JAMB Government 2014 Past Questions & Answers

For a political entity to be recognized as a state, it must possess four essential attributes. These are a definite territory (a clearly defined geographical area), a population (people living within the territory), a government (an institution to make and enforce laws), and sovereignty (supreme and independent authority). Option C is the only choice that correctly lists all four of these necessary features.

Common mistake: Students often choose option A because resources seem important for a state's survival, but 'definite territory' is the correct technical attribute, not the economic resources it may contain.

The correct answer is political socialization. This is because political socialization is the lifelong process through which individuals learn and acquire political values, beliefs, and behaviours from their society. This learning process is what prepares and enables a person to take part in political and public life. The question emphasizes the 'process' of taking part, which points to this foundational learning and development, rather than just the act itself.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'participation' because the phrase 'taking part in political and public affairs' is the direct definition of political participation; however, they miss the keyword 'process', which refers to the learning and development (socialization) that precedes the action.

A society, in this context, refers to an association of people with common interests, like a club, professional body, or interest group. Individuals are not forced to join these groups; they choose to become members based on their own free will and shared goals. Therefore, membership is voluntary, which means it is done by choice.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'constitutional' by confusing membership in a voluntary group with citizenship in a country, which is a matter defined by the nation's constitution.

Political sovereignty refers to the ultimate power to make political decisions, which rests with the people in a democracy. The people, known as the electorate, exercise this supreme power by voting to choose their leaders and can also vote to remove them. Therefore, the electorate is the political sovereign.

Common mistake: Students may incorrectly choose 'constitution' because it is the supreme law, but this represents legal sovereignty, not the political sovereignty which originates from the people.

A monarchy is a form of government where the head of state is a king, queen, or emperor. The most defining feature of this system is that the position is passed down through family lines, a process known as heredity. This means when a monarch dies, their child or a close relative automatically becomes the next ruler, unlike in a democracy where leaders are elected.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D, but a monarch's tenure is typically for life, not a 'fixed' or limited period like a president's term in office.

A bicameral legislature is a law-making body with two houses or chambers, like Nigeria's Senate and House of Representatives. A major advantage of this system is that a bill must be debated and passed by both houses before it can become law. This double-checking process makes it much harder for any single group or individual to rush a bill through or secretly alter it for selfish reasons, ensuring more thorough scrutiny.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly select options suggesting the process is quick or easy, like 'makes passage of bills easy', forgetting that having two chambers to approve a bill actually makes the process more deliberate and complex, not faster.

The judiciary is the arm of government responsible for interpreting laws. In Nigeria, the court system is hierarchical, with the Supreme Court positioned at the very top as the apex court. Because it is the highest court in the land, its decisions are final and cannot be appealed to any other body. This gives the Supreme Court the ultimate and final authority to interpret the constitution.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose the Court of Appeal because it is a very senior court, but they forget that the Supreme Court is the final and highest court in the judicial hierarchy.

A unitary system of government is one where all governmental power is held by a single, central authority. This system is most effective in countries that are geographically small and have a population that is culturally and ethnically similar (homogenous). In such a situation, it is easier for one central government to rule and make laws for the entire country without causing conflicts among different groups.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C, thinking that a strong economy is a prerequisite for a unitary system, but economic strength is not the primary factor that determines the suitability of a governmental structure.

A constitutional monarchy is a form of government where a monarch is the head of state, but their powers are limited by a constitution. Although Italy is now a republic, it was a constitutional monarchy from 1861 until 1946. This question is likely referencing Italy's significant historical status as a European constitutional monarchy, making it the intended answer despite the question being phrased in the present tense.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose Morocco because it is a current example of a constitutional monarchy, overlooking the historical context that makes Italy the intended answer for this specific question.

The question asks which ideology aims for a 'classless society'. This is the main goal of Marxism, which argues that history is a struggle between classes (the rich and the poor). The ultimate aim of a Marxist revolution is to create a communist state where there are no social classes, and all property is owned by the community. The option 'maxims' is a common typographical error for 'Marxism' in exam questions.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose liberalism because it talks about equality, but liberalism promotes equality of opportunity and rights, not the complete abolition of economic classes which is central to Marxism.

A constitution is classified as 'flexible' based on how it can be changed or amended. A flexible constitution has a simple amendment process, often the same as the procedure for passing ordinary laws. Therefore, the key characteristic of a flexible constitution is that it is easily amended.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because the parliament is often involved in the amendment process, but the defining feature of a flexible constitution is the simplicity of this process, not who carries it out.

Checks and balances is a system that allows each arm of government (executive, legislature, and judiciary) to limit the powers of the others, preventing any one arm from becoming too powerful. Judicial review is the power of the courts to examine and cancel laws or actions of the legislature and executive if they are found to be against the constitution. This power is a perfect example of the judiciary 'checking' the other arms of government, making it a core feature of the principle of checks and balances.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'judicial precedent' because it is also a judicial concept, but it refers to the practice of using past court decisions to guide current ones, not the power to check other arms of government.

During military regimes in Nigeria, the government is structured at federal and state levels. The federal military government makes laws called 'Decrees', which are the highest laws in the land. At the state level, the Military Governor makes laws for the state, and these laws are called 'Edicts'. Therefore, the correct term for laws made by military governments at the state level is Edicts.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'decrees' because it is the most well-known term for military laws, but they forget the important distinction that Decrees are for the federal level, while Edicts are for the state level.

