Home » JUPEB Syllabus » Are you preparing for the Joint Universities Preliminary Examinations Board (JUPEB) and searching a good study material for the Government exams? Look no further, as this article is exactly what you need to ace your government exam.
We have provided you with a very easy-to-read and understand syllabus as well as textbooks you can use to excel in this subject. One habit of every successful student is to stay ahead of your lecturer and with this syllabus, you can do just that.
With a pass in your JUPEB Government exam, you can study Law, Political science, Public Administration, Mass Communication, Theatre Arts, or any Art-based course of your choice.
COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | CREDIT LOAD |
GOV001 | Elements of Government | 3 Units |
GOV002 | Fundamentals of Government | 3 Units |
| GOVERNMENT JUPEB SYLLABUS | ||
| SN | TOPICS | SYLLABUS |
| FIRST SEMESTER | ||
| GOV001: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT | ||
| 1 | NATURE OF GOVERNMENT OF POLITICS | i. Definition of Government and Politics ii. Rationale for Studying Government as an Academic Discipline. iii. Definitions of Politics. Debate on the Scientific Status of Politics iv. Methods and Approaches to the Study of Government and Politics: Philosophical, Normative, Institutional, Historical, Comparative, Qualitative and Quantitative, Behavioural, Empirical. v. Relationship between the Study of Government and Politics and other Academic Discipline e.g. Law, Economics, Geography, Sociology, and Psychology vi. Scope of Government and Politics: Political Theory, Political Economy, International Relations, Public Administration and Local Government, Comparative Politics, Peace and Conflict Studies, National Politics. |
| 2 | BASIC CONCEPTS OF GOVERNMENT | i. Power ii. Influence iii. Authority iv. Legitimacy v. Sovereignty vi. Nation vii. Political Culture viii. Political Socialization. ix. Political Participation |
| 3 | THE STATE, STRUCTURE & TYPES OF GOVERNMENT | i. The Nature, Purpose, and Functions of the Modern State. ii. Theories of the State. iii. Characteristics of the State. iv. Types of State: Unitary, Federal, and Confederal v. Structure of Government. The Executive, The Legislature, The Judiciary. vi. Functions, Relationship, Strengths, and Weaknesses The Nature, Purpose, and Functions of the Modern State. vii. Theories of the State. Characteristics of the State. viii. Types/Systems of Government Parliamentary, Presidential Monarchy, Authonaran, Totalitarian, Oligeschy, Aristocracy, Military. and Weaknesses. ix. Types/Systems of Government: Parliamentary, Presidential, Monarchy, Authoritarian, Totalitarian, Oligarchy, Aristocracy, Military. |
| 4 | CONSTITUTION & CONSTITUTIONALISM | i. Definitions of Constitution and Constitutionalism. ii. Types of Constitution: Written and Unwritten, Unitary and Federal, Flexible and Rigid. iii. Relationship Between Constitution and Constitutionalism iv. Features of Constitutionalism: a) Rule of law b) Separation of Powers c) Supremacy of the Constitution d) Fundamental Human Rights e) Independence of the Judiciary f) Checks and Balances v. Constitutionalism: Myth or Reality? |
| 5 | GOVERNANCE & CITIZENSHIP | i. Meaning and Nature of Governance ii. Differences Between Government and Governance. iii. Democracy and Democratization iv. Citizenship: Who is a Citizen? v. Ways of Acquiring Citizenship, Rights of Citizens, Duties and Obligations of Citizens. |
| GOV002: FUNDAMENTALS OF GOVERNMENT | ||
| 6 | POLITICAL IDEAS & THOUGHTS | i. The Concept of, Meaning, Nature and Functions of Ideology. ii. Types of Ideology a) Communalism b) Feudalism c) Capitalism and Imperialism d) Fascism and Nazism e) Nationalism f) Marxism, Socialism and Communism g) Totalitarianism h) Anarchism i) Globalization iii. Political Thoughts: Social Contract Theory as advanced by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, Thomas Aquinas, Jean Jacque; Utilitarianism by John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. |
| 7 | POLITICAL PARTIES, PARTY SYSTEM & PRESSURE GROUPS | i. Definitions and Functions of Political Parties ii. Organs of Political Parties iii. Types of Political Parties iv. Party System and Types of Party System v. Relationship between Party Systems and Political Parties vi. Meaning, Types, and Functions of Pressure Groups vii. Modes of operation and Tactics of Pressure Groups viii. Comparison between Political Parties and Pressure Groups |
| 8 | PUBLIC OPINION & PROPAGANDA | i. Definition, Functions, and Measurement of Public Opinion ii. Meaning and Nature of Propaganda iii. Function, Tactics, and Strategies of Propaganda |
