fair hearing.
Independent judiciary that citizens can approach for redress (e.g. habeas corpus).
Separation of powers and checks and balances.
Free press to expose abuses.
Ombudsman (Public Complaints Commission) and human rights commissions.
Pressure groups and human-rights organisations.
Democratic elections and opposition parties.
Political education: citizens knowing their rights.
Legal aid for the poor.
Six ways, each explained.
Section A (answer four questions in all, choosing any two from each section)
What are the merits and demerits of a multi-party system of government?
Merits: wide choice of candidates and programmes for voters; wider political participation and education; prevents one-party dictatorship; different interests and opinions are represented; competition improves party organisation and government performance; strong opposition checks the government.
Demerits: may produce weak coalition governments (in parliamentary systems); difficult to hold one party responsible; can encourage ethnic and sectional parties; divides the nation; expensive; difficult to form governments; many small parties confuse voters; may lead to political instability.
Balance merits and demerits.
Section B (answer two questions only from this section)
Outline the defects of the Lyttleton Constitution of 1954 in Nigeria.
No office of Prime Minister at the centre; the Governor-General presided over the Council of Ministers.
Federal ministers owed loyalty to their regional parties and leaders.
Official members remained in the federal and regional executive councils.
Governor-General and Governors kept reserved and veto powers.
Different electoral systems were used in the regions.
Regionalisation of the public service and the judiciary weakened the centre.
Revenue allocation over-emphasised derivation, encouraging regionalism.
Unicameral federal legislature: no Senate to represent regions equally.
Minority groups' fears were not addressed.
Regions were too strong in relation to the centre.
Point form is fine.
Section B (answer two questions only from this section)
(a) Define nationalism
(b) What factors aided the growth of nationalism in Nigeria?
(a) Nationalism is a strong feeling of belonging to and love for one's nation, which in colonial Africa led to the struggle against foreign rule and for self-government.
(b) Racial discrimination and colonial exploitation; Western education and the rise of an educated elite; Christianity's teaching of equality; the press (e.g. West African Pilot, Lagos Daily News); the Second World War (ex-servicemen, the myth of white superiority broken); the Atlantic Charter (1941) right of self-determination; British Labour Party victory (1945); independence of India (1947) and Ghana (1957); pan-African movement and leaders abroad (Garvey, Du Bois); trade unions and the 1945 general strike; formation of political parties; urbanisation; unpopular constitutions (e.g. Richards 1946).
Define, then explain at least five factors.
Section B (answer two questions only from this section)
What were the weakness of the military regime in Nigeria between 1966 and 1975?
Suspension of the constitution and rule by decrees; no democratic legitimacy.
Abuse of human rights: detention without trial, curtailing press freedom.
Ironsi's Unification Decree (1966) and its crisis.
Ethnic division within the army, leading to counter-coup (July 1966) and the civil war (1967–70).
Corruption of military governors and officials.
Gowon's failure to keep the 1976 handover date (postponed indefinitely in 1974).
Personal rule by governors; disregard for public opinion.
Inflation and economic mismanagement (e.g. cement armada, Udoji awards).
Discredited 1973 census.
Weak accountability; tribunals in place of courts.
Cover the Ironsi and Gowon regimes.
Section B (answer two questions only from this section)
Why did the educated elite oppose the introduction of Indirect Rule in Southern Nigeria?
They were excluded from the administration, which used traditional rulers instead.
Many chiefs were illiterate and unfit for modern administration.
Indirect rule made the chiefs autocratic and puppets of the British.
In the East it imposed artificial warrant chiefs who lacked legitimacy.
It introduced direct taxation, which was resented (e.g. Aba riot 1929, Egba uprising 1918).
It slowed political progress towards self-government.
It encouraged ethnic and regional division.
The South already had educated people able to take part in modern government.
Explain each reason.
Section B (answer two questions only from this section)
How has Nigeria shown that Africa is the centrepiece of her foreign policy?
Support for liberation movements in Southern Africa (Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa) with money and diplomacy; front-line role against apartheid.
Founding and active membership of the OAU (now AU) and ECOWAS (1975).
Peacekeeping: Chad (1979, 1981), Liberia and Sierra Leone (ECOMOG, from 1990).
Financial aid, loans and oil at concessional prices to African states (e.g. Nigerian Trust Fund at the ADB).
Technical Aid Corps (1987): sending Nigerian professionals to African countries.
Mediation in African disputes and civil wars.
Recognition of the MPLA in Angola (1975) despite US pressure.
Nationalisation of BP (1979) over Britain's Southern Africa policy.
Hosting African events such as FESTAC 77 and the All-Africa Games.
Give specific examples and dates.