WAEC Government 2014 Theory Past Questions

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i. The study of government enables citizens to be aware of their fundamental human rights as well as their duties and obligations as citizens. ii. The study of government stimulates people's interest in politics; people are encouraged to be actively involved in politics. iii. The study of government as an academic subject makes people know about the political process/system of government practiced in their country and other countries. iv. Citizens, through the study of government, have the basis to properly understand the process and assess the performance of government in their country. v. The study of government makes people know more about the political history of their country and the roles played by past political leaders in the constitutional and political development of their country.

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Capitalism is an economic and political system that allows for private ownership of the means of production and exchange, based on the idea of limited government; it frowns on state control of the economy.

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Advantages: i. Under capitalism, competition among manufacturers of the same goods results in the best products for consumers. ii. Capitalism gives the individual economic freedom to set up any business venture he or she desires. Disadvantages: i. Capitalism can be regarded as an exploitative economic system, since the bourgeoisie makes their profit after exploiting labourers, who are paid less so that more profits can be made. ii. Capitalism creates the problem of inequality in society, widening the gap between the rich and the poor.

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Legitimacy can be defined as the acceptance and recognition by the citizens of a state of the right of a ruler to rule them; a legitimate government is one that enjoys popular support from its citizens.

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i. Type of government: the type of government in operation determines the legitimacy of a government, i.e. whether such government would enjoy the support of the people. For example, a democratic government is likely to be accorded legitimacy more readily than a military government. ii. Free and fair elections: another factor that determines legitimacy is elections. When elections are conducted and adjudged to be free, fair, and credible by all, legitimacy will be accorded to any government that emerged through such a process. iii. Respect for the rule of law: where there is respect for the rule of law and the views of the opposition are tolerated, there would be legitimacy. Citizens would support a government that respects their rights and views. iv. Good programmes: good government programmes that meet the needs of the people (e.g. pipe-borne water, good roads, hospitals) are another factor that determines the legitimacy of a government, as people would support such a government.

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i. Desire for union: for a federal system of government to be adopted, it is necessary for the people who would be part of the federating units to express a desire to be united with others. ii. Desire for local independence: while there must be a desire for union, people of the various areas desiring federalism must also desire to have independence in local matters, without regulation or control from the central government. iii. Geographical contiguity: the areas desiring to adopt federalism must be geographically close to one another; if they are widely separated or not geographically contiguous, the adoption of federalism will be difficult. iv. Absence of marked inequalities among the component units: the component units desiring federalism must be relatively equal to one another, because a unit that is far more powerful than the others discourages the adoption of federalism, as the others would be suspicious of the intentions of the stronger unit. v. Security: the fear of invasion by more powerful states can make smaller states come together to adopt a federal system that helps them preserve their local independence.

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i. In order to make elections free and fair in any country, it is important for adequate preparation and provisions to be made for the security of election materials such as ballot boxes and papers, and also the security of electoral officers and voters, so they can perform their duties without fear of intimidation. ii. The body responsible for organising and conducting elections (the electoral commission) must be independent and should not be subjected to manipulation by politicians and those in government. iii. The principle of Universal Adult Suffrage, which accords all qualified adults in a country the right to vote and be voted for, should be followed in order for elections to be free and fair. iv. Voters must feel free to exercise their voting rights without fear of harassment or intimidation. When this is done, people would be encouraged to come out in large numbers to cast their votes, making elections more free and fair. v. Electoral offenders, such as those who were arrested for rigging or disrupting the electoral process, are to be punished by the court of law. This would discourage others from engaging in electoral malpractices and make the conduct of elections free and fair.

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i. The kingmakers in the pre-colonial Yoruba political system were responsible for installing a new king after the demise of his predecessor. ii. The kingmakers served as an advisory council to the king; they advised the king on the governance of the community. iii. The kingmakers also assisted in the administration of the community, through the role they played in ensuring that the king's laws and other directives were obeyed by all. iv. They also made laws in conjunction with the king for the good governance of the community. v. The kingmakers acted as the judicial organ of the land on certain matters, especially minor disputes that required arbitration. vi. As one of the institutions of the pre-colonial Yoruba political system, the kingmakers acted as a check on the powers and excesses of the King.

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i. Under the French colonial policy of assimilation, educated African elite were not discriminated against; they were recruited into the civil service and some of them were even elected into the national parliament in France. This made the educated elite not oppose the system, which is the reason why the development of nationalist activities in the French colonies was slow when compared to that of the British colonies. ii. France regarded her colonies as an extension of French territory. This view made the French colonial officers introduce a system of direct rule in which all French colonies in West Africa were governed directly from France. This attitude on the part of France did not encourage nationalism among the people of the French colonies, and subsequently resulted in slowing down the tempo and development of nationalist activities in French West Africa colonies. iii. The absence of political parties denied the people of French West Africa a political platform to oppose colonial rule. The slow development of political parties was one of the factors responsible for the slow development of nationalistic activities in French West Africa. iv. The political parties formed after the Second World War were off-shoots of the parties in France, and therefore could not mobilize the people for self-rule. v. All French colonies in West Africa were centralized under a loose federation with headquarters in Dakar; therefore, the formation of legislative councils in each of the French colonies was for a long time not possible. More so, many Africans were elected as deputies into the French parliament; this slowed down nationalist activities in French West African colonies because the elected African deputies did not oppose French rule for a very long time.

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i. It introduced a quasi-federal system of government in Nigeria, by granting limited powers to the regional legislative councils. ii. The Macpherson Constitution extended bicameral legislature to the Western region. Both the Western and Northern regions had a bicameral legislature, while the Eastern region had a unicameral legislature. iii. The Constitution established a council of ministers, which made it possible for Nigerians to be appointed as ministers. The council was composed of 12 ministers (4 ministers from each of the 3 regions), and the Governor was the President of the Council.

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i. The Lyttleton constitution made Nigeria a federal state without providing for a second legislative chamber at the centre. The lack of a bicameral legislature at the centre was one of the defects of the Lyttleton constitution. ii. The Lyttleton constitution vested autocratic powers in the Governor-General and the regional Governors, who still had the powers to override laws made by the parliament. iii. Another reason for the breakdown of the Lyttleton constitution of 1954 was its failure to make provision for the post of a Prime Minister as Head of government in the country. By failing to provide for the post of Prime Minister, the Ministers in the Council of Ministers were responsible to the Governor-General.

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i. People prefer a democratic government to a military government because democratic government respects the fundamental human rights of citizens. The rights and freedom of the people are mostly certainly to be guaranteed and protected under a democratic government. ii. Democratic government allows for popular participation of the masses in politics. The people have the power to contribute to the making of government and in influencing government policies; this is usually not the case under a military government. iii. Another reason why people prefer a democratic government to the military type is because a democratic government makes it possible for leaders to be held accountable by the people they govern. iv. Democracy allows for orderly and peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the other through the conduct of election. The peaceful transfer of power is not guaranteed under a military government. v. Under a democratic government, there is the respect for the rule of law, that is, both the government and the governed are equal before the law. This is not the case with a military government, hence the reason why people prefer a democratic government to military rule.

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i. The Commonwealth of Nations does not have the capacity to enforce its decisions. ii. The Commonwealth of Nations also faces the challenge of inadequate funds, as some members do not regularly honour their financial commitments to the organisation. iii. Some of the benefits that poor-member states derived from the organisation, such as scholarships and free movement of citizens between member-states, are no longer granted, due to a shift in the national interest of the rich member-states. iv. The Commonwealth of Nations does not have a common defence and military pact among its members. This makes it difficult for members to assist a member-state with military intervention in times of crisis.