WASSCE Government — Paper 1 — Objective

Question 1

Checks and balances exist mainly to:

Accepted Answer

prevent any one organ from becoming too powerful

Answer

speed up the passage of laws

Answer

increase the size of government

Answer

give the executive final authority

Question 2

A public corporation is best described as an organisation:

Accepted Answer

set up by law to provide a service on behalf of government

Answer

owned by private shareholders

Answer

formed by a partnership deed

Answer

run by a local community

Question 3

Which term describes the requirement that an official serve any party in power without showing political preference?

Accepted Answer

neutrality

Answer

red tape

Answer

the civil service

Answer

a public corporation

Question 4

What is the main aim of the United Nations?

Accepted Answer

maintaining international peace and security through a Security Council whose decisions bind members

Answer

keeping member states outside the alliances of either side in the Cold War

Answer

economic integration among West African states, including free movement within the sub-region

Answer

voluntary association among states formerly under British rule, cooperating on trade and democracy

Question 5

What is a dominant-party system?

Accepted Answer

a system where many parties compete legally but one wins every election for a long period

Answer

a system in which candidates stand as individuals and parties are not recognised at all

Answer

a system in which two parties are large enough to form a government alone, and alternate

Answer

a system with many parties, where a government is usually a coalition of several

Question 6

Which term describes the recognised right to give commands that others feel obliged to obey?

Accepted Answer

authority

Answer

a state

Answer

power

Answer

legitimacy

Question 7

In elections, a by-election is:

Accepted Answer

an election held to fill a single seat that has fallen vacant between general elections

Answer

a vote in which the electorate decides one question directly rather than choosing a representative

Answer

the system in which a party's share of seats matches its share of the votes cast

Answer

the right of every adult citizen to vote, without a property, sex or literacy test

Question 8

The arm of government responsible for interpreting the law is the

Accepted Answer

judiciary

Answer

legislature

Answer

executive

Answer

civil service

Question 9

Which Nigerian constitution is remembered for ending colonial rule while keeping the British monarch as head of state?

Accepted Answer

the Independence Constitution of 1960

Answer

the Republican Constitution of 1963

Answer

the Lyttelton Constitution of 1954

Answer

the Clifford Constitution of 1922

Question 10

In public administration, red tape is:

Accepted Answer

excessive adherence to procedure that delays decisions without improving them

Answer

the convention that an official is not publicly named for advice given to a minister

Answer

the requirement that an official serve any party in power without showing political preference

Answer

the administrative head of a ministry and its chief accounting officer

Question 11

Which is described as a territory governed directly from London through an appointed Governor?

Accepted Answer

a crown colony

Answer

the warrant chief system

Answer

the amalgamation of 1914

Answer

the Aba Women's Riot of 1929

Question 12

What is citizenship by registration?

Accepted Answer

the shorter route open to a woman married to a citizen, or to a person of that country's descent

Answer

a person living in a country of which they are not a citizen

Answer

the expulsion of a non-citizen from a country by its authorities

Answer

holding the citizenship of two states at the same time

Question 13

The Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in the Nigerian Constitution are described as non-justiciable because they:

Accepted Answer

cannot be enforced against the government in a court of law

Answer

cannot be amended by the National Assembly

Answer

apply only to the states and not to the Federal Government

Answer

were inserted into the Constitution by a military decree

Question 14

A major feature of a parliamentary system is that:

Accepted Answer

the executive is drawn from and answerable to the legislature

Answer

the head of state is directly elected

Answer

the executive and legislature are wholly separate

Answer

the judiciary appoints the head of government

Question 15

Which organisation exists for economic integration among West African states, including free movement within the sub-region?

Accepted Answer

ECOWAS

Answer

OPEC

Answer

the Non-Aligned Movement

Answer

the African Union

Question 16

In constitutional law, a bill of rights is:

Accepted Answer

the chapter listing the fundamental rights a citizen may enforce in court

Answer

one drawn from statutes, judicial decisions and conventions with no single document

Answer

one that can be amended by the same process as any ordinary law

Answer

the opening statement of the aims of a constitution and the authority it is made under

Question 17

In public administration, anonymity is:

Accepted Answer

the convention that an official is not publicly named for advice given to a minister

Answer

the permanent body of officials who carry out government policy whatever party is in office

Answer

the requirement that an official serve any party in power without showing political preference

Answer

a body established by statute, financed from public funds and run by an appointed board

Question 18

What is the main aim of OPEC?

Accepted Answer

coordinating the petroleum policies of member states to steady the world oil market

Answer

maintaining international peace and security through a Security Council whose decisions bind members

Answer

keeping member states outside the alliances of either side in the Cold War

Answer

voluntary association among states formerly under British rule, cooperating on trade and democracy

Question 19

In constitutional law, a flexible constitution is:

Accepted Answer

one that can be amended by the same process as any ordinary law

Answer

the opening statement of the aims of a constitution and the authority it is made under

Answer

the chapter listing the fundamental rights a citizen may enforce in court

Answer

one that can only be amended by a special procedure harder than passing an ordinary law

Question 20

The chief accounting officer of a federal ministry in Nigeria is the:

Accepted Answer

Permanent Secretary

Answer

Minister

Answer

Accountant-General of the Federation

Answer

Auditor-General for the Federation

Checks and balances exist mainly to:

2. A public corporation is best described as an organisation:

3. Which term describes the requirement that an official serve any party in power without showing political preference?

4. What is the main aim of the United Nations?

5. What is a dominant-party system?

6. Which term describes the recognised right to give commands that others feel obliged to obey?

7. In elections, a by-election is:

8. The arm of government responsible for interpreting the law is the

9. Which Nigerian constitution is remembered for ending colonial rule while keeping the British monarch as head of state?

10. In public administration, red tape is:

11. Which is described as a territory governed directly from London through an appointed Governor?

12. What is citizenship by registration?

13. The Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy in the Nigerian Constitution are described as non-justiciable because they:

14. A major feature of a parliamentary system is that:

15. Which organisation exists for economic integration among West African states, including free movement within the sub-region?

16. In constitutional law, a bill of rights is:

17. In public administration, anonymity is:

18. What is the main aim of OPEC?

19. In constitutional law, a flexible constitution is:

20. The chief accounting officer of a federal ministry in Nigeria is the:

21. What characterised the Oyo Empire?

22. Which organisation exists for maintaining international peace and security through a Security Council whose decisions bind members?

23. Which Nigerian constitution is remembered for replacing the monarch with a Nigerian President as ceremonial head of state?

24. Which term describes the system in which a party's share of seats matches its share of the votes cast?

25. What did the Independence Constitution of 1960 introduce?

26. Which term describes holding the citizenship of two states at the same time?

27. Which Nigerian constitution is remembered for widening the franchise after consultation from the village level upwards?

28. What is dual citizenship?

29. What characterised the Kanem-Bornu Empire?

30. Which term describes a defined territory with a permanent population, a government and sovereignty?

31. Which organisation exists for voluntary association among states formerly under British rule, cooperating on trade and democracy?

32. The main difference between a citizen and an alien resident in a country is that only the citizen:

33. The Nigerian constitution that first introduced the elective principle was the:

34. The doctrine that prevents any one arm of government from becoming too powerful is

35. A one-party system is one in which:

36. Which Nigerian constitution is remembered for introducing the elective principle, with four elected seats on a narrow franchise?

37. Which term describes a person living in a country of which they are not a citizen?

38. The doctrine of separation of powers was propounded by:

39. Which system of government is characterised by a hereditary ruler holding power unlimited by any constitution or elected body?

40. The main advantage claimed for a two-party system is that it:

Reading these is not the same as sitting them.