2000+ WASSCE Government Past Questions and Answers (PDF)

2011 Government(I)

1.  Freedom of the state from any form of control m ay be termed as

a. dependence      b. sovereignty     c. power d. authority

• The holder of sovereignty may die, but the power of the state survives. This means that sovereignty is  a. absolute b. universal        c. permanent       d. comprehensive
•  A de-facto sovereignty is one who occupies the highest office of the state through      a. constitutional means              b. unconstitutional means         c. electoral means       d. legal means
•  Which of the following is a feature of the state?                  a. definite territory         b. the sea                   c. political party         d. democracy
• The composition of the upper house is based on age and experience because it                    a. prevents bitter rivalry between the two chambers                     b. serves as an ornamental institution of the state          c. introduces sobriety and wisdom into government        d. gives representation to special interests.
•  An advantage of unicameralism is that it     a. acts as an effective barrier against oppression             b. is useful in heterogeneous societies          c. clearly identifies the location of legislative power        d. promotes equal representation
• The powers of the legislature in the modern state have declined because                       a. members of parliament have taken over the function of the executive              b. members of parliament are forced to toe the party line                      c. its authority has been reduced by the ombudsman       d. the constitution has removed some its powers
•  The administrative body that enforces legislation in a state is the         a. legislature        b. judiciary  c. executive                    d. ombudsman
•  The exercise of wider discretion in matters of policy by the executive is     due to the       a. growing need for prompt governmental action              b. power of the courts in annulling executive acts          c. arbitrary powers given to the president        d. long judicial processes
• Decisions of superior courts of judicature are the same as            a. case laws         b. treaties                   c. customs        d. statutes
• The application of the existing laws to individual cases is the responsibility of the    a. police         b. parliamentarians      c. civil servants               d. judges
• The power of a court to nullify an act of parliament is known as        a. checks and balances b. judicial review          c. separation of powers        d. delegated legislation         
• The agency through which the will of the state is expressed and realized is the a. courts                  b. ombudsman                c. government                d. electorate   
• The essence of separation of powers is to      a. guarantee individual liberty                    b. promote liberal political system         c. ensure arbitrary actions of governments                   d. allocate more powers to the executive
• Citizenship is mainly acquired by a. birthb. adoption          c.naturalization

d. registration

1. Which of the following obligations of a citizen contributes to the development of a state?   a. reporting criminals to the police                 b. regular payment of taxes            

c. protecting public property  d. participating in decision making

1. Which of the following is classified as a legal right?            a. right of appeal            b. right to  vote                     c. right of employment                d. right to hold public office
2. Federation entails heavy expenditure because          a. there is division of powers      b. the supreme court is independent          c. citizens are made to pay higher taxes   d. there is unnecessary duplication in administration
3. In a federal state, the supreme court acts as  a. an umpire between the center and the units       b. an adjudicating body in the units          c. a law-making body in the units    d. a court impeaching the president
4. Unitary system undermines local initiative because a. local affairs are ignored completely                   b. leaders become too autocratic                    c. there is reliance on excessive centralization d. local governments do not exist
5. The role of a responsible opposition in a parliamentary system of government is to         a. attack the government on every act         b. advise the Prime Minister to dissolve parliament      c. prevent abuse of power by the ruling party  d. call for a confidence vote
6. One disadvantage of a two-party system is that it                 a. is only ideal under dictatorial regimes          b. puts limits on the choice of the electorate         c. gives ample choices to the voters        d. gives representation to too many groups
7. The effectiveness of a pressure group can be measured based on its    a. small size and weak financial resource         b. importance to the national economy c. spread across different ethnic groups              d. leadership style not being enterprising
8. Which of the following is a disadvantage of public opinion?        a. promoting gender inequality b. distorting cultural values        c. rigging of elections     d. threatening of state security
9. The role of the media in modern government is to   a. highlight sensational news         b. polarize the state into groups         c. be vigilant in exposing injustice d. break down traditional values
10. One disadvantage of universal adult suffrage is that it could lead to      a. revolt by the electorate          b. political apathy       c. racial discrimination              d. ignorance and inefficiency
11. Proportional Representation is based on                    a. single-member constituency             b. multi-member constituency        c. functional representation                    d. local representation
12. A feature of an Electoral Management Body is that it is              a. flexible b. impartial               c. dependent                  d. partisan
13. An electoral management body should be    a. partisan            b. neutral            c.partial         d. bias
14. Rules and regulations for elections are made by the             a. civil service        b. judicial service      c. electoral management body    d. Ghana Bar Association
15. One of the constraints of an electoral management body is a. non –interference from the government               b. absence of qualified personnel     c. inadequate funding            d. presence of personnel with high level of integrity
16. The contemporary West African traditional ruler is expected to           a. organize political parties              b. promote personal interest            c. mobilize people for development   d. lobby for recognition
17. Which of the following was a reason for the introduction of Indirect Rule in West Africa?    a. existence of non-centralized states   b. acute shortage of missionaries                   c. prevention of inter-ethnic conflicts          d. inadequate British personnel
18. The main agents of indirect rule were           a. youth           b. educated elite             c. traditional rulers    d. political parties
19. The Pan-Africanist whose ideas influenced some West African nationalists was          a. Martin Luther King b. Marcus Garvey c. Nelson Mandela          d. Kwegyir Aggrey
20. Nationalism in Ghana after World War II was characterized by         a. peaceful negotiation    b. sending of delegations        c. presentation of petitions         d. strikes and demonstrations
21. The office of the Ombudsman was created in the 1969 Constitution of Ghana purposely to      a. ensure judicial independence   b. protect human rights  c. eradicate dictatorship         d. strengthen constitutional rule
22. One effect of military intervention in political administration is that it   a. enhances individual rights b. eradicates corruption completely      c. increases discipline in the military d. limits democratic process
23. The body that reviewed the draft report of the 1992 Constitution was a. constituent assembly  b. national assembly    c. regional assembly         d. consultative assembly
24. Which of the following is the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces? The    a. Chief of defence staff         b. Army chief of staff c. President of the Republic

