Government Questions and Answers

Ghana is Unitary State. A Unitary state is one in which the central government is supreme and possesses a complete governmental power.

The central government is all powerful and there is only one central legislature that makes laws for the whole country. It then stands to reason that the central government is the only source from which power Emanets.

Examples of countries operating unitary system of government include: Britain, Italy, France, Belgium, New Zealand, Sweden, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia Togo, Cameroun, Kenya, Ghana under Nkurumah, etc.

Members of a parliament are required to report the proceedings of the house to their constituencies.

They could do this during Recess which is the break period within the parliamentary session when parliamentarians meet their constituencies for discussions.

Tendency towards secession a major weakness of confederation.

This right to secede by members of the confederation makes the system a toothless bull dog.

The Executive performed quasi-legislative functions.

The Executive is the second main arm of Government. The term is used to refer to the totality of all the functionaries and agencies that are concerned with the execution of or implementation of the will of the State. In this sense, the Executive include people holding the offices of the President, Prime Minister who exercises supreme control over Government affairs, and their subordinate office such as Commissioners, Policemen, Clerks, etc who simply carry out orders.

Some of the functions of the Executive include the following:

1. Legislation: The Executive recommends bills to be considered as laws and defends such bills in parliament. In parliamentary system of government, members of the executive also take part in debating such bills up to their approval and adoption.

2. Delegated Legislation: This is the power to issue statutory orders and rules as vested in the executive by the legislature. Such a power is necessary in order to meet changing circumstances.

Feudalism is a system based on hierarchies of land ownership.

Ownership of land was vested in the king or Monarch or Emperor who also controlled all the users of the land. The land owners sublet the land to their subjects who must in turn, render services such as work for certain days for the land owners, fight on his behalf, etc.

Feudalism was first practised in ancient Europe from A.D.476 to AD 1500. Examples could be found in ancient India, China and Japan. It was also practised in Asia and Africa.