| 9 | ELECTIONS & ELECTORAL SYSTEM | i. Definitions of Election ii. Meaning of Suffrage iii. History and Evolution of Suffrage iv. Types of Suffrage v. Purpose of Elections vi. Condition for Free and Fair Elections vii. Meaning and Types of Electoral Systems viii. Electoral Institutions eg: FEDECO, NECON, NEC, INEC. ix. Factors Militating Against Free and Fair Elections |
| 10 | POLITICAL & SOCIAL CHANGE | i. Meaning and Nature of Political and Social Change ii. Reactionary Change iii. Reformatory Change iv. Revolutionary Change v. Concepts of Stability and Instability vi. Terrorism and Insurgency vii. Military Intervention in Politics viii. Theories and Causes of Military Intervention ix. Civil-Military Relations |
| 11 | PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION | i. Definitions ii. Theories of Public Administration iii. The Organization and Structure of Public Administration. iv. Bureaucracy: Concepts, features, Strength and Weaknesses. v. The Civil Service: Characteristic and Functions vi. The Policy Process: Formulation vii. Implementation and Evaluation viii. Public Corporations ix. Local Government Administration |
| 12 | INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | i. Definitions ii. Difference between international relations and international politics iii. Foreign policy and it’s determinants iv. Globalization v. History, Structure, Achievements and Failures of International Organizations: a) ECOWAS b) African Union c) Commonwealth of Nation United Nations Organization d) International Monetary Fund (IMF) e) World Bank |
COURSE CODE | COURSE TITLE | CREDIT LOAD |
GOV003 | Nigerian Government & Politics | 3 Units |
GOV004 | African Government & Politics | 3 Units |
| SECOND SEMESTER | |
| GOV003: NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS | |
| PRE-COLONIAL SYSTEMS OF GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA | i. Hausa/Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo 14. Colonial Administration in Nigeria i. Indirect Rule System ii. Nationalism-Rise, Growth and Effects iii. Constitutional Development in Nigeria: 1914-1960 iv. Constitutional Development in Nigeria: 1960 to Present |
| DEVELOPMENT OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN NIGERIA | i. Colonial and First Republic Political Parties a) The Nigerian National I Party (NNDP) Democrati b) The Nigerian Youth (NYM) Movement c) The National Council of Nigeria and Cameroons (NUNC d) The Action Group (AG) e) The Northern Peoples’ Congress (NIC) f) The NEPU, UMBC, NNDP, NDC, ii. Second Republic Political Parties a) The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) b) The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) c) The Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NPP) d) The Great Nigeria Peoples’ Party (GNPP) e) The Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP) f) The Nigeria Advance Party (NAP) iii. Third Republic Political Parties a) The National Republican Convention (NRC) b) The Social Democratic Party (SDP) iv. Fourth Republic Political Parties a) The All People’s Party b) The Alliance for Democracy (AD) c) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) d) The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) e) The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) f) All Progressives Congress (APC) g) All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), etc. |
| ELECTIONS & ELECTORAL PROCESS IN NIGERIA | i. Historical Background to Elections in Nigeria ii. Types of Electoral Systems in Nigeria iii. Party Politics in Nigeria iv. General Elections in Nigeria: 1959, 1964, 1979, 1983, 1993, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 v. Problems of Elections in Nigeria |
| MAJOR POLITICAL CRISIS IN NIGERIA | i. Aba Women Riot of 1929 ii. Military Rule in Nigeria iii. The Kano Riots 1953 iv. Action Group Crisis of 1962 v. The Census Crisis of 1962/63 vi. Nigerian-Biafra Civil War of 1967 to 1970 vii. Electoral Crises In Nigeria: June 12, 1993, 2011 Post Election Violence viii. Niger Delta Crisis ix. Boko Haram Terrorism |
| REASONS FOR MILITARY | i. Background to Military Rule of Military Regimes ii. Structure of military regime iii. Reasons for military Intervention/Coup d’état Military Regimes: Ironsi, Gowon, Muritala, Obasanjo, Buhari Idiagbon, Babangida, Abacha, and Abdulsalami Abubakar iv. Achievements and Failures of Military Rule in Nigeria v. Military disengagement from Politics: Transition to Civil Rule Programmes of Military Regimes and Military Professionalism |
