2016 WAEC (WASSCE) Government Past Questions & Answers

Question 1

Which of the following countries was not instrumental to the formation of the United Nations Organization (UNO)?

Accepted Answer

C. Germany

Answer

A. United States of America

Answer

B. Britain

Answer

D. USSR

Question 2

Suffrage is also known as

Accepted Answer

A. franchise

Answer

B. plebiscite

Answer

C. public opinion

Answer

D. electoral college

Question 3

The system that allows the opposition to participate in governance is

Accepted Answer

D. democratic

Answer

A. dictatorial

Answer

B. collectivism

Answer

C. aristocratic

Question 4

Government refers to all the following except

Accepted Answer

D. an institution made up of people with common interest

Answer

A. an academic field of study

Answer

B. an organized group of people that formulate policies

Answer

C. a process of making and enforcing laws

Question 5

Public corporations are established to

Accepted Answer

D. provide utility services to the public at minimal cost

Answer

A. make maximum profits

Answer

B. help businessmen

Answer

C. provide employment for defeated politicians

Question 6

The official who enforces discipline among members of his party in parliament is the

Accepted Answer

D. chief whip

Answer

A. majority leader

Answer

B. minority leader

Answer

C. clerk of the House

Question 7

Which of the following categories of people can vote in periodic elections?

Accepted Answer

D. Citizens

Answer

A. Minors

Answer

B. Aliens

Answer

C. Lunatics

Question 8

In a presidential system of government, the president can constitutionally be removed from the office through

Accepted Answer

B. impeachment

Answer

A. persuasion

Answer

C. coup d' etat

Answer

D. vote -of-no- confidence

Question 9

The desire for constitutional development in British West African Colonies was as a result of the

Accepted Answer

D. growing agitation of the people for political independence

Answer

A. rigidity of the constitution

Answer

B. desire of the British to review the constitution

Answer

C. power of traditional rulers in British West Africa

Question 10

Elections are conducted to

Accepted Answer

B. make the people choose their leaders

Answer

A. provide permanent employment for the people

Answer

C. known the number of people in a country

Answer

D. know the social amenities in the community

Question 11

Local governments are created to

Accepted Answer

B. bring the government closer to the people

Answer

A. give more powers to the traditional rulers

Answer

C. make the people obey more of the local laws

Answer

D. take over the functions of the central government

Question 12

An association whose ultimate aim is to influence government policies is known as

Accepted Answer

B. pressure group

Answer

A. civil service

Answer

C. political party

Answer

D. public corporation

Question 13

Which of the following is not a means through which political parties reach the populace?

Accepted Answer

C. schools

Answer

A. Posters

Answer

B. newspapers

Answer

D. the internet

Question 14

The privileged citizens enjoyed in a country irrespective of sex, tribe or creed is

Accepted Answer

A. right

Answer

B. constitution

Answer

C. manifesto

Answer

D. franchise

Question 15

One of the features of an absolute monarch is that the ruler

Accepted Answer

D. wields the supreme power in a state

Answer

A. is elected by the electorate

Answer

B. has a definite tenure of office

Answer

C. is elected by the representatives of the people

Question 16

The appointment and deposition of chiefs by their people was a demand of the

Accepted Answer

B. National Congress of British West Africa

Answer

A. Pan African Movements

Answer

C. West African Students' Union

Answer

D. West African Youth League

Question 17

One advantage of a flexible constitution is that it

Accepted Answer

D. can be amended by a simple majority

Answer

A. can lead to dictatorship

Answer

B. can easily be manipulated

Answer

C. is best suited for a federation

Question 18

An institution of government that makes bye-laws is the

Accepted Answer

D. local authorities

Answer

A. judiciary

Answer

B. executive

Answer

C. legislature

Question 19

Which of the following hinders the establishment of a representative government in a state?

Accepted Answer

A. Mass illiteracy

Answer

B. Existence of pressure groups

Answer

C. Vibrant political culture

Answer

D. Independent electoral commission

Question 20

Political parties aim at all the following except

Accepted Answer

C. organizing general elections

Answer

A. contesting elections

Answer

B. forming a government

Answer

D. educating the electorate politically

Question 21

Membership of pressure groups is usually limited because they

Accepted Answer

A. pursue specific and narrow objectives

Answer

B. promote other people's interests

Answer

C. do not have dynamic leadership

Answer

D. promote the interest of the government

Question 22

Conventions are mostly used by states that have

Accepted Answer

C. unwritten constitution

Answer

A. a large number of illiterates

Answer

B. a lot of people not interested in political activities

Answer

D. rigid constitution

Question 23

As an academic field the study of government does not include

Accepted Answer

D. Ecological interaction

Answer

A. Political economy

Answer

B. Comparative politics

Answer

C. Public administration

Question 24

When an action of the executive is declared ultra-vires, it is a control exercised by the

Accepted Answer

C. judiciary

Answer

A. public

Answer

B. minister

Answer

D. parliament

Question 25

In a democracy political sovereignty is vested in the

Accepted Answer

B. people

Answer

A. judges

Answer

C. legislature

Answer

D. executive

Question 26

For an election to be fair and free Electoral Commission must be

Accepted Answer

D. independent of other institutions of government

Answer

A. ready to manipulate results

Answer

B. ready to reject criticisms

Answer

C. headed by a minister in the executive

Question 27

Which of the following is not an attribute of a state?