Citizenship is the legal status of being a member of a country. While a person can become a citizen by being born in a country or to parents who are citizens (citizenship by birth), an alien or foreigner must go through a specific legal process. This process, which involves meeting requirements like living in the country for a certain number of years and showing good character, is called naturalization.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'registration' because it is also a method of acquiring citizenship, but naturalization is the specific legal process for an alien who has fulfilled residency and other legal requirements.

The returning officer is the official legally empowered to collate and announce the final results of an election in a specific constituency or electoral area. After votes are counted at various polling units, the results are taken to the returning officer for final collation and declaration of the winner. Other officials like the presiding officer are in charge of a single polling unit, but do not announce the overall winner for the constituency.

Common mistake: Students often confuse the returning officer with the presiding officer, who is in charge of a single polling unit but does not have the authority to announce the final election result for the entire area.

A political party is an organization that aims to control the government. To achieve this, their most important and ultimate goal is to win elections in order to acquire and exercise political power. While parties do formulate policies and create awareness, these are secondary functions or things they can only do effectively after they have achieved their main aim of getting into power.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose option D, 'formulate and implement policies,' because that is what a party does when in government, but they must first acquire power before they can do so.

A pressure group is an organization that seeks to influence government policies and decisions without trying to take over government itself. Their primary objective is to lobby lawmakers and government officials to create or change laws in a way that benefits the specific interests of their members. For instance, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) pressures the government for better funding and conditions for university lecturers.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because pressure groups often criticize the government, but their main aim is to influence policy for their members, not to act as a formal opposition party.

Public opinion has several characteristics or 'dimensions' that describe it. These include its substance (what the opinion is about), its orientation (whether it is for or against an issue), and its intensity (how strongly people feel). Polling, on the other hand, is not a dimension of public opinion itself; it is a method or tool used to measure and find out what public opinion is.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'Orientation' or 'Substance' because these terms might be unfamiliar, leading them to incorrectly think they are not valid characteristics of public opinion.

The Civil Service Commission is the correct answer because it is the independent body established by the constitution to manage the workforce of the civil service. Its key responsibilities are to handle the appointment, promotion, discipline, and dismissal of civil servants. This ensures that the civil service is managed based on merit and is protected from political influence.

Common mistake: Students often confuse the Civil Service Commission with the Ministry of Establishment, but the Ministry typically handles policy matters like salaries and pensions, while the Commission directly manages personnel.

In the pre-colonial Hausa political system, the Madawaki held the title of Commander of the Cavalry, which was the most important section of the army. This made him the head of the military forces, responsible for leading the army in war and defending the emirate. This role is the historical equivalent of a modern Minister of Defense.

Common mistake: Students might confuse the Madawaki with other key officials like the Waziri (Prime Minister) or Galadima (Administrator of the capital), leading them to incorrectly select an option like Minister of Interior.

The Ajele were political residents or administrators appointed by the Alaafin of Oyo to represent him in the vassal states and conquered territories of the empire. Their primary duty was to oversee the local administration, collect tributes, and ensure the loyalty of these districts to the central government in Oyo. This function is best described as ensuring good governance of the districts.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option C, confusing the administrative role of the Ajele with the military role of the Are-Ona Kakanfo, who was the actual head of the army.

The General Strike of 1945 was a major protest against the difficult economic conditions faced by Nigerian workers under colonial rule. These conditions were a direct result of colonial economic policies, which can be broadly described as 'harsh trade laws' that exploited local resources and labour for the benefit of the British. While an immediate trigger was a demand for higher wages, this demand arose from the wider economic hardship created by these exploitative colonial laws.

Common mistake: Students often choose option B, which correctly identifies the immediate demand for a cost of living allowance, but this can be seen as a symptom of the broader primary cause, which was the harsh economic system imposed by the colonial government.

Before the introduction of the Richards Constitution in 1946, Nigeria was administered by the British colonial government through a system of provinces. After the amalgamation in 1914, the country was divided into the Northern and Southern Provinces, which were further subdivided into smaller provinces for administrative convenience. The regional structure (Northern, Western, and Eastern Regions) was only created in 1946, which is after the period specified in the question.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'regions' because the three-region structure is more famous, but this was only introduced by the Richards Constitution of 1946, after the period in question.

Nationalist agitation in Nigeria began as a reaction to the policies of the colonial administration, particularly the introduction of indirect rule. This system excluded the educated elite from governance and imposed foreign control through local rulers, which created widespread resentment. This dissatisfaction among the new Western-educated class was the main spark that led them to organize movements to demand participation and, eventually, self-rule.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose the annexation of Lagos or the water rate protest, but these were earlier, more localized acts of resistance, not the beginning of a broad, organized nationalist movement.

Nationalism is the desire of a people to be free from foreign rule and to govern themselves. This movement grew strong in Nigeria because of the negative effects of colonialism, such as economic exploitation, political oppression, and racial discrimination. These harsh experiences united Nigerians and made them determined to fight for their independence.

Common mistake: Students may confuse colonialism with imperialism, but colonialism is the specific practice of occupying and ruling a country, which directly led to the rise of nationalism.