A political system in which there is only one legalized political party is called a ________

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the name of a system where only ONE party is legalized, meaning the law itself permits just one party.

Step 2: Explain the concept There are two kinds of one-party system:

• De jure one-party system: "De jure" means "by law." The constitution or a legal decree bans all other parties, so only one party is legally allowed. Examples include Ghana under Nkrumah after 1964 and Tanzania under TANU before 1992.
• De facto one-party system: "De facto" means "in practice." Other parties are legally allowed, but one party is so dominant, or the opposition so suppressed, that only one party effectively holds power. An example is Nigeria's PDP dominance in the early 2000s, which was often described as dominant-party rule.

Step 3: Apply to the question The key phrase is "only one legalized political party." Legalized means the law permits just one party, which matches de jure.

Checking the other options:

• B. De facto: Other parties are legal, so this does not fit.
• C. Totalitarian single party system: This describes how the state exercises control over all aspects of life, not the legal status of parties.
• D. Mass party system: This describes a party with a broad membership base. It says nothing about whether other parties are legal.

Step 4: Answer The correct option is A. de jure one-party system.

Exam tip: Link the word to its Latin root. De jure sounds like "jury" and "justice," so think law. De facto sounds like "fact," so think in practice. When a question says "legalized" or "by law," go for de jure.