Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Senior Secondary School 1

SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT

CLASS:  SS1

DATE:

TERM: 3RD TERM

• REFERENCE
• Essential Government by C.C. Dibie.
• Comprehensive Government by J.U. Anyaele.

WEEK ELEVEN

TOPIC:  ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCY

CONTENT

1. Meaning and factors that influence the delimitation of constituencies.
2. Types of constituencies, merits and demerits of each type.
3. Problems of delimitation.

MEANING OF ELECTORAL CONSTITUENCY

Electoral constituency refers to electoral districts in which the people can elect representatives to the house. The division of a country into constituencies is referred to as delimitation and it makes for equitability in the allocation of parliamentary seats.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE DELIMITATION OF CONSTITUENCIES

1. Population: The number of people living in a particular area should be taken into consideration when delimiting a country into constituencies.
2. Geographical Size: Before an area can be made a constituency, it must attain certain geographical size no matter the population.
3. Historical Experience: People with similar historical experience should be considered and grouped together under the same constituency.
4. Custom, Culture and Tradition: Towns, villages or hamlets belonging to different cultural zones with different customs are not supposed to be grouped on the same constituency.
5. Administrative Convenience: The need to consider convenience, has often led to the merging of some local areas that are near to one another.
6. Language: It will be appropriate if people who speak the same language are grouped together in the same constituency for effective communication.
7. Minority Consideration: In a multi-ethnic nation like Nigeria, minorities would resent being grouped with majority ethnic groups. They should therefore be given their own constituencies irrespective of other consideration.
8. Religious Affiliation: In a country where there is sharp religious demarcation, consideration should be given to different religious groups when delimiting the country into constituencies.
9. Number of Seats : The number of seats available and to be allocated to each constituency can influence delimitation.

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1. Define electoral constituency
2. What is delimitation?

TYPES OF CONSTITUENCIES

SINGLE MEMBER CONSTITUENCY: This is the type of constituency in which only one member of the parliament is elected at every election and each voter is entitled to only one vote. Many candidates contest election in this type of constituency and the candidate with the highest number of vote wins the election. Nigeria, Britain, etc adopts this system.

MERITS OF SINGLE MEMBER CONSTITUENCY

1. It makes it possible for the voters to know their representatives very well.
2. It enables the representative to know those he represents.
3. It helps to bring about accountability and responsibility especially in smaller constituencies.
4. The small size of single member constituency makes it easier to discover local talents who may aspire and represent the constituency well.
5. It create stable majority in the legislature than the multi member constituency.
6. It is more democratic
7. It encourages people in the community to take active interest in the political process.

DEMERITS OF SINGLE MEMBER CONSTITUENCY

1. It leads to the choice of men who regard themselves as representatives of local interest instead of the country as a whole.
2. Gerrymandering: It increases the possibility of boundary manipulation to give a particular party more representation.
3. It gives less accurate reflection of popular vote.
4. The minority or smaller parties may not be represented in the legislature.

MULTI MEMBER CONSTITUENCY: This refers to the type of constituency in which 

two or more members of the legislature are elected at every election and each voter is entitled 

to two or more votes depending on the number of candidates to be elected from the constituency. This system generally agrees with provisions for minority representation and encourages the multiplication of groups in a legislature.

PROBLEMS AFFECTING DELIMITATION OF CONSTITUENCIES

1. Absence of Accurate Population Census: Many countries especially in West Africa lack reliable demographic figures that will make equitable distribution of constituencies possible.
2. Inadequate Means of Transport and Communication: Many areas of West Africa are inaccessible as a result of lack of good roads and means of sending and receiving messages.
3. Ethnic Problem: Every ethnic group might want to have its own constituency irrespective of the population or size.
4. Religious Differences: Where there are many religious groups and differences, problem will arise if these different religious groups are to be limped together in the same constituency
5. Political Gerrymandering: The political party in power may manipulate the delimitation in order to give it undue political advantages in subsequent elections.
6. Spatial Dispersion of People: Many people living in many rural areas in West Africa are scattered in bushes without any sign of human settlement in those areas.
7. Lack of Trained Manpower: Delimitation of constituencies is not handled by experts as a result of inadequacy of trained manpower in West Africa

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1. What is single member constituency?
2. Mention five advantages of single member constituency.

GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISION QUESTIONS

1. Enumerate 6 factors that determine the delimitation of constituency.
2. List and explain the types of constituencies.
3. Explain the term “Gerrymandering”
4. What is delegated legislature?
5. Explain argument against delegated legislation 

READING ASSINGMENT

Comprehensive Government page 99-100

Essential Government pages110-111

WEEKEND ASSINGMENT

1. The following are factors that influence delimitation of constituencies except (a) population (b) poverty (c) religious affiliation (d) accessibility 
2. The act of manipulating boundaries to give a particular party more representative is called (a) Gerrymandering  (b) constituency (c) plurality system (d) malpractice
3. A system whereby only one member of the parliament is elected at every election is called (a) multi member constituency (b) proportional representation (c) single member constituency (d) two member constituency
4. The following are the merits of single member constituency except (a) it is more democratic (b) it gives less accurate reflection of popular choice (c) it encourages political participation (d) it enables voters to know their representatives
5. The division of a country into constituencies is referred to as (a) Gerrymandering (b) Delimitation (c) constituency (d) district 

THEORY

1. Explain the problems affecting delimitation of constituencies.
2. What is Multi member constituency?