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10 Hardest AP U.S. Government and Politics Questions

What’s covered:, how will ap scores impact my college chances, overview of the ap u.s. government and politics exam, preparing for the exam.

This post will cover some of the harder AP U.S. Government and Politics questions. We will go through both the multiple choice and the free-response questions to give an overview of what to expect. We also offer a walkthrough of the exam: what kind of questions you’ll see on the test, what you’ll need to study, and which questions are trickiest for most students. Then, we’ll show you how you can ace your AP Government and Politics exam!

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The AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam (a.k.a. AP Government Exam) is made up of two sections, each worth half the final score of the exam. Section I consists of 55 multiple choice questions with an allotted 80 minutes, and Section II consists of 4 free-response questions with an allotted 100 minutes. In total, the exam is three hours long. This may seem intimidating, but don’t worry, we here at CollegeVine have you covered!

The AP Government questions in Section I can be difficult, but are ultimately straightforward. These multiple choice questions are all about knowing your vocab! Section II can be especially confusing for some students, so check out the breakdown below to better understand what you’re in for.

Section II Breakdown:

• Question 1 is a concept application question. This section will require the student to apply political concepts to real-life and presupposed situations.
• Question 2 is a Quantitative Analysis question. A supplied graphic is the focal point of this question. It could be a line graph to read, a chart to interpret, or a table to explain.
• Question 3 is a Supreme Court Case Comparison Essay. This will have the test-taker apply Supreme Court decisions to real-life situations.
• Question 4 is an Argumentative Essay. You will use foundational documents to support an essay asserting your stance on a prompt.

The most important thing to do is study, but how do you know where to start? By the time you are preparing for your AP exam, you should know what your current grade is in AP Government. Start by studying the topics and areas where your scores dip down below your average grade. 

Knowing your progress is paramount to doing well on the exam. If you can’t pinpoint which areas you struggle in, ask your teacher for advice and walk through your grades together. Once you know where to start, create a study plan for the areas you want to work on and decide which days you’ll study what content. It may be helpful to study with your classmates too! They’ll be able to offer advice on their test-taking strategies and you can all benefit from the shared knowledge. 

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The AP Government and Politics Exam Questions do not scaffold in difficulty. The most challenging questions may be placed right before the easiest one on the test. This can be tricky for students that are expecting the first few questions to be a breeze. It is important to treat each multiple choice question as its own separate challenge.

The following section is a preview of some of the more difficult AP Government and Politics questions, both multiple choice and free-response. Each answer will be provided along with an explanation. These questions were sourced directly from previous administrations of the exam.

The answers for the multiple choice section are indisputable, but there is much gray area for valid free-response answers. For this reason, the provided answer may not be exactly what you’re thinking, however your answer can still be correct.

Multiple Choice Questions

Correct Answer: C

The reason that there are fewer Department of Education bureaucrats employed by the federal government is because their issues are localized by state, whereas the Department of Homeland security primarily addresses national issues.

Correct Answer: B

The correct answer is B because Hamilton is wary of a government overstepping its boundaries. It is not C because there is ultimately little talk of the press in this passage. It is not D because Hamilton is against listing the Bill of Rights. Many students may think that the correct answer is A, but it is not because Hamilton does not find these exceptions reasonable.

Correct Answer: D

The correct answer is D. This grouping together of similar voters is called Gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is when a congressional district is drawn to distort the real proportion of voters in an area. If there is a small majority of voters in one area, it can often be divided into smaller and oddly contorted districts that give the minority a slim but valid victory.

This question can be tricky because it could be argued that A is a good answer since it could be true in some situations. Ultimately, however, D is the most correct answer. This answer has been proven repeatedly in American politics when popular candidates have won races because of their charisma rather than their policies. 

Getting this question takes an in-depth understanding of bureaucratic procedures. You must know each piece of vocab used in this question to know which answers do not fit. For example, presenting a cloture doesn’t make sense in this situation because it is not the correct time for that procedure. Conversely, filing for a discharge petition is the correct answer because it makes sense in context.

Correct Answer: A

This question is purely a vocabulary-based question. If you know all of these models, you are good to go. An important tip to remember is that the trustee model is typically contrasted with the delegate model, so if you know one, you automatically know the other! This question can be difficult because the politico model is a combination of the trustee model and the delegate model.

Free-Response Questions

A student can score up to three points on this question by addressing each prompt correctly. For part A, the student should describe a political institution, behavior, or process connected with the scenario. For part B, they should explain how political processes, government entities, or citizens’ behavior can affect the policy mentioned in part A. The final part asks the student to use course content to relate the political institutions to the scenario.

There are four possible points to reap from this section. The first is from interpreting the graphic  correctly, $8,000 to $9,999. The second part asks for any trend in the graphic. You could talk about how there is more spending in the north, or relatively less in the west, or another trend that you see. However, you must then support this assertion with evidence, which is worth two points. The final point is gained from a correct explanation of the principle of federalism as it relates to the graphic. For example, one could talk about the constitutional division of governmental powers and how it relates to public school funding.

The third question in the free-response section, worth four points, is the Supreme Court Case question. The question above focuses on Town of Greece v. Galloway (2014). The first point is acquired by finding the similar constitutional clause between these two cases. The second and third points are earned by explaining the nuances of holding differences between the two cases. You must also explain why the information is relevant. The final point is obtained by describing the interaction between the holding in the non-required Supreme Court case and a relevant political institution, behavior, or process.

The final question is the argumentative essay. The prompt above allows for many different answers. A student could choose any of the three options and, if presented well enough, earn all six available points. In order to get a perfect score, you must: present a thesis statement, support your claim with at least two relevant pieces of information (one of the two coming from foundational documents), use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim, and respond to possible refutations.

Know what to expect

After reading this article, you’ll be much more prepared for what you’ll see on the test. First, you’ll answer multiple choice questions based on charts, graphs and vocab. After that, you’ll write about Supreme Court Cases, do some data analysis, and create an argument based on a given prompt. That doesn’t sound too bad, huh! As always, consult your teacher if you have questions that were not answered in this article.

