WAEC Syllabus for Government 2021/2022 & Textbooks : Download PDF

Why is it very important to use the 2021 WAEC syllabus for Government and why should you study for your exam with the syllabus?

Using the WAEC Government syllabus has been helping so many WAEC candidates to achieve their goals and perform excellently in their exams.

The syllabus contains a breakdown of all the topics that WAEC Government questions will be set from and the area of concentration for Government in the 2021 WAEC exam.

As a result of this, the West African Examination Council has released the WAEC Government syllabus for 2021 and the WAEC recommended textbooks for the Government WAEC exam.

WAEC 2021 Government Syllabus and Topics to read for Government.

I am sure you will do better and cover this subject better if you know the necessary topics that you should read for the 2021 WAEC Government exam.

These topics are to be treated as the 2021 WAEC area of concentration for Government. The following are the released topics to read for the 2021 WAEC Government exam.

1. Introduction to Government;

• Scopes and Meaning of Government

Candidates should study everything about the scopes of Government as an institution of the state, as a process of governing, and as a field of study.

2. CONCEPTS OF GOVERNMENT: Candidates are to study all the basic concepts of the following;

• Power
• Political Culture
• Authority
• Sovereignty
• Legitimacy
• Political Socialization
• Democracy
• State and Nation
• Fascism
• Socialism
• Colonialism
• Communalism
• Capitalism
• Communism
• Feudalism
• Totalitarianism
• Nazism
• Society
• Nationalism.

3. PRINCIPLES of GOVERNMENT: Study the basic principle of Government in the following Concepts;

• Separation of Powers
• Fundamental Human Rights
• Political Participation
• Rule of Law
• Checks and balances
• Representative Government
• Constitutionalism
• Delegated Legislation
• Centralization and Decentralization
• Devolution and Deconcentration

4. CONSTITUTIONS: Study everything under this topic as shown below

• Definition Constitution
• Sources of Constitutions
• Scope of Constitutions
• Types of Constitutions
• The functions of the Constitution

5. GOVERNMENT SYSTEM (TYPES and FORMS): The following are the forms and types of government that we have. Make sure you study each of them intensively;

• The presidential system of government (Non-parliamentary)
• Federal Government
• Unitary
• Confederal
• Monarchical and Republican
• Parliamentary or Cabinet

6. THE ORGANS OF GOVERNMENT: The government is made of three different organs as shown below;

• Executive
• Legislature
• Judiciary.

Candidates are to study the structure and types of each of the organs of government listed above with their membership composition and functions.

7. CITIZENSHIP: At the end of this topic candidates should know the following;

• Status of Citizenship
• Rights of Citizens.
• Duties and Obligations of citizens.

8. POLITICS: Study everything about the political system. Cover the following subtopics extensively.

• Political Parties
• The party system

At the end of the topic, you should be able to;

• Know the basic definitions of common terms within this topic.
• Outlined the types and characteristics of Political Parties and the political system.

9. ELECTION and THE ELECTORAL PROCESS: Candidates should read everything under this topic. Make sure you know the following.

• Meaning of Election and explanation of the electoral process.
• Types of Election
• Suffrage
• Purposes of Elections.
• Organization of Elections
• Types of Electoral systems.
• Characteristics of Electoral systems
• Electoral Commission

10. PRESSURE GROUPS: The basic things to study in this topic include;

• The definition and explanation
• Types of pressure groups
• Characteristics of pressure groups.
• Functions of pressure groups
• Mode of operation

11. PUBLIC OPINION: At the end of studying this topic, candidates should be able to know the following;

• The definition and explanation of Public Opinion
• Formation of Public Opinions
• Measurement of Public Opinions
• Functions of Public Opinions

12. Public Corporations: the following are key points to study on this topic;

• Definition of Public Corporations
• Purposes of Public Corporations
• Functions of Public Corporation.
• Problems of Public Corporations and how to control them
• Organizations

13. The Local Governments: At the end of this topic, students should be able to know the following key-points;

• Meaning of the Local Governments
• Types of Local Government.
• Purposes of Local Government.
• The Functions of the Local Government.
• Local Government sources of revenue and control.
• Common problems within the Local Governments and reforms

14. PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: Study everything under Public Administration.

15. Civil Service: Candidates should study and know;

• The Meaning of Civil Service, the Structure of the Civil Service, the Characteristics of the Civil Service, and the functions of the Civil Service.
• Composition and Functions of the Public and Civil Service Commission

Area of concentration for Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and Liberia Candidates

Each of the topics in this section of the Government syllabus is to be studied base on candidates’ respective countries. The recommended textbooks will be the best for your studies.

• Political and Constitutional Developments In West Africa
• African countries and International relations.
• Pre-Colonial Political Systems Of your country
• Colonial administration of your country
• Nationalism in West Africa
• Constitutional developments of your country
• Post-independence constitutions
• Development of political parties in your country
• Military rule in your country
• The federal and unitary systems of government in West Africa
• Foreign policies and influence on your country
• International organizations that your country belongs to
  • UNO
  • OAU
  • The Commonwealth;
  • ECOWAS

Recommended Government Textbooks.

All candidates are advised to use the following WAEC recommended textbooks for Government whenever they are studying or reading for the 2021 WAEC Government exam.

• Groundwork of Government; Written by AMOA G.
• Ghana Evolution and Change in the 19th and 20th Centuries, Written by ADU BOAHEN, A
• African Political Parties: Written by HODGKIN T.
• Senior Secondary School Government; Authored by ADDAE P. G.
• Modern Government; Authored by ECHIEFU S. M
• Foreign Policies of Major Countries; Written by GARBRAH H. K.
• The Substance of Politics; Written by APPADORAI A.
• Political Institutions in West Africa; Authored by PRICE J. H.
• Essentials of Government: Authored by FRANCIS ADIGWE
• Ghana and the Rawlings Factor: Written by SHILLINGTON K.
• Politics in Ghana: Written by DENNIS AUSTIN

How do you feel now that you have seen the released topics to read for the 2021 WAEC Government exam? I am sure that this WAEC Government syllabus for 2021 has given you better insight on the topics to read?

Please, make use of this syllabus as your WAEC area of concentration for Government 2021 and feel free to share it with others. Please, Drop your comment in the comment section below