d. Brigadier commander

• One of the ways of improving upon Local Government revenue is to    a. establish petrochemical industry       b. give incentives to tax collectors  c. give more scholarships       d. lay-off skilled workers
• Regulatory Agencies are institutions established to a. design, formulate and implement government policies         b. render specific social services on behalf of government      c. monitor and check the activities of service providers for quality      d. appoint, train, promote and discipline civil servants
• The principle of permanence in the Civil service ensures            a. non-partisanship          b. continuity c. political patronage         d. loyalty
• An ambassador is a person     a. accredited to a foreign country        b. from one Commonwealth Nation to another  c. representing the Holy Sea. who lives in a foreign country
• Which organ of the African Union has the responsibility of harmonizing the laws of member states? The                       a. peace and security council     b. commission c. executive council        d. Pan-African Parliament
•  The secretariat of  the African Union is the              a. Peace and security Council            

 b. Commission           c. Executive         d. Pan- African Parliament

•  Which of the following is not an objective of the Commonwealth?      a. Promotion of democracy         b.  Commitment to good governance         c. Opposition to racism       d. Pursuit of gender-based representation
• The Commonwealth  secretariat is headed by the     a. Secretary- General    

b. Queen of England   c. Prime Minister of Britain               d. High Commission

• The New partnership for  African Development (NEPAD) aims at    a. accelerated integration of the African continent             b. the empowerment of women                    c. maintain unequal relationship between the North and South     d. forging a programme of action for Africa.
• An instrument voluntarily acceded to by member states of the African Union for self assessment is the    a. New Partnership for African Development   b. African Court of justice   c.  African peer Review Mechanism.  d. Tribunal of the Community.

2011 (II)

1. Which of the following is the most important feature of a democratic state?        a. the existence of the ombudsman    b. the practice of rule of law            c. decentralization of political power d. provision of judicial review
2. In a democratic state, authority exercised by political office holder is backed by        a. customs     b. constitutional rights             c. conventions                 d. decrees       
3. The power of the state beyond which no other power exists is known as                   a. legitimacy        b. sovereignty  c. authority      d. democracy
4. The ability to influence someone to do one’s bidding is        a. sovereignty                 b. legitimacy             c power             d. ultimatum
5. A state’s power to make and enforce laws without any limitation is called  a. legitimacy    

b. sovereignty      c. authority d. order

• Popular sovereignty is exercised by the a. judiciary b. legislature   c. minister           d. electorate
• The classical notion of sovereignty is no longer valid because all powers are derived from the    a. constitution of the land     b. consent of the people c. United Nations Charter d. traditional rulers
• A system of government in which property is vested in the community and goods supplied according to needs is called              a. capitalism   b. totalitarianism c. communism            d. feudalism
• A large community of people who speak a single language and share common character and aspiration is known as          a. state             b society c. nation          d. tribe
• Which of the following is not a limitation on sovereignty?

a. inadequate human and material resource b. pressure groups that can incite civil disobedience        c. the electorate that gives support to the state         d. the constitution that empowers and limits the state

1. Which of the following is not an advantage of rule of law?     a. individuals enjoy free legal aid                 b. citizens enjoy equal treatment before the law      c. diplomats enjoy immunity from persecution            d. social amenities are provided
2. Freedom of the press enables the media to    a. play a watch-dog role.            b. educate the masses only on politics           c. free editors from libel                 d. create loyalty to government
3. A writ requesting a detained offender to be brought for trial is known as             a. mandamus  

