Topics in Government
Socialism explained with its Key Principles Advantages and disadvantages of communism Communism in government Advantages and disadvantages of presidential system of government Features of the presidential system of government Advantages and disadvantages of fascism Fascism explained with examples and its characteristics Advantages and disadvantages of feudalism Feudalism in government Communalism in government Legitimacy and sovereignty in government Political power: Sources of political power Concept of power in government Functions of the executive arm of government Facts on Abraham Lincoln and John Kennedy One-party system explained with its advantages and disadvantages What is Democracy? Definitions of Democracy Types of Government Functions of the Legislature and Judiciary Scheme of Work for Government, SS1, First TermAcademic Questions in Government
Which of the following is not a function of government?
A. Government provides all the jobs in the country they govern
B. Government empowers the less privilege and the physically challenged
C. Government provides a support system for the aged
D. Government provides infrastructure for her citizens
E. Government maintains external relations with other countries
F. Government generates revenue for the country they govern
In government, a type of one-party system whereby a single party is officially and legally recognized in a country or state is termed a _____.
A. Hegemonic Party
B. Pre-Dominant Party
C. Dominant Party
D. True Single-State
E. Unique-Ordered State
F. State-Exclusive Party
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the multi-party system?
A. There is an existence of several parties differing in principles and fundamentals.
B. The political parties are legally recognized.
C. It is democratic in nature.
D. Among the various parties, only one dominates the political landscape.
E. Some of the opposition parties can become politically insignificant.
F. It promotes the coalition of governments.
In a two-party system, only 2 political parties are present in countries where they are practised.
A. True
B. False
On February 25, 2023; Nigeria as a country had its presidential election. The party system involved in this election is the _____.
A. Zero Party System
B. One-Party System
C. Two-Party System
D. Multi-Party System
E. APC, PDP and LP Party System
F. Coalition Party System
The following countries practice a zero party system except _____.
A. Cambodia
B. Vatican City
C. Bahrain
D. Saudi Arabia
E. Oman
F. Kuwait
Which of the following is not a characteristic of the two-party system?
A. It is democratic in nature
B. There isn't a third party
C. The two parties are always dominant in the political terrain
D. The president must emerge from one of both parties
E. It encourages freedom of expression at the press
F. It presents a choice of candidates to the people
A type of democracy whereby shura is practiced is termed _____ democracy
A. Direct
B. Indirect
C. Constitutional
D. Islamic
E. Authoritarian
F. Participatory
In any society, the structure and effectiveness of its government significantly hinge on two fundamental principles. These are: legitimacy and sovereignty.
Legitimacy and sovereignty in government are essential not only for political theorists, but also for other members of the society who are interested in understanding the frameworks that underpin our governance systems.
Please read on sources of political power here.
You can think of legitimacy in government as the moral backbone of a government's authority. It simply refers to the recognition and acceptance of authority by its people, alongside external governments. Therefore, a legitimate government is perceived, accepted, and believed by its cutizens to have earned the right to govern them.
The moral backbone of legitimacy allows a government to function effectively and maintain order. Without legitimacy, a government may struggle to enforce laws or mobilize the population for civic participation.
Please read on the responsibilities, duties and obligations of citizens here.
The legitimacy of a government can be derived from various sources. This will include the following:
1. Democratic processes: Democratically elected governments often derive their legitimacy from the consent of the governed, achieved through free and fair elections.
Presidents, governors and senators can achieve power through democratic process.
Please read more on democracy explained with its the types here.
2. Historical tradition: Power is wielded through the culture of the land. In this regard, due processes are followed with regards to the customs and traditions of a community or society.
Kings and warlords may achieve power through this means.
Please read on culture and its components here.
3. Legal frameworks: The judiciary (or a court of competent jurisdiction) can install a government in certain circumstances. This typically occurs when there is a form fruad or corruption in the processes that makes a new government.
