Unit 1
Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments
Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments
What type of political system does Nigeria use, in which power is divided between a central government and 36 states?
Federalism?
What is the name of Nigeria's lower legislative chamber, which together with the Senate forms the National Assembly?
The House of Representatives
What are Nigeria's three dominant ethnic groups whose competition most significantly shapes Nigerian political culture?
Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba, and Igbo
What type of electoral system does Nigeria use for it's legislative elections?
SMDP
What natural resource dominates Nigeria's export economy and accounts for the majority of government revenue?
Oil (petroleum)
What type of government did Nigeria transition to in 1999, ending decades of military rule?
Presidential democracy (civilian democratic government)
What independent body is constitutionally responsible for organizing and overseeing all elections in Nigeria?
INEC — the Independent National Electoral Commission
What religion dominates political culture in northern Nigeria and directly influenced twelve states to adopt Sharia criminal law after 1999?
Islam
What does APC stand for, and how was the party formed?
All Progressives Congress; formed through the merger of several opposition parties
What economic concept describes how Nigeria's dependence on oil has led to the neglect of agriculture and manufacturing, leaving the economy dangerously undiversified?
The resource curse (or Dutch disease)
What is the term for the repeated seizure of government by military officers, which occurred multiple times in Nigeria between 1966 and 1999?
Military coup
Beyond winning a plurality of the national vote, what additional threshold must a Nigerian presidential candidate meet to win the election?
At least 25% of the vote in two-thirds of all states
What political practice involves Nigerian politicians distributing money or government resources to voters in exchange for political loyalty?
Clientelism (patronage politics / vote buying)
Rather than organizing around clear policy platforms, Nigerian political parties tend to form around what two identity markers?
Ethnicity and region
What term describes a state, like Nigeria, that derives most of its revenue from natural resource exports rather than taxing its citizens — and why does this weaken accountability?
A rentier state; because the government is not dependent on citizens for revenue, citizens have less leverage to demand accountability
In Nigeria's presidential system, who serves as both head of state and head of government?
President
What constitutional principle requires that government appointments and institutions reflect Nigeria's regional and ethnic diversity?
The Federal Character Principle
Which best explains why Islam plays a larger role in the political culture of Iran and not Nigeria?
Muslim majority is only regionally concentrated in the North of the country of Nigeria while in Iran it is a much more widespread majority.
What are the primary agents of socialization in Nigeria?
Family and Religion
Despite having Africa's largest GDP, how does Nigeria rank on the Human Development Index, and what does this reveal about its development?
Nigeria ranks near the bottom of the HDI, revealing deep inequality and poor outcomes in health and education despite oil wealth
What ongoing challenge describes Nigeria's difficulty building a unified national identity across ethnic, regional, and religious divisions — undermining regime stability since independence?
Legitimacy crisis/Social Cleavages (or crisis of national integration)
What is Nigeria's highest court for non-Sharia matters, and what concern has been raised about its role in the political system?
The Supreme Court of Nigeria; its independence has been questioned due to executive influence over appointments
The adoption of Sharia law in northern Nigeria after 1999 is an example of what type of political cleavage shaping governance and participation?
A religious or regional cleavage
How does Nigeria's presidential electoral system differ from a simple first-past-the-post system, and why was this design significant?
It requires a national vote plurality AND at least 25% of the vote in two-thirds of states — designed to ensure presidents have broad regional support across Nigeria's diverse population
What economic reform program did Nigeria implement in the 1980s under pressure from the IMF and World Bank, and what were its main requirements?
A Structural Adjustment Program (SAP); it required cuts to government subsidies, currency devaluation, and privatization of state-owned enterprises