61 questions. Try each one, then open the answer to check yourself and read the explanation.
Government as a subject refers to the study of
Answer: D (the institutions of the state.)
As an academic subject, Government studies the state and its institutions and processes.
Government is distinguished from the State because it
Answer: A (can be changed periodically.)
The state is permanent, but governments come and go through elections or other means.
A government is legitimate if it
Answer: D (has the mandate of the people to rule.)
Legitimacy comes from the people's consent, shown through their mandate (votes).
A sovereign power over a number of people in a specific geographical area is called
Answer: C (state.)
A state is a people in a defined territory under a government with sovereignty.
Absence of government in a state is referred to as
Answer: A (anarchy.)
Anarchy means a condition with no government.
A situation where all the citizens meet in an open place to govern the state is called
Answer: A (direct democracy)
In direct democracy citizens gather and make decisions themselves, as in ancient Athens.
A system of government in which the political power is vested in the elected representatives is known as
Answer: B (democracy.)
In (representative) democracy power is exercised by representatives the people elect.
Sovereignty implies all the following except
Answer: D (the supremacy of political parties.)
Sovereignty is the supreme, independent power of the state; it has nothing to do with political parties being supreme.
Popular Sovereignty is located in the
Answer: C (electorate.)
Popular sovereignty means final power rests with the people, expressed by the electorate.
A system of government in which the leader exercises absolute power and allows no opposition is called
Answer: A (totalitarianism.)
A totalitarian leader holds total power and tolerates no opposition.
Which of the following is a basic component of political culture?
Answer: D (Cognitive orientation)
Almond and Verba's components of political culture are cognitive, affective and evaluative orientations.
Communism as propounded by Karl Marx was later interpreted by
Answer: D (Lenin.)
Lenin adapted Marx's ideas (Marxism-Leninism) and applied them in Russia after 1917.
According to Karl Marx, those who own and control the means of production in a capitalist society are the
Answer: C (bourgeoisies.)
Marx called the owners of capital the bourgeoisie.
The Rule of law is limited by
Answer: B (diplomatic immunity.)
Diplomats cannot be tried in local courts, an exception to equality before the law.
Which of the following is not a fundamental human right?
Answer: B (Right to vote)
Voting is a civic (political) right limited to adult citizens; life, movement and religion are fundamental human rights.
The institution created for checking abuses by government department is known as the
Answer: C (ombudsman.)
The ombudsman (Public Complaints Commission) investigates complaints against government officials.
A good example of an absolute monarch is
Answer: C (Haile Salessie of Ethiopia.)
Emperor Haile Selassie ruled Ethiopia as an absolute monarch until 1974; Hitler and Mussolini were dictators, not monarchs.
The system of government in which powers are shared between the centre and the component units is called
Answer: B (federalism.)
Federalism divides power between the central government and the component units.
The power of the central government to dissolve subordinate units at will is a feature of
Answer: B (unitary system of government.)
In a unitary system lower units are creations of the centre and can be dissolved by it.
Which of the following is a feature of federalism?
Answer: D (Written Constitution)
A federation needs a written (and usually rigid) constitution to divide powers clearly.
The exclusive list in federalism includes all the following except
Answer: D (transportation.)
Defence, foreign affairs and currency are exclusive federal matters; transportation is shared (concurrent) in many federations.
The order of mandamus is a
Answer: A (form of order by a superior body to perform a function.)
Mandamus is a court order commanding a public body or official to perform a legal duty. (D describes habeas corpus.)
Which of the following measures will ensure the independence of the judiciary? Judges'
Answer: B (salaries must be fixed and not subject to arbitrary review.)
Fixed salaries paid from the Consolidated Fund mean judges cannot be punished through their pay.
The most important function of the Upper House in a federation is to
Answer: B (ensure equal representation of the component units.)
The upper house (e.g. Nigeria's Senate) gives each state equal representation.
Bi-cameral legislature is the same as
Answer: A (legislature with two chambers.)
Bicameral means having two chambers.
A short break in parliamentary session is referred to as
Answer: B (recess.)
A recess is a short break in the sitting of parliament.
The term guillotine in the legislature refers to
Answer: A (allocation of time to a bill.)
The guillotine fixes the time allowed for debating each stage of a bill.
The rights of individuals are usually enshrined in the
Answer: C (constitutions.)
Fundamental rights are written into (entrenched in) the constitution.
A citizen's freedom of movement may be restrained if he
Answer: B (has been convicted by the courts.)
A person lawfully convicted by a court may be imprisoned, which limits freedom of movement.
A major advantage of a one-party system is that it
Answer: B (promotes unity.)
Supporters say a single party unites people and avoids ethnic divisions.
Which of the following best describes the concept of enfranchisement? Right
Answer: C (given to people to vote and be voted for)
Enfranchisement means giving people the right to vote and be voted for.
The arrangement by which a country is divided into parts for election purposes is called
Answer: C (delimitation.)
