WAEC Government 2020 past questions and answers

Making, enforcing and interpreting laws are the work of government through its three organs.

In the cabinet (parliamentary) system the Prime Minister and ministers, the cabinet or Council of Ministers, hold executive power collectively.

In a confederation the member states keep their sovereignty, so any of them can leave (secede) when it wishes.

Immunity shields some officials (e.g. presidents, diplomats) from prosecution while in office, so they are not equal before the law.

A single central government with one set of laws helps unite the people, so unitary government promotes national integration.

In a monocephalous (single-headed) executive one person is both head of state and of government, so decisions can be made quickly.

Authority is power that the people accept as legitimate, for example through election; power alone may rest on force.

Canvassing for votes is a direct way of taking part in choosing leaders, which is what political participation means.

Proportional representation needs complex counting and seat allocation, so it is difficult for voters and officials to operate.

Sovereignty is the supreme power of the state to make laws, not limited by any higher authority.

A flexible constitution is easy to amend; a rigid one needs a special, difficult procedure.

Only courts free from control can try anyone, including government, fairly, so rule of law needs an independent judiciary.

Judicial independence means judges decide cases free from pressure by the executive or legislature.

Devolution transfers real powers from the central government to regional units, giving them much autonomy while the state stays unitary.

Injunction, mandamus and certiorari are court orders; prorogation is the suspension of a parliamentary session, not a court remedy.

During violent unrest a state of emergency may be declared, and rights such as movement and assembly are restricted.

The national chairman and national secretary run the party's national secretariat.

A primary election is held within a party to choose its candidate for a general election.

In parliamentary systems the main opposition forms a shadow cabinet, ready to take over government.

A manifesto states what a party will do if elected, helping voters choose.

With only two parties, voters have a simple, clear choice and elections are easier to conduct.

A pressure group tries to influence policy without contesting elections to take over government, so it is non-partisan.

Public opinion is the views held by a large part of the public on an issue.

The civil service, in the ministries, advises on (formulates) and carries out government policies.

Public corporations are controlled by the legislature, the courts and the supervising minister; there is no 'Chief of Staff control'.

The Public (Civil) Service Commission recruits, promotes and disciplines civil servants.

An absolute majority means more than half of all votes cast, i.e. more than all the others combined.

The electoral commission registers voters and keeps the voters' register; election petitions go to tribunals.

Campaigning is a lawful part of elections; impersonation, threats and gerrymandering are malpractices.

Local councils can earn income by setting up or taxing cottage industries; import duties belong to the federal government.

Public opinion tells parties and government how people feel about their policies.

A pressure group is formed by people sharing a common interest that they want to protect or promote.

Strikes stop work and services, disrupting the economy and social life.

French West Africa (AOF) was governed from Dakar, Senegal.

In a crown colony the Governor headed the administration and carried out policies on the spot, guided by the Secretary of State in London.

Better pay and allowances motivate public servants to work harder and reduce corruption, so productivity rises.

The governor could veto any bill and pass laws on his own, which made him almost a dictator.

Association allowed Africans to keep their institutions and used chiefs as agents, giving them a more important role than under assimilation.

The AU depends on members' dues and foreign donors, and lack of funds limits its peacekeeping missions.

Ghana has one central government holding all power. Note that Egypt is also a unitary state, so B is also correct; Nigeria and Canada are federations.

Economic interests, international law, religion and race shape foreign policy; the leader's age does not.

(a) The process by which people learn and acquire political values, beliefs, attitudes and knowledge, passed from one generation to another through agents such as family, school, peers, media and religion.
(b) Any four: common language; common culture and traditions; common history/historical experience; common descent or origin; common territory/homeland; common religion; sense of belonging/shared identity and patriotism; common aspirations.

Define, then four features of a nation (not of a state).

