AP Comparative Unit 1

All of the following are criteria for determining whether a country is a liberal democracy EXCEPT

A) competitive elections

B) efficient decision making

C) freedom of expression

D) multiple sources of information

E) peaceful transitions of power

B) efficient decision making

An illiberal democracy would typically be characterized by

A) high voter turnout in single-party elections

B) military rule coupled with political freedoms

C) colonial rule and a procedure-based legal system

D) market-based economic arrangements and limited suffrage

E) elections coupled with restrictions on individual civil liberties

E) elections coupled with restrictions on individual civil liberties

Which of the following is a correct comparison of authoritarian and democratic regimes?

A) China allows for more freedom of the media, while Nigeria has more restrictions of the media.

B) Russia has more arbitrary rules by the leadership, while Mexico has a defined rule of law.

C) Iran has more civil liberties, while the United Kingdom has less competition in elections.

D) China allows for more citizen participation in elections, while Mexico has less transparency in government decisions.

B) Russia has more arbitrary rules by the leadership, while Mexico has a defined rule of law

Which of the following is a properly matched comparison of Iran and Russia?

A) Iran is an illiberal democracy, while Russia is a democratic regime.

B) Iran has universal suffrage, while the president of Russia is appointed by the legislature.

C) Iran is a theocracy, while Russia has been classified as an authoritarian regime.

D) A military government rules in Iran, while Russia is a one-party state that allows no other parties to compete.

C) Iran is a theocracy, while Russia has been classified as an authoritarian regime

Which of the following describes democratic consolidation in Mexico

A) The election of presidents from parties that opposed PRI dominance

B) The elimination of political corruption from the executive branch

C) The inability of criminal organizations to influence law enforcement agencies

D) Government programs that greatly reduced income inequality levels

A) The election from parties that opposed PRI dominance

In a comparison of authoritarian and democratic regimes, it is accurate to say authoritarian regimes

A) are more likely to be characterized by strong civil societies

B) concentrate more power in legislative assemblies

C) tend to be more inefficient decision makers

D) are unstable and therefore more likely to be short-term

E) probably lack well-established rule of law

E) probably lack well-established rule of law

In which of the following pairs of countries does the press enjoy the greatest freedom?

A) China and Great Britain

B) China and Iran

C) Great Britain and Nigeria

D) Iran and Nigeria

E) Russia and Iran

C) Great Britain and Nigeria

Which of the following is an indicator of increased democratization in Nigeria?

A) Increased restrictions on civil liberties

B) More limits on suffrage rights

C) Greater difficulty for candidates to get their names on the ballot

D) Greater transparency of election results

D) Greater transparency of election results

Which of the following countries has had an opposition party win a democratic election to take over the top executive office in government?

A) Russia

B) China

C) Nigeria

D) Iran

C) Nigeria

A theocracy is best described as a political system based on

A) military authority

B) maternal authority

C) clerical authority

D) popular sovereignty

E) major party dominance

C) clerical authority

After the adoption of the Russian constitution in 1993, which of the following institutions has had the most power in Russia?

A) The Duma

B) The President

C) The Constitutional Court

D) The military

E) The Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation (SBRR)

B) The president

Nigeria's democratization process is best described as a

A) rejection of patrimonial rule

B) smooth transition from colonial rule to self-rule

C) successful effort to dismantle the prebendal system

D) process imposed by the country's former colonial rulers

E) process interrupted by frequent military intervention

E) process interrupted by frequent military intervention

Which of the following statements correctly explains why Iran and China have different sources of authority?

A) In China, constitutional reforms devolved powers to regional governments, while Iran has transitioned into a multiparty republic from an authoritarian regime.

B) In China, the Communist Party controls the military, while Iran has an established theocracy in the executive branch.

C) In China, election rules favor one party in presidential elections, while the Iranian government operates according to a written constitution.

D) In China, there is an established theocracy in the executive branch, while Iranian election rules favor candidates from religious parties in presidential elections.

B) In China, the Communist Party controls the military, while Iran has an established theocracy in the executive branch

Which of the following best explains why Mexico and Nigeria have similar sources of authority?

A) Both transitioned into multiparty republics from authoritarian regimes.

B) Both have established theocracies in their executive branch leadership.

C) Both feature a ruling Communist Party that maintains regime stability.

D) Both maintain election rules that guarantee dominance by one party.

A) Both transitioned into multiparty republics from authoritarian regimes

Which of the following best describes the speaker's perspective about the authority of Iran's government?

A) Election results are more important than Iran's theocracy as a source of authority.

B) The leadership of Iran uses the revolution of 1979 and election results as a source of authority.

C) The office of president should have more authority than the office of supreme leader in Iran.

D) The regime will always support election results, even if those results lead to governmental instability.

B) The leadership of Iran uses the revolution of 1979 and election results as a source of authority

Which of the following countries maintained a dominant-party system until 2000 ?

A) Iran

B) China

C) Mexico

D) Nigeria

E) Great Britain

C) Mexico

Which of the following is true of both China and Russia?

A) Both have proportional-representation electoral systems.

B) Both have weak legislative branches compared with the executive branch.