Study the vocabulary

Because the multiple choice section is so large, most of the questions can be done quickly, as long as you are able to quickly recall the vocab definitions. Make flashcards, highlight your textbook, and form study groups so that you know the difference between the Commerce clause and the Supremacy clause like the back of your hand.

You can’t start too early!

The earlier you start studying, the better you’ll feel. We’ve all had the experience of cramming for a test the night before – it’s not fun! For a test as big as the AP Government and Politics Exam, it’s best to start as early as you can so the night before you can relax and get a good night’s sleep. A rested brain is a test-ready brain!

Check out these CollegeVine resources for more help with your studying:

• Ultimate Guide to the AP U.S. Government and Politics Exam
• 2021 AP Exam Schedule + Study Tips
• How to Understand and Interpret Your AP Scores
• How Long Is Each AP Exam? A Complete List

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the complete guide to ap us government frqs.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Free-response questions, or FRQs, on the AP US Government exam are more straightforward than those on some other AP tests, but they can still be tough if you're not ready for them. In this guide, we will lay out a simple step-by-step method for answering AP Government FRQs , go through a real example, and tell you where you can find additional practice resources.

AP Government Free-Response Section Format

The free-response section lasts one hour and 40 minutes and consists of four questions , each of which is worth 12.5% of your total score. So as a whole, the free-response section accounts for half your total AP Gov score (the other 50% comes from the multiple-choice section). Each FRQ is worth 3-6 raw points.

Here are the four types of FRQs you'll get on the AP Government exam:

• Concept Application (3 raw points)
• Quantitative Analysis (4 raw points)
• SCOTUS Comparison (4 raw points)
• Argument Essay (6 raw points)

The free-response questions will ask you to integrate your knowledge of the various content areas covered by the course. This includes analyzing political events in the US, discussing examples, and demonstrating your understanding of general principles of US government and politics. You'll also be asked to examine data from charts, define key terms, and explain the roles that different parts of our government play in the political system.

The following chart shows specifically what you must do for each FRQ on the AP Government test. All info below comes from the 2020 AP US Government and Politics Course and Exam Description .

AP Government FRQs: 5-Step Solution Process

This section provides a step-by-step process for answering any question on the AP US Government exam. Here's a sample question from the 2020 AP Gov Course and Exam Description that I'll reference throughout so you can see how these steps might work in practice:

Step 1: Read the Introductory and Concluding Sentences

Free-response questions #1 and #3 will include passages, while question #2 will have an image or a chart with data. Skim the first and final sentences of the passage (or title of the graphic for #2) before you get to the tasks (labeled A-C or A-D). This will help you get a rough sense of what to expect in the rest of the question.

It's a good idea to read the intros and conclusions to all the FRQs before choosing which one to begin with. Doing this might help build up your confidence and improve your efficiency to start with a question that's easier for you.

In the sample question above, you would read the title of the graphic ("Public Education Spending: Amount Spent per Pupil by State in 2014") and then skim the image itself to get a sense of what it's asking you to analyze.

Step 2: Identify (and Underline, If You Want) the Command Verb

For each task in each FRQ, you're given specific instructions on the type of answer that is expected; these instructions include command verbs that tell you what to do. It's important to be aware of exactly what the question is asking so you can earn full points.

These command verbs are the first words you should zero in on as you approach a question. If you think it'll help keep you focused, you can underline these verbs .

Here are the most commonly used task verbs, as described in the AP Gov Exam Description :

Compare: Provide a description or explanation of similarities and/or differences.

Define: Provide a specific meaning for a word or concept.

Describe: Provide the relevant characteristics of a specified topic.

Develop an argument: Articulate a claim and support it with evidence.

Draw a conclusion: Use available information to formulate an accurate statement that demonstrates understanding based on evidence.

Explain: Provide information about how or why a relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome occurs, using evidence and/or reasoning. Explain "how" typically requires analyzing the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome, whereas explain "why" typically requires analysis of motivations or reasons for the relationship, process, pattern, position, situation, or outcome.

Identify: Indicate or provide information about a specified topic, without elaboration or explanation.

In part A of the sample question, the command verb is "identify," indicating that you need to correctly interpret the data in the image. In part B, the command verb changes to "describe," which means you'll need to go one step further and interpret and analyze data in the graphic that you have found.

Part C starts with "draw a conclusion," meaning that you will need to tie together the evidence you found in part B to come up with a final (accurate) statement on what this means. Finally, part D begins with the task verb "explain," showing that you must make a clear connection between the data in this graphic as a whole and the principle of federalism.

Step 3: Know Where You'll Earn Your Raw Points

In general, each part in a question (A, B, C, and D) will correspond to 1 raw point , but not all questions are like this.

After finding the task verb in the part of the question you're answering, take note of how many examples or descriptions you need to provide , as each will likely correspond to a point in your raw score for the question. There might also be more than one task verb in a question, in which case you'll likely get at least 2 raw points for it.

As a reminder, here is the maximum number of raw points you can earn for each question (don't forget that each question is still worth the same percentage of your score: 12.5%):

Take care to answer the question thoroughly but directly , addressing all points in a way that will make it easy for graders to assess your response. Remember that you don't need to write an essay for the first three FRQs, so just go straight for the answer to avoid any ambiguity.

In the sample question, we know there will be 4 raw points you can earn. And since the tasks are divided into four parts (labeled A-D), we can assume that each part will be worth 1 raw point .

You can see more sample FRQs and how they're graded with the official scoring guidelines here .

Step 4: Reread Your Answer

Once you've come up with an answer, reread what you wrote to ensure it makes sense and addresses the question completely . Did you give the correct number of descriptions or examples asked of you? Does your answer directly respond to what the question is asking?

If you're satisfied, move on to the next part of the question and return to step 2!

Step 5: Pace Yourself

The final step is to keep track of time so you can be sure you're pacing yourself effectively and are not spending too much time on any one question. As a reminder, you'll have one hour and 40 minutes for the entire free-response section of the AP Government exam.

It's suggested that you spend the following amounts of time on each FRQ:

As you can see, you should spend about an equal amount of time on the first three FRQs and save most of your time for your essay , which will likely require the most effort of the four.

