All 50 questions from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Government 2015 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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Which of the following best defines government as an institution of a state?
Government, as an institution of a state, is the machinery established for exercising political power.
Which of the following is a reason for studying government?
Studying government helps citizens acquire knowledge of their rights.
The most visible feature of a state is
A defined geographical territory is the most visible feature of a state.
Representative democracy is characterized by
Representative democracy is characterized by free elections and a proper register of voters.
The set of attitudes and beliefs that determine the behavior of citizens in a political system is called
Political culture is the set of attitudes and beliefs that determine the political behaviour of citizens in a political system.
Fundamental Human Rights are entrenched in constitutions purposely to
Fundamental human rights are entrenched in constitutions to guarantee the liberty of citizens.
Diplomatic and parliamentary immunities put limitations on the
Diplomatic and parliamentary immunities put limitations on the rule of law, being practiced by diplomatic and parliamentary immunities.
Montesquieu's political theory of separation of powers was meant to
Montesquieu's theory of separation of powers was meant to prevent dictatorial rule (tyranny).
Which of the following countries practice a centralized system of government?
Ghana practises a unitary system of government which concentrates political powers in the central government.
Which of the following countries operates an unwritten constitution?
Britain is an example of a country with an unwritten constitution (one where the fundamental principles/laws of the state are not codified into a single document).
A constitution that can be amended through ordinary law making process is said to be a
A flexible constitution can be amended through the same ordinary law-making process as any other law.
Which of the following system of government operates on the principle of checks and balances?
The presidential system of government operates on the principle of checks and balances, ensuring each arm checks the activities of another.
Confederal system of government means
A confederal system means a weak central government and powerful/strong component (member) units, with sovereignty resting in the component units.
In a federal system of government, the power shared between the central and state governments is known as a
Concurrent power (concurrent list) refers to powers shared by both the central government and the component/state governments.
The organ of government responsible for implementation of policies in a state is the
The executive organ of government is responsible for implementing government policies.
Quick decision making is an advantage of
Unicameralism (a single legislative chamber) allows for quick decision-making since bills are passed into law without delay from a second chamber.
The organ of government responsible for implementation of policies in a state is the
The executive organ of government is responsible for the implementation of government policies.
A citizen is an individual who has
A citizen is defined as a legal member of a state who enjoys legal and political rights in that country.
Which of the following is a condition for granting citizenship to a foreigner?
Swearing an oath of allegiance is required for a foreigner to be granted citizenship.
Citizenship can be acquired through all of the following methods except
Nationalization means government takeover/control of a business; it is not a means through which a person acquires citizenship of a state (unlike birth, naturalization, or marriage).
The conferment of citizenship on a distinguished personality of another country is called
Honorary citizenship is conferred on persons of distinguished personality by another country.
The primary aim of any political party is to
Political parties, as groups of people with similar ideology, primarily aim to control the government by contesting and winning elections.
A manifesto can be defined as the
A manifesto is the proposed programmes or policies which a political party intends to implement when elected into power.
Which of the following exists in a one-state party?
In a one-party system, only one political party is legally and constitutionally allowed to operate in the country, and it is the only legal party.
Which of the following party system best represents all shades of opinions?
A multi-party system allows for the formation of diverse political parties competing for votes, most likely to represent all shades of opinion.
The practice of multi-party system in West Africa tends to promote
The practice of multi-party system in West Africa tends to promote sectionalism and factionalism (division of the country's people into different political parties competing along ethnic/regional lines).
Franchise is the right to
Franchise is the right of people to vote and be voted for.
The following are the aims of election except that
An election is not meant to allow a group to stick (remain) in power indefinitely; rather, elections ensure accountability, smooth change of government, and that the people determine who rules.
Politics is practically demonstrated during
Politics is practically demonstrated during electioneering campaigns.
An election held to fill a vacant post in the legislature due to the death or resignation of a member is called a
A bye-election is used to fill a vacant seat in the legislature as a result of the death, resignation or recall of a member.
Which of the following is a function of pressure groups?
Pressure groups provide a forum for the ventilation of grievances for their members to advance their interests.
Public opinion is defined as the
Public opinion is defined as the aggregate/expressed views of a cross-section of the people of a country on government-specific policies and programmes.
Public opinion on the performance of a government is best measured by
General elections are the best measure of public opinion on the performance of a government, since they judge whether the government has performed well.
The method in which a group of people are interviewed on a specific political issue is called a
An opinion sample/poll is the method in which a section of the public is selected to respond to questions on an important issue via questionnaires and interviews.
The Civil Service is an administrative institution of
The Civil Service is an administrative institution of the executive arm of government, responsible for transforming government policies into real services for the people.
Which of the following is a feature of the civil service?
Impartiality is a feature of the civil service - civil servants are expected to serve any government in power faithfully without religious, ethnic or ideological bias.
The major source of local government revenue is
The major source of local government revenue is grants from the central authority, since a large chunk of local government funds come from the central government.
In the pre-colonial African political system, the functions of the kingmakers were performed by
The Council of Elders performed the function of kingmakers in pre-colonial African political systems.
Colonialism is defined as the
Colonialism is defined as a form of foreign domination by which a powerful country controls and subjects the people of a weaker territory under its political and economic structures - i.e. the imposition of foreign rule on a territory.
'Casting vote' was one of the ways the governor in British West Africa controlled the
The Governors in British West Africa control the Legislative Councils in their domain through the power they have to vote on issues being debated in the Legislative Council (the casting vote).
The French policy of assimilation was based on the assumption that African culture was
The French policy of assimilation was based on the assumption that African culture was inferior to that of the French.
The administrative structure adopted in the French colonial territories was
The administrative structure adopted by the French colonial territories was more of a centralized administration, since the policy was to make Africans adopt French culture through education (direct rule).
The Pan-African Movements emerged as a result of
The Pan-African Movements emerged as a result of the racial discrimination which was prevalent in European and North American countries against Africans, to show that Africans were humans and in no way inferior to white people.
Which of the following was the first print media used by nationalists to oppose colonialism in the British West Africa?
The Lagos Daily News, established by Herbert Macaulay, was the first print media used by nationalists to oppose colonialism in British West Africa.
One of the prominent West African nationalist leaders was
Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana, is today regarded as one of the most prominent West African nationalist leaders.
Which of the following cannot be altered by a military coup d'etat? The
When a military coup d'etat happens, the constitution and legal system can be suspended/altered, but a substitute legislature cannot be truly 'altered' in the same constitutional sense - laws made by a military government are called decrees.
Laws promulgated by a military government are called
Laws made by a military government are called decrees.
The origin of the Commonwealth of Nations can be traced to
The Commonwealth of Nations is an international organisation mostly made up of countries that were former British colonies; colonial ties to Britain formed the basis for the evolution of the Commonwealth.
The first black African to hold the position of UN Secretary-General was
Kofi Annan of Ghana is the first black African to hold the position of the UN Secretary-General.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization (UNO) is appointed for a period of
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is appointed for a period of five years (renewable once).
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