WAEC Government 2010 past questions
Ten questions from the 2010 WAEC Government paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 47 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.
WAEC Government 2010 questions and answers
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1.The Administrative Headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is in
- AAccra, Ghana
- BLagos, Nigeria
- CAbuja, NigeriaCorrect
- DDakar, Senegal
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Answer: C
The ECOWAS Commission, which serves as the administrative headquarters of the Economic Community of West African States, is located in Abuja, Nigeria. ECOWAS was founded in 1975 with its secretariat initially in Lagos, but when Nigeria moved its federal capital to Abuja, the ECOWAS secretariat (later elevated to a Commission in 2007) relocated to Abuja as well. Nigeria, as the largest economy in the region, has historically hosted the organisation's central administration.
- A
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2.Which of the following is a basic component of political culture?
- Apolitical beliefs, values, and attitudesCorrect
- Bmilitary expenditure
- Cgeographical size of the state
- Dgross domestic product
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Answer: A
Political culture refers to the shared beliefs, values, attitudes, and orientations that a population holds towards its political system and political processes. Scholars such as Almond and Verba identified cognitive (knowledge of the system), affective (feelings about it), and evaluative (judgements on it) orientations as its core components.
- A
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3.A representative of one country in another within the Commonwealth of Nations is called
- Aa Consul-General
- Ba High CommissionerCorrect
- Ca Chargé d'affaires
- Dan Ambassador
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Answer: B
Within the Commonwealth of Nations, diplomatic representatives between member states carry the title of High Commissioner rather than Ambassador. This convention dates from the Commonwealth's origins when member states regarded each other as equal partners rather than fully foreign nations. A High Commission performs the same functions as an embassy, and a High Commissioner has the equivalent rank and privileges of an Ambassador.
- A
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4.The institution created for checking abuses by government department is known as the
- ADirector of Public Prosecutions
- BAuditor General
- CAttorney General
- DOmbudsmanCorrect
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Answer: D
The Ombudsman (also called the Public Complaints Commissioner or Parliamentary Commissioner) is an independent official appointed to investigate citizens' complaints against administrative abuses, maladministration, and injustice perpetrated by government departments and public officials.
- A
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5.Popular Sovereignty is located in the
- ApeopleCorrect
- Bjudiciary
- Cexecutive
- Dlegislature
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Answer: A
Popular sovereignty is the doctrine that the ultimate source of political authority resides in the people themselves. In a democracy, all legitimate governmental power derives from the consent of the governed — the citizens are the supreme authority, and institutions such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary act as agents exercising power on their behalf.
- A
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6.A major advantage of a one-party system is that it
- Aencourages free and open competition for political power
- Bguarantees protection of individual civil liberties
- Cpromotes national unity and ensures political stabilityCorrect
- Dallows for peaceful and regular transfer of power
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Answer: C
Proponents of the one-party system argue that it eliminates destructive ethnic or sectional rivalries that arise from multi-party competition, thereby fostering national unity. With only one party directing government policy without opposition, political crises, legislative deadlock, and instability are reduced. This was a justification used by several post-independence African leaders who believed competitive party politics was divisive in newly independent states.
- A
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7.A system of government in which the political power is vested in the elected representatives is known as
- Aconstitutional monarchy
- Brepresentative democracyCorrect
- Cdirect democracy
- Dparliamentary oligarchy
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Answer: B
Representative democracy (also called indirect democracy) is a system in which the citizens elect delegates to a legislature or other governing body, and those delegates exercise political power on the electorate's behalf. This is the dominant form of democratic governance in modern states, including Nigeria.
- A
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8.A situation where all the citizens meet in an open place to govern the state is called
- Aconstitutional monarchy
- Bdirect democracyCorrect
- Cindirect democracy
- Drepresentative democracy
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Answer: B
Direct democracy is a form of government in which the citizens themselves participate personally and directly in decision-making, without intermediaries. The classic example is the ancient Greek city-state of Athens, where free adult male citizens gathered in open assemblies to debate and vote on public affairs.
- A
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9.Absence of government in a state is referred to as
- Aautocracy
- Bplutocracy
- CanarchyCorrect
- Doligarchy
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Answer: C
Anarchy literally means the absence of a ruler or government. In a state of anarchy, there is no recognised authority to make and enforce laws, resulting in disorder and the collapse of social organisation.
Oligarchy is rule by a small privileged group; autocracy is rule by a single person with unlimited power; plutocracy is governance by the wealthy — all three describe a form of government, not the absence of one.
- A
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10.A yes or no vote cast by electorate to decide an important issue in an area is known as
- Aa primary election
- Ba by-election
- Ca plebiscite
- Da referendumCorrect
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Answer: D
A referendum is a direct vote in which the electorate is asked to accept or reject a particular proposal, usually on a major constitutional or policy question, by voting yes or no. It is a form of direct democracy that bypasses the legislature and allows citizens to decide an issue themselves. Examples include votes on constitutional amendments, independence, or membership of international bodies.
- A
The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check
Spotted a wrong answer? Tell us from the app or on the contact page and we check it.
Practise all 47 questions we hold from the 2010 paper, on a timed CBT screen
Every question has the answer and an explanation, in the Skolra app.