Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term - Senior Secondary School 1

FRANCHISE

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  4. FRANCHISE

SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT

CLASS:  SS1

DATE:

TERM: 3RD TERM

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

 

WEEK NINE

TOPIC: FRANCHISE

CONTENT

  1. Meaning and Types.
  2. Merits and Demerits of Types.
  3. Types of suffrage, Conditions Necessary for Eligibility as Candidates for Election.

 

MEANING OF FRANCHISE

Franchise may be defined as the right of qualified adult citizens of a given society to vote and be voted for in an election. The voters are constitutionally called electorate while those seeking to be elected are called candidates.

 

TYPES OF FRANCHISE

There are two types of franchise namely; limited or restricted franchise and unlimited or universal franchise or universal adult suffrage.

 

  1. LIMITED OR RESTRICTED FRANCHISE

This is the type of franchise whereby not all qualified adults are allowed to vote or to be voted for. The right to vote is only granted to only those adults that fulfil certain conditions. The criteria may depend on one’s race, sex, property owned, evidence of payment of taxes etc. Example of country that practise limited franchise is South Africa during Apartheid

 

MERITS OF LIMITED OR RESTRICTED FRANCHISE

  1. It gives few well informed citizens the opportunity to vote after critical scrutiny of the candidates.
  2. It seems to be more mature elections than unlimited franchise.
  3. It makes use of qualified candidates than the universal franchise.
  4. It prevents foreigners who do not know much about the candidates contesting elections from voting.
  5. Limited franchise disallowed people of unsound mind like lunatics, criminals, bankrupts, etc to vote.
  6. Limited franchise reduces the rate of election violence
  7. It makes the tax payers to watch their representatives on the utilization of their tax money.

 

DEMERITS OF LIMITED OR RESTRICTED FRANCHISE  

  1. It does not give all qualified adults equality of chance to vote.
  2. Limited franchise is prone to corruption because, the few people allowed to vote can all be bribed.
  3. Those elected through limited franchise do not reflect popular choice.
  4. Limited franchise is less democratic.
  5. Majority of the citizens of the country do not show interest in the affairs of the government since they were not allowed to vote.
  6. Many eligible voters do not know their representatives.
  7. The representatives seem to be imposed on the majority of the citizens.

 

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

  1. What is Restricted Franchise?
  2. Give 6 advantages of Restricted Franchise.

 

  1. UNLIMITED FRANCHISE OR UNIVERSAL ADULT SUFFRAGE 

This is the type of franchise that allows all qualified men and women adults to vote and be voted for. This is the most popular form of franchise. It is constitutional and democratic. However, there are still some qualifications to be met by individuals before voting. Although is not as restricted as in limited franchise. Some of the criteria for voting are; age, citizenship, registration, sanity, bankruptcy, residence etc.

 

MERITS OF UNLIMITED FRANCHISE OR UNIVERSAL ADULT SUFFRAGE  

  1. It gives qualified adults equality of votes.
  2. It creates the opportunity of full participation of many citizens of a country in their electoral system.
  3. It is a more democratic election.
  4. It avoids discriminations based on sex, race, religion, etc.
  5. It makes for a stable government because, participation of majority of the citizens in the election of their representatives reduces ill- feeling and revolts.
  6. It makes the majority of the citizens to have interest in the affairs of the government of their country.
  7. Elected representatives through universal adult suffrage reflect popular choice.
  8. Universal adult suffrage widens voter’s base.

DEMERITS OF UNLIMITED FRANCHISE OR UNIVERSAL ADULT SUFFRAGE

  1. It emphasizes quantity rather than quality of votes.
  2. Majority of the adult voters allowed to vote are illiterates who vote blindly.
  3. The involvement of many people in the voting encourages violent polling.
  4. It encourages the election of many unqualified representatives elected through unlimited franchise seem to be mediocre in outlook.
  5. It brings about victimization, intimidation of political opponents in the system.
  6. It produces electoral malpractices due to the fact that many people are involved in voting.

 

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

  1. What is franchise?
  2. Explain unlimited franchise.

 

TYPES OF SUFFRAGE

  1. Adult Suffrage: This involves the voting of adults (men and women), having the qualification.
  2. Male Suffrage: This is a system whereby only adult male are allowed to vote.
  3. Tax-Payers Suffrage: This is a system whereby only those who have been paying their taxes constantly can only vote.
  4. Property Suffrage: In this type of suffrage, only those with enormous assets and wealth are allowed to vote.

 

CONDITIONS NECESSARY FOR ELIGIBILITY AS CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIONS

  1. Age: A person wishing to contest elections must be up to the minimum age limit stipulated in the constitution. For example in Nigeria, a person wishing to contest election for presidency must be up to 35 years of age.
  2. Residential Qualification: The individual must have lived in the country for a number of years or months as spelt out in the constitution of the country.
  3. Payment of Tax: He or she must be ready to provide  the evidence of payment of tax at least for some years.
  4. Payment of Election Deposit: A specified sum of money must be paid by those wishing to contest election in a country.
  5. No Criminal Record: The person wishing to contest an election must not be an ex-convict, must not be found guilty of any criminal offence and must not be serving any form of imprisonment.
  6. Sanity: The would be candidate must be a person of sound and sane mind.
  7. Citizenship: In many modern democratic countries, only citizens are qualified to contest elections.
  8. Education: In most countries, qualitative education is a criterion for eligibility as election candidate.
  9. Filling of Nomination Paper: A person wishing to contest election must fill his nomination paper at stipulated time supported by a specified number of persons.
  10. Must not be banned: In a country like Nigeria presently banned former politicians are not qualified to contest elections.

 

EVALUATION QUESTIONS

  1. What is adult suffrage?
  2. Mention 5 conditions necessary for eligibility as candidates for election.

 

GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISION QUESTIONS

  1. (a) Define Unlimited Franchise (b) State 5 merits of Unlimited Franchise.
  2. Highlight 5 disadvantages of Limited Franchise.
  3. State 5 demerits of Unlimited Franchise.
  4. Mention 5 features of representative government.
  5. What are the conditions necessary for representative government?

 

READING ASSINGMENT

Comprehensive Government pages 91-94

Essential Government pages 104-106

 

WEEKEND ASSINGMENT

  1. Franchise means (a) right to formulate policy (b) right to vote and be voted for  (c) freedom of speech (d) right to education
  2. The term electorate means (a) those that are qualified to vote (b) those contesting election (c) the parliament (d) government officials
  3. In a democracy, franchise is given to all (a) loyal party members (b) residents (c) qualified adult citizen (d) men
  4. The following are the conditions for contesting election except (a) age (b) human right (c) residence (d) registrstion
  5. One of the following is a merit of unlimited suffrage (a) it encourages rigging  (b) it is undemocratic (c) it brings about victimization (d) it is democratic

 

THEORY

  1. List and explain the types of suffrage.
  2. What is limited franchise?

 



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