Practice gce model questions vol1 government 2018 Past Questions

Question 1 View Details

Party A has $120$ seats, Party B $85$, Party C $60$, Party D $45$ and Party E $30$ in a 340‑seat parliament. A majority requires at least $171$ seats. What is the smallest number of parties that can form a coalition to achieve a majority, and give one possible combination of parties?

A. 3 parties - for example Party B, Party C and Party D

Correct B. 2 parties - for example Party A and Party B

C. 2 parties - for example Party A and Party D

D. 1 party - for example Party A

Correct Answer: B

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Question 2 View Details

A body of elected representatives debates, amends and passes legislation, while the head of state may veto the bill. Which branch of government is primarily responsible for law‑making?

A. Monarchy

B. Judiciary

Correct C. Legislature

D. Executive

Correct Answer: C

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Question 3 View Details

Nigeria adopted its first republican constitution in 1963 and the current constitution in 1999. Civilian constitutions were in force during 1963‑1966, 1979‑1983 and 1999‑2026 (the present year).\n(a) Calculate the total number of years that a civilian constitution has been in force, excluding periods of military rule.\n(b) Which constitution first introduced the principle of federalism with three tiers of government (federal, state and local)?

A. 34 years; the 1999 Constitution

Correct B. 34 years; the 1979 Constitution

C. 35 years; the 1979 Constitution

D. 33 years; the 1979 Constitution

Correct Answer: B

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Question 4 View Details

The Senate has $109$ members and the House of Representatives has $360$ members. During a vote, $12$ senators and $20$ representatives are absent. Assuming a simple majority of members present is required, what is the minimum number of votes needed in each house for a bill to pass?

A. Senate: 49 votes; House: 170 votes

Correct B. Senate: 49 votes; House: 171 votes

C. Senate: 48 votes; House: 170 votes

D. Senate: 50 votes; House: 171 votes

Correct Answer: B

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Question 5 View Details

A judgment of the Federal High Court was delivered on 15 March 2024. Under the Nigerian Civil Procedure Rules, an appeal to the Court of Appeal must be filed within 30 days. The appellant filed the notice of appeal on 12 April 2024. Determine whether the appeal was filed within the permissible period.

A. No, the appeal was filed after the 30‑day limit.

Correct B. Yes, the appeal was filed within the 30‑day limit.

C. Yes, the appeal was filed within the 28‑day limit.

D. No, the appeal was filed within the 30‑day limit but was procedurally defective.

Correct Answer: B

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Question 6 View Details

Three pressure groups - A, B and C - have the following characteristics: - Group A: members $150{,}000$, annual budget $£2.5$ million, successful campaigns in the last 5 years $4$. - Group B: members $80{,}000$, annual budget $£5$ million, successful campaigns $6$. - Group C: members $200{,}000$, annual budget $£1$ million, successful campaigns $3$. The influence index $I$ for a group is calculated as \[ I = \frac{\text{members}}{1000} + 0.5 \times \text{budget (in £ millions)} + 2 \times \text{successful campaigns}. \] Which pressure group has the highest influence index?

A. Group D

B. Group A

Correct C. Group C

D. Group B

Correct Answer: C

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Question 7 View Details

A local council plans to roll out a recycling programme that proceeds through three phases: 1. **Planning** - takes $2$ weeks for every $5$ staff members. 2. **Procurement** - takes $1$ week for every $£100{,}000$ of budget. 3. **Public awareness** - takes $3$ days for every $10{,}000$ households. The council has $20$ staff, a budget of $£450{,}000$, and must reach $45{,}000$ households. All phases are carried out sequentially. Calculate the total time required to complete the programme, expressed in whole weeks (round up any fraction). Also, identify which phase is the bottleneck (the longest single‑phase duration).

A. 16 weeks; Public awareness phase

B. 14 weeks; Procurement phase

C. 15 weeks; Procurement phase

Correct D. 15 weeks; Planning phase

Correct Answer: D

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Question 8 View Details

In the UK system, the executive has two principal functions. Identify these two functions and state which one directly involves the administration of public services.

Correct A. Implementation/administration of public services

B. Regulation/enforcement of laws

C. Policy formulation/strategic planning

D. Budget allocation/financial oversight

Correct Answer: A

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Question 9 View Details

The President issues an executive order that raises the fuel tax by 5 % without obtaining parliamentary approval. In the UK constitutional framework, is this order lawful? Which body can challenge it, and what is the likely outcome?

Correct A. No; the courts can challenge it; it will be declared invalid

B. Yes; the courts must enforce it; it will be upheld

C. No; the Prime Minister can veto it; it will be suspended

D. Yes; Parliament can ratify it; it will become law

Correct Answer: A

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Question 10 View Details

In a Westminster system the Prime Minister is simultaneously a Member of Parliament. Discuss how this dual role relates to the doctrine of separation of powers and indicate which of the three branches is most directly affected by this arrangement.

