The form of government headed by a king is

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the form of government that is headed by a king. The key word is "king," which points to the type of head of state.

2. Explain the concept Governments are often classified by who holds the position of head of state:

• Monarchy: The head of state is a king, queen, emperor, or sultan. The position is usually hereditary, passing within a royal family. Examples: the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Eswatini, Morocco. Monarchies can be absolute (the king has total power) or constitutional (the king's powers are limited by a constitution).
• Presidentialism: A system where an elected president is both head of state and head of government, e.g. Nigeria and the USA.
• Fascism: An authoritarian, ultra-nationalist ideology led by a dictator, e.g. Mussolini's Italy. It is not defined by a king.
• Republicanism: A system where the head of state is elected or appointed, not a hereditary monarch. It is the opposite of monarchy.

3. Step-by-step solution

• Step 1: Identify the clue: the head is a king.
• Step 2: A king is a hereditary ruler, and this is the defining feature of a monarchy.
• Step 3: Eliminate the rest: • B: led by a president, not a king. • C: led by a dictator under a totalitarian ideology. • D: has no monarch at all.

4. Answer The form of government headed by a king is a monarchy, which is option A.

5. Exam tip Remember the root: mon- means "one," and archy means "rule," so monarchy means "rule by one person." If a JAMB question mentions a king, queen, emperor, or sultan as head, think monarchy. If it mentions a president, think republic or presidential system.