JAMB Government Past Questions & Answers - Page 141

Implementing government policies is the main function of the civil service.
Civil service is a body of permanent officials who carry out day-to-day business of government.
It is a body or department which is in the executive arm of the government responsible for the execution of the policies and programmes of the government. The civil service and its workers known as civil servants perform purely administrative and executive function which embraces formulation and implementation of government polices.

Public opinion can be measured through referendum.

Referendum is the submission to the electorate for approval or rejection of some aspects of legislation. It is a nice tool for measuring public opinion. Thhis is so due to the fact that it gives out an aggregate view of the people's opinion on a particular public policy. Other methods of measuring public opinion are:

1. Direct Observation

2. Survey or Opinion Poll

3. Secondary Sources e.g Information from libraries

4. Election

5. Through Mass Media.

A tactic employed by pressure groups to achieve their objectives is lobby members of the legislature in order to pass laws that will favour their members. Example is Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) when fighting for increase in salaries.

In theory, one major advantage of the one-party system is that it serves as an instrument of national integration.

According to Ofoegbu G. (1979), it encourages national integration especially in multi-ethnic societies.

An electoral process in which candidates are selected for elective offices by party members is primary election.

It should be realized that Primary election is an election which is conducted within a political party to choose the candidate or flag-bearer of the party at the general election.