Forms of States and Governments — Important Questions
ICSE · Class 12 · Political Science
44 important questions from Forms of States and Governments for ICSE Class 12 Political Science, with answers. Includes multiple choice questions.
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Important Questions from Forms of States and Governments
In a Liberal-Democratic State, which of the following is considered the foundation of the government's legitimacy?
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Will of the people through free and fair elections
A liberal-democratic state derives its legitimacy — that is, its right to rule — from the will of the people. This is expressed through universal adult franchise and free and fair periodic elections. The elected representatives are accountable to the people. Military strength, wealth of the ruling class, or religious authority are bases of power in non-democratic systems. India is a good example, where the government gets its authority from the people through elections.
Which of the following is NOT a feature of a Liberal-Democratic State as described by A.R. Ball?
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Government monopoly over mass media
According to A.R. Ball, in a liberal-democratic state, the mass media (TV, radio, newspapers) is NOT monopolised by the government — it has freedom to criticise the government within certain limits. Government monopoly over media is actually a feature of totalitarian and authoritarian states. Features like periodic elections, an independent judiciary, and freedom of speech ARE characteristic of liberal democracies. This is an important distinction to remember.
Which of the following is an ESSENTIAL feature of a Federal Government?
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A written constitution that is supreme law of the land
A federal system requires three important features: (1) A written, rigid constitution as the supreme law, (2) Distribution of powers between the central and regional governments, and (3) An independent and impartial judiciary. Concentration of all powers with the centre is a feature of unitary government, not federal. The constitution in a federal system must be rigid — neither the centre nor the states can change it alone. The USA and India are good examples of federal systems.
In the USA's federal system, the 'residuary powers' (powers not mentioned in the constitution) are given to:
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The Individual States
In the USA (and Switzerland), residuary powers — meaning powers not specifically listed in the constitution — belong to the individual states. The central government in the USA has only 18 enumerated (listed) powers. This is different from India and Canada, where residuary powers belong to the central government. This reflects the American philosophy of strong state autonomy and limited central authority.
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