A Real AP Government FRQ Example + Analysis

Now, let's go through the answers to a real AP Government free-response question from the 2019 released questions to show you what your responses should look like. This question is an example of a Concept Application question on the exam, meaning it's worth 3 raw points (1 point each for parts A, B, and C).

This question is all about the Johnson Amendment, which does not allow religious organizations to engage in political activities and contribute money to political campaigns. As this passage explains, the Alliance Defending Freedom, a religious group, encourages pastors to challenge this law by participating in an annual event called Pulpit Freedom Sunday.

Below, we go through how to answer each of the three parts correctly using the scoring guidelines .

Part A—1 Point

Part A asks you to come up with an example of a specific action Congress could take to address the concerns of the Alliance Defending Freedom. In other words, what could Congress do to allow groups such as the Alliance Defending Freedom to speak freely about political campaigns?

Note that the command verb used here is "describe," meaning you must "provide the relevant characteristics of a specified topic," or elaborate on what you're proposing and why it would work.

There are two possible answers you could put down here, according to the scoring guidelines:

• Congress could pass a law that would reverse the Johnson Amendment.
• Congress could pass a law to allow religious organizations to participate more directly in politics.

Part B—1 Point

Part B asks you to go into more detail about what you proposed in part A . You must talk about how partisan divisions (i.e., differences in political parties among politicians) could stop whatever you proposed in part A from going into effect (whether that's a new law altogether or a reversal of the original Johnson Amendment).

The task verb used here is "explain," so you must use evidence to show how the action you wrote down in part A could be blocked or reversed.

Here are two possible answers , according to the scoring guidelines:

• Partisan divisions make it more difficult to pass a law because parties adhere to different ideological points of view.
• If Congress and the president are from different political parties, the president might threaten to veto the legislation.

Part C—1 Point

The final part of this free-response question asks you to examine the scenario again, this time from the perspective of the Alliance Defending Freedom , or the religious group in question.

How might the Alliance argue that the Johnson Amendment, which prevents them from speaking on political issues and contributing money to political campaigns, is taking away their rights?

The key here is to first think about what rights these could be . Perhaps freedom of speech or freedom of religion? As you probably noticed, the task verb is "explain," so once again you must use plenty of evidence to show why this contentious relationship exists between the Alliance and the Johnson Amendment/the US government as a whole.

Here are examples of answers you could write, according to the official scoring guidelines:

• The Alliance Defending Freedom and other religious groups might argue that their First Amendment rights are being violated.
• The Alliance Defending Freedom and other religious groups might argue that their freedom of speech/religion is being violated.

Essential Resources for Practicing AP US Government FRQs

There are several resources you can use to hone your skills for answering AP Government FRQs.

Official College Board Resources

The College Board website hosts free-response questions from previous tests that you can use for practice. I recommend starting with the 2019 FRQs (unfortunately, they don't come with sample student responses), as these will look the most like the questions you'll get on test day.

Once you've used those, you can look at FRQs from the 2018 test and earlier; most of these come with sample student responses so you can see what a good response looks like.

If you're hoping to practice FRQs in the context of a full-length test, here are some links to past AP Government exams you can download (as always, prioritize the most recent tests):

• 2018 Practice Test
• 2013 Practice Test
• 2012 Practice Test
• 2009 Practice Test
• 2005 Practice Test
• 1999 Practice Test

These are by far the best sample AP US Government free-response questions you can get because they most accurately represent what you'll see on the real test.

AP Government Review Books

AP Government review books are also solid resources for free-response practice, though they vary a lot in quality.

The Princeton Review's prep book for AP Gov includes five full-length practice tests , so there should be tons of free-response questions you can use to hone your skills. Barron's AP US Gov review book also has some useful practice tests and free-response questions.

If you use these unofficial free-response questions for practice, just be sure to intersperse them with official questions from the College Board so that you maintain an accurate sense of what to expect on the real test.

Recap: Everything to Know About AP US Government FRQs

The four free-response questions on the AP US Government and Politics exam can be approached methodically to earn the maximum number of points.

Read the intro and conclusion to the question first so you can get your bearings. Then, for each of the separate parts, identify the task verb, figure out where you'll earn your raw points, and double-check your answer for any missing pieces or careless errors.

You should also pace yourself so that you're spending no more than 20 minutes each on the first three questions and 40 minutes on the essay.

I suggest practicing at least a few free-response questions before heading into the AP exam. The best resource to use is the College Board website, which contains an archive of past questions accompanied by scoring guidelines and sample student responses. These questions are pretty simple compared to the free-response questions on other AP tests once you get the hang of them!

What's Next?

Not sure where to begin in your AP prep? Our five-step plan will prepare you to take on any AP test .

If you're missing some of your notes that you need to study for AP Gov, check out this article with links to all the content you need to know for the test . You can also learn about the test as a whole with our comprehensive AP Government and Politics review guide .

Do you have a target score in mind for this exam? Learn more about what it takes to earn a 5 on an AP test and whether you should aim for one yourself.

These recommendations are based solely on our knowledge and experience. If you purchase an item through one of our links, PrepScholar may receive a commission.

Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

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AP Comparative Government Free Response Help - FRQ

4 min read • november 18, 2020

Fatima Raja

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The free-response section of the CompGov exam makes up 50% of your exam score. So, yeah, that means it's a good idea to do well on the FRQ section if you want to score well. Which, like, why wouldn't you? 🤔

Keep reading to learn how to ace the FRQ section!

FRQ Section Structure

You might be wondering what the FRQ section looks like, especially because every AP exam is slightly different. 🤮

The FRQ section of the CompGov exam has 4 questions, and each one of them is a different style of question. Here are the types of questions:

1 conceptual analysis question: In this question, you'll describe or explain a political concept in one of the six course countries.

1 quantitative analysis question: In this question, you'll address some kind of visual stimulus that you'll have to analyze to explain a trend or pattern that you can connect to the course concepts.

1 comparative analysis question: You'll compare and contrast political concepts/institutions/policies in different course countries.

1 argument essay: a new question type where you'll write an argument-based essay (P.S. you can get a general idea of what this may look like by looking at the US Government past exam questions 👀)

Each question may have a few different parts, and the structure of past CompGov questions look like that.

