The fact that the office of the Chairman is rotational in ECOWAS makes it a perfect example of a/an ........

Analyze the question

The question asks what kind of arrangement is shown when the office of the Chairman rotates among members, as it does in ECOWAS. Rotation means leadership is passed around among equals rather than held permanently by one person or state.

Explain the concept

A collegiate (or collegial) executive is one in which power and leadership are shared among a group of equals, with the headship rotating among them. Switzerland's Federal Council is the classic example, where the presidency rotates yearly. ECOWAS works the same way: the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government is chosen from among the member states in turn, so no single country dominates.

Check the options

• A. Cartel: A cartel is a group of producers or firms that agree to control prices or output (like OPEC). It is not about rotating leadership.
• B. Confederacy: A confederation is a loose union of sovereign states. ECOWAS does have confederal features, but the question is about the rotating chairmanship specifically, which is not what defines a confederacy.
• C. Economic and Egalitarian political merger: This is not a standard concept for describing leadership rotation.
• D. Collegiate: This matches a rotating, shared leadership among equal members.

Answer: The rotational chairmanship is a feature of a collegiate arrangement, which is option D.

Tip: When you see "rotational" or "shared leadership among equals" in a Government question, think collegiate. Link it to Switzerland's rotating presidency to remember it.