Government 2, WASSCE (SC), 2016

Question 3

(a)        Differentiate between de jure and de facto one-party system.
(b)        Outline four advantages of a multi-party system.

Observation

This was an unpopular question. Many candidates avoided this question. Those who attempted it could not differentiate between de-jure and de-facto one-party system. However, few candidates performed well in part (b) and scored good marks. The candidates were expected to write the following points as answers to the question:

(a)        De-jure: Only one party is legally and officially recognized in the state while in de-facto other parties may exist but only one party dominates the political scene.

(b)        (i)         It is democratic because the people have the freedom to join any party        of their choice.
(ii)        There is room for opposition which guarantees good governance.
(iii)       It checks arbitrary use of power.
(iv)       The electorate has a wide range of choosing leaders/policies or       programmes.
(v)        It enhances wider political education.
(vi)       It ensures political accountability and transparency.
(vii)      It caters for the interest of the minority.
(viii)     Encourages healthy competition among the various political parties.
(ix)       It caters for all shades of political opinions.
(x)        It reflects genuinely the political differences that exist in a given society or state.
(xi)       It enhances political participation.