The vibes in this picture are immaculate ... Image Courtesy of Pixabay

Look at High-Scoring Examples

A good way to score well on the FRQ section is to know what the exam graders want from you.

What makes a good FRQ response? What will get you/lose you a point? 🤔 You can figure all of that out by looking at past student responses. Doing this will help you learn how pretty much game the system.

This is what every AP student looks like when they're wrapped up like a burrito and studying Image Courtesy of Pixabay

CollegeBoard actually releases the scoring guidelines for past FRQs, student samples, and how they scored, and the average scores for each FRQ. You can find all of that here .

If you've played a sport 🏄🏽‍♀️ or ever had any kind of hobby, you know that you may not have all the skills to do well at first, but you get better at it with practice. FRQs work pretty much the same way: you need to practice writing them to get good at writing them.

The good thing is that you can access past exam FRQs until 1999. That said, you should start practicing with the most recent prompts because they'll be the most similar to what will show up on your test.

Writing Games

I'll admit that practicing FRQs isn't my first choice of a fun activity to do. So, here are a couple of writing games you can do to make practicing slightly less boring.

Popsicle Stick Essays

Get a bunch of popsicle sticks or slips of paper and put a bunch of different political concepts/institutions, important vocab words, and the required countries. Make sure that you separate these things by color (ex. make the countries blue, the vocab words purple...) so you can tell them apart.

Draw a country, an important vocab term, and a concept out of the jar. Then, write about them. Explain how that term exists in the country you drew and what it means.

🚨 This exercise will help you know what gaps you have in your CompGov knowledge and allow you to practice writing about the concepts you're learning.

Snowball FRQs

Have a few friends or classmates make up their CompGov FRQ prompts. This will work better if they're also taking the class or have taken it in the past (because they'll hopefully know what they're talking about 😂).

Then, ball up your piece of paper and throw your snowball across the room (or at a friend 😉). Everyone should pick up a snowball for themselves and reply to the prompt they picked up.

If you want, you can have another mini snowball fight and have different people grade the responses. Make sure everyone writes their name on their response, so they can feedback on what they wrote.

Past Prompts

If you decide that you don't want to practice FRQs from 1999 because they're outdated and you run out of prompts to practice with, you can change up how they're structured.

Just choose a prompt, and draw a different country out of a hat 🎩. Then, respond to the prompt as if it's about the country you drew.

Closing Thoughts

Half of your CompGov score consists of the FRQs you write, so knowing how to do well in this section will help you ace the exam. Connecting the course content to the short answers you have to write may be a bit difficult at first, but you'll get the hang of it with some practice.

Key Terms to Review ( 1 )

Political Culture

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Part III: Civic Literacy Essay Question

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50+ Likely WASSCE Government Questions (Essay)

This post contains some of the most likely WASSCE Government questions you must look out for. Do WAEC repeat questions? Definitely yes, This is why you need to study properly in expectation of some of these often repeated WASSCE questions in the Government paper.

Get ready to view the most repeated WAEC Government questions. You will be pleasantly surprised to learn that a little effort is all you need to “conquer” these frequently repeated WASSCE Government questions.

Are you a General Arts tutor teaching Government in a private school, remedial school or a public senior high school? The WAEC Government questions I’m going to give can be of great help to you. You can add them to your arsenal of lesson materials as you prepare your students for the examination.

Please note that everything I’ve said in this post is purely guesswork. It is true that my collection of WAEC/WASSCE repeated questions in Government is derived from my long years of experience coaching mostly private adult students for the NOV/DEC WASSCE for private candidates.

So you can take me seriously if you think my experience and success in this field are enough grounds for you to do so.

But this does not in any way mean that these questions are bound to be repeated in your examination. It is left to you, as an individual, to decide how to use these questions to study diligently for your examination

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: How WAEC Set Their WASSCE Questions – 12 Key Secrets You Must Know

And as time goes on, I will be adding more of those likely WASSCE Government as and when I deem it fit.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s have the most reapeated WAEC questions in Government in the world.

Most Repeated WASSCE Questions – Government Essay

Below is an authoritative collection of the most likely WASSCE Government questions every WAEC/NECO candidate must prepare for.

To view the answers to these Govenrment past questions and more, CLICK HERE.

• Why is it necessary for a state to have a written constitution?

2. Describe the main functions of a local authority

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a bicameral legislature?

4. Examine the role of political parties in a state.

5. Why was the Aborigines Rights Protection Society Formed? Enumerate its achievements and failures.

6. Discuss the main features of the crown colony system in British West Africa.

7. Outline the reasons why indirect rule succeeded in Northern Nigeria.

8. Why did the educated elite oppose the 1946 Alan Burns Constitution of the Gold Coast? OR: Outline the main criticisms levelled against the 1946 Burns Constitution of Ghana.

9. Discuss the causes and effects of the 1948 Accra Riots in Ghana.

10. Highlight the reasons for the increase in nationalist activity after the Second World War. OR: What factors accounted for the increased nationalist struggle in Ghana after the Second World War?

11. What are the reasons for the adoption of a bicameral legislature?

12. What were the demands of the National Liberation Movement (NLM) during the independence struggle in Ghana?

13. Discuss the main features of the 1946 Burns Constitution in Ghana.

14. Discuss the structure and functions of the judicirary under the1969 Second Republican Constitution of Ghana.

15. What role did Leopold Senghor play towards the attainment of independence in Senegal?

16. Describe the composition and functions of the Security Council of the United Nations.

17. What are the merits and demerits of a written constitution?

18. Explain the concept of Separation of Powers and show why it is embodied in a country’s constitution.

19. Outline the merits of decentralization in a state.

20. Describe the confederal system of government. State the problems associated with such a system.

21. What role did traditional rulers play under the system of indirect rule in British West Africa before the Second World War?