Any five: at least two levels of government (centre and units); constitutional division of powers (exclusive, concurrent, residual lists); written constitution; rigid constitution; supremacy of the constitution; independent judiciary/Supreme Court to settle disputes between levels; bicameral legislature, often with equal representation of units in the upper house; each level has its own sources of revenue; units cannot secede.

One short phrase plus one explaining sentence for each feature.

(a) A business or service organisation set up by an Act of parliament (or decree), owned and financed by government, to provide services or goods to the public, run with some independence.
(b) Any four: ministerial control (minister appoints board, gives directives); legislative control (enabling Act, budget approval, public accounts committee, probes); judicial control (suits by or against the corporation); financial control (audit by Auditor-General, funding); public/consumer control (consumer councils, complaints, media); presidential/executive control (appointment and removal of boards).

Define, then four separate controls.

Any five: opinion polls/surveys; elections and referendums; mass media (letters, phone-ins, editorials, social media); protests, strikes and demonstrations; pressure groups' statements; seminars, symposia and public hearings; reports of commissions of inquiry; rumours and informal discussions; reports of security/intelligence agencies.

List five methods, each with a brief explanation.

Any five, each explained: rule of law; independent judiciary/courts; constitutional entrenchment of fundamental rights; separation of powers and checks and balances; free press; ombudsman/public complaints commission; human rights commissions and NGOs/pressure groups; democratic elections; political education/awareness of rights; legal aid; an alert opposition and legislature.

Each means should be explained in a sentence, not just named.

Any five: veto power of the five permanent members blocks action; financial problems/unpaid dues; no standing army of its own; dominance by big powers and over-reliance on the USA; members unwilling to give up sovereignty; ideological and power rivalry among members; terrorism; poverty and the gap between rich and poor nations; climate change; refugee and humanitarian crises; failure to reform the Security Council.

Five clear challenges; explain each briefly.

Any five: a crown colony was acquired by conquest/cession, a protectorate by treaty of protection; crown colony was part of British territory, protectorate was not; people of a colony were British subjects, those of a protectorate were British protected persons; colony was ruled directly by British officials, protectorate indirectly through chiefs (indirect rule); colony had a Legislative Council with some elected members, protectorate was ruled by proclamation; English law applied in the colony, customary law in the protectorate; colony was usually coastal/smaller (e.g. Lagos, Freetown), protectorate the large hinterland.

Present each difference as a pair: colony ... while protectorate ...

(a) Any three: National Party of Nigeria (NPN) – Shehu Shagari; Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) – Obafemi Awolowo; Nigerian People's Party (NPP) – Nnamdi Azikiwe; Great Nigeria People's Party (GNPP) – Waziri Ibrahim; People's Redemption Party (PRP) – Aminu Kano.
(b) Any three: ethnic/regional bias instead of national outlook; election rigging and violence; lack of internal democracy and imposition of candidates; corruption and money politics; no clear ideology; failure to deliver campaign promises; frequent defections (carpet crossing); intolerance of opposition, contributing to military take-overs.

Pair each party with its candidate in (a).

Any five: drafted under military rule without wide public participation (its claim 'We the people' is questioned); over-concentration of power at the centre (long exclusive list); immunity clause shields executives from prosecution; unclear/contested revenue sharing and resource control; local governments not truly autonomous (joint accounts with states); 'indigene/settler' and federal character tensions; difficult amendment procedure; police centralised (no state police); expensive bicameral structure.

Explain each weakness in one line.

(a) Any three: acephalous/segmentary (no central king in most areas); power shared among village assembly, council of elders (Ndichie/Ofo holders), age grades, title societies (Ozo), umuada and oracles/dibia; village was the main political unit; decisions by consensus; gerontocracy (respect for elders).
(b) Any four: decision making through the general village assembly where every adult male could speak (direct democracy); freedom of speech; consensus/majority decisions; power was not concentrated in one person (checks and balances); leadership by merit and achievement (title societies); accountability of leaders to the people; participation of women's groups and age grades.

Features in (a); show how the system was democratic in (b).