Correct A. It reflects the fusion of powers; the legislative branch is most directly affected

B. It reflects the fusion of powers; the judicial branch is most directly affected

C. It reflects the separation of powers; the executive branch is most directly affected

D. It reflects the separation of powers; the legislative branch is most directly affected

Correct Answer: A

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Question 11 View Details

Parliament has 300 seats. A bill was passed with a simple majority when 260 members were present. The President vetoed the bill. To override the veto, a $ \frac{2}{3} $ majority of the total membership is required. At the time of the override vote, only 280 members are present. What is the minimum number of votes in favour that must be cast among those present to successfully override the veto?

Correct A. 200

B. 180

C. 190

D. 210

Correct Answer: A

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Question 12 View Details

Country A imposes an import tariff on steel of $15\%$ of the world price. After a year, the tariff is reduced by $40\%$ of its original rate, and simultaneously a subsidy of $5\%$ of the world price is granted to domestic steel producers. If the world price of steel is $\$500$ per tonne, and domestic producers previously sold at $\$480$ per tonne (before the subsidy), determine (a) the new effective price of imported steel after the tariff reduction, and (b) the percentage price advantage of domestic steel over the imported steel after these changes.

A. 12.5

B. 20

Correct C. 16.5

D. 10.5

Correct Answer: C

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Question 13 View Details

A civil case was decided by the High Court on 12 March 2024. The appellant has 28 days to file a notice of appeal to the Court of Appeal, but the period is extended by 7 days because a public holiday fell within the original period. The appellant filed the notice on 8 April 2024. Was the appeal filed within the permissible time?

A. No, the appeal was late

B. No

C. No, the period had expired

Correct D. Yes

Correct Answer: D

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Question 14 View Details

Three parties received the following votes in a parliamentary election: Party X - 240 000 votes, Party Y - 180 000 votes, Party Z - 80 000 votes. Ten seats are to be allocated using the D'Hondt method. How many seats does each party obtain?

A. Party X - 6 seats; Party Y - 3 seats; Party Z - 1 seat

B. Party X - 5 seats; Party Y - 3 seats; Party Z - 2 seats

Correct C. Party X - 5 seats; Party Y - 4 seats; Party Z - 1 seat

D. Party X - 4 seats; Party Y - 5 seats; Party Z - 1 seat

Correct Answer: C

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Question 15 View Details

Country B does not recognise governments that come to power through military coups. After a coup in Country C, Country B imposed economic sanctions on three sectors: oil, banking and tourism, reducing their GDP contributions by $12\%$, $8\%$ and $5\%$ respectively. One year later, Country C held elections deemed free, so Country B lifted the sanctions on oil and banking but kept the tourism sanction, and introduced a diplomatic embargo that reduces foreign direct investment inflows by $10\%$ across all sectors. Prior to any sanctions, the sectoral contributions to Country C's GDP were: oil $30\%$, banking $20\%$, tourism $10\%$ and other sectors $40\%$. Calculate the net percentage change in Country C's total GDP after the first year, relative to the pre‑sanction level.

A. -12.3

B. -8.75

Correct C. -10.45

D. -9.6

Correct Answer: C

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Question 16 View Details

Three pressure groups are lobbying on environmental policy. Group A has 80,000 members and an annual funding of £2 million; it competes with 4 other groups in the same sector. Group B has 150,000 members, funding of £1.5 million and faces 3 competing groups. Group C has 60,000 members, funding of £3 million and faces 5 competing groups. An influence index for a group is calculated as $\frac{\text{membership}\times\text{funding}}{\text{number of competing groups}}$. If a group's membership exceeds 100,000, its index is increased by 20 %. Which group has the highest final influence index?

Correct A. Group B

B. Group A

C. Group C

D. Group D

Correct Answer: A

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Question 17 View Details

A law passed by the National Assembly is found to be inconsistent with the Constitution. What is the correct legal outcome of that law?

A. The law is suspended until the National Assembly revises it.

Correct B. The law is void to the extent of the inconsistency with the Constitution.

C. The law is enforceable but subject to judicial review.

D. The law remains valid but must be amended to align with the Constitution.

Correct Answer: B

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Question 18 View Details

Consider a local council that enacts a by‑law limiting public gatherings to two per year. A community group holds a third gathering and is fined. The group challenges the fine, arguing that the by‑law (i) is vague and not prospective, (ii) is enforced only against this group and not others, and (iii) the council did not provide a hearing before imposing the fine. According to the principle of the rule of law, which requires that laws be clear, applied equally, and that procedural fairness be observed, does the council's action breach the rule of law?

A. No, it does not breach the rule of law.

Correct B. Yes, it breaches the rule of law.

C. No, the council's action is permissible under the rule of law.

D. Yes, but only partially breaches the rule of law.

Correct Answer: B

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Question 19 View Details

During a parliamentary session, 120 bills were introduced: 90 government bills and 30 private members' bills. $80\%$ of the government bills were passed, while $40\%$ of the private members' bills were passed. What percentage of the total bills introduced were passed?

