WAEC Government 2015 past questions
Ten questions from the 2015 WAEC Government paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 49 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.
WAEC Government 2015 questions and answers
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1.Confederal systems of government means
- Aa loose union of sovereign states that delegate limited powers to a central authorityCorrect
- Ba system where power is equally divided between the centre and the constituent units
- Ca centralized system where all power is concentrated at the national level
- Da system where all governmental authority rests exclusively with the state governments
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Answer: A
A confederation is a voluntary association of independent, sovereign states that agree to delegate only limited and specific powers to a weak central body, retaining full sovereignty for themselves. The member states can withdraw from the arrangement and the central authority depends on the states for its resources and enforcement capacity. This distinguishes it from a federation, where the constitution distributes power between the centre and units with both levels operating directly on citizens, and from a unitary system, where all authority emanates from one central government.
- A
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2.The origin of the Commonwealth of Nations can be traced to
- Athe Atlantic Charter of 1941
- Bthe Balfour Declaration of 1926Correct
- Cthe Treaty of Versailles of 1919
- Dthe Congress of Vienna of 1815
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Answer: B
The Commonwealth of Nations traces its formal origin to the Balfour Declaration of 1926, which defined the relationship between Britain and its self-governing dominions as one of free and equal association rather than subordination. This declaration, later codified in the Statute of Westminster (1931), transformed the British Empire into a voluntary community of equals — the foundation on which the modern Commonwealth was built.
- A
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3.Montesquieu's political theory of separation of powers was meant to
- Aensure equality of all citizens before the law
- Bguarantee freedom of the press
- Cprevent the abuse of power by any organ of governmentCorrect
- Dpromote the economic development of the state
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Answer: C
In his work The Spirit of the Laws (1748), Montesquieu argued that when legislative, executive, and judicial powers are concentrated in the same hands, tyranny inevitably follows. By distributing these functions among three separate and independent organs of government, no single branch can dominate the others. The doctrine was therefore designed fundamentally to prevent the abuse of power and protect individual liberty from despotic rule.
- A
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4.Fundamental Human Rights are entrenched in constitutions purposely to
- Aregulate the activities of political parties
- Bensure discipline within the armed forces
- Csafeguard individuals from abuse of power by the governmentCorrect
- Dpromote economic growth and industrial development
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Answer: C
Fundamental Human Rights are incorporated into constitutions to place certain freedoms — such as the right to life, liberty, fair hearing, and freedom of expression — beyond the reach of ordinary legislation. Their entrenchment ensures that no government, parliament, or official can lawfully violate these rights without constitutional justification. The primary purpose is therefore to protect individuals from the arbitrary or oppressive exercise of state power, ensuring that governmental authority remains bounded by respect for human dignity.
- A
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5.Colonialism is defined as the
- Avoluntary economic cooperation between sovereign nations
- Bdomination and exploitation of a territory by a foreign powerCorrect
- Cpolicy of equal partnership between controlling states and their territories
- Dcultural exchange programme between developed and developing nations
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Answer: B
Colonialism is the policy and practice by which a stronger nation establishes political control over another territory, subjugating its people and extracting its resources for the benefit of the colonising power. It involves the domination — political, economic, and cultural — of the colonised by the coloniser, and is therefore fundamentally different from voluntary cooperation or partnership between equal states.
- A
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6.Representative democracy is characterized by
- Agovernance exclusively by a single ruling party
- Belection of representatives to make decisions on behalf of citizensCorrect
- Cadministration of the state by a military council
- Ddirect participation of citizens in all governance decisions
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Answer: B
Representative democracy is a system in which citizens do not govern directly but instead elect representatives who are empowered to make decisions and enact laws on their behalf. This distinguishes it from direct democracy, where citizens themselves participate in every decision. The elected representatives are held accountable through periodic elections, ensuring that government derives its authority from the consent of the governed.
- A
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7.The first black African to hold the position of UN Secretary-General was
- AJavier Pérez de Cuéllar
- BKurt Waldheim
- CBoutros Boutros-Ghali
- DKofi AnnanCorrect
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Answer: D
Kofi Annan of Ghana, who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006, was the first black African to hold the position. His predecessor, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, was African (Egyptian) but not black African. Annan's tenure was marked by reform of the UN system, and he was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001.
- A
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8.The practice of multi - party system in West Africa tends to promote
- Arapid and sustained economic development
- Bethnic and regional political divisionsCorrect
- Cnational unity and cohesion
- Dstrong and stable government
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Answer: B
In the West African context, political parties have historically been formed along ethnic, religious, and regional lines rather than purely ideological ones. A multi-party system therefore tends to deepen ethnic and regional political divisions, as parties mobilise support within particular communities and competing group interests fragment national politics, making coalition-building and consensus governance difficult.
- A
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9.A constitution that can be amended through ordinary law making process is said to be
- Aunwritten
- Bfederal
- Crigid
- DflexibleCorrect
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Answer: D
A flexible constitution is one that can be altered by the same procedure used to pass ordinary legislation — a simple majority in parliament is sufficient. This means there is no distinction between constitutional law and ordinary law in terms of the amendment procedure. The United Kingdom's constitution is the classic example. By contrast, a rigid constitution requires a special and more demanding procedure — such as a supermajority or referendum — before it can be changed.
- A
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10.The prerogative power resides with the
- Acivil service
- BexecutiveCorrect
- Clegislature
- Djudiciary
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Answer: B
Prerogative powers are the residual discretionary powers held by the executive — historically by the monarch and, in modern republics, by the president or head of state. They include powers such as the grant of pardons and reprieves, the appointment of ministers and ambassadors, the declaration of a state of emergency, and the ratification of treaties. These powers are exercised without requiring prior legislative approval and represent the executive's inherited authority to act in the interests of the state.
- 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 49 questions we hold from the 2015 paper, on a timed CBT screen
Every question has the answer and an explanation, in the Skolra app.