| NIGERIAN FOREIGN POLICY | i. History and Objectives ii. National Interest and its Determinants iii. The Determinants of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy iv. Evaluation of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy by Regimes |
| GOV004: AFRICAN GOVERNMENT & POLITICS | |
| AFRICA BEFORE EUROPEAN INVASION | i. Pre-colonial systems and contact consequences |
| COLONIAL SYSTEMS OF ADMINISTRATION IN AFRICA | i. Indirect Rule System ii. Policy of Assimilation and Association |
| CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF SELECTED WEST AFRICAN COUNTRIES | i. Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Gambia |
| THE NATIONALIST MOVEMENT IN WEST AFRICA | i. French and British Nationalist Movements Compared |
| MILITARY INTERVENTION IN AFRICA | i. Nature of African Armies at Independence ii. Nature of Post-Colonial Politics in Africa iii. Military intervention in selected African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Uganda, Egypt, Congo etc iv. Characteristics of Military rule in Africa v. Disengagement of Military from Politics: Transition Programmes |
| DEMOCRATIZATION & POLITICAL PROCESS IN AFRICA | i. Characteristics of Military rule in Africa ii. Disengagement of Military from Politics: Transition Programmes iii. Evaluation of the democratization process |
1.Adamolekun, Ladipo (1993). Politics and Books Collective. Oxford
2. Appadorai, A. (1979). University Press. The Substance of
3. Anifowose, Remi and Enemuo Politics, Lagos, Iroanusi Publishers. (eds.) (1999). Elements of
4. Anyabolu, I. Oliver (2000). Nigeria: Past to Present, Enugu: Classic Publishing Company Limited
5. Awofeso, Olu and Udokang, James Cosmas (2015). Political Ideas: An Introduction.
6. Awofeso, Olu (2014). Constitutional Development in Nigeria: Historical and Political Analysis. MacGrace Publishers.
7. Bassey, O.C and Oziumba, G.O (eds). (2012). Introduction to Political Science. Lagos: Concept Publications.
8. Ezeani E.O (2006). Fundamentals of Public Administration. Enugu: Snaap Press Publishers Nigeria Limited.
9. Koonings Kees and Kruijt (eds.) (2002). Political Armies: The Military and Nation Building in the Age of Democracy, London and New York: Zed Books.
10. Okolie, A. Mand Onah, V.C (eds). (2016). Politics and Law Africa. Abakaliki: Appleseed and Willyrose
11 Okwudiba Nnoli (2003). Introduction to Politics. En PARCREP Publishers.
12. Omotosho. Moshood (2012). Basic Concepts in Citizenship Kaduna: T90 Publicity.
13. Oyediran, Oyeleye (2007). Nigerian Constitutional, Oyediran Consults International Development Ibadan:
14. Oyediran, Oyeleye et al. (eds.) (2011). Government, Lagos: Longman.
15. Oyediran, Oyeleye (1998). Introduction to Political Science Ibadan: Oyediran Consults International.
16. Rumki Basu (2005). Public Administration: Concepts and Theories, New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Private Limited.
17. Stillman Richard (2010). Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, Boston Wadsworth: Cangage Learnings.
18. Subrata Mukherjee and Sushila Ramaswanny (2007). A History Political Thought: Plato to Marx. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India Private Limited.
NOTE: Candidates are required to write 3 subjects in the qualifying examination)
JUPEB currently offers examinations in the following nineteen (19) subjects as detailed in its syllabuses. The subjects can be classified into 3 categories: Arts & Humanities, Management & Social Science and Sciences
The JUPEB Government exam usually lasts for 3 hours. 1 hour for the objective section and 2 hours for the theory section.
The exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice/objective questions, and 8 essay-type questions for you to answer 4.
The syllabus covers a wide range of topics, including political ideologies, governance systems, public administration, international relations, constitutionalism, etc
To prepare effectively, we would advise you to study the syllabus thoroughly, find and practice past questions, participate in group discussions, and seek clarification on topics you don’t understand from your lecturers.
Yes, a full list of recommended textbooks is listed above.
Some tips include understanding the topics in the syllabus, reading and understanding instructions on the exam day, practicing time management before exams, and being as detailed as possible when answering theory questions.
The JUPEB Government exam is important if you are seeking admission into universities through the JUPEB program. It contributes to the overall assessment of your academic abilities and is your ticket to moving on to the 200 level in university.
