Deck 14: Nigeria

Question 1

The practice of "bunkering" involves:

A)storing oil outside of the country.
B)discarding crude oil in favor of natural gas.
C)the illegal siphoning off of oil.
D)discarding natural gas in favor of crude oil.
E)the illegal avoidance of taxation on oil profits.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is still absent from the political, governmental, or societal factors that would be necessary for healthy democracy in Nigeria?

A)multiple human rights organizations
B)stable civilian rule
C)a diverse, vigorous media
D)a strong middle class
E)a respected judiciary

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What is the relationship between local state governments and the larger national government in Nigeria?

A)State governments must agree on and approve the president, who in turn assumes most of the executive power of the national government.
B)Block voting by state governments in the legislature's upper house have allowed state coalitions to capture the legislative process on some occasions.
C)Several state governments remain in a state of open rebellion against national policymaking.
D)State governments have received advanced devolution of power in recent decades, taking over a lot of the administration of local natural resources.
E)State governments have little autonomy and are mainly recipients of patronage from central government officials.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

In which of the following ways do the national elections of 2011 and 2015 compare with the national election of 2007?

A)They were more focused on issues of foreign policy than domestic issues.
B)They were more transparent but also equally violent.
C)They were plagued by widespread electoral fraud but produced stable civilian governments, whereas the 2007 election could not produce an agreed-upon victor.
D)They were more narrowly focused on the sharing of oil revenues.
E)They were more like de-facto coronations instead of actual political contests.

Question 5

Personal rule by an authoritarian leader bestowing privileges upon loyal followers is called:

A)personalism.
B)beneficialism.
C)patrimonialism.
D)atriarchy.
E)hedonism.

Question 6

Which of the following is a component of Nigeria's constitution of the Second Republic (and all subsequent constitutions)?

A)a combined head of state and head of government
B)a merged constitutional court and legislature into a single body
C)a unitary structure
D)a unicameral legislature
E)an indirectly-elected president

Question 7

Nigeria's current Iijaw Christian president is:

A)Olusegun Obasanjo.
B)Ibrahim Babangida.
C)Abdulsalam Abubakar.
D)Umaru Yar'Adua.
E)Goodluck Jonathan.

Question 8

Since the elections of 1999, the dominant political party in Nigerian politics has been the:

A)People's Democratic Party.
B)All People's Party.
C)Alliance for Democracy.
D)Nigerian Socialist Party.
E)Action Congress.

Question 9

Nigeria's Muslims reside predominantly in which region?

A)the south
B)the west
C)the north
D)the east
E)coastal

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the transition to democracy in Nigeria is accurate?

A)It has resulted in a large decline in the income inequality between the north and the south.
B)It has lowered the number of Nigerians that support democracy as a government system to below 50 percent.
C)It has resulted in a rise in ethnic violence with economic dimensions.
D)Political elites have begun to reduce their use of ethnic conflict as an avenue of political support.
E)It has weakened the application of Sharia law in the south.

Question 11

Nigeria's federal character principle refers to:

A)the remarkable unity of the Nigerian people.
B)the quota system for political appointments in Nigeria.
C)British colonial justification for Nigerian territorial divisions.
D)eligibility requirements for political candidates.
E)constitutional limits on the national judiciary.

Question 12

Nigeria's Fourth Republic has been characterized by:

A)the establishment of independence from Britain.
B)successive military coups.
C)successive peaceful democratic elections.
D)the establishment of a parliamentary legislative system.
E)devolution of authority to regional legislatures.

Question 13

In which of the following ways did Nigerian economic policy of the 1990s differ from that of the 1970s?

A)Tariff barriers meant to protect native industries were lower and there were fewer parastatal industries.
B)Tariff barriers to protect native industries were higher, but Nigeria was less dependent on oil exports.
C)Nigeria's economy was no longer highly regulated, but it remained even more dependent on oil exports.
D)There was less patrimonialism on the part of the government and much less state regulation of the economy.
E)Patrimonialism was a bigger problem, and the state intensified its policy of import substitution industrialization.

Question 14

Sani Abacha is best known for:

A)returning Nigeria to democracy in the 1980s.
B)leading a failed secessionist movement in the 1960s.
C)establishing independence in the 1950s.
D)imposing an oppressive dictatorship in the 1990s.
E)leading the movement against government corruption in the 2000s.

