WAEC Government 2014 Past Questions

Question 1

Government protects the lives and property of the citizens of a state through the

A.courts and the police
B.legislature and priseons
C.ministers and the police
D.customs and the police

Objective

Question 1

State five reasons for the study of government

Theory

Question 2

Political power could be acquired through

A.persuaasion
B.election
C.sanction
D.nomination

Objective

Question 2

(a) Define capitalism.

(b) State two advantages and two advantages of capitalism.

Theory

Question 3

Which of the following countries in Africa practised socialism?

A.Nigeria
B.Togo
C.Tanzania
D.Kenya

Objective

Question 3

(a) Define Legitimacy.

(b) Highlight any four factors that determine legitimacy.

Theory

Question 4

Nazism was introduced by

A.Adolf Hitler
B.Tsar Nichilas ll
C.Karl Marx
D.Mao-Tse-Tung

Objective

Question 4

Outline five factors that give rise to the adoption of federalism.

Theory

Question 5

The following are merits of separation of powers except

A.abuse of power
B.freedom and liberty
C.stable political system
D.absence of dominance

Objective

Question 5

In what five ways can elections be made free and fair in a country?

Theory

Question 6

Which of the following is not a merits of checks and balances it?

A.prevents excessive use of power
B.has respect for human rights
C.encourages the use of veto power
D.prevents dictatorship

Objective

Question 6

Identify five functions and powers of the King Makers in the Yoruba pra-colonial political system.

Theory

Question 7

Representative government is alternatively called

A.rule of law
B.indirect democracy
C.separation of powers
D.classical democracy

Objective

Question 7

Highlight five reasons for the slow rate of nationalism in French speaking West Africa

Theory

Question 8

A constitution is a

A.set of regulations and customs
B.body of doctrine and principles
C.set of principles and customs
D.body of rules, regulations and conventions

Objective

Question 8

(a) Outline three features of the Macpherson Constitution.

(b) State two reasons for the breakdown of the Lyttleton Constitution.

Theory

Question 9

A feature of rigid constitution is that it requires

A.amendment by the judiciary
B.one-third majority for its amendment
C.special amendment procedures
D.the votes of electorate for its amendment

Objective

Question 9

Outline five reasons people prefer democratic government to military regimes.

Theory

Question 10

A characteristic of a federal system of government is that power is

A.shared between the central and unit governments
B.shared between the component units of government
C.held by the national government
D.held by the state government

Objective

Question 10

Identify five challenges facing the Commonwealth of Nations.

Theory

Question 11

In a federal system of government, education and health are examples of

A.separation of powers
B.reserved powers
C.concurrent powers
D.exclusive powers

Objective

Question 12

Which of the following is not a function of judiciary?

A.settlement of disputes
B.maintenance of law and order
C.interpretation of law
D.protection of right

Objective

Question 13

Statutes are

A.bills passed by local governments
B.laws passed by the judiciary
C.bills passed by the executive
D.laws passed by the parliament

Objective

Question 14

Slander limits a citizen's freedom of

A.expression
B.movement
C.association
D.religion

Objective

Question 15

Which of the following bodies has the right to change the laws of the country? The

A.Judiciary
B.Ombudsman
C.Legislature
D.Executive

Objective

Question 16

All the following are sources of revenue of a political party except

A.payment of dues
B.donations
C.custom duties
D.fund raising

Objective

Question 17

Party manifesto is important in the following ways except to

A.evaluate the party
B.limit choice
C.attract people
D.guide the party

Objective

Question 18

Coalition government can be defined as parties coming together

A.to appoint a leader
B.to form a government
C.with a common manifesto
D.to oppose the government

Objective

Question 19

Which of the following West African countries practised a one-party system?

A.Benin
B.Nigeria
C.Ghana
D.Liberia

Objective

Question 20

In limited franchise, restriction on voting can be based on

A.height
B.property
C.strength
D.exposure

Objective

Question 21

Which of the following is a limitation to Universal Adult Suffrage?

A.Wealth
B.Age
C.Race
D.Sex

Objective

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of a general election?

A.Bye-election
B.Presidential election
C.Local election
D.Student union election

Objective

Question 23

The purpose of an election is to

A.allow people to participate in choosing their leaders
B.provide social amenities for the electorate
C.give political education to the rich
D.allow the counting of votes in public

Objective

Question 24

Universal Adult Suffrage is popular because it

A.allows for equal political representation
B.allows for greater political participation
C.encourages a multi-party system
D.ensures equal performance of all poltical parties

Objective

Question 25

Which of the following is not a factor that promotes democratic electoral system?

A.poltical consciousness
B.periodic election
C.up-to-date electoral register
D.popularity of the governor

Objective

Question 26

Which of the following is not a factor that promotes democratic electoral system?

A.poltical consciousness
B.periodic election
C.up-to-date electoral register
D.popularity of the governor

Objective

Question 27

A factor that could make elections to be free and fair is the

A.existence of dependent electoral commission
B.adoption of a flexible consitution
C.opportunity for people to vote twice
D.registration of eligible voters

Objective

Question 28

The body responsible for conducting and supervising elections in West African countries is called

A.embudsman
B.electoral commission
C.election observers
D.constituent assembly

Objective

Question 29

Which of the following is not an aim of pressure groups?

A.Contesting election
B.Agitating for interests
C.Influencing government decision
D.Educating their members

Objective

Question 30

Which of the following is not a problem of an electoral commission in West Africa?

A.Electoral malpractices
B.Inadequate personnel
C.Inadquate funds
D.Registration of voters

Objective

Question 31

A pressure group formed only by teachers is

A.a promotional group
B.an occupational group
C.a religious group
D.an economic group

Objective

Question 32

Neutrality in the civil service means that

A.the government can seek or replace top civil servants
B.officials can only be removed from office due to ill-health
C.civil servants should be loyal to the governement and non-partisan
D.officials need to defend the budget in parliament

Objective

Question 33

Red-tapism in the civil service is a product of

A.democracy
B.autocracy
C.bureaucracy
D.theocracy

Objective

Question 34

The central government can reduce annual subventions to public corporations through

A.parliamentary control
B.ministrial control
C.judicial control
D.public control

Objective

Question 35

Collection of rates is a source of revenue to

A.civil servants
B.public corporation
C.local authorities
D.central government

Objective

Question 36

The money given by the central government to local authorities is known as

A.block grants
B.capital expenditure
C.loans
D.royalities

Objective

Question 37

The laws of the pre-colonial African system were

A.written
B.codified
C.unwritten
D.rigid

Objective

Question 38

Auditing the accounts of public corporations amounts to

A.media control
B.judicial control
C.public control
D.financial control

Objective

Question 39

The following were features of the French policy of Assimilation except

A.centralized administration
B.recognition of chieftaincy institution
C.limited education
D.indigent policy

Objective

Question 40

The recurrent coups in West African countries resulted in

A.dictatorship
B.POLITICAL INSTABILITY
C.nepotism
D.poor conditions in the army

Objective