PLS1502 ASSIGNMENT 3 OPTION A & B COMPLETE ANSWERS STUDY
GUIDE 2025/2026 VERIFIED SOLUTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS || 100% GUARANTEED PASS <LATEST VERSION>
Section 1: Core Concepts & Political Theory
1. Q: What is the primary distinction between 'state' and 'government'?
A: The state is a permanent, abstract entity comprising territory, population,
sovereignty, and a government. The government is the temporary, changing set of
institutions and individuals that administer the state at a given time.
2. Q: Define sovereignty in the context of the modern state.
A: Sovereignty is the supreme legal authority of a state to govern itself and its
territory without external interference. It has two aspects: internal (control within
borders) and external (independence from other states).
3. Q: According to democratic theory, what is the principle of 'popular
sovereignty'?
A: Popular sovereignty is the principle that the ultimate source of political
power and legitimacy is the people or the nation. The people express their will
through mechanisms like elections.
,4. Q: What is a 'social contract' as theorized by thinkers like Hobbes, Locke,
and Rousseau?
A: A social contract is a theoretical agreement where individuals consent to
surrender some of their freedoms to a governing authority in exchange for the
protection of their remaining rights and the maintenance of social order.
5. Q: Name the three branches of government in the doctrine of the separation
of powers.
A: The Legislature (makes laws), the Executive (implements and enforces
laws), and the Judiciary (interprets laws and administers justice).
6. Q: What is the primary purpose of the system of 'checks and balances'?
A: To prevent any single branch of government from becoming too powerful
by allowing each branch to limit the powers of the others.
7. Q: Differentiate between a unitary state and a federal state.
A: A unitary state concentrates power in a central government, with sub-
national units (like provinces) deriving their authority from it. A federal
state divides power between a central government and constituent political units
(like states or provinces), each with sovereignty in specific areas.
, 8. Q: What is the main characteristic of a consociational democracy?
A: It is a form of democracy designed for deeply divided societies, where
power is shared among the leaders of different ethnic, religious, or social groups to
ensure stability and prevent majority domination.
9. Q: Define 'political ideology'.
A: A political ideology is a coherent set of ideas, values, and beliefs that
provides a blueprint for a certain social and political order, and a means to achieve
it.
10. Q: What is the central tenet of liberalism?
A: The central tenet is the primacy of individual liberty, freedom, and rights,
often protected by a constitution and limited government.
11. Q: How does socialism primarily differ from liberalism in its focus?
A: While liberalism focuses on individual liberty, socialism emphasizes
community, social equality, and collective ownership or regulation of the means of
production to reduce economic inequality.
12. Q: What is the key goal of nationalism?
A: The key goal is to achieve and maintain the identity, unity, and autonomy of
GUIDE 2025/2026 VERIFIED SOLUTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS || 100% GUARANTEED PASS <LATEST VERSION>
Section 1: Core Concepts & Political Theory
1. Q: What is the primary distinction between 'state' and 'government'?
A: The state is a permanent, abstract entity comprising territory, population,
sovereignty, and a government. The government is the temporary, changing set of
institutions and individuals that administer the state at a given time.
2. Q: Define sovereignty in the context of the modern state.
A: Sovereignty is the supreme legal authority of a state to govern itself and its
territory without external interference. It has two aspects: internal (control within
borders) and external (independence from other states).
3. Q: According to democratic theory, what is the principle of 'popular
sovereignty'?
A: Popular sovereignty is the principle that the ultimate source of political
power and legitimacy is the people or the nation. The people express their will
through mechanisms like elections.
,4. Q: What is a 'social contract' as theorized by thinkers like Hobbes, Locke,
and Rousseau?
A: A social contract is a theoretical agreement where individuals consent to
surrender some of their freedoms to a governing authority in exchange for the
protection of their remaining rights and the maintenance of social order.
5. Q: Name the three branches of government in the doctrine of the separation
of powers.
A: The Legislature (makes laws), the Executive (implements and enforces
laws), and the Judiciary (interprets laws and administers justice).
6. Q: What is the primary purpose of the system of 'checks and balances'?
A: To prevent any single branch of government from becoming too powerful
by allowing each branch to limit the powers of the others.
7. Q: Differentiate between a unitary state and a federal state.
A: A unitary state concentrates power in a central government, with sub-
national units (like provinces) deriving their authority from it. A federal
state divides power between a central government and constituent political units
(like states or provinces), each with sovereignty in specific areas.
, 8. Q: What is the main characteristic of a consociational democracy?
A: It is a form of democracy designed for deeply divided societies, where
power is shared among the leaders of different ethnic, religious, or social groups to
ensure stability and prevent majority domination.
9. Q: Define 'political ideology'.
A: A political ideology is a coherent set of ideas, values, and beliefs that
provides a blueprint for a certain social and political order, and a means to achieve
it.
10. Q: What is the central tenet of liberalism?
A: The central tenet is the primacy of individual liberty, freedom, and rights,
often protected by a constitution and limited government.
11. Q: How does socialism primarily differ from liberalism in its focus?
A: While liberalism focuses on individual liberty, socialism emphasizes
community, social equality, and collective ownership or regulation of the means of
production to reduce economic inequality.
12. Q: What is the key goal of nationalism?
A: The key goal is to achieve and maintain the identity, unity, and autonomy of