22. State the main functions of the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization.

23. Outline the features of the presidential system of government.

24. What are the problems facing ECOWAS?

25. Why is judicial review important in a state?

26. Explain political liberty and show how it is ensured in a state.

27. What is the rule of law? Explain how and why the rule of law is ensured in a state.

28. Examine the importance of elections in a state.

29. Why did the educated elite oppose indirect rule in British West Africa?

30. How did traditional rulers in West Africa maintain their kingdoms in pre-colonial days?

31. State the main features of the 1954 Kwame Nkrumah constitution of Ghana.

32. Outline the main features of the French colonial policy of assimilation.

33. Enumerate the major differneces between the policies of assimilation and association in French West Africa.

34. Account for the late start of nationalist activity in French West Africa.

35. What factors accounted for the failure of the colonial policy of assimilation in French West Africa?

36. State the benefits enjoyed by the members of the Commonwealth.

37. Give the reasons for the practice of delegated legislation.

38. What are the essential features of democracy?

39. State the aims of the National Congress of British West Africa (1920 – 1927). OR: Outline the demands of the National Congress of British West Africa.

40. Why did the British introduce indirect rule in their West African colonies?

41. What were the functions of the prime minister under the 1969 second republican constitution of Ghana?

42. Describe the main weaknesses of the African Union.

43. Define a federal system of government and show how powers are shared between the centre and the component units.

44. What is an electoral college? Enumerate the disadvantages of the electoral college as a system of voting.

45. What factors militate against the effective functioning of the civil service in your country?

46. Outline the objectives of the Economic Community of West African States.

47. How are local government authorities controlled by the central government?

48. What is judicial independence? Explain how the independence of the judiciary can be guaranteed in a state.

49. Highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the 1925 Guggisberg constitution of the Gold Coast.

50. Identify the features of proto-nationalism in British West Africa.

51. How did colonial rule contribute to the decline in the position of traditional rulers in British West Africa?

52. Highlight any three objectives of the United Gold Coast Convention. State three achievements of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).

53. Explain the factors that led to the military coup d’etat of 24th February 1966 (overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah’s CPP administration).

54. What is the Public Service Commission? Discuss the role of the Public Service Commission.

More Likely WASSCE Questions

Besides the above likely WASSCE Government questions, you will find other likely WAEC/WASSCE questions on this site. For most likely WASSCE Literature African prose questions, click here . Find likely questions on the Lion and the Jewel here. You may also be interested in likely WASSCE questions on both African and Non-African poetry.

Did you find this information helpful? Then share it on your favourite social media platform for the benefit of others you care about. Thank you!

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WASSCE 2021 GOVERNMENT PAST QUESTION PAPER (GCE)

Are you searching for WASSCE 2021 Government Past Question Paper ? WAEC 2021 Government Past Question Paper ? WASSCE 2021 Government GCE Past Question Paper? 2021 WASSCE Government Past Question Paper for private candidates? 2021 WAEC Government Past Question Paper for private candidates? The West African Senior School Certificate Examination ( WASSCE) 2021 Government Past Question Paper PAPER ? The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) 2021 Government Past Question Paper PAPER ? If yes, then this post is for you.

PAPER TYPE: Paper 2 (Essay)

DURATION: 2 Hours

TOTAL MARK: 60 Marks

INSTRUCTION: Answer four questions in all , choosing any two questions from Section A and any two questions from Section B. All questions carry equal marks.

RECCOMENDED : WAEC SYLLABUS AND JAMB SYLLABUS

SECTION A: ELEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT[ WASSCE 2021 GOVERNMENT PAST QUESTION PAPER)

Answer two questions only from this section

• Outline five ways citizens participate in a democratic system of government.
• Identify five factors that limit the powers of the executive in a democratic state.
• Outline five possible ways local government can be made an effective agent of development at the grass-root
• Explain five roles played by political parties in the democratic process.
• Highlight five factors that account for the downturn of public corporations.

SECTION B: POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN WEST AFRICA AND INTERNATIONAL RELETIONS. [WASSCE 2021 GOVERNMENT PAST QUESTION PAPER}

• 6. Explain measures that could be taken to prevent military rule in Nigeria.
• 7. (a) Identify three objectives of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the run up to the 1979 general elections. (b) Highlight three factors that worked against the success of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN).
• 8. Outline five functions of the Emir in the Hausa/Fulani traditional political system.
• 9. Explain five factors that led to the success of Indirect Rule in Northern Nigeria.
• 10. Identify five effects of Nationalism in Nigeria.

SEE WASSCE 2021 GOVERNMENT PAST QUESTION PAPER (GCE) PDF VERSION BELOW

For more information on WAEC visit: https://www.waeconline.org.ng/

Supreme Court questions use of statute against Jan. 6 defendants

S upreme Court justices aired concerns Tuesday that the government has used a particular criminal statute to charge defendants connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, including former President Donald Trump.

At oral arguments, justices in the conservative majority probed whether the Justice Department had exceeded the scope of a statute that permits up to a 20-year prison sentence for people convicted of “corruptly” obstructing, influencing or impeding an official proceeding.

Justice Neil M. Gorsuch brought up other potential actions to see whether they would qualify for prosecution under the statute that the Justice Department has used in hundreds of cases related to the Jan. 6 attack.

“Would a sit-in that disrupts a trial or access to a federal courthouse qualify? Would a heckler in today’s audience qualify, or at the State of the Union address?” he said. “Would pulling a fire alarm before a vote qualify for 20 years in federal prison?”

That question alluded to the actions of Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., who used a fire alarm in a Capitol office building and prompting its evacuation last year but was not charged under the statute.

Justices also focused on the use of the word “otherwise” within the structure of the statute, with discussion on whether that means it only relates to the alteration or destruction of records and documents, and not interrupting a congressional proceeding.

Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh questioned why Congress would tuck such a sweeping charge into a statute, and asked why the Justice Department didn’t find the other counts against the defendant as “good enough.”

Solicitor General Elizabeth B. Prelogar responded that the defendant in the case, Joseph Fischer, ahead of Jan. 6, 2021, said he was prepared to storm the Capitol, was prepared to use violence and wanted to intimidate Congress.

“He said they can’t vote if they can’t breathe. And then he went to the Capitol on January 6th with that intent in mind and took action, including assaulting a law enforcement officer,” Prelogar said.

“That did impede the ability of the officers to regain control of the Capitol and let Congress finish its work in that session,” Prelogar said. “And I think it is entirely appropriate for the government to seek to hold petitioner accountable for that conduct with that intent.”

