Case 6: Nigeria

Which of the following is still absent from the political, governmental, or societal factors that would be necessary for healthy democracy in Nigeria? A)stable civilian rule B)diverse, vigorous media C)strong middle class D)respected judiciary

Nigerian ethnic groups that are predominantly Muslim include the A)Igbo and Yoruba. B)Zulu and Inkatha. C)Ijaw and Oyo. D)Hausa and Fulani.

Nigeria's Muslims reside predominantly in which region? A)the south B)the west C)the east D)the north

Which of the following is a component of Nigeria's constitution of the Second Republic (and all subsequent constitutions)? A)combined head of state and head of government B)unitary structure C)merged constitutional court and legislature into a single body D)indirectly elected president

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)State governments have received advanced devolution of power in recent decades, taking over a lot of the administration of local natural resources. C)State governments have little autonomy and are mainly recipients of patronage from central government officials. D)Block voting by state governments in the legislature's upper house has allowed state coalitions to capture the legislative process on some occasions.

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

In which of the following ways did the 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)Patrimonialism was a bigger problem, and the state intensified its policy of import substitution industrialization. C)Tariff barriers to protect native industries were higher, but Nigeria was less dependent on oil exports. D)There was less patrimonialism on the part of the government and much less state regulation of the economy.

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 who support democracy as a government system to below 50 percent. C)Political elites have begun to reduce their use of ethnic conflict as an avenue of political support. D)It has resulted in a rise in ethnic violence with economic dimensions.

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 transparent but also equally violent. B)They were more focused on issues of foreign policy than domestic issues. C)They were more like de facto coronations than actual political contests. D)They were more narrowly focused on the sharing of oil revenues.

Nigeria's current legislative-executive system may be classified as A)presidential. B)parliamentary. C)prime ministerial. D)semi-presidential.

Personal rule by an authoritarian leader bestowing privileges upon loyal followers is called A)personalism. B)patrimonialism. C)atriarchy. D)clientelism.

Nigeria's Fourth Republic has been characterized by A)successive peaceful democratic elections. B)successive military coups. C)the establishment of a parliamentary legislative system. D)devolution of authority to regional legislatures.

Nigeria's current Hausa Muslim president is A)Olusegun Obasanjo. B)Muhammadu Buhari. C)Umaru Yar'Adua. D)Goodluck Jonathan.

Nigeria's federal character principle refers to A)British colonial justification for Nigerian territorial divisions. B)constitutional limits on the national judiciary. C)the quota system for political appointments in Nigeria. D)eligibility requirements for political candidates.

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.

Nigeria's derivation formula determines the A)awarding of contracts to state and private corporations. B)ethnic distribution of legislative seats. C)distribution of foreign aid. D)distribution of oil revenues between national and local governments.

Sani Abacha is best known for A)leading the movement against government corruption in the 2000s. B)leading a failed secessionist movement in the 1960s. C)imposing an oppressive dictatorship in the 1990s. D)returning Nigeria to democracy in the 1980s.

Since the elections of 1999, the dominant political party in Nigerian politics has been the A)All People's Party. B)People's Democratic Party. C)Nigerian Socialist Party. D)Alliance for Democracy.

Both the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People and the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta have sought A)greater freedom of the press for Nigerian journalists. B)protection of ethnic groups and a greater share of oil revenues in the Niger Delta. C)greater political autonomy for Muslims in northern Nigeria. D)greater African cooperation in trade and development issues.

The practice of "bunkering" involves A)illegally siphoning oil. B)discarding crude oil in favor of natural gas. C)discarding natural gas in favor of crude oil. D)storing oil outside of the country.

Boko Haram is A)a nongovernmental organization promoting environmental awareness. B)a radical Islamist sect. C)an environmentally sensitive savanna region. D)Nigeria's largest trade union.

Divisions among Nigeria's political parties are primarily based on A)ethnicity. B)ideology. C)history. D)constitutional mandate.

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)petrol authoritarianism. D)the resource curse.

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 was shut down by the Jonathan government as a result of allegations by program officials against his cabinet. C)NEEDS has suffered from serious allegations of corruption and has been generally criticized for the failure to acknowledge corruption in government. D)NEEDS has primarily been a vehicle for government officials favoring mercantilist policies and the raising of external tariffs.

Over three-fourths of Nigeria's local government councils have been replaced by A)military councils loyal to the president. B)elder councils with religious authority derived from Sharia law. C)"temporary" caretaker committees appointed by state governors. D)no discernible government structure, resulting in largely lawless regions.

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?

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?

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?

Describe how the abundance of oil in Nigeria has influenced the development of the political-economic system.Identify the economic problems that exist because of Nigeria's oil wealth.

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?