For instance, a Nigerian politician named Peter Obi lost a governorship election in his home state (Anambra), but was however installed by the judiciary as governor of the state in march 2006. He was impeached in november 2006, but this was again overturned by the judiciary; as he returned to office in february 2007.
Interestingly, after the 2007 Anambra state gubernatorial election, he was again removed from office, but the judiciary intervened, and he continued his second term. He eventually served his people for 8 years (17 March 2006 - 14 June 2007 - 17 March 2014) as their governor.
Please understand that the judiciary is an independent arm of government.
You can read on the arms of government here.
4. Social contracts: This occurs when one or more persons agree to give up certain rights of theirs, and accept a central authority (or become part of a central authority) in order to enjoy other rights of theirs.
For instance, people may resign from their high paying jobs in order to assume political power, e.g a president, governor or senator.
In another instance, a person may leave his home of residence in order to become a king in his village.
Please read on values and norms here.
Note: With regards to the legitimacy of government; when people believe in the processes that put leaders in power, they are more likely to respect the authority of that government. This collective acceptance enables the government to implement policies and maintain stability, thus potentially making it sovereign.
On the other hand, governments that come into power through coercion, fraud, or authoritarian measures may face challenges to their legitimacy, resulting in civil unrest or rebellion.
You can read on fraud as a contemporary social problem in Nigeria here.
Sovereignty is a concept closely related to legitimacy but focuses on the power itself. It denotes the ultimate authority of a state to govern itself and make decisions without external interference. In this regard, the sovereignty of government therefore refers to its power to govern.
A sovereign state has control over its territory, laws, and governance structures. This power is recognized by both its citizens and other states in the international community.
Sovereignty can be classified into two types. These are:
Internal sovereignty
External sovereignty
Internal sovereignty refers to the power of the government to control and manage affairs within its borders.
External sovereignty pertains to recognition by other states, and the ability to enter into international relations. For example, when a country declares itself independent, it seeks recognition of its sovereignty to establish diplomatic relations and engage in global affairs.
Please read on the importance of government here.
The relationship between legitimacy and sovereignty is vital for the stability of any government.
A government can be sovereign (that is, exercising power and control,) but if it lacks legitimacy in the eyes of its people, its authority can be contested. This scenario can lead to political turmoil, revolutions, or even civil wars. Such government may be deposed out of power with time.
An example of a sovereign government who was perceived to be illegitimate (that is; lack legitimacy) by its people, and was consequently ousted from power occured in Syria in December 2024. In this instance, Bashar al-Assad (born 11 September 1965) was a Syrian politician and military officer who served as the 19th president of Syria from 2000 until his government was overthrown by Syrian rebels in 2024. This occurred because his government has the characteristics of being sovereign, but however, lacked illegitimacy.
Please read on the characteristics of government here.
Conversely, a government that possesses legitimacy but lacks sovereignty may find itself ineffective in fulfilling its responsibilities, as it lacks the power to enforce laws or maintain order. An instance occurred in Nigeria when the federal government led by Goodluck Jonathan; having full legitimacy, but was forced to retrace its decision on fuel subsidy removal. This occurred on January 1, 2012.
Therefore the above government of Goodluck Jonathan can be described as having legitimacy, but lacking true sovereignty; with regards to fighting the corruption in fuel subsidization.
Interestingly, a leader who championed the Occupy Nigeria protest movement (against the removal of fuel subsidy) eventually removed the Nigerian fuel subsidy on the first day he assumed political power (as president of Nigeria) on Monday, May 29, 2023.
Please read on two party system explained with its characteristics here.
From the above explanations, it can be understood that both legitimacy and sovereignty are crucial for effective governance. They foster trust between the government and its citizens, ensuring that policies reflect the will of the people while maintaining order and security.
The principles of legitimacy and sovereignty are interlinked pillars that support effective governance. Recognizing their importance helps foster a society where authority is respected, governance is effective, and citizens feel empowered to engage actively in the democratic process.
