2010 Government WAEC SSCE (School Candidates) May/June

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Government 1 - Objective

1. Government as a subject refers to the study of
   1. territorial expansion.
   2. political leaders.
   3. the various nations of the World.
   4. the institutions of the state.
2. Government is distinguished from the State because it
   1. can be changed periodically.
   2. does not operate in any defined territory.
   3. is a loosely organized structure.
   4. enforces its will on the people of the State
3. A Government is legitimate if it
   1. comes to power through a coup d’etat.
   2. is not oppressive.
   3. provides social services for the people.
   4. has the mandate of the people to rule.
4. A sovereign power over a number of people in a specific geographical area is called
   1. society
   2. region
   3. state
   4. nation
5. Absence of government in a state is referred to as
   1. anarchy.
   2. confusion.
   3. coup d'etat.
   4. instability.
6. A situation where all the citizens meet in an open place to govern the state is called
   1. direct democracy.
   2. electoral college.
   3. representative democracy.
   4. guided democracy.
7. A system of government in which the political power is vested in the elected representatives is known as
   1. oligarchy.
   2. democracy.
   3. feudalism.
   4. fascism.
8. Sovereignty implies to all the following except
   1. the highest authority in a state.
   2. a state of political independence.
   3. unlimited powers of a state to make and enforce laws.
   4. the supremacy of political parties.
9. Popular sovereignty is located in the
   1. military.
   2. police.
   3. electorate.
   4. opinion leaders.
10. A system of government in which the leader exercises absolute power and allows no opposition is called
    1. totalitarianism.
    2. capitalism.
    3. communism.
    4. socialism.
11. Which of the following is a basic component of political culture?
    1. Cultural development
    2. Cultural design
    3. Cultural display
    4. Cognitive orientation
12. Communism as propounded by Karl Marx was later interpreted by
    1. Locke.
    2. Dicey.
    3. Bentham.
    4. Lennin.
13. According to Karl Marx, those who own and control the means of production in a capitalist society are the
    1. colonialists.
    2. workers.
    3. bourgeoisies.
    4. peasants.
14. The Rule of law is limited by
    1. free press
    2. diplomatic immunity.
    3. constitutionalism.
    4. separation of powers.
15. Which of the following is not a fundamental human right?
    1. Right to life
    2. Right to vote
    3. Freedom of movement
    4. Freedom of religion
16. The institution created for checking abuses by government department is known as the
    1. secret service.
    2. judicial commission.
    3. ombudsman.
    4. corps marshal.
17. A good example of an absolute monarch is
    1. Adolf Hitler of Germany.
    2. Benito Mussolini of Italy.
    3. Haile Salessie of Ethiopia.
    4. Margaret Thatcher of Britain.
18. The system of government in which powers are shared between the centre and the component units is called
    1. totalitarianism.
    2. federalism.
    3. unitary.
    4. oligarchy.
19. The power of the central government to dissolve subordinate units at will is a feature of
    1. confederal system of government.
    2. unitary system of government.
    3. parliamentary system of government.
    4. federal system of government.
20. Which of the following is a feature of federalism?
    1. Unwritten Constitution
    2. Flexible Constitution
    3. Unitary Constitution
    4. Written Constitution
21. The exclusive list in federalism includes all the following except
    1. defense.
    2. foreign relation.
    3. currency.
    4. transportation.
22. The order of mandamus is a
    1. form of order by a superior body to perform a function.
    2. mandate from the executive to the public corporations.
    3. plea for man of alibi in court.
    4. writ to produce a detained person for trial.
23. In the legislature, a filibuster is one who
    1. is in charge of party discipline.
    2. presents party manifesto during parliamentary sessions.
    3. does not take part in law making.
    4. prevents the passage of a bill by making long speeches.
24. Which of the following measures will ensure the independence of the judiciary? Judges’
    1. salaries must be handled by foreign banks.
    2. salaries must be fixed and not subject to arbitrary review.
    3. must not be separated from the executive.
    4. must be controlled by the president.
25. The most important function of the Upper House in a federation is to
    1. serve as the highest court of the land.
    2. ensure equal representation of the component units.
    3. provide a place for retired politicians in the legislature.
    4. invite politicians for questioning.
26. Bi-cameral legislature is the same as
    1. legislature with two chambers.
    2. one chamber legislature.
    3. the Upper House in any legislature.
    4. the Lower House in any Legislature.
27. A short break in parliamentary session is referred to as
    1. suspension.
    2. recess.
    3. dissolution.
    4. termination.
28. The term guillotine in the legislature refers to
    1. allocation of time to a bill.
    2. passing a bill into law.
    3. voting a bill into law.
    4. passing an appropriation bill.
29. The rights of individuals are usually enshrined in the
    1. law books.
    2. courts.
    3. constitutions.
    4. journals.
30. A citizen's freedom of movement may be restrained if he
    1. has refused to salute the Head of State.
    2. has been convicted by the courts.
    3. refuses to vote at elections.
    4. criticizes the government.
31. A major advantage of a one-party system is that it
    1. prevents dictatorship.
    2. promotes unity.
    3. allows opposition.
    4. promote freedom and liberty.
32. Which of the following best describes the concept of enfranchisement? Right
    1. to Campaign for candidates during elections
    2. to sue and be sued
    3. given to people to vote and be voted for
    4. to free expression on political issues
33. The arrangement by which a country is divided into parts for election purposes is called
    1. enfranchisement.
    2. gerrymandering.
    3. delimitation.
    4. democratization.
34. The process by which voters may remove a public officer before the end of his term of office is called
    1. gerrymandering.
    2. recall.
    3. bye-election.
    4. referendum.
35. A yes or no vote cast by electorate to decide an important issue in an area is known as
    1. franchise.
    2. plebiscite.
    3. electoral college.
    4. public opinion.
36. The term winner-takes-all can also be associated with
    1. second ballot system.
    2. representative government.
    3. first-past-the-post system.
    4. proportional representation.
37. Anonymity of the civil servants means that they
    1. are free from political heads.
    2. are to be seen but not to be heard.
    3. cannot vote for any political party.
    4. are to execute government policies
38. The Loi-Cadre Reforms of 1956 in the French West Africa were as a result of
    1. pressure from the French territories.
    2. change in French Policy of Association
    3. opposition to Bamako Conference.
    4. British colonial policy of granting internal self-government.
39. Which of the following best describes the status of the Governor-General in British West Africa countries at independence? They
    1. we’re representing the Queen of England.
    2. we’re above the law.
    3. maintained friendly relations with France.
    4. were the heads of government.
40. Before the Second World War, the British Colonial Executive Council consisted of
    1. only elected Africans.
    2. white members
    3. unofficial members
    4. official and unofficial members.
41. The National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA) was founded in 1919 in
    1. Lagos.
    2. Monrovia.
    3. Accra.
    4. Bathurst.
42. The West African Students’ Union worked towards
    1. the end of colonial rule.
    2. the end of indirect rule.
    3. getting accommodation for West African Students.
    4. the end of the policy of direct rule.
43. The policy of Assimilation was abandoned because
    1. it was too expensive to maintain.
    2. the French were fed-up.
    3. the Africans liked it.
    4. it was less expensive.
44. The constitutional reforms in West Africa after the Second World War were geared towards
    1. the assimilation of the people.
    2. the evaluation of colonialism.
    3. making the colonies independent states.
    4. making the people support their economic interests.
45. One of the reasons for military takeover in West Africa is
    1. smooth administration.
    2. political stability.
    3. corruption among political leaders.
    4. good governance.
46. Which of the following best describes the foreign policy of West African Countries during the Cold War?
    1. Support for the Western bloc
    2. Support for the Eastern bloc
    3. Non-alignment with any power bloc
    4. Allegiance to Nazi government
47. The Administrative Headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is in
    1. Freetown.
    2. Lome.
    3. Banjul.
    4. Abuja.
48. The head of the Commonwealth of Nations is the
    1. Colonial Secretary.
    2. Australian Foreign Secretary.
    3. British Monarch.
    4. New Zealand Foreign Minister.
49. A representative of one country in another within the Commonwealth of Nations is called
    1. High Commissioner.
    2. Attaché.
    3. Foreign Minister.
    4. Consul.
50. The use of veto power in the United Nations Organization (UNO) is only exercised by the
    1. Economic and Social Council.
    2. International Court of Justice.
    3. Trusteeship Council.
    4. Security Council.

