AP COMP GOV UNIT 1

Empirical statements

(factual/objective) apply concepts, support generalizations, or make  arguments

Normative statements

(value) argue how situations should be

Endogeneity

unknown variable

 Human Development Index (HDI)

measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development” including statistics about: life expectancy, amount of schooling, and income

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

the market value of goods  and services produced over a certain time in a country

 GDP Growth Rate

shows the rate of national economic expansion

GDP Per Capita

reflects the size of the national economy in comparison with the  population size

Gross Domestic Product at Purchasing Power Parity (GDP PPP)

measured by finding the values of goods in U.S. dollars

Gini Index

shows wealth inequality within a country

Freedom House

political rights and civil liberties - 1 = most free, 7 = least free

Governmental Transparency

ability of citizens to access information about a government’s policy-making and policy implementation to help hold officials accountable

Corruption Perception Index

ranks the perception of corruption in different countries - higher scores on this index indicate lower perceptions of corruption

The Fragile States Index

assesses and ranks countries based on their potential to weaken due to conflicts and domestic turmoil - Countries scoring higher on the 120-point scale are recognized as more fragile states susceptible to instability than countries that score lower in the index

Political Systems

comprise the laws, ideas, and procedures that address who should have authority to rule and what the government’s influence on its people and economy should be

State

political organizations that combine a permanent population with governing institutions to exercise control over a defined territory with international recognition

Regimes

 the fundamental rules that control access to and the exercise of political power. Regimes typically endure from government to government. A regime can be characterized as democratic or  authoritarian based on how it sets rules or makes decisions about how to exercise power

Government

 the set of institutions or individuals legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state

People’s Republic of China main party

Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

UK political system

democracy with popular elections determining control of the legislative branch

Russia political system

Constitution 1990s (post-soviet union), Authoritarian (1999 - 2008 + 2012-2024)

Iran;s Political System

Theocratic with Shi’a Supreme Leader, authoritarian

Nigeria’s Political System

Constitutional democracy since 1999 - directly elected president + national legislature

Mexico’s Political System

Directly elected president and national legislature

UK governmental change

PM Cameron to PM May (2016) by  voluntary resignation.

Mexico governmental change

President Pena Nieto to President  Lopez Obrador (2019) by election

China governmental change

President Hu to President Xi (2012)  by party mandate

Russia governmental change

President Putin to President Medvedev (2008) by term limit and  election

Iran governmental change

President Ahmadinejad to President  Rouhani (2013) by term limit and  election

Nigeria governmental change

President Jonathan to President  Buhari (2015) by election

Nation

 a group of people with commonalities including race, language, religion, ethnicity, political  identity, and aspirations

Transparency

governmental decision making for citizens to be able to discover how policies are made and  implemented. This can include the treatment of journalists who seek to investigate and report  news critical of government officials

United Kingdom governmental transparency

passed a Freedom of Information Act in 2000 that establishes  public access to a wide array of information held by governmental officials

Nigeria’s governmental transparency

Media outlets that freely criticize public policies, protect access to public information with its 2011 Freedom of Information Act. Still, many public officials refuse to comply with a few ramifications of these refusals. 

Chinese Transparency - President Xi

Investigative journalists have found it much more difficult to get their work published, and many have quit the profession as many activists have been harshly punished for not maintaining a “correct political orientation”

Mexico transparency

journalists are often endangered by government officials unwilling to confront violent drug cartels

Russia transparency

proposed laws that threaten to jail journalists who publish “fake news”  and news that “disrespects” the state

Iran Transparency

forced the closure of print media outlets for reporting that is deemed critical of the religious rule of Iran

China Elections

No direct elections  for national government, Danwei-local elections are only signs of republic

Iran Elections

The Supreme Leader directly and indirectly appoints all of the  Guardian Council;  and GC vets candidates to prevent moderates and political dissidents from running for the national legislature. 

UK Elections

Conservative Party  wins the Commons in 2010 breaking Labour control

Nigeria Elections

Muhammadu Buhari defeated the incumbent president in 2015. This was Nigeria’s first transfer  of power from one party  to a rival party due to  an election result

Mexico Elections

Vincente Fox of the  National Action Party  (PAN) wons the presidency in 2000  after decades of electoral domination by the Institutional  Revolutionary Party  (PRI).

Russia Elections

Vladimir Putin was  never forced into the 2nd run-off election. Majority win in ALL FOUR ELECTIONS

Mexico Independence of Branches

Supreme Court has the power of judicial review and constitutional amendments have  been implemented to 

China Independence of Branches

National legislature  acts as a rubber stamp  for expansion of executive power; National People’s  Congress approved

Nigeria Independence of Branches

National legislature  rejects president’s  attempt to allow third  term (2006)

Russia Independence of Branches

National legislature  acts as a rubber stamp  for expansion of  executive power; Federation Council  approved intervention  in Crimea (2014)

UK Independence of Branches

Commons votes against PM Cameron’s intent for  UK military actions  in Syria (2013)

Iran Independence of Branches

National legislature  acts as a rubber stamp  for the expansion of Supreme Leader's power

One-Party states

China in which rival parties are prohibited from controlling  governmental power

Theocracies

such as Iran which requires the state to be controlled by leaders of a particular religion.

Illiberal democracies (Procedural) and hybrid regimes

hold elections with little competition  toward the ruling party and that tend to have diminished civil liberties

federal

in this sytem both national and subnational governments can have a police force

Military regimes

such as those that were common in Nigeria between the country’s independence and the ratification of its 1999 constitution in which military leaders hold top positions of governing authority.

Totalitarian governments

that severely limit citizens’ civil liberties. An extreme form of authoritarianism. Mao’s China, Stalin’s Russia, Hitler’s Germany

Nigeria

This country has the most ethnic groups within

Iran, China, Uk

Unitary governments