WAEC Government 2004 past questions and answers

A constitutional government is one whose powers are limited and exercised according to the constitution and laws of the land.

A stateless society has no central, formally constituted authority; order is kept through kinship, elders and custom.

In direct democracy all the citizens take part in making decisions themselves, as in the ancient Greek city-states, instead of electing representatives.

Karl Marx, with Friedrich Engels, set out and spread the theory of scientific socialism and communism.

Aristocracy is rule by a small class of nobles; the nobles who rule are aristocrats.

Fascism is built around an all-powerful leader (like Mussolini) who is treated as supreme and above the law.

A totalitarian government concentrates all power in one person or party and controls every aspect of life.

Absolute monarchs claimed they got their right to rule from God and so answered to no one on earth.

Communalism is the traditional system in which members of a community pool their efforts and resources for the common good.

Under feudalism a few lords owned the land and the serfs worked on it in return for protection.

Socialism places the means of production and distribution under public (state) ownership.

In the parliamentary system ministers are also members of the legislature, so the executive and legislature are fused.

In a classical federation like the USA, matters not listed in the constitution (residual powers) are left to the states.

A bicephalous (two-headed) executive has a ceremonial head of state and a separate head of government (prime minister), as in the parliamentary system.

An executive president is elected by the people for a fixed term and answers to the electorate, not to the legislature.

Delegated legislation is used to save time, handle technical matters and allow flexibility; its purpose is not to reduce the legislature's power.

In cabinet (parliamentary) government all ministers stand or fall together on cabinet decisions: collective responsibility.

In a confederation the component units keep their sovereignty and the centre is weak, so citizens owe their first loyalty to their own unit.

Baron de Montesquieu is best known for the theory, but John Locke wrote earlier of separating legislative and executive power; he is the only one of these options linked with it.

Government works through its organs: the legislature, the executive and the judiciary.

The executive carries out (implements) laws and policies; the legislature makes laws and the judiciary interprets them.

Judicial independence means judges decide cases freely, without pressure from the executive, the legislature or anyone else.

'Uni' means one: a unicameral legislature has a single chamber.

Britain is a unitary state with power concentrated in the central parliament; Nigeria, Canada and the USA are federations.

The Public Complaints Commission is the ombudsman: it looks into citizens' complaints against public officials.

A writ of habeas corpus orders that a detained person be brought before a court, so it deals with unlawful detention.

A multi-party system gives citizens choice and an opposition that checks the government, which protects liberties.

The main aim of a political party is to win elections and so control the government.

Supporters of the one-party state argue that it unites the nation and avoids ethnic and sectional division.

A producers' union protects the business and economic interests of its members, so it is an economic (interest) group.

Promotional (cause) groups push causes that benefit the general public, such as human rights or the environment.

The family is the first agent of socialisation and shapes a child's views before school or other groups.

In the plurality (first-past-the-post) system the candidate with the most votes wins, even if below 50%: a simple majority.

The electoral commission registers voters and conducts elections; courts or tribunals hear petitions and parties nominate candidates.

The Public (Civil) Service Commission is the body that appoints, promotes and disciplines civil servants.

Red tape means too many rules and procedures, which slows down government work.

Local government brings government close to people at the grassroots.

French policy divided Africans into citizens (assimilated, with French rights) and subjects (who lived under the indigénat).

The Clifford (1922), Guggisberg (1925) and Sierra Leone (1924) constitutions first allowed some Africans to be elected to the legislative councils.

Crown colonies such as Lagos and Freetown were governed directly by British officials, while the protectorates used indirect rule.

Assimilation made the educated elite see themselves as French, which delayed the rise of nationalism.

Federalism lets diverse groups keep some self-rule, so it is adopted where minorities fear domination.

Size, leadership and the economy shape foreign policy; the educational system is not a direct factor.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku of Nigeria was Commonwealth Secretary-General from 1990 to 2000.

ECOWAS was set up in 1975 mainly to promote economic integration and development among its members.

The ECOWAS Commission (Secretariat) is in Abuja, Nigeria; it moved there from Lagos.

Article 1 of the UN Charter makes keeping international peace and security the first purpose of the UN.

(a) An economic and political system in which the means of production, distribution and exchange are privately owned and run for profit, with little government interference.
(b) Any five: private ownership of property and means of production; profit motive; prices set by market forces of demand and supply; free competition; consumer sovereignty/freedom of choice; free enterprise (anyone may start a business); labour sold for wages; inequality of income and class division; limited state role in the economy.

Define first, then give five separate features, each with one sentence.

(a) Decentralisation is the sharing or transfer of governmental power and functions from the central government to lower units (states/regions, local governments, field offices), by devolution, delegation or deconcentration.
(b) Any four: brings government nearer to the people; reduces the workload of the central government; speeds up decision-making and development; allows local needs to be met; allays fear of domination by minorities; encourages participation and political education; trains local leaders; checks dictatorship by spreading power; promotes efficiency.

Mention that power is shared out from the centre.