Government 2 - Essay

Section A: Elements of Government

Answer two question only from this section.

1. 1. Define feudalism.
   2. State any five demerits of feudalism.
2. In what six ways can a government of a state violate the principle of the Rule of law?
3. 1. What is an absolute majority system?
   2. Identify any five disadvantages of the system.
4. 1. Define opinion poll.
   2. State five factors that make the conduct of public opinion unreliable in West Africa.
5. 1. Define public corporation.
   2. Give five reasons for setting up a public corporation in your country.

Section B: Political and Constitutional Development In West Africa and International Relations

Answer two questions only from this section.

6. Identify any six roles of the traditional rulers in the pre-colonial West Africa.
7. 1. Describe the composition of the Executive Council of the 1922 Clifford Constitution.
   2. Identify any five ways in which the Clifford Constitution was significant to Nigeria.
8. Highlight six political changes introduced into the Nigerian political system by the 1954 Constitution.
9. 1. Distinguish between a Secretary of State for the Colonies and a Governor-General in the British Colonial Administration.
   2. Highlight five functions of the Governor-General in the British West Africa shortly after independence.
10. Describe six achievements of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between 1979 and 1983.
11. 1. What is foreign policy of a country?
    2. State the main objectives of Nigeria foreign policy.
12. 1. Describe the composition of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization (UNO).
    2. Highlight four functions of the General Assembly.