Please read on democracy and other forms of government here.
As a citizen, understanding these concepts is fundamental in promoting civic awareness and participation, while also laying the groundwork for a just and functioning society.
Discussions about the importance of legitimacy and sovereignty can encourage critical thinking about our own governmental systems and the responsibilities we hold as informed citizens.
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Amazing facts in Government
The shortest war ever lasted for just 38 minutes. This is the Anglo-Zanzibar War in 1896
174 world leaders signed the Paris Agreement on Earth Day in 2016 at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York. This agreement presents the largest number of countries ever to come together to sign anything on a single day. The agreement aims to combat climate change, accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed to strengthen the global climate effort
United States of America is comprised of fifty states and Washington D.C.
The letter 'q' is not present in any of the American states
White House in Washington has 132 rooms and 35 bathrooms while Buckingham Palace in London has 775 rooms, including 78 bathrooms
Three United States presidents; John Adams (2nd US president), Thomas Jefferson (3rd US president), and James Monroe (5th US president) died on the 4th of July.
Coincidentally, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson also died the same year, and that's 1826.
Abraham Lincoln, the great human emancipator, freedom fighter and 16th American president was popular for the saying:
Government of the people, by the people and for the people
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States of America was a professional wrestler before he assumed the office of the American President. Interestingly, he was only defeated once in his wrestling career
Notable points in Government
Ecclesiocracy is a form of government whereby religious leaders are recognized as the first citizens of a state.
The religious leaders in ecclesiocracy do not proclaim themselves as a direct instrument of divine revelation concerning laws governing the society.
A typical example of ecclesiocracy is seen in Vatican City where the pope presides as the leader of the state. However, the pope does not claim to receive direct revelation from God concerning civil laws.
The grand Ayatollah of Iran (Ali Khamenei) and president of Sudan, Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir are also considered as instances of leaders in ecclesiocracy.
It is worthy of note to state that the laws and rules governing the land in ecclesiocracy are based on religious beliefs, thus making it somewhat related to theocracy.
One of the duties of the government is to make laws that govern the society. Without laws, some of the rich may oppress the poor. Similarly, some of the highly placed in the society may end up oppressing the weak without being brought to justice.
The absence of government in a society, country, nation, state or community is referred to as anarchy.
An instance of anarchy occurred in Somalia in 1991 after a dictator name Said Barre was overthrown. This made Somalia disintegrate into fractions with local warlords imposing their authority over their land.
Below are some of the functions of government:
It is the role of the government to protect and defend the fundamental human rights of her citizens.
The government maintains law and order through the law enforcement agencies. These will include the police, customs officers and other local securities.
It is the duty of the government to generate revenue. This can be achieved through foreign trade.
It is the responsibility of the government to maintain external relations with other countries. For this reason, the president may visit other countries for business and bilateral trade purposes. Similarly, other presidents may visit your country in this regard.
Government can be defined under the following headings:
1. As an institution of a state.
Government is defined as an institution, agency, machinery or instrument that is established to manage the affairs of general welfare of the people making up a state or country
2. As a process or as an act of governing.
Government is defined as the processes and methods involved in the formulation, administration and implementation of public policies from a procedure which had been specifically spelt out in the constitution of a country or state
3. As an academic field of study.
Government is defined as the study of institutions, theories, ideas, values and doctrines as relating to the acquisition and use of political power for the welfare of the people
The End Sars is considered a pressure group in Nigeria. It campaigned in the interest of Nigerian youths, thus forcing the Nigerian government into scrapping the Special Anti-Robbery Squard (SARS) who had constantly brutalized Nigerians, especially the youths; through extortion, indiscriminate shootings, threats and other violent conducts.
Unfortunately, some Nigerian youths paid the ultimate price with their lives at the Lekki tollgate massacre. This happened on the 20th day of October, 2020.
Burna Boy, a Nigerian musician made a song titled '20 : 10 : 20' in this regard.