b. certiorari   c. injunction      d. habeas corpus

1. Which of the following is not an advantage of unwritten constitution?            a. it is flexible             b. no ease of reference           c. it can be changed quickly         d. easy to interpret
2. Impeachment is exercised mostly in a           a. presidential system             b. parliamentary system                                                   c. monarchical system    d. confederal system
3. In a federal state, supreme power is vested in the    a. legislature      b. constitution    c. police       d. judiciary
4. Sharing of national funds among the different regions in a country for development is called             a. checks and balances           b. distribution                 c. revenue allocation d. taxation
5. Which of the following best describes judicial independence? Judges             a. are above the law    b. can do no wrong                 c. are not influenced      d. try cases promptly
6. An advantage of a bicameral legislature is that the second chamber             a. promotes the supremacy of parliament      b. prevents hasty passage of bills           c. ensures judicial independence        d. promotes easy passage of bills
7. The provision for judicial review in a constitution helps to a. remove ambiguities in the law                    b. settle dispute by the administrative tribunal           c. protect the interest of the majority d. make the legislature the sole law making body
8. The official who ensures that his party members in parliament vote in accordance with party policies is referred to as the   a. speaker        b. whip c. opposition leader       d. majority leaser
9. The defence and upholding of the constitution of a country is a      a. social obligation        

b. constitutional right c. political obligation d. personal right

• An ex-convict may lose the    a. right to life  b. freedom of association            c. freedom of movement        d. right to political appointment
• Which of the following is not a function of a political party?a. interest aggregation           b. political integration      c. mobilizing people for development   d. drafting a country’s constitution 
• The practice of multi-party system in West Africa in recent times is due to         a. pressure from Western donor countries                b. the fear of military intervention  c. intensive political education             d. growth of nationalism    
• Franchise was first introduced in British West Africa in      a. Sierra Leone b. the Gambia 

c. Ghana        d. Nigeria

• A country which allows all qualified individuals to vote is said to operate             a. restricted franchise          b. universal adult suffrage        c. property franchise       d. universal male suffrage
• The demarcating of electoral boundaries so as to favour a political party’s chances in future elections is a. delimitation b. genocide     c. gerrymandering         d. rigging
• The first-past-the post system of voting is also known as     a. the list system b. the simple majority c. single transferable vote     d. proportional representation
• The electoral commission must be    a. controlled by the government in power  b.an impartial and independent body           c. against the multi-party system    d. opposed by the electorate
• A returning officer is an electoral officer in charge of a        a. poling station      b. Constituency      c. region       d. ward
• All the following factors aid the effective operation of a pressure group except        a. size of the group                      b. adequate funds        c. capability of the leadership          d. lobbying
• The assessment of public opinion by questioning a sample of people is known as         a. gerrymandering       b. information bureau             c. public complaint bureau         d. opinion polls
• Declaring the actions of local government as ultra vires constitutes             a. political control b. judicial control                        c. financial control d. executive control
• The recruitment of personnel into the civil service is the function of the             a. public services commission b. public servants association            c. ruling political party d. labour commission
• The main function of the Administrative class of Civil Service is to help             a. the executive in policy formulation  b. collect data and statics for the Minister           c. draft public speech for the Minister
• The right to vote is classified as             a. legal right                b. political right    c. social right  d. natural right
• Which of the following features makes a civil servant non-partisan?a. Neutrality       b. Anonymity          c. Permanence               d. Expertise
• In the Civil Service, Engineers and Architects belong to the a. clerical  class b. professional class                                       c. executive class                        d. Administrative class
• Street cleaning, provision and maintenance of cemeteries are functions performed by the

            a. central government b. public corporation  c. civil service     d. local government

• Which of the following acted as a police force in the pre-colonial political systems in West Africa?       a. Council of Elders     b. Age grades  c. Secret societies           d. Queen-mother
• The areas acquired by the British in West Africa either by cession, settlement or conquest were called             a. territories       b. crown colonies          c. concession   d. protectorates
• The colonial officer responsible for law making and implementation in British West African colonies was the      a. Secretary-General       b. Provincial Commissioner       c. Resident Minister   d. Governor
• Under the Indirect Rule System, the chiefs were prevented from     a. maintaining law and order              b. issuing bye-laws and orders on specific matters          c. assessing people for the collection of taxes                     d. raising and controlling armed forces
• The responsibility of the Secretary of state for the colonies was to a. issue orders to the chiefs in their traditional areas    b. appoint and discipline public servants                   c advise the monarch on the appointment of Governors     d. give assent to local legislation
• The administrative head of the Federation of French West Africa was the             a. Governor    

b. Governor-General  c. Lieutenant-Governor                       d. Colonial Minster

• Which of the following is not a reason for military take-over?        a. Good governance

            b. Rigging elections    c. tribalism and ethnicity       d. Bribery and corruption

• The guiding principle for membership into the Organization of African Unity (OAU) is the     a. promotion of neo-colonialism among members             b. non-interference in the domestic affairs of members      c. eradication of all forms of racism among members  d. promotion of friendly relations among members.
• Which of the following links the Commonwealth countries together?            a. Common currency  b. Electoral system                 c. British Monarch         d. Systems of government
• The five permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations Organization enjoy the veto power as a means of    a. preserving the interest of the developing nations            b. bringing justice into the World        c. Maintaining world peace and security collectively   d. ensuring the decision of the majority

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