Delimitation is dividing a country into constituencies; gerrymandering is doing so unfairly.
The process by which voters may remove a public officer before the end of his term of office is called
Answer: B (recall.)
Recall lets voters remove their representative before the term ends.
A yes or no vote cast by electorate to decide an important issue in an area is known as
Answer: B (plebiscite.)
A plebiscite (like a referendum) asks voters to answer yes or no on an issue, such as which country an area should join.
The term winner-takes-all can also be associated with
Answer: C (first-past-the post system.)
In first-past-the-post the candidate with most votes takes the seat; the losers get nothing.
Anonymity of the civil servants means that they
Answer: B (are to be seen but not to be heard.)
Civil servants work in the background; the minister speaks and takes credit or blame in public.
The Loi-Cadre Reforms of 1956 in the French West Africa were as a result of
Answer: A (pressure from the French territories.)
Growing nationalist demands in the French territories pushed France to grant universal suffrage and territorial assemblies under the 1956 Loi-Cadre.
Which of the following best describes the status of Governor-General in British West African countries at independence? They
Answer: A (were representing the Queen of England.)
At independence the Governor-General represented the British Queen as ceremonial head of state.
Before the Second World War, the British Colonial Executive Council consisted of
Answer: B (only White officials.)
Before 1939 the Executive Councils were made up entirely of senior British officials.
The National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA) was founded in 1919 in
Answer: C (Accra.)
The NCBWA's founding conference was held in Accra, Gold Coast (meetings 1919, first conference March 1920).
The West African Students' Union worked towards
Answer: A (the end of colonial rule.)
WASU, founded in London in 1925, campaigned for self-government and the end of colonial rule.
The policy of Assimilation was abandoned because
Answer: A (it was too expensive to maintain.)
Turning all Africans into French citizens with full rights and education proved too costly, so France switched to association.
The constitutional reforms in West Africa after the Second World War were geared towards
Answer: C (making the colonies independent states.)
Post-war constitutions (e.g. Macpherson 1951, Lyttelton 1954) moved the colonies step by step to independence.
One of the reasons for military takeover in West Africa is
Answer: C (corruption among political leaders.)
Coup leaders often cited corruption by politicians as their reason for seizing power.
Which of the following best describes the foreign policy of West African Countries during the Cold War?
Answer: C (Non-alignment with any power bloc)
Most West African states joined the Non-Aligned Movement and refused to take sides between the USA and USSR.
The Administrative Headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is in
Answer: D (Abuja.)
The ECOWAS Commission is based in Abuja, Nigeria.
The head of the Commonwealth of Nations is the
Answer: C (British Monarch.)
The British monarch is Head of the Commonwealth: Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, King Charles III since 2022.
A representative of one country in another within the Commonwealth of Nations is called
Answer: A (High Commissioner.)
Commonwealth countries exchange High Commissioners instead of ambassadors.
The use of veto power in the United Nations Organization (UNO) is only exercised by the
Answer: D (Security Council.)
Only the five permanent members of the Security Council have the veto.
(a) Define feudalism.
(b) State any five demerits of feudalism.
(a) Feudalism was the medieval social, political and economic system based on land, in which the king granted land to lords (nobles) in return for military service and loyalty, and serfs/vassals worked the land in return for protection.
(b) Any five: exploitation of serfs by lords; weakened central authority/sovereignty since each lord held power; frequent wars among lords; lack of freedom and rights for serfs, who were tied to the land; insecurity of land tenure for tenants; rigid class system with no social mobility; injustice since lords judged disputes involving themselves; slowed economic progress and trade.
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In what six ways can a government of a state violate the principle of the Rule of law?
Any six: detention without trial; disobeying court orders; making retroactive laws; ouster clauses that remove the courts' jurisdiction; rule by decree (military rule); interfering with the judiciary/removing judges arbitrarily; denying fair hearing or using special tribunals; extra-judicial killings and torture; selective application of laws/immunity for some officials; suppressing the press and free speech; delays in trials and long pre-trial detention; state of emergency abused to suspend rights.
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(a) What is an absolute majority system?
(b) Identify any five disadvantages of the system.
(a) An absolute majority system is an electoral system in which a candidate must win more than half (over 50%) of the valid votes cast to be elected; if no one does, a second ballot (run-off) or other method is used.
(b) Any five: costly because of repeated ballots; time-consuming and delays results; voter apathy/fatigue at the second round; may encourage bargaining and corrupt alliances between rounds; may lead to violence and tension during run-offs; parties may manipulate the second round; small parties get eliminated; can produce a winner who was not the voters' first choice.
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(a) Define opinion poll.
(b) State five factors that make the conduct of public opinion unreliable in West Africa.
(a) An opinion poll is a survey in which a sample of people are asked questions to find out the views of the population on an issue or candidate.
