SS1: GOVERNMENT – 2ND TERM Types of Government Continues, Federal and Confederal Systems of Government | Week 1 Theory Questions – Federal and Confederal Systems of Government

Lesson 1, Topic 7

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Theory Questions – Federal and Confederal Systems of Government

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Theory Questions and Answers – Federal and Confederal Systems of Government

Theory Questions and Answers:

1. Explain the following terms (a) Federalism (b) Exclusive list (c) Concurrent list (d) Residual list (e) Confederation

2. What are the reasons for the adoption of federal system of government in Nigeria?

3. What are the features of a federal state?

4. Give three merits and three demerits of federal system of government.

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Responses

Evaluation Questions

1. Explain the following terms

(a) Federalism

Answer – This is a system that shares the political powers in a state between the central government and the component units.

(b) Exclusive list

Answer – This is a legislative list in a federal system reserved only for the central/federal government.

(c) Concurrent list

Answer – This is a legislative list in a federal system reserved for both the federal and state governments and where there is a clash between federal law and state law, the federal law will prevail.

(d) Residual list

Answer – This is a legislative list in a federal system reserved for both the state and local governments. Where there is a clash between state law and local law, state law will prevail.

(e) Confederation

Answer – A confederation is a political union of semi-autonomous states with a weak central government and strong component units.

2. What are the reasons for the adoption of a federal system of government in Nigeria?

Answer –

The need to unite the different ethnic groups.
For a stronger security arrangement.
To create a local government for the various ethnic groups in the country.
To bring the government closer to the people.
To allay the fear of domination of the minor ethnic groups by the major ethnic groups.

3. What are the features of a federal state?

Answer –

There is a constitutional division of powers
The constitution of a federation is supreme.
The constitution is written and rigid.
The Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and decides on conflicts between the federal and component units.
There is a clear separation of powers.

4. Give three merits and three demerits of federal system of government.

Answer –

(a) Three Merits of Federalism:

Federalism helps to unite different ethnic groups in a state.
Federalism brings the government closer to the people.
Federalism grants autonomy to the component units, thereby giving them the freedom to govern according to their own cultural values.

(b) Three Demerits of Federalism:

Federalism is expensive because offices are unnecessarily duplicated.
Federalism is always faced with the problem of getting the right revenue-sharing method.
There is always the threat of secession.

5 (a) What is a confederal system of government

Answer – This is a political union of semi-autonomous states with a ‘weak’ central government and strong component units.

(b) What are the features of the confederal system of government?

Answer –

The central government is weak in a confederation because it can’t prevent secession.
No central military command because the component states maintain their military.
It is a very loose union of semi-autonomous states.
Member states have equal rights to secession.
Component states retain their national sovereignty.

6. Why is confederal system of government unpopular?

Answer –

Any component unit can break away at any time.
The system has a weak central government.
There is an absence of the spirit of nationality.
The system can lead to political instability.
Component units maintain separate diplomatic representations.

7. Differentiate between federal and confederal systems of government.

Answer –

	Federal	Confederal
i.	Central government is strong in a federation.	The central government is weak in a confederation.
ii.	Component units are weak in a federation	The component units are strong in a confederation.
iii.	Federation operates a strong and rigid constitution.	Confederalism operates a flexible and weak constitution.
iv.	The component states don’t have the right to secede.	The component states have the right to secede.

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