All 50 questions from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) Government 2021 Objective paper, with the correct answer and a full explanation for each. Free, no signup needed.
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An undesirable attribute of capitalism is mostly seen in
Capitalism is an ideology where the means of production are privately owned; a key disadvantage is exploitation of one class (labour) by another, alongside unequal wealth distribution and job insecurity.
A constitution that requires an absolute majority of members of parliament to amend is a
A rigid constitution is difficult to amend, requiring a two-thirds majority; it suits a federal state, unlike a flexible constitution which needs only a simple majority.
What is the term given to the action of discontinuing a session of a parliament or other legislative assembly without dissolving it?
Prorogation is the act of discontinuing a parliamentary session without dissolving it; a recess is simply a break during the parliamentary session.
In a monocephalous executive system of government, all executive powers are vested in the
A monocephalous executive has one head at the centre, typically the President, as in a presidential system of government.
The action programme of a political party intended to be carried out when political power is won is known as
A manifesto is a political party's agenda/programme which they intend to implement if voted into power.
What does the mass media rely on to gauge public opinion?
Mass media, as a communication system, often relies on rumours and gossip circulating among the public to gauge opinion.
Which of the following options is the role of a newspaper in a state?
Mass media, including newspapers, share sensitive information, disseminate information, and enlighten and educate the public.
The Civil Service helps the government to
The civil service is the executive arm with sole responsibility for implementing government policies effectively.
A citizen is barred from active politics when employed as a
Civil servants are barred from active partisan politics under the ethics of the civil service, which requires neutrality/anonymity.
Citizen political participation is best practised under a
Political participation can only be meaningfully practised where political parties exist within a democratic set-up.
The most important function of a government is to ensure the
The most important function of any government is the security of the lives and property of its citizens, in addition to law-making and provision of social services.
The right to an adequate standard of living falls under
Economic, social and cultural rights include the right to work and to an adequate standard of living, including food, clothing, housing, health, social security and education.
People's political values are continuously shaped by the following agents except
Education, family and media are agents of political socialization; the ombudsman is a government agency for handling complaints, not a socializing agent.
In which political system are there two levels of government with considerable devolution?
Federalism divides governmental powers between a central government and component units, each operating independently within its sphere.
A system of government in which people elect their lawmakers and make them accountable for their actions and inactions in government is
A representative government is one where elected lawmakers are accountable to the electorate for their actions and inactions.
Which territories in British West Africa did the colonial government exercise limited jurisdiction?
Protectorate means a territory acquired by the colonial master without war, willingly surrendered to colonial rule, over which the colonial government exercised limited jurisdiction.
One of the following French West African colonies was the first to gain independence.
Guinea, a former French colony, declared her independence on October 2, 1958, with Sekou Toure as the new nation's first leader.
The struggle by the chiefs and people of West Africa against political, social and economic dominance by European powers was referred to as
Nationalism is a struggle by the chiefs and people of West Africa against the political, social and economic dominance of European powers.
The European imperialist penetration into West Africa was primarily motivated by the following considerations except
European penetration into Africa was majorly motivated by economic reasons, as their intention was to develop newly found markets; compassion was not a motivating factor.
Which policy made the colonized French West African partners with France in her colonial project?
Assimilation policy was based on the belief that French culture was superior; it aimed to change the Africans' culture and make them partners in the French colonial project.
The British colonial governor in West Africa wielded sweeping powers by virtue of
The colonial governor reserved the right to approve or disapprove any legislation passed, i.e. veto power, giving sweeping powers over colonial administration.
The action plan by African countries under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), aimed at tackling the following issues except
NEPAD aims at tackling economic, political and social issues; religious issues are not part of its focus.
What motivated the adoption of Indirect Rule system by the British in her West African colonies?
Shortage of funds was one of the main reasons for introducing indirect rule; Lugard capitalized on the existing local taxation system to fund colonial administration, since Britain was reluctant to bear the heavy financial responsibility of its colonies.
The Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) was established primarily to
ECOWAS is a sub-regional organization formed by West African countries mainly to promote co-operation and contribute to the progress of economic growth and development of the African continent; it was established on May 28, 1975.
The media can best contribute to the democratic process of a country by
The media shares sensitive information, disseminates information, and sets the agenda for good governance, thereby contributing to the democratic process.
Public corporations can deliver on their mandate if
A public corporation is a business organization owned and managed on behalf of taxpayers; it can deliver on its mandate if corruption and mismanagement are dealt with, since these are among its major problems alongside political interference and favouritism.
