GOVERNMENT SSS TWO

LESSON PLAN FOR WEEK ONE

DATE

CLASS: SSII

SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT

DURATION

PERIOD

REF BOOK: The new Millennium Comprehensive Testbook

INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS: COMPUTER, NOTEBOOK WHITE BOARD AND MARKER

TOPIC: ELECTORAL PROCESS

AIM: TO TEACH THE STUDENTS:

I.                   MEANING OF ELECTORAL PROCESS

i.                     MEANING OF ELECTORAL PROCESS, TYPES AND FRANCHISE

ii.                  PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF ELECTION

ACTIVITIES:

STEP 1:  TEACHER LEADS THE STUDENTS TO DEFINE ELECTORAL PROCESS

STEPII: STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN CLASS DISCUSSION

CONTENT

THE ELECTORAL PROCESS

Electoral system is the process by which the citizens of any given democratic society or county vote to elect people  to represent their interest and opinions in the government.  The body responsible for the conduct of election is called ELECTORAL COMMISSION.

In Nigeria for example, the Electoral Commission is known as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

TYPES OF ELECTION

1.      General Election:  This is an election that is held simultaneously through out the country to elect people into public offices.  It takes place periodically depending on what the constitution of the country says.

2.     Shadow Election:  This is an Internal political party election before actual election.  It is known as the primaries

3.     Bye-Election:  This is an election to fill vacant seats in the legislature due to either resignation or death of a member of parliament or due to court decision to nullify the result of the previous election.  The newly elected person will serve the remaining term of the member whose seat is vacant

4.     Plebiscite:  This is a direct vote for all members of an electorate on a particular issue usually of national importance.  It is almost the same as referendum

5.     Referendum:  This is an open field election to obtain the opinion of the electorate usually on the basis of yes or no vote.

Evaluation:  The teacher evaluate the lesson by asking the students question:

Explain the types of election

Summary:  The teacher summaries what she taught briefly

PERIOD TWO

Sub topic: Franchise

Entry Behaviour:  Average student should be to define Electoral Process and franchise

Step 1 Introduction

The teacher introduces the  topic to the students

Step II:  The teacher goes further by leading the student to explain the topic.

CONTENT

FRANCHISE

Franchise and suffrage are two synonymous  words used in connection with electoral process.  They simply mean the right to vote and to be voted for in an election.  Specifically, it is a system where every qualified citizen, irrespective of sex, religion, education, race or wealth is given equal opportunity to vote or be voted for during election.

TYPES OR FORMS OF FRANCHISE

1.       The Limited or the Restricted Franchise: There may be restrictions placed on who can vote base on age, sex, qualifications, wealth etc.

2.     Unlimited or Universal Franchise:  All adults are allowed to vote and can be voted for.  People may be disqualified or disenfranchised on the ground of

a.      Condition of health

b.     Bankruptcy

c.      Failure to register

d.     Insane people are not allowed to vote

e.     Age

PURPOSE AND FUNCTIONS OF ELECTION

Election are held to:

1.       Enable the people choose their representatives

2.     Make government accountable

3.     Show the popularity of parties and candidates

4.     Approve or reject a policy

5.     Allow or reject a policy in decision making of a state

6.     Educate the people about public affairs

IMPORTANCE OF ELECTIONS

1.     Election is an acceptable avenue for electing representatives of the people and over which certain degree of control is exercise over their representatives

2.     It serves as a process for peaceful succession of leaders in a state

3.     It encourages and promotes health political competition in a country

4.     It integrates normally various ethnic and political groups in a country.

5.     It provides opportunity for political socialization and culture

6.     It provides a medium through which people participate in the governance of the state

7.     Legitimization of political authority is enhanced as people accept the actions of leaders when they vote for them.

Evaluation:  The teacher evaluate the topic by asking the students question:

What is Bankruptcy

Summary:  The teacher summaries what she taught briefly

ASSIGNMENT

What are the stages and organization of Elections

PERIOD TWO

Sub topic: Electoral System 

Entry Behaviour:  Average student should be to define Electoral System

Step 1 Introduction

The teacher introduces the topic to the students

Step II:  The teacher goes further by leading the student to explain the topic.

CONTENT

ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Electoral system involves the different types or methods of conducting election into public offices.  Such systems reveal whether elections are direct or indirect, nature of voting and constituency delimitation.  The main types of electoral systems include plurality, absolute majority, proportional representation and direct and indirect election.

TYPES  OF ELECTORAL SYSTEM

1.     Plurality  system or single member constituency:  The system involves the declaration of a candidate who scores the highest number of votes cast in an election.

Candidate	P	X	Y
Votes Received	500	501	502

The above table shows that  candidate Y who received 502 votes, just 1 above candidate X and just 2 above candidates P, won the election. Candidate Y received a simple majority of votes even though the marginal difference is small and does not have up to half of the total votes cast in the election.

Advantages

1. The system is simple to operate

2.  it is less expensive

3.  It saves time and energy

Disadvantages

1.  The system does not allow minor political parties the opportunity to be represented because second ballot is not usually necessary

2.  it makes it possible for a candidate who is not the popular choice of the electorate in the constituency to be returned elected

3.  number of seats won by a party may not represent its electoral strength

2.      ABSOLUTE MAJORITY SYSTEM:  This electoral system requires the contents of an election to receive over half of the entire number of votes cast in the election i.e,50% of the votes of the election contested

Advantages

a.      The system provides credible leaders

b.     Election result are usually the product of the majority of the electorate

Disadvantages

a.      The system is more complex, relative to single majority system

b.     More time and energy are usually required and consumed

3.     Proportional Representatives:  This requires the electorate voting for political parties if their choice, and the political parties in turn allocate seats according to the proportion of votes they received in relation to the total votes cast in the election.

Party	Votes received	Percentage %	Number of seats
E	400	40	48
F	350	35	42
G	250	25	30
Total	100%	100%	120

This table shows that parties E, F and G under the proportional representation electoral system received 40%, 35% and 25% respectively of the votes cast in the election.  According to their proportional seats in the legislature were 46, 42 and 30 in a legislature of 120 seats 

Advantages

a.      The system gives room for minor political parties to be represented in the legislature

b.     It prevents the election of unpopular candidates

c.      Each vote in the election is important and valued in the extrapolation of percentage

Disadvantages

a.      The system is complex and difficult to operate and in some cases, confusion arises

b.      It could be abused by political party leaders by allocating seats to under serving candidates

c.      It  does not give the electorate the opportunity to determine the candidates that could represent them.

Evaluation:  The teacher evaluate the topic by asking the students question:

What is secret Ballot

Summary:  The teacher summaries what she taught briefly

Assignment 

Write short note on electoral concept