Accepted Answer

D. Common language

Answer

A. Definite territory

Answer

B. Population

Answer

C. Government

Question 28

The anonymity of a civil servant means that he

Accepted Answer

C. receives neither praise nor blame publicly

Answer

A. is above the law of the land

Answer

B. should take part in partisan politics

Answer

D. should be prosecuted for professional misconduct

Question 29

Some pre-colonial West African governments were democratic because of the existence of

Accepted Answer

D. checks and balances

Answer

A. powerful traditional rulers

Answer

B. age grades

Answer

C. religious institutions

Question 30

The following are features of military regimes except

Accepted Answer

A. respect for human rights

Answer

B. suspension of the constitution

Answer

C. rules by decrees and edicts

Answer

D. curtailment of human rights

Question 31

The Commonwealth of Nations was originally made up of

Accepted Answer

C. independent nations formerly under British Empire

Answer

A. former Portuguese colonies in Africa

Answer

B. former Spanish colonies in Africa

Answer

D. France and her former colonies in West Africa

Question 32

The judicial order requiring a detained person to be brought before a judge is the writ of

Accepted Answer

A. Habeas corpus

Answer

B. Mandamus

Answer

C. Prohibition

Answer

D. Certiorari

Question 33

Power is transformed into legal authority through

Accepted Answer

D. legitimacy

Answer

A. force

Answer

B. prayers

Answer

C. influence

Question 34

Which of the following functions is performed by the civil service?

Accepted Answer

D. Implementation of policies

Answer

A. Enactment of laws

Answer

B. Settlement of disputes

Answer

C. Appointment of ministers

Question 35

All the following are experienced by a community without government except

Accepted Answer

B. planned development

Answer

A. insecurity

Answer

C. lawlessness

Answer

D. political anarchy

Question 36

Military regimes in West Africa have often made use of civilians because

Accepted Answer

D. they need the experience of civilians in government

Answer

A. only civilians can make decrees

Answer

B. the soldiers are democratic

Answer

C. civilians are part of the armed forces

Question 37

One of the measures introduced by indirect rule was

Accepted Answer

D. exclusion of the educated elite from the colonial administration

Answer

A. collection and keeping of taxes by the chiefs only

Answer

B. not recognizing traditional institutions

Answer

C. fixing and collection of taxes by British officials themselves

Question 38

Foreign policy is the

Accepted Answer

D. general principles of a country in the conduct of international relations

Answer

A. general principles that guide foreigners in a country

Answer

B. policy made by a country during war

Answer

C. policy made by a country in peace time

Question 39

Which of the following systems of government is authoritarian in nature?

Accepted Answer

B. Fascism

Answer

A. Capitalist system

Answer

C. Republicanism

Answer

D. Constitutional monarchy

Question 40

All the following are the conditions for the adoption of federalism except

Accepted Answer

D. homogeneity

Answer

A. size

Answer

B. defence

Answer

C. population

Question 41

A political party can contest and win a widely accepted election if it has

Accepted Answer

C. a broad-based membership

Answer

A. the ability to rig election

Answer

B. intolerant attitude to oppositions

Answer

D. the support of very wealthy politicians

Question 42

A notable feature of cabinet system of government is

Accepted Answer

A. collective responsibility

Answer

B. the separation of powers

Answer

C. violation of human rights

Answer

D. impeachment of the executive

Question 43

Which of the following policies was replaced by the French Policy of Association?

Accepted Answer

B. Assimilation

Answer

A. Apartheid

Answer

C. Indirect rule

Answer

D. Frenchification

Question 44

A minister controls public corporation by

Accepted Answer

D. ensuring the effective administration of the corporation

Answer

A. provide the corporation's finances

Answer

B. auditing the accounts of the corporation personally

Answer

C. criticizing the corporation through the mass media

Question 45

According to Charles Montesquieu, the theory of separation of powers is to prevent

Accepted Answer

D. arbitrariness

Answer

A. influence

Answer

B. authority

Answer

C. power

Question 46

One criticism levelled against the pre-independence political parties in West Africa was that some of them

Accepted Answer

C. were not national in outlook

Answer

A. did not possess credible programmes

Answer

B. did not contribute to political development

Answer

D. were instruments of the colonial administration

Question 47

Decentralisation is a common feature of

Accepted Answer

B. federal system of government

Answer

A. totalitarian system of government

Answer

C. unitary system of government

Answer

D. fascist system

Question 48

A constitution that requires complicated procedure for its amendment is

Accepted Answer

A. rigid

Answer

B. flexible

Answer

C. written

Answer

D. unwritten

Question 49

Bye-laws are made through

Accepted Answer

A. delegated legislation

Answer

B. executive instrument

Answer

C. presidential order

Answer

D. emergency power

2016 WAEC (WASSCE) Government Past Questions

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