Citizenship of a state is based on the following requirements except
Ways of acquiring citizenship include birth, marriage and naturalization; education is not a means of acquiring citizenship.
One-party system encourages and often end up in
A one-party system is one where only one political party is legally recognized; this discourages choice of leader by the electorate and often ends up in dictatorship.
Which of the following tools is not used by pressure groups to achieve their aim?
Pressure groups employ methods such as strikes, lobbying, ultimatums, boycotts, demonstrations, consultations and protest letters; contesting elections is not typically their method, unlike political parties.
Frequent military coup d'états which topple elected governments negatively affect
Military coup d'états often bring instability to the democratic process, undermining the democratic gains a nation has made.
How beneficial is delegated legislation to the democratic process?
Delegated legislation means laws made by bodies other than the legislature but sanctioned by it; it reduces the workload of the legislature, saves time, and is suitable for emergencies and technical subjects, aiding lawmakers to become experts.
Local government performs a number of functions on behalf of the central government in the form of
Local government, as the third tier of government, helps the central government in mobilizing resources for development, among other functions.
Which of the following are the role of mass media?
The roles of mass media include sharing sensitive information, disseminating information, and enlightening/educating the public; inciting lawlessness is not a legitimate role.
The chiefs under the Indirect Rule system were
Under the Indirect Rule system, chiefs were allowed to preside over the native courts as part of their role in colonial administration.
In restoring peace and security to Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) deployed a military force known as
ECOWAS deployed ECOMOG, the ECOWAS Ceasefire Monitoring Group, as a military force to restore peace and security to Liberia and Sierra Leone.
The desire for foreign investments and overseas market had become the driving force behind many West African countries'
The desire for foreign investment and partnership is the driving force behind many West African countries' foreign policy.
Citizenship does not only go with rights but also the performance of
Constitutionally, citizens are expected to perform certain obligations and duties, such as respecting national symbols, payment of tax and voting in elections, alongside enjoying their rights.
Taking over power, military governments disregard democratic protocols and rule mainly by
Military governments often suspend the constitution when they take over power and rule with decrees rather than through democratic protocols.
Which electoral system best suit a heterogeneous political environment?
Proportional representation is used to elect representatives in a multi-member constituency system, allowing each group or political party to gain seats in proportion to votes cast, providing representation for all interest groups in a heterogeneous community.
Judicial review in a democratic environment is an aspect of
Judicial review is a power of the judiciary to examine the actions of the legislative, executive and administrative arms of government to determine if such actions are consistent with the constitution, making it an aspect of checks and balances.
One advantage of multi-party system is that
A multi-party system allows voters to choose any candidate of their choice; it increases political participation, suits heterogeneous societies, and gives room for accountability.
The following factors motivated the formation and growth of political parties in British West African territories except
External socio-political factors, improvement in the communication network and the role of newspapers motivated the formation of political parties; mere membership of the legislative council was not itself a motivating factor.
Undue political interference in the work of electoral management bodies in West Africa has the potential to
Political interference affects the independence of electoral bodies; it usually encourages rigging and discourages free, fair and credible elections.
A person who is denied the right to vote is described as
A citizen who is denied the right to vote and be voted for is described as disenfranchised.
Public corporation is a semi-independent statutory body established by
A public corporation is established by an Act of Parliament; it is a business organization established, owned and managed by taxpayers' money for the government of a country with the motive of rendering essential services and not for profit-making.
One of the objectives of the United Nations Organization (UNO) is to
The UNO was established to promote respect for human rights and freedoms; it also aimed at promoting world peace and preventing a third world war.
The West African Youth League (W.A.Y.L.) was a nationalist movement founded by
The West African Youth League was a political organization founded by I.T.A Wallace Johnson in June 1935; it was a major political force against colonial government in West Africa, especially in the Gold Coast and Sierra Leone.
Commonwealth member states derive the following benefits from the association except
Commonwealth members enjoy benefits such as promotion of sports and education, and assistance to war-torn countries; political instability is not a benefit.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is saddled with many problems, one of which is
Problems facing ECOWAS include the colonial heritage of member states (former colonial masters' influence), military intervention, language barriers, natural disasters, and economic migrants, among others.
In which system of government are all the component units sovereign?
A confederation is a loose arrangement of sovereign states that come together for military or economic benefit, unlike federalism where component units are not fully sovereign, being legally and constitutionally bound to the central government.
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