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision by the conclusion of the term at the end of June. An opinion that sides with Fischer, a former police officer changed in connection with the Capitol attack, could also change the federal criminal case against Trump in Washington. One of the charges against Trump is the same statute at issue in the case before the Supreme Court.

Also Tuesday, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. presented his own hypothetical in which protesters made outbursts at an argument at the Supreme Court and police had to forcefully remove them from the courtroom.

Preloger said the government does not believe the statute could be used to prosecute “minimal, de minimis, minor interferences.”

“We think that the term obstruct on its face connotes a meaningful interference,” Prelogar said.

But Alito pushed back and noted that the statute does not just relate to action that obstructs, but also relates to conduct that obstructs, influences or impedes an official proceeding.

“Impedes is something less than obstructs,” Alito said. “We need to find out what are the outer reaches of this statute under your interpretation.”

Justice Elena Kagan said there were multiple ways in which the drafters of the statute could have made it clear that they intended the provision to operate only in the “sphere of evidence spoliation.”

“But it doesn’t do that,” Kagan said. What the statute “really does not say” is everything in it “also has to spoil evidence.”

The post Supreme Court questions use of statute against Jan. 6 defendants appeared first on Roll Call .

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How Temporary Protected Status has expanded under the Biden administration

Since President Joe Biden took office in January 2021, his administration has greatly expanded the number of immigrants who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) – a designation that gives them time-limited permission to live and work in the United States and avoid potential deportation.

The federal government offers TPS to qualifying immigrants who live in the U.S. and come from selected nations that are deemed unsafe to return to because of war, natural disasters or other crises.

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to determine the number of immigrants in the U.S. who are eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). The federal government, as directed by the president, determines the countries whose immigrants living in the U.S. would be eligible for TPS. TPS is granted to nationals of designated countries and to those with no nationality, but who last habitually lived in a designated country (immigrants). To apply, immigrants must have continuously lived in the U.S. at or before a date specified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

For this analysis, we collected information about the TPS program published on the DHS website; Federal Register announcements about TPS benefits ; and information from the Congressional Research Service .

In this analysis, TPS beneficiary numbers for most countries are taken from DHS statistics provided to the Congressional Research Service, which exclude recipients who also have lawful permanent resident status or U.S. citizenship. Some may have left the U.S. or died. For immigrants eligible for TPS from the redesignations of Cameroon, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela, estimates of the number of people eligible were included in the most recent Federal Register notices regarding those countries’ TPS designations.

Nearly 1.2 million of the roughly 21.6 million noncitizen immigrants living in the U.S. are either receiving or eligible for TPS. These immigrants come from 16 countries : Afghanistan, Cameroon, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, Venezuela and Yemen.

Federal immigration officials may grant TPS for up to 18 months based on conditions in immigrants’ home countries, and they may repeatedly extend this eligibility if dangerous conditions in those countries persist.

The Biden administration cited dangerous conditions in Cameroon, Myanmar, Syria and Venezuela when it recently expanded TPS protections to immigrants from those countries. The Federal Register provides detailed information about each of these countries’ designations .

The recent TPS expansions continue the Biden administration’s efforts to broaden the program .

Since 2021, the Department of Homeland Security – which oversees the program – has added Afghanistan, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Ukraine and Venezuela to the list of countries whose immigrants may qualify for TPS. It also extended the terms of eligibility for immigrants from most countries that were already covered by TPS.

The Biden administration’s expansions stand in contrast to the Trump administration’s efforts to end TPS for nearly all beneficiaries. On his first day as president, Biden asked Congress to pass legislation that would allow TPS recipients who meet certain conditions to apply immediately for green cards that would let them become lawful permanent residents. Green card holders may be granted U.S. citizenship if they pass additional background checks and meet the usual naturalization conditions of knowledge of English and U.S. civics.

TPS recipients are not currently eligible for permanent residency or U.S. citizenship unless they pursue those statuses through other immigration processes.

Some TPS recipients have lived in the U.S. for decades

Immigrants with TPS live in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, according to the Congressional Research Service . The largest numbers live in Florida, Texas, California and New York – all of them states with large immigrant populations.

Some current TPS beneficiaries have lived in the U.S. for two decades or more. For example, those from Honduras and Nicaragua have been eligible because of damage from Hurricane Mitch in 1998, provided they have been living in the U.S. since Dec. 30 of that year. And current protections for immigrants from El Salvador apply to those who have lived in the U.S. since Feb. 13, 2001, following a series of earthquakes that killed more than a thousand people and inflicted widespread damage there.

Deferred Enforced Departure also offers protection from deportation

Another form of temporary relief from deportation, called Deferred Enforced Departure (DED), is granted at the president’s discretion, rather than as a result of an administrative process in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. It usually follows catastrophes in immigrants’ home countries similar to those that have triggered TPS. Currently, certain immigrants from Liberia, Hong Kong and the Palestinian territories are eligible for this benefit and are also allowed to apply for authorization to work. Liberian immigrants with DED have  relief until June 30, 2024 , and those from Hong Kong until Feb. 5, 2025 . The president recently enacted DED for immigrants from the Palestinian territories for 18 months starting Feb. 14, 2024.

To be granted TPS, applicants must meet filing deadlines, pay a fee, and prove they have lived in the U.S. continuously since the events that triggered relief from deportation. They must also meet criminal record requirements . For example, they must show that they have not been convicted of any felony or two or more misdemeanors while in the U.S.; persecuted others; or engaged in terrorism.

Once the Department of Homeland Security determines that a nation’s immigrants are eligible for TPS, those immigrants can apply for deportation relief if they entered the U.S. without authorization or entered on a temporary visa that has since expired. Those with a valid temporary visa or another non-immigrant status, such as foreign students, are also eligible to apply.

Federal officials are required to announce 60 days before any TPS designation expires whether it will be extended. Without a decision, it automatically extends for another six months.

Congress and President George H.W. Bush authorized the TPS program in the 1990 immigration law , granting the White House executive power to designate and extend the status to immigrants in the U.S. based on certain criteria.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published Oct. 28, 2021.

