WAEC Government 2005 Past Questions

Question 1

Sovereignty ultimately resides in

A.the people within a plitical society
B.a country's chief executive
C.the judges of the Supreme Court
D.traditional rulers

Objective

Question 1

(a) Explain the term authority.

(b) What are the main sources of political authority?

Theory

Question 2

Classical democracy implies government

A.through representatives
B.by all citizens
C.through electoral college
D.by martial laws

Objective

Question 2

(a) Explain the concept proletariat.

(b) Highlight four features of socialism.

Theory

Question 3

Which of the following is not a feature of a democratic system of government?

A.Limited franchise
B.Official opposition
C.Periodic elections
D.Rule of law

Objective

Question 3

(a) What is a representative government.

(b) (i) State two features of a representative government. (ii) Outline three conditions necessary for a representative government.

Theory

Question 4

Which of the following political concepts is associated with land ownership?

A.Racism
B.Feudalism
C.Nazism
D.Socialism

Objective

Question 4

(a) Describe separation of powers.

(b) How does separation of powers operate under the presidential system of government?

Theory

Question 5

Which of the following is a means of limiting the rule of law?

A.Supremacy of the law
B.Equality before the law
C.Immunity granted to diplomats
D.Strike action by workers

Objective

Question 5

(a) Explain the term bureaucracy.

(b) State five functions of a modern civil service.

Theory

Question 6

Who among the following is associated with the concept of the rule of law?

A.Jean Bodin
B.A.V. Dicey
C.Jeremy Bentham
D.Barom de Montesquieu

Objective

Question 6

What were the roles of the traditional rulers in Nigeria in the precolonial era?

Theory

Question 7

The lack of interest in politics by many citizens in a country is called

A.civil agitation
B.mass apathy
C.mass protest
D.political unrest

Objective

Question 7

(a) Describe colonialism.

(b) Highlight five powers of the British Governor in any one West African colony.

Theory

Question 8

The industrial Revolution in Europe resulted in

A.socialism
B.communalism
C.aristocracy
D.capitalism

Objective

Question 8

(a) Outline three activities of the National Congress of British West Africa (NCBWA).

(b) State three effects of the activities highlighted in (a) above.

Theory

Question 9

An agreed set of rules prescribing the governance of a country can be the

A.constitution
B.charter
C.manifesto
D.hansard

Objective

Question 9

In what ways did the Nigeria National Democratic Party (NNDP) contribute to the political development of Nigeria?

Theory

Question 10

A constitution is said to be rigid if it

A.can be amended by the president only
B.is difficult to amend
C.is unwritten
D.is decreed by soldiers

Objective

Question 10

(a) What is a coup d'etat?

(b) Give five reasons for military intervention in politics in West Africa.

Theory

Question 11

A unitary system of government is most suitable for a

A.highly religious country
B.country with a lot of mineral deposits
C.smaill homogeneous country
D.highly populated country

Objective

Question 11

With two examples, explain the meaning of federal character in Nigeria.

(b) State three factors responsible for the introduction of the concept of federal character in Nigeria.

Theory

Question 12

The principle of collective responsibility is central to the

A.presidential system
B.federal system
C.unitary system
D.parliamentary system

Objective

Question 12

Explain six aims and objectives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Theory

Question 13

The practice of two or more sovereign states uniting for security and external affairs is called

A.totalitarianism
B.confederalism
C.republicanism
D.sectionalism

Objective

Question 14

One of the functions of a Party Whip in the Legislature is to

A.punish erring members of the party in the House
B.ensure that members are present during important sessions
C.ensure that the House is properly dissolved
D.lead the minority party in the House debate

Objective

Question 15

The judiciary is an organ of government which

A.rules the country according to laws
B.makes laws for the country
C.gives legal backing to government's budgets
D.settles disputes in accordance with the laws of the land

Objective

Question 16

A unicameral legislature has

A.two houses
B.one house
C.three houses
D.one head of state

Objective

Question 17

A unicameral legislature has

A.two houses
B.one house
C.three houses
D.one head of state

Objective

Question 18

To promote justice in a state, judges must

A.belong to the ruling party
B.punish people who oppose them
C.enjoy security of tenure of office
D.not socialise with the people

Objective

Question 19

People pay taxes in order to

A.generate revenue for government
B.obtain a tax clearance certificate
C.avoid being prosecuted in the courts
D.save towards the future

Objective

Question 20

All the following are essential functions of political parties except to

A.aggregate interests of members of the public
B.serve as link between the government and the people
C.seek political power lawfully
D.sek political power for the military

Objective

Question 21

A multi-party system often leads to

A.unitary government
B.dictatorial government
C.coalition government
D.parliamentary government

Objective

Question 22

The right of the citizens to vote and be voted for in an election is called

A.indirect election
B.nomination
C.general election
D.franchise

Objective

Question 23

One major advantage of the secret ballot system of election is that , it

A.removes the fears of threat and victimization
B.enables the best party to win
C.ensures the efficiency of the electoral commission
D.helps to elect the best candidate

Objective

Question 24

An election held to determine an important constitutional issue is called a

A.direct election
B.counter election
C.general election
D.referendum

Objective

Question 25

A free and fair election requires all the following except

A.political parties
B.a long campaign period
C.gerrymandered constitutuencies
D.registration of all qualified voters

Objective

Question 26

An electoral college is a

A.form of indirect election
B.school for electoral officers
C.college which trains party leaders
D.policy to dissolve constitutuencies

Objective

Question 27

The main objective of a pressure group is to

A.change the government
B.fund election campaigns
C.form the government
D.influence government policies

Objective

Question 28

Political opinion can be expressed through

A.census
B.general strike
C.socialisation
D.compromise

Objective

Question 29

A local government administration promotes

A.consensus politics
B.responsible government
C.democracy at the grassroots
D.responsive government

Objective

Question 30

All the following are features of the civil service except

A.anonymity
B.political neutrality and impartiality
C.security of tenure and permanence
D.political maturity and participation

Objective

Question 31

Public corporations are set up by

A.the Board of Directors
B.the Minister
C.workers in the corporation
D.an act of parliament

Objective

Question 32

The First Colonial Consul sent to administer the West Coast of Africa by the Britain, was

A.John Beecroft
B.Walter Egerton
C.George Goldie
D.Donald Cameron

Objective

Question 33

The executive head who was responsible for British colonial territories in West Africa was the

A.Lord Chancellor
B.heir to the British throne
C.warrant chief
D.Secretary of State

Objective

Question 34

The direct rule policy did not succeed in some parts of West Africa because

A.it was not well understood
B.only few British officers were posted to those areas
C.the powers of traditional rulers were not centralised
D.the elite were participatory to the policy

Objective

Question 35

The policy of indigenat was parctised in the colonies controlled by

A.Belgium
B.Portugal
C.Britain
D.France

Objective

Question 36

The French policy of Assimilation implied that

A.the French transferred powrs to Africans
B.traditional rulers were recongnised
C.African countries were granted independence
D.Africans were modelled after the French

Objective

Question 37

The West African Students Union (WASU) was formed in 1925 in

A.Dakar
B.London
C.Weshington
D.New York

Objective

Question 38

One of the achievements of the National Congress of British West African (NCBWA) was the

A.introduction of railway transportation
B.appointment of a federal president
C.improvement of living standard
D.introduction of the elective principle

Objective