(b) Any five: high illiteracy; poor sampling and lack of reliable population data; fear of victimisation, so people hide their real views; poor transport and communication to rural areas; manipulation/bias by sponsors and pollsters; high cost; apathy and lack of interest; ethnic and religious bias in responses; government control of the media; language barriers.
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(a) Define public corporation.
(b) Give five reasons for setting up a public corporation in your country.
(a) A public corporation is a business enterprise set up by an act of the legislature (or decree), owned and financed by government, managed by a board, to provide essential goods or services.
(b) Any five: provide essential services (power, water, rail) at affordable prices; services too large or risky for private investors; prevent private monopoly and exploitation; generate revenue for government; create employment; national security in strategic industries; speed up economic development; even distribution of amenities across the country.
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Identify any six roles of the traditional rulers in the pre-colonial West Africa.
Any six: chief executives of their kingdoms; law-making with their councils; settling disputes/judicial role; religious leadership and custodians of culture; military leaders and defenders of the territory; collection of taxes and tributes; custodians of land; appointment of chiefs and officials; maintenance of law and order; diplomatic relations with neighbouring kingdoms; organising communal labour.
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(a) Describe the composition of the Executive Council of the 1922 Clifford Constitution.
(b) Identify any five ways in which the Clifford Constitution was significant to Nigeria.
(a) The Executive Council was made up entirely of British official members: the Governor as president and senior colonial officials (e.g. Chief Secretary, Lieutenant-Governors of the Northern and Southern Provinces, Attorney-General, Treasurer, Director of Medical Services); no African was a member. It advised the Governor, who could reject its advice.
(b) Any five: introduced the elective principle (3 seats for Lagos, 1 for Calabar); led to the first political party (NNDP, 1923); stimulated nationalist activity and newspapers; created a Legislative Council (46 members) for the Colony and Southern Provinces; gave Africans some experience of legislative work; lasted until 1946, giving a period of stability; its shortcomings spurred demands for reform.
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Highlight six political changes introduced into the Nigerian political system by the 1954 Constitution.
Any six (Lyttelton Constitution): made Nigeria a true federation of three regions plus Southern Cameroons; division of powers into exclusive and concurrent lists, with residual powers to the regions; Lagos made a federal territory; regionalisation of the civil service, judiciary and marketing boards; Premiers as heads of regional governments; Governor-General at the centre and Governors in the regions; direct elections into the House of Representatives; regional and federal Public Service Commissions; Speaker to preside over the House of Representatives; federal Supreme Court created.
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(a) Distinguish between a Secretary of State for the Colonies and a Governor-General in the British Colonial administration.
(b) Highlight five functions of the Governor-General in the British West Africa shortly after independence.
(a) The Secretary of State for the Colonies was a British cabinet minister in London, answerable to Parliament, who made and supervised colonial policy for all colonies; the Governor (later Governor-General) was the Crown's representative and chief executive inside a particular colony, who carried out that policy locally and reported to the Secretary of State.
(b) Any five (as ceremonial head of state representing the Queen): appointed the Prime Minister (leader of the majority party) and, on his advice, ministers; gave assent to bills; summoned, prorogued and dissolved parliament on advice; exercised the prerogative of mercy; appointed judges and senior officials on advice; formally commanded the armed forces; received foreign envoys and performed ceremonial functions; read the speech from the throne.
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Describe six achievements of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1979 and 1983.
Any six: won the 1979 presidential election (Shehu Shagari) and formed the federal government; was the most nationally spread party, winning governorships in many states; formed an accord with the NPP (1979–81) to secure a working majority; introduced the Green Revolution programme to boost food production; built low-cost housing schemes; continued development of Abuja as the new capital; established federal universities of technology and expanded education; steel projects (Ajaokuta, Delta) and other industries; won re-election in 1983 before the December 1983 coup.
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(a) What is foreign policy of a country?
(b) State the main objectives of Nigeria foreign policy.
(a) Foreign policy is the set of goals, principles and strategies that guide a state in its relations with other states and international bodies in pursuit of its national interest.
(b) Any five: protection of Nigeria's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity; promotion of African unity and Africa as centrepiece; eradication of colonialism, racism and apartheid; promotion of international peace and security; non-alignment; respect for the sovereignty of other states and non-interference; economic development and co-operation (ECOWAS); protection of Nigerian citizens abroad; promotion of a just world economic order; respect for international law and treaties.
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(a) Describe the composition of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization (UNO).
(b) Highlight four functions of the General Assembly.
(a) The General Assembly is made up of all member states of the UN (192 in 2010; 193 since South Sudan joined in 2011); each state may send up to five delegates but has only one vote; it elects a President each year and meets in regular annual sessions (and special sessions); important decisions need a two-thirds majority.
(b) Any four: discusses any matter within the Charter and makes recommendations; approves the UN budget and members' contributions; elects non-permanent members of the Security Council and members of ECOSOC; with the Security Council, admits new members, appoints the Secretary-General and elects ICJ judges; receives reports of other organs; promotes international co-operation and human rights; can amend the Charter.
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