Any five or six: independence from the executive and legislature; impartiality; political neutrality (judges do not do partisan politics); professionalism (judges are trained lawyers); security of tenure; judicial immunity for acts done in office; permanence/continuity of the institution; hierarchy of courts with right of appeal; follows due process and judicial precedent; bound by a code of conduct; open trials.

Each characteristic should be named and briefly explained.

(a) Rights of a citizen are the freedoms and privileges a citizen is entitled to by law, which the state must recognise and protect (e.g. right to life, liberty, expression, vote).
(b) Any five: entrenching fundamental rights in the constitution; rule of law; independent judiciary (courts enforce rights, e.g. habeas corpus); free press; separation of powers with checks and balances; active opposition parties and pressure groups; human rights commissions/ombudsman; legal aid; citizens' awareness of their rights; honouring international human-rights conventions.

Give five distinct safeguards, not five rights.

Any four or five differences: a state is a territory with people, government and sovereignty; government is only the machinery/agency through which the state acts.
The state is permanent; governments change (e.g. through elections or coups).
The state is abstract; government is concrete (made up of identifiable people).
The state has sovereignty; government only exercises it on the state's behalf.
Every citizen is part of the state; only some people form the government.
A state must have a defined territory; government need not (a government in exile).

Present each difference as a matched pair (state vs government).

Merits (any two): introduced the elective principle (4 elected members: 3 Lagos, 1 Calabar); led to the formation of political parties (NNDP, 1923); stimulated nationalism and newspapers; created a Legislative Council for the Colony and Southern Provinces; lasted until 1946, giving stability.
Demerits (any four): franchise limited to adult males with an income of £100 a year; only 4 of 46 members were elected; official majority so Africans could not influence decisions; the Legislative Council did not legislate for the North (the Governor did by proclamation); the Governor had veto and reserved powers; the Executive Council had no Africans; it kept North and South apart.

Two merits and four demerits: keep the numbers exact.

Any six: chief executive of the emirate; makes laws (with his council) in line with Islamic law; appoints and removes officials (district heads, title holders); final court of appeal / administers Sharia justice through the Alkali; religious leader (Commander of the Faithful in his emirate); collects taxes (zakat, jangali, kurdin kasa); controls land; commander of the army/defends the emirate; pays tribute to the Sultan of Sokoto/Emir of Gwandu; maintains law and order.

Six functions, each in one line.

(a) Any four of the Second Republic (1979–83) parties: National Party of Nigeria (NPN); Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN); Nigerian People's Party (NPP); Great Nigeria People's Party (GNPP); People's Redemption Party (PRP); Nigeria Advance Party (NAP, registered 1982).
(b) Any four, each explained: aggregate and articulate interests; recruit and nominate candidates for elections; form the government when they win; act as opposition to check the government; political education and socialisation of citizens; link between government and the people; mobilise voters; provide a training ground for leaders.

For (b) 'describe' means a sentence of explanation for each function.

(a) The Native Authority was the local administrative unit under indirect rule: a traditional ruler (e.g. emir) and his council recognised by the British to govern their people (collect taxes, keep order, run native courts and treasuries) under the supervision of British officers (Residents/District Officers).
(b) Any four: made chiefs autocratic and answerable to the British rather than their people; excluded the educated elite; imposed warrant chiefs where there were no chiefs (e.g. Igboland), causing resistance like the 1929 Aba women's riot; slowed the North's development (kept out missions and western education); encouraged ethnic division/separate development of North and South; chiefs lost respect as tools of the colonial government; encouraged corruption and extortion by chiefs.

Link each defect to how indirect rule actually worked.

For Nigeria (1960) any six: federal system with three regions (North, East, West) and Lagos as federal territory; parliamentary (cabinet) system; Queen of Britain as head of state represented by a Governor-General; Prime Minister as head of government; bicameral federal legislature (Senate and House of Representatives) and regional legislatures; entrenched fundamental human rights; independent judiciary with the Privy Council as final court of appeal; rigid constitution; regional constitutions and regional premiers; Judicial and Public Service Commissions; dual citizenship provisions / Nigerian citizenship.

Candidates from other countries would describe their own independence constitution.

(a) Military rule is government by the armed forces, who take power by force (a coup d'état), suspend the constitution and rule by decrees through a military council.
(b) Any five: it is undemocratic (rulers are not elected); suspends the constitution and legislature; abuse of human rights and press freedom; rule by decree without rule of law; ousts the courts' jurisdiction; bans political parties; corruption; prolongs itself in office / failed transition programmes; command structure unsuited to governance; counter-coups and instability; poor economic management and international isolation.

Reasons should be about why citizens oppose it, not about why coups happen.

Any five or six: discusses any question on international peace and security and makes recommendations; admits, suspends or expels members (on the Security Council's recommendation); elects non-permanent members of the Security Council and members of ECOSOC; with the Security Council, elects the Secretary-General and judges of the International Court of Justice; approves the UN budget and sets members' contributions; receives and considers reports of other UN organs; promotes international co-operation in economic, social, cultural, educational and health matters; promotes human rights and the development of international law; can amend the Charter.

Each function needs a short explanation for full marks.