nigeria/mexico

Bicameral legislatures

Two-house legislature.

Checks and balances

System limiting power among branches (e.g., veto, judicial review, impeachment).

Cleavages (regional, religious, ethnic)

Social divisions impacting politics.

Ethnicity

Shared cultural identity; differs from religion (belief system) and other identities (e.g., class).

Corruption, impact on state

Dishonest use of power, weakens institutions.

Divided government (presidential)

Different parties control executive and legislature, possible due to separate elections.

Electoral systems for legislatures

Rules for translating votes into seats (e.g., proportional representation, single-member districts).

Empirical statements

Fact-based observations.

Normative statements

Value judgments.

Federal systems

Power divided between national and regional governments.

First-Past-the-Post (Winner-Take-All)

Candidate with most votes wins.

Head of state & head of government combined

Single person holds symbolic and executive power.

Impeachment

Legislative process to remove president for misconduct.

Independent electoral commissions

Neutral bodies overseeing elections (Mexico - INE, Nigeria - INEC).

Military rule and coup d'etats

Governance by military force, often through sudden power seizure (e.g., Nigeria).

Multiparty system (Nigeria)

Many parties compete.

Dominant-party system (Mexico)

One party holds power for extended periods.

Oil in Nigeria

Niger Delta region; 'resource curse' = negative development due to oil wealth; nationalized reserves.

Popular election of president

Citizens directly vote. Nigeria: 25% in 2/3 states for broad support; 'federal character' = diverse representation.

Press Freedom

Ability of media to report without government censorship.

Democratic Consolidation

Process of establishing stable and legitimate democracy.

Recent moves towards liberal democracy

Transitions facing issues like weak institutions, instability.

Similarities between executives

Enforce laws, propose policy, command armed forces (vary by system).

Sources of legitimacy, elections

Basis of government authority (e.g., elections, tradition, law). Elections provide popular legitimacy.

Supreme Courts

Highest courts; composition & terms vary; judicial review = power to strike down laws.

Term Limits

Restrictions on time in office (e.g., Mexico - Article 59 limits president to one 6-year term). Why: prevent tyranny, encourage turnover.

Transparency

Openness and accountability in government actions.