Government

SECTION A: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT

  1. MEANING AND SCOPE OF THE SUBJECT MATTER – GOVERNMENT

(i) Government as an institution of the state.

(ii) Government as a process or art of governing.

(iii) Government as an academic field of study.

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  1. BASIC CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT

(i) Basic Concepts – Power, Authority, Legitimacy, Sovereignty, Democracy, Political Culture , Political

Socialization, Communalism, Socialism, Communism, Capitalism, Feudalism, Fascism, Nazism,

Totalitarianism, Society, State and Nation, Colonialism and Nationalism.

(ii) Basic Principles – Rule of Law, Fundamental Human Rights, Separation of Powers/Checks and

balances, Constitutionalism, Political Participation, Representative Government, Centralization and

Decentralization – (Delegated Legislation, Devolution and Deconcentration).

  1. CONSTITUTIONS

(i) Definition and sources.

(ii) Scope.

(iii) Types – Written and Unwritten; rigid and flexible.

(iv) Functions.

  1. TYPES/FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

Unitary, Federal, Confederal, Presidential or non-parliamentary, Parliamentary or Cabinet,

Monarchical and Republican.

  1. ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT

The Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. (Types/structure, composition/membership;

functions; power and limitations).

  1. CITIZENSHIP

Status, Rights, Duties and Obligations of individuals in the state.

  1. POLITICAL PARTIES AND PARTY SYSTEMS

(i) Political Parties – definition, organization, types and functions.

(ii) Party Systems – definition, types and characteristics.

  1. THE ELECTORAL PROCESS

(i) Meaning, Types and Suffrage.

(ii) Purposes of Elections.

(iii) Organization of Elections – Features of free and fair elections; stages of elections.

(iv) Types and characteristics of Electoral systems.

(v) Electoral Commission – Roles or duties of electoral commissions. Problems, Organization and Characteristics.

  1. PRESSURE GROUPS AND PUBLIC OPINION

(i) Pressure Groups – definition, types, characteristics, mode of operation and functions.

(ii) Public Opinion – definition, formation, measurement and functions.

  1. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

(i) Definition of Public Administration.

(ii) Civil Service – Meaning, Structure, Characteristics and Functions.

(iii) The Public/Civil Service Commission – Composition and Functions.

(iv) Public Corporations – definition, purposes, functions, organization, control and problems.

(v) Local Governments – Meaning, Types, Purposes, Functions, Sources of Revenue, Control,

Problems and Reforms.

SECTION B: POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN WEST AFRICA AND

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

  1. PRE-COLONIAL POLITICAL SYSTEMS OF CANDIDATES’

RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES.

The Structural Organization of the following:

(a) Nigeria – Hausa/Fulani, the Yoruba and the Igbo.

  1. COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION

(i) Reasons for Colonialism.

(ii) The policy and structure of the British Colonial Administration – Crown Colony, Protectorate and

Indirect Rule.

(iii) The policy of French Colonial Administration – Assimilation and Association.

(iv) Chieftaincy during colonial period – status and functions.

  1. NATIONALISM IN WEST AFRICA

(i) Nationalism before the Second World War (Proto-nationalism) – Meaning, features and factors.

(ii) Nationalism after the Second World War – factors, growth and effects.

  1. CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS OF CANDIDATES’

RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES

(i) Pre-independence Constitutions – (Background, main features, merits and demerits)

(a) Nigeria – Clifford 1922,

Richards 1946,

Macpherson 1951,

Lyttleton 1954.

Post-independence Constitutions – (Background, main features, merits and demerits)

(a) Nigeria – Independence Constitution 1960,

Republican Constitution 1963,

The 1979 and 1989 Constitutions.

  1. DEVELOPMENT OF MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES IN THE

CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES

Nigeria; Formation, objectives, achievements and failures.

  1. MILITARY RULE IN THE CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES

Nigeria;

  1. FEDERAL/UNITARY SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT IN

WEST AFRICA

Factors, Structures, Features and Problems.

  1. FOREIGN POLICIES OF THE CANDIDATES’ RESPECTIVE

COUNTRIES

Nigeria; Definitions, Factors, Advantages and Disadvantages.

  1. INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

The United Nations Organization (UNO);

The Organization of African Unity (OAU);

The Commonwealth;

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Origin, aims/objectives, organizational structure, functions, achievements and problems.

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