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BREAKING: The 12-member jury that will decide Trump's hush money case is set

Justices question obstruction charge against Jan. 6 rioter in case that could affect Trump

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court justices raised concerns Tuesday about the Justice Department's use of an obstruction statute to charge those involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The case could have bearing on the election interference prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

The justices heard an appeal brought by defendant  Joseph Fischer , a former police officer who is seeking to dismiss a charge accusing him of obstructing an official proceeding, specifically the certification by Congress of Joe Biden’s election victory, which was disrupted by a mob of Trump supporters.

The law in question criminalizes efforts to obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding. Conviction can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

The court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, has in the past been skeptical of prosecutors when they assert broad applications of criminal provisions.

Some justices expressed similar sentiments during Tuesday's arguments, asking whether the statute could be used to prosecute peaceful protesters, including people who at times have disrupted Supreme Court proceedings .

"Would a sit-in that disrupts a trial or access to a federal courthouse qualify?" conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch asked. "Would a heckler in today's audience qualify, or at the State of the Union address? Would pulling a fire alarm before a vote qualify for 20 years in federal prison?"

Justice Samuel Alito, another conservative, asked similar questions during a lengthy exchange with Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, noting that people who have protested at the Supreme Court were not charged under the law.

"I think it's in a fundamentally different posture than if they had stormed into this courtroom, overrun the Supreme Court Police, required the justices and other participants to flee for their safety," Prelogar said.

"What happened on Jan. 6 was very, very serious, and I'm not equating this with that," Alito responded. "But we need to find out what are the outer reaches of this statute under your interpretation."

Trump faces charges of violating the same law, as well as conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. They are among four charges he faces in his election interference case in Washington, separate from the hush money prosecution currently moving ahead in New York.

Tuesday's hearing comes just a week before the Supreme Court hears Trump's bid to toss out his election interference charges based on a claim of presidential immunity. Justice Clarence Thomas was present for the arguments after an unexplained absence Monday.

Fischer and Trump both say the obstruction law does not apply to the allegations against them, meaning the charges should be dropped.

Fischer faces seven criminal charges, only one of which is the focus of the Supreme Court case. He also faces charges of assaulting a police officer and entering a restricted building, among others.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh questioned why the Justice Department needed to charge Fischer using the obstruction statute, noting that he faces the six other charges.

"Why aren't those six counts good enough?" he asked.

Similarly, Justice Clarence Thomas, whose wife, Ginni Thomas, is a conservative activist who backed Trump's effort to challenge the election results, asked whether prosecutors have ever used the statute in response to "violent protests" that have disrupted proceedings in the past.

"I can't give you an example of enforcing it in a situation where people have violently stormed a building in order to prevent an official proceeding," Prelogar said.

Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor appeared to back Prelogar on that point.

"We've never had a situation before ... with people attempting to stop a proceeding violently. So I'm not sure what a lack of history proves," she said.

Prelogar sought to persuade the justices that prosecutors are not charging people under the obstruction statute without careful thought.

While there are about 1,350 Jan. 6 defendants in total, only 350 have been charged with obstructing an official proceeding, she said. The average prison sentence for those who were charged only with felony obstruction has been 26 months, she added.

Federal prosecutors have requested higher sentences for Jan. 6 defendants convicted of obstruction, but Prelogar focused on the actual sentences imposed by judges.

The provision was enacted in 2002 as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which was passed after the Enron accounting scandal.

On Jan. 6, 2021, prosecutors say , Fischer joined the crowd breaching the Capitol from the east side. “Charge!” he yelled again and again before he pushed forward toward a police line while yelling, “Motherf-----s!” the government says.

He and other rioters then fell to the ground. After other rioters lifted him up, video disclosed as evidence in other Jan. 6 trials shows, he tried to appeal to officers protecting the Capitol, telling them that he was an officer, too.

Fischer's lawyers say the law should be limited to circumstances involving tampering with physical evidence, which is what they argue the law aims to address.

A ruling in favor of Fischer could benefit Trump, although that is not guaranteed. Prosecutors in Trump's case have said that even if Fischer wins, Trump's conduct would still be covered by a narrower interpretation of the statute.

Lawrence Hurley covers the Supreme Court for NBC News.

Ryan J. Reilly is a justice reporter for NBC News.

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NPR suspends veteran editor as it grapples with his public criticism

David Folkenflik

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument. Uri Berliner hide caption

NPR suspended senior editor Uri Berliner for five days without pay after he wrote an essay accusing the network of losing the public's trust and appeared on a podcast to explain his argument.

NPR has formally punished Uri Berliner, the senior editor who publicly argued a week ago that the network had "lost America's trust" by approaching news stories with a rigidly progressive mindset.

Berliner's five-day suspension without pay, which began last Friday, has not been previously reported.

Yet the public radio network is grappling in other ways with the fallout from Berliner's essay for the online news site The Free Press . It angered many of his colleagues, led NPR leaders to announce monthly internal reviews of the network's coverage, and gave fresh ammunition to conservative and partisan Republican critics of NPR, including former President Donald Trump.

Conservative activist Christopher Rufo is among those now targeting NPR's new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the network. Among others, those posts include a 2020 tweet that called Trump racist and another that appeared to minimize rioting during social justice protests that year. Maher took the job at NPR last month — her first at a news organization .

In a statement Monday about the messages she had posted, Maher praised the integrity of NPR's journalists and underscored the independence of their reporting.

"In America everyone is entitled to free speech as a private citizen," she said. "What matters is NPR's work and my commitment as its CEO: public service, editorial independence, and the mission to serve all of the American public. NPR is independent, beholden to no party, and without commercial interests."

The network noted that "the CEO is not involved in editorial decisions."

In an interview with me later on Monday, Berliner said the social media posts demonstrated Maher was all but incapable of being the person best poised to direct the organization.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner said. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month. Stephen Voss/Stephen Voss hide caption

Conservative critics of NPR are now targeting its new chief executive, Katherine Maher, for messages she posted to social media years before joining the public radio network last month.

He said that he tried repeatedly to make his concerns over NPR's coverage known to news leaders and to Maher's predecessor as chief executive before publishing his essay.

Berliner has singled out coverage of several issues dominating the 2020s for criticism, including trans rights, the Israel-Hamas war and COVID. Berliner says he sees the same problems at other news organizations, but argues NPR, as a mission-driven institution, has a greater obligation to fairness.

