In a representative government, citizens exercise their political power

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks how citizens exercise political power in a representative government. The key word is "representative."

Step 2: Explain the concept There are two broad forms of democracy:

• Direct democracy: citizens personally take part in making decisions and laws. Examples are the ancient Greek city-state of Athens and the Swiss referendum system.
• Representative (indirect) democracy: citizens elect people to make laws and decisions on their behalf. Nigeria is an example, where we elect the President, Governors, Senators, House of Representatives members and others.

Step 3: Work through the options

• A. Directly: This describes direct democracy, not representative government. Wrong.
• B. Indirectly: Citizens do not make the decisions themselves. They vote for representatives who act for them. This fits.
• C. In reverence for the political system: This is not a defining feature of representative government. Wrong.
• D. Under undue political pressure: This describes oppression or coercion, not representation. Wrong.

Step 4: Answer Citizens exercise their power indirectly, through the representatives they elect.

Exam tip: Match the keyword to its pair:

• Direct democracy → people rule directly
• Representative democracy → people rule indirectly through elected officials