C) Both have developed strong, independent militaries.

D) Both place more emphasis on ideological correctness than on technical expertise within the public bureaucracy.

E) Both have moved from nationalism to multiculturalism as a central plank in state legitimacy.

B) Both have weak legislative branches compared with the executive branch

Which statement below is an accurate description of the role of the military in Mexico and Nigeria in the past 50 years?

A) In both systems, the military has often governed in lieu of civilian governments.

B) In both systems, the military is torn by ethnic dissension, making the military very instable.

C) In both systems, the oil industry is in the hands of the military.

D) In Mexico, the military has played a minor role in governing, while in Nigeria it has been actively involved.

E) In Mexico, the military has ethnic minorities in it; in Nigeria, the military has been dominated by Islamists.

D) In Mexico, the military has played a minor role in governing, while in Nigeria it has been actively involved

A political scientist investigating the relationship between birth rate and the number of women in Parliament compiles data into the bar graph shown above, which suggests that

A) Mexico, the United Kingdom and China have the highest percentage of women in Parliament

B) Russia and Iran have the highest birth rates

C) women in Nigeria are more likely to be in Parliament than to have babies

D) Mexico has the highest birth rate and the highest percentage of women in Parliament

E) Iran has the highest percentage of women in Parliament

A) Mexico, the United Kingdom and China have the highest percentage of women in Parliament

The concept of nation is best defined as a

A) country that is a member of the United Nations

B) country with a colonial history

C) country with heterogeneous racial communities

D) community with an organized system of governance

E) population with common historical, ethnic, linguistic, and/or religious bonds

E) population with common historical, ethnic, linguistic, and/or religious bonds

The term "failed state" best refers to which of the following?

A) An authoritarian state

B) A state of war

C) A former Communist state

D) A state in which law and order persistently breaks down

E) A state that has been denied United Nations membership

D) A state in which law and order persistently breaks down

Gross national product (GNP) and gross domestic product (GDP) are measures used to compare countries on

A) the general health of their citizens

B) the degree of professionalism of their militaries

C) the size of their economies

D) their level of economic inequality

E) their average cost of living

C) the size of their economies

Which of the following countries is best described as a theocratic state?

A) China

B) Mexico

C) Nigeria

D) Iran

E) Russia

D) Iran

Which of the following statements best describes the trend in the graph?

A) The Chinese GDP has consistently declined since 2007.

B) The Chinese GDP has been shrinking since 2005, scaring investors away.

C) The Chinese GDP has seen growth since 2003, with growth stronger some years than others.

D) The Chinese GDP has only increased since 2009.

C) The Chinese GDP has seen growth since 2003, with growth stronger some years than others.

Which of the following statements best describes the trend since 2010 in the graph?

A) The GDP growth rate in China has remained constant.

B) The GDP growth rate in China has declined.

C) The GDP growth rate in China has increased.

D) The GDP growth rate in China has fluctuated substantially.

B) The GDP growth rate in China has declined.

Which of the following statements best describes the trend in the graph between 2005 and 2009 ?

A) The GDP growth rate increased then sharply declined.

B) The GDP growth rate had almost no fluctuation during the time period.

C) The GDP growth rate remained constant then gradually declined.

D) The GDP growth rate rapidly decreased then gradually increased.

A) The GDP growth rate increased then sharply declined.

Which of the following causes of the Iranian Revolution still persist today according to the passage?

A) Demands for greater theocratic rule

B) Demands for rule of law

C) Pleas for a socialist state

D) Pleas for civil rights

D) Pleas for civil rights

According to the passage, which of the following is an outcome of the Iranian Revolution that is still felt today?

A) Increased access to education

B) Oil dependence

C) Tension within the monarchy

D) Anti-American sentiment

A) Increased access to education

Which of the following best describes a challenge for the Iranian regime according to the passage?

A) Iran is stuck between democratic and totalitarian hopes.

B) The Iranian regime feels obliged to modernize, but Iranians do not want this.

C) Iran needs to construct a modern infrastructure and education system.

D) The Iranian middle class confronts a divided political elite, who vacillate in their responses.

D) The Iranian middle class confronts a divided political elite, who vacillate in their responses.

Which of the following best explains the "elephant in the room" as expressed in the passage?

A) There is a lack of transparent political processes as far as the national question is concerned.

B) Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have been granted assemblies, whereas England has none.

C) There is a likelihood that Scotland will have to leave the United Kingdom if these behaviors continue.

D) The English have an overwhelming majority in the House of Commons.

B) Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have been granted assemblies, whereas England has none.

Which of the following best explains the point of view of the passage?

A) English citizens have too much political power and must devolve more.

B) Scotland and Wales need to share more power.

C) English citizens receive too little from Westminster.

D) Taxes on English citizens are too high and need to be reduced.

C) English citizens receive too little from Westminster.

The English Question described in the passage was a direct outcome of which of the following?

A) The devolution of powers to subnational units in 1997

B) The Scottish independence referendum

C) The debates over the United Kingdom leaving the European Union (Brexit)

D) The failures of Tories to combat corruption

A) The devolution of powers to subnational units in 1997

Which of the following consequences of the 2018 Russian presidential election is represented by the data in the table?