"I love NPR and feel it's a national trust," Berliner says. "We have great journalists here. If they shed their opinions and did the great journalism they're capable of, this would be a much more interesting and fulfilling organization for our listeners."

A "final warning"

The circumstances surrounding the interview were singular.

Berliner provided me with a copy of the formal rebuke to review. NPR did not confirm or comment upon his suspension for this article.

In presenting Berliner's suspension Thursday afternoon, the organization told the editor he had failed to secure its approval for outside work for other news outlets, as is required of NPR journalists. It called the letter a "final warning," saying Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR's policy again. Berliner is a dues-paying member of NPR's newsroom union but says he is not appealing the punishment.

The Free Press is a site that has become a haven for journalists who believe that mainstream media outlets have become too liberal. In addition to his essay, Berliner appeared in an episode of its podcast Honestly with Bari Weiss.

A few hours after the essay appeared online, NPR chief business editor Pallavi Gogoi reminded Berliner of the requirement that he secure approval before appearing in outside press, according to a copy of the note provided by Berliner.

In its formal rebuke, NPR did not cite Berliner's appearance on Chris Cuomo's NewsNation program last Tuesday night, for which NPR gave him the green light. (NPR's chief communications officer told Berliner to focus on his own experience and not share proprietary information.) The NPR letter also did not cite his remarks to The New York Times , which ran its article mid-afternoon Thursday, shortly before the reprimand was sent. Berliner says he did not seek approval before talking with the Times .

NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

Berliner says he did not get permission from NPR to speak with me for this story but that he was not worried about the consequences: "Talking to an NPR journalist and being fired for that would be extraordinary, I think."

Berliner is a member of NPR's business desk, as am I, and he has helped to edit many of my stories. He had no involvement in the preparation of this article and did not see it before it was posted publicly.

In rebuking Berliner, NPR said he had also publicly released proprietary information about audience demographics, which it considers confidential. He said those figures "were essentially marketing material. If they had been really good, they probably would have distributed them and sent them out to the world."

Feelings of anger and betrayal inside the newsroom

His essay and subsequent public remarks stirred deep anger and dismay within NPR. Colleagues contend Berliner cherry-picked examples to fit his arguments and challenge the accuracy of his accounts. They also note he did not seek comment from the journalists involved in the work he cited.

Morning Edition host Michel Martin told me some colleagues at the network share Berliner's concerns that coverage is frequently presented through an ideological or idealistic prism that can alienate listeners.

"The way to address that is through training and mentorship," says Martin, herself a veteran of nearly two decades at the network who has also reported for The Wall Street Journal and ABC News. "It's not by blowing the place up, by trashing your colleagues, in full view of people who don't really care about it anyway."

Several NPR journalists told me they are no longer willing to work with Berliner as they no longer have confidence that he will keep private their internal musings about stories as they work through coverage.

"Newsrooms run on trust," NPR political correspondent Danielle Kurtzleben tweeted last week, without mentioning Berliner by name. "If you violate everyone's trust by going to another outlet and sh--ing on your colleagues (while doing a bad job journalistically, for that matter), I don't know how you do your job now."

Berliner rejected that critique, saying nothing in his essay or subsequent remarks betrayed private observations or arguments about coverage.

Other newsrooms are also grappling with questions over news judgment and confidentiality. On Monday, New York Times Executive Editor Joseph Kahn announced to his staff that the newspaper's inquiry into who leaked internal dissent over a planned episode of its podcast The Daily to another news outlet proved inconclusive. The episode was to focus on a December report on the use of sexual assault as part of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. Audio staffers aired doubts over how well the reporting stood up to scrutiny.

"We work together with trust and collegiality everyday on everything we produce, and I have every expectation that this incident will prove to be a singular exception to an important rule," Kahn wrote to Times staffers.

At NPR, some of Berliner's colleagues have weighed in online against his claim that the network has focused on diversifying its workforce without a concomitant commitment to diversity of viewpoint. Recently retired Chief Executive John Lansing has referred to this pursuit of diversity within NPR's workforce as its " North Star ," a moral imperative and chief business strategy.

In his essay, Berliner tagged the strategy as a failure, citing the drop in NPR's broadcast audiences and its struggle to attract more Black and Latino listeners in particular.

"During most of my tenure here, an open-minded, curious culture prevailed. We were nerdy, but not knee-jerk, activist, or scolding," Berliner writes. "In recent years, however, that has changed."

Berliner writes, "For NPR, which purports to consider all things, it's devastating both for its journalism and its business model."

NPR investigative reporter Chiara Eisner wrote in a comment for this story: "Minorities do not all think the same and do not report the same. Good reporters and editors should know that by now. It's embarrassing to me as a reporter at NPR that a senior editor here missed that point in 2024."

Some colleagues drafted a letter to Maher and NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, seeking greater clarity on NPR's standards for its coverage and the behavior of its journalists — clearly pointed at Berliner.

A plan for "healthy discussion"

On Friday, CEO Maher stood up for the network's mission and the journalism, taking issue with Berliner's critique, though never mentioning him by name. Among her chief issues, she said Berliner's essay offered "a criticism of our people on the basis of who we are."

Berliner took great exception to that, saying she had denigrated him. He said that he supported diversifying NPR's workforce to look more like the U.S. population at large. She did not address that in a subsequent private exchange he shared with me for this story. (An NPR spokesperson declined further comment.)

Late Monday afternoon, Chapin announced to the newsroom that Executive Editor Eva Rodriguez would lead monthly meetings to review coverage.

"Among the questions we'll ask of ourselves each month: Did we capture the diversity of this country — racial, ethnic, religious, economic, political geographic, etc — in all of its complexity and in a way that helped listeners and readers recognize themselves and their communities?" Chapin wrote in the memo. "Did we offer coverage that helped them understand — even if just a bit better — those neighbors with whom they share little in common?"

Berliner said he welcomed the announcement but would withhold judgment until those meetings played out.

In a text for this story, Chapin said such sessions had been discussed since Lansing unified the news and programming divisions under her acting leadership last year.

"Now seemed [the] time to deliver if we were going to do it," Chapin said. "Healthy discussion is something we need more of."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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