WAEC 2016 Government · Question 22

Conventions are mostly used by states that have

Options

  1. A.a large number of illiterates
  2. B.a lot of people not interested in political activities
  3. C.unwritten constitution
  4. D.rigid constitution

Answer: C. unwritten constitution

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which type of state mostly relies on conventions. In Government, a convention is an unwritten rule or practice, built up over time through custom and tradition, that guides how political institutions behave. It is not written in any formal legal document.

Step 2: Explain the concept

  • A written constitution (e.g., Nigeria, USA) is contained in a formal document. It may have some conventions, but its main rules are written down.
  • An unwritten constitution (e.g., the United Kingdom) is not found in a single document. It comes from customs, conventions, court decisions, and some statutes. Conventions are its core part.
  • A rigid constitution is one that is hard to amend. It is usually written, so it does not depend on conventions.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

  • A. A large number of illiterates: Literacy level has nothing to do with whether a state uses conventions. ❌
  • B. People not interested in politics: This is irrelevant to the source of constitutional rules. ❌
  • C. Unwritten constitution: Conventions are the unwritten customs that make up such a constitution, as in Britain. ✔
  • D. Rigid constitution: Rigid constitutions are usually written and formally amended, so they rely less on conventions. ❌

Step 4: Answer Conventions are mostly used by states with an unwritten constitution.

Exam tip: Link the keywords together: conventions = unwritten = flexible = United Kingdom. And written = rigid = Nigeria/USA. If you see "conventions" in a question, think "unwritten constitution."

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