Question 15

Nigeria's derivation formula determines the:

A)ethnic distribution of legislative seats.
B)awarding of contracts to state and private corporations.
C)distribution of oil revenues between national and local governments.
D)distribution of foreign aid.
E)hereditary appointment of local chieftains.

Question 16

Nigerian ethnic groups that are predominantly Muslim include the:

A)Igbo and Yoruba.
B)Zulu and Inkatha.
C)Hausa and Fulani.
D)Iijaw and Oyo.
E)Hutu and Tutsi.

Question 17

Both the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta have sought:

A)greater political autonomy for Muslims in northern Nigeria.
B)protection of ethnic groups and a greater share of oil revenues in the Niger Delta.
C)greater freedom of the press for Nigerian journalists.
D)enhanced microcredit loans for Nigeria's poorest.
E)greater African cooperation in trade and development issues.

Question 18

The lower house of Nigeria's parliament is called the:

A)House of Burgesses.
B)Chamber of Deputies.
C)House of Representatives.
D)House of Councilors.
E)Chamber of Solons.

Question 19

For what major reason was the plan of Ibrahim Babangida and his National Election Commission to bring about reforms that would create a two-party system opposed and defeated?

A)the belief that five parties at a minimum would be needed to divide the country's oil wealth
B)fear of political gridlock that would result from single-party dominance of the legislature
C)popular dislike of the British model and fears that a two-party system would be too similar
D)fear of making it easier for the military to dominate politics by reducing the number of parties they need to control
E)fear of dividing the country further between the Muslim north and Christian south

Question 20

Nigeria's current legislative-executive system may be classified as:

A)presidential.
B)dictatorial.
C)parliamentary.
D)semi-presidential.
E)prime ministerial.

Question 21

What has been the Nigerian state's strategy for dealing with the growing threat of Boko Haram? How have Boko Haram's tactics and targets changed in recent years?

Question 22

An abundance of state-controlled natural resources that supports an authoritarian regime is an example of what is sometimes called:

A)the authoritarian asset.
B)a resource regime.
C)resource illiberalism.
D)petrol authoritarianism.
E)the resource curse.

Question 23

Over three-fourths of Nigeria's local government councils have been replaced by:

A)military councils loyal to the president.
B)"temporary" caretaker committees appointed by state governors.
C)local Marxist communes that self-appoint their own leaders.
D)elder councils with religious authority derived from Sharia law.
E)no discernible government structure, resulting in largely lawless regions.

Question 24

Boko Haram is:

A)Nigeria's head of state.
B)Nigeria's largest trade union.
C)an environmentally sensitive savanna region.
D)a radical Islamist sect.
E)a nongovernmental organization promoting environmental awareness.

Question 25

Describe Nigeria's international political alignment during and since independence. Why did it remain pro-Western for so long and what factor(s) nudged it toward nonalignment? What has been its role in intergovernmental African organizations?

Question 26

Nigeria's Second Republic rejected the parliamentary system of the First Republic and adopted a presidential system much like that of the United States. What might have been the reasons for the change, and has it been successful?

Question 27

Some have argued that postcolonial patrimonial leadership, not colonial exploitation, is more to blame for Nigeria's challenges of political and economic modernization. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Question 28

Which of the following statements about Nigeria's National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) is accurate?

A)NEEDS has increased the transparency of government finances.
B)NEEDS has suffered from serious allegations of corruption and has been generally criticized for the failure to acknowledge corruption in government.
C)NEEDS was shut down by the Jonathan government as a result of allegations by program officials against his cabinet.
D)NEEDS has made impressive steps in decreasing corruption but has been criticized for ignoring more concrete economic problems like failing infrastructure.
E)NEEDS has primarily been a vehicle for government officials favoring mercantilist policies and the raising of external tariffs.

Question 29

Divisions among Nigeria's political parties are primarily based on:

A)ethnicity.
B)ideology.
C)history.
D)personality.
E)constitutional mandate.

Question 30

For all of its real and potential wealth, the Niger Delta poses serious challenges for Nigeria. Identify the top social and political problems facing the Delta and assess the prospects for their successful resolution in the next decade.