Correct A. 70

B. 80

C. 50

D. 60

Correct Answer: A

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Question 20 View Details

In a country with 10 million eligible voters, voter turnout rose from $45\%$ in the previous election to $58\%$ in the most recent election. How many more people voted in the recent election compared with the previous one?

Correct A. 1300000

B. 1000000

C. 1500000

D. 1200000

Correct Answer: A

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Question 21 View Details

In a country with $5\,000\,000$ eligible voters, voter turnout is $60\%$. The nation is divided into $200$ equal‑size constituencies, each electing one MP. Party A wins $80$ constituencies. Assuming votes are uniformly distributed across constituencies, estimate the total number of votes cast for Party A.

A. 1,500,000

B. 800,000

Correct C. 1,200,000

D. 2,400,000

Correct Answer: C

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Question 22 View Details

The parliament has $120$ seats distributed among five parties as follows: Party A - $45$ seats, Party B - $30$ seats, Party C - $25$ seats, Party D - $10$ seats, Party E - $10$ seats. A majority requires at least $61$ seats. The ideological distance between each pair of parties (on a scale where a larger number indicates greater difference) is given below:\n\n- A-B: 2, A-C: 4, A-D: 5, A-E: 6,\n- B-C: 3, B-D: 2, B-E: 5,\n- C-D: 1, C-E: 4,\n- D-E: 2.\n\nThe total ideological distance of a coalition is the sum of the distances for every pair of parties in the coalition. Identify the coalition (or coalitions) that achieves a majority with the smallest possible total ideological distance.

A. Parties B and D

B. Parties A and D

C. Parties A and C

Correct D. Parties A and B

Correct Answer: D

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Question 23 View Details

The Judicial Independence Index (JII) is calculated by the formula\n\[\text{JII}=10-7p+0.2t,\]\nwhere $p$ is the proportion (as a decimal) of judges appointed by the executive and $t$ is the average number of years of tenure security for judges.\n\nCurrently, $p=0.40$ and $t=8$. The government wishes to raise the JII to at least $9.0$. Reducing the proportion $p$ by $0.05$ (i.e., a five‑percentage‑point reduction) costs $2\%$ of the current judicial budget, and each additional year of tenure security costs $1\%$ of the budget. The current judicial budget is £120 million, and the government can increase the budget by at most $4\%$.\n\nCan the target JII be achieved within the budget limit? If so, specify the minimum change(s) required.

A. Yes; increase tenure security by 3 years (cost 3% of the budget), which raises the JII to 9.4, but this exceeds the budget limit of 4%.

B. Yes; increase tenure security by 2 years (cost 2% of the budget) and keep p unchanged, achieving a JII of 9.2, but this would require a budget increase of 5%, exceeding the allowed 4%.

Correct C. Yes; increase tenure security by 1 year (no change to p), costing 1% of the budget, which is within the 4% limit.

D. No; even if p is reduced by 0.05 (cost 2% of the budget), the JII only reaches 8.95, so the target cannot be met within the 4% budget limit.

Correct Answer: C

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Question 24 View Details

The national legislature consists of three parties with the following numbers of MPs and party‑discipline factors:\n\n- Party X: $60$ MPs, discipline factor $0.9$, absentee rate $5\%$;\n- Party Y: $40$ MPs, discipline factor $0.8$, absentee rate $10\%$;\n- Party Z: $30$ MPs, discipline factor $0.7$, absentee rate $0\%$.\n\nThe effective weighted vote of a party is calculated as\n\[\text{Weighted vote}= (\text{MPs present}) \times (\text{discipline factor}),\]\nwhere MPs present = total MPs × (1 - absentee rate).\n\nA constitutional amendment requires a super‑majority of at least $60\%$ of the total weighted votes and a quorum of at least $100$ MPs present. The amendment is supported by Parties X and Z.\n\nDetermine whether the amendment passes.

Correct A. Yes, the amendment passes.

B. No, the amendment fails because the weighted votes fall short of the required super‑majority.

C. Yes, the amendment passes, but only under a simple majority rule.

D. No, the amendment fails as the quorum of 100 MPs present is not achieved.

Correct Answer: A

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Question 25 View Details

Public funding for political parties is allocated from a £20 million pool in proportion to each party's share of the national vote. The vote shares are: Party A - $35\%$, Party B - $25\%$, Party C - $20\%$, Party D - $15\%$, Party E - $5\%$.\n\nEach party must spend at least $80\%$ of its public grant on campaigning. Private donations are permitted up to $50\%$ of the public grant, but if private donations exceed £1 million a surcharge reduces the effective amount of those donations by $10\%$ (i.e., only $90\%$ of the donated amount counts). A party's total legal spending cannot exceed £12 million.\n\nWhat is the maximum total legal spending that Party B can achieve under these rules?

A. £7.00 million

Correct B. £7.25 million

C. £6.80 million

D. £8.00 million

Correct Answer: B

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