WAEC 2018 Government · Question 3
A country with homogeneous societies and a small population is suitable for the establishment of ____________.
Options
- A.a unitary state
- B.a nation state
- C.a federal state
- D.an autonomous state
Answer: A. a unitary state
Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key
Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which form of state suits a country with a homogeneous society (people share similar language, culture, and ethnicity) and a small population.
Step 2: Explain the concepts
- Unitary state: Power is concentrated in one central government. Regional or local governments, if any, get their powers from the centre. It works well where the people are alike and the territory and population are small, because there are few differences to accommodate and it is cheaper and simpler to run.
- Federal state: Power is shared between a central government and component units (such as Nigeria's states). It suits large, diverse, multi-ethnic countries, where each group needs some autonomy. Nigeria is an example.
- Nation state: A state whose people share one national identity. This describes a type of country rather than a system of government, so it does not answer the question about the best arrangement for a small, homogeneous country.
- Autonomous state: A self-governing entity. This is not a standard form of government structure, and it says nothing about size or homogeneity.
Step 3: Apply the reasoning A small, homogeneous country has:
- no strong ethnic or cultural divisions to balance,
- little need to divide power among regions,
- a strong case for saving the cost of many layers of government.
All of this points to a unitary system.
Step 4: Answer The correct option is A. a unitary state.
Tip: Link the keywords to the system:
- Small + homogeneous → Unitary
- Large + diverse → Federal
Examples: Ghana and the United Kingdom are unitary; Nigeria, the USA, and Canada are federal.
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