MSS-J135 Government Course Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the syllabus objectives, political concepts, systems of government, and historical milestones for MSS-J135: Government.

Power

A basic concept of government and politics alongside influence, authority, and legitimacy.

Sovereignty

A basic concept of government and politics defining the supreme power or authority of a state.

Unitary State

A type of state and system of government where power is concentrated in a central authority.

Federal State

A type of state and system of government where power is divided between a central government and constituent units.

Executive

The branch of the structure of government responsible for the daily administration of the state.

Legislature

The branch of the structure of government responsible for making laws.

Judiciary

The branch of government responsible for interpreting the law and maintaining its independence.

Democracy

A type of government characterized by the participation of the people.

Gerontocracy

A type of government ruled by older people or elders.

Theocracy

A type of government in which priests or religious leaders rule in the name of God or a god.

Constitutionalism

A principle featuring the rule of law, separation of powers, and the supremacy of the constitution.

Citizenship

The status of being a citizen, including the ways of acquisition, rights, duties, and obligations.

Social Contract Theory

A major political thought associated with Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau.

Utilitarianism

A political thought developed by John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham.

Ideology

The nature and functions of belief systems such as communalism, capitalism, or Marxism.

Communalism

A type of ideology listed under the major political thoughts in GOV $002$.

Pressure Groups

Organized groups that attempt to influence government policy, distinguished from political parties by their functions and modes of operation.

Primary election

A type of election used to select candidates for a general election.

Bye-election

A special type of election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between general elections.

Suffrage

The right to vote in political elections.

Public Administration

The implementation of government policy and the management of public programs, involving bureaucratic and scientific management theories.

Foreign Policy

The objectives and determinants of a nation's interactions with other states.

Amalgamation of Northern and Southern Nigeria

A critical event in colonial administration that occurred in $1914$.

Indirect Rule

A system of colonial administration used in Nigeria and other parts of Africa.

Aba women riot of $1929$

Considered one of the major political crises in Nigerian history.

Berlin Conference

A meeting held in $1884$-$1885$ regarding the scramble for and partitioning of Africa.

Neocolonialism

The meaning, origin, and manifestations of indirect influence or control by former colonial powers in Africa.

Policy of Assimilation

A colonial system of administration primarily associated with French West Africa.