Representative Government & Popular Participation – SS1 Government Lesson Note (Third Term)

Representative government is a system in which citizens elect people to make laws and run the government on their behalf, also called indirect democracy.

Behavioural objectives

1. Define representative government and political participation.
2. State the features of representative government.
3. List the conditions for the establishment of representative government.
4. State the merits and demerits of representative government.
5. List the forms and purposes of political participation and the factors that affect it.

What are the key terms in representative government?

Five key terms are used in this topic: representative government, representative, universal adult suffrage, rule of law and political participation.

• Representative government: rule by people elected to act for the citizens, as in the National Assembly of Nigeria.
• Representative: a person chosen by voters to speak and act for them, such as a senator, a House of Representatives member or a councillor.
• Universal adult suffrage: the right of every adult citizen to vote, whatever their sex, wealth or status.
• Rule of law: the principle that everyone, including leaders, is subject to the law.
• Political participation: the process by which individuals take part in political activities and in the decision-making of their country.

How does representative government differ from direct democracy?

Direct democracy is a system in which citizens meet and make decisions themselves, as in the city-state of Athens in ancient Greece.

Representative government is a system in which elected representatives make decisions for the citizens.

What are the features of representative government?

There are ten main features of representative government, listed below.

• Free and fair elections: voters choose leaders without force or cheating.
• Regular elections: elections hold at the period fixed by the constitution.
• Rule of law: government acts according to the law.
• Protection of individual liberty: citizens enjoy their fundamental rights.
• Independent electoral commission: a body such as INEC organises elections without control by the government.
• Independent judiciary: courts settle disputes without pressure from the executive.
• Choice of candidates: voters can pick from more than one candidate.
• Freedom of the press: the media can report and criticise government.
• Responsiveness to public opinion: leaders take note of what the people want.
• Universal adult suffrage: all qualified adults may vote.

What conditions are needed to establish representative government?

Seven conditions are needed for representative government to be established and to work well.

1. Respect for the constitution and the rule of law.
2. Adoption of a written constitution.
3. A multi-party system, so that voters have real choices.
4. Universal adult suffrage.
5. An independent and impartial judiciary.
6. Fundamental human rights written into the constitution.
7. Respect for people’s opinions.

What are the merits of representative government?

The merits of representative government are the advantages it gives a country, and there are six main ones.

• Participation: the people take part in governance through their representatives.
• Accountability: office holders must answer to the voters.
• Practicability: it works in large states where all citizens cannot meet to make laws.
• Legitimacy: the government is legally constituted through the normal electoral process.
• Respect for the law: elected leaders are expected to obey the constitution.
• Power to change leaders: voters can remove poor leaders at the next election.

What are the demerits of representative government?

The demerits of representative government are its weaknesses, and there are eight main ones.

• Weak judiciary: courts may come under pressure from the executive in some countries.
• Election rigging: cheating destroys the will of the voters.
• Illiteracy: voters who cannot read may not judge candidates well.
• Selfish representatives: some put personal interest before the community.
• Corruption: some politicians misuse public funds.
• High cost: elections, legislatures and allowances are expensive.
• Duplication of functions: many offices and bodies may perform overlapping roles.
• Bad image of politics: many people believe politics is a dirty game.

What is political participation?

Political participation is the ways in which citizens get involved in political activities and in the decisions of their country.

• Importance: representative government needs active citizens to work well.
• Link to elections: citizens take part by voting, standing for office and supporting parties.

What are the forms of political participation?

There are nine common forms of political participation, listed below.

• Voting in elections: casting a ballot for a candidate or party.
• Holding public office: serving as a minister, legislator or local government chairman.
• Contesting elections: standing as a candidate.
• Supporting political parties: giving money, time or votes to a party.
• Belonging to a political party: registering as a member.
• Supporting candidates: campaigning for people seeking elective posts.
• Protest and demonstration: peaceful public action to show disapproval of government policy.
• Partial participation: taking part in only some activities, such as voting only.
• Observatory participation: following politics by watching, listening or reading, without direct involvement.

What are the purposes of political participation?

People take part in politics for seven main reasons, listed below.

• Decision-making: people contribute their quota to how the country is run.
• Replacing failed governments: some join politics because past governments performed poorly.
• Correcting social ills: people want to improve society.
• Money-making: some see politics as a way to earn wealth.
• Respect and prestige: public office brings status.
• Occupation: some take politics as a career.
• Management of national resources: leaders decide how the nation’s wealth is used.

What factors affect political participation?

Six main factors reduce the level of political participation in a country.

• Lack of trust in government: people feel their votes do not count.
• Fear of intimidation: threats and violence keep people at home.
• Apathy: lack of interest in politics.
• Ignorance and illiteracy: people do not understand their rights and duties.
• Frequent removal of elected governments: military takeovers discourage interest in elections.
• Poverty: poor people struggle to survive and have little time or money for politics.

Evaluation

1. Define representative government.
2. State four features of representative government.
3. Mention three demerits of representative government.
4. Define political participation.
5. State three purposes of political participation.

Assignment

State four conditions necessary for representative government, four merits of the system, five ways people take part in politics and four factors that limit participation.