A) The Russian constitution will again need to be revised to allow for another term in office for Putin.

B) Putin was re-elected with high voter turnout, which strengthens his legitimacy.

C) The United Russia Party will dominate the legislature and undermine rule of law in Russia.

D) Only the top three candidates will have representation in the Duma because the other parties failed to cross the five-percent threshold.

B) Putin was re-elected with high voter turnout, which strengthens his legitimacy.

Which of the following conclusions regarding voter turnout in a highly predictable election is represented by the data in the table?

A) Most eligible Russians did not vote, thus undermining the sovereignty of Putin's regime.

B) Turnout was achieved mostly by election rigging and ballot fraud because Putin is not very popular.

C) Turnout for Zhirinovsky would have been higher if his party was not so radically pro-democracy.

D) A majority of those eligible to vote cast ballots for Putin, thus strengthening his hold on the Russian government.

D) A majority of those eligible to vote cast ballots for Putin, thus strengthening his hold on the Russian government.

Which of the following most accurately explains the performance of the Communist Party in the 2018 election?

A) The Communist Party is clearly the most powerful and popular party in Russia due to its history.

B) The second-place finish of the Communist Party demonstrates the party's continued support from the people.

C) Putin threatened to dissolve the Communist Party shortly before the election because of its alleged corruption and violence.

D) The Communist Party was supported mostly by the upper class and the military, as evidenced by their strong showing.

B) The second-place finish of the Communist Party demonstrates the party's continued support from the people.

Which of the following is a result of the actions represented by the data shown in the graph?

A) After the initial insurgency, most Nigerians accepted Boko Haram as a part of life.

B) Northern Nigerians overwhelmingly support Boko Haram and Shariah law.

C) The vast majority of Nigerians reject Boko Haram, which must fight violently to maintain power.

D) Western corporations have harmed traditional Nigerian ways, leading to the violence.

C) The vast majority of Nigerians reject Boko Haram, which must fight violently to maintain power.

Which of the following is true of the Nigerian government's responses to political violence as related by the data in the graph?

A) The Nigerian government deploys diplomacy and is committed to avoiding the use of force on its citizens.

B) The Nigerian government does not have a military, so it relies on its allies to quell political violence.

C) The Nigerian government uses force where necessary to stop political violence.

D) The Nigerian government is helpless to stop the political violence because of corruption in the military.

C) The Nigerian government uses force where necessary to stop political violence.

Which of the following is true of the political violence in Nigeria as represented by the data in the graph?

A) Islamic law in northern Nigeria is the source of violence, as illustrated in the graph.

B) Nigeria suffers from religious divisions that sometimes result in overwhelming political violence.

C) The existence of Boko Haram is seen by most Nigerians as a cultural problem, rather than a religious one.

D) Despite the harm inflicted by Boko Haram, the Nigerian government does not respond to state or local issues.

B) Nigeria suffers from religious divisions that sometimes result in overwhelming political violence.

A nation is best described as which of the following?

A) The norms and rules that guide governance

B) A community of faith

C) A historic community of peoples

D) A collection of governing bureaucracies

C) A historic community of peoples

Which of the following is a necessary aspect of a state?

A) Historical tradition

B) Religious leadership

C) Defined territory

D) Democratic institutions

C) Defined territory

Which of the following is true of a government?

A) A government is highly institutionalized and difficult to change.

B) A government is insulated from public opinion.

C) A government consists of a president and an executive branch of a country.

D) A government consists of a set of institutions empowered to make binding decisions.

D) A government consists of a set of institutions empowered to make binding decisions

Which of the following statements about elections is accurate?

A) While the United Kingdom has free and fair legislative elections, legislative elections in Iran are not competitive and have candidates that have been vetted.

B) While all citizens in Nigeria are eligible to vote in all elections, citizens of China have no right to vote.

C) While Iran and Mexico both have mostly free and fair legislative elections, neither has free or fair presidential elections.

D) While the members of the United Kingdom's upper house are elected, members of Russia's upper house are appointed.

A) While the United Kingdom has free and fair legislative elections, legislative elections in Iran are not competitive and have candidates that have been vetted.

Which of the following statements about freedom of the press is correct?

A) While China offers almost no press freedoms, Mexican journalists can operate in a remarkably free space.

B) While Mexico and Russia both have legal protections of press freedom, journalists often operate in fear of violence.

C) While China seeks to control access to the Internet, the Russian regime allows for a totally free Internet but censors television.

D) Iranian and Mexican journalists demand freedom and are heavily supported by, respectively, Muslim clerics in Iran and the Catholic clergy in Mexico.

B) While Mexico and Russia both have legal protections of press freedom, journalists often operate in fear of violence.

Which of the following statements about one of six countries studied in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course is true?

A) While there are no effective checks on presidential power in Iran, the Mexican legislature has effective checks on the president.

B) Over the past decade, both the Russian and Chinese presidents have increased the power of the legislature.

C) The British legislature regularly seeks to hold the executive accountable, while the Chinese legislature does not serve as a regular check on executive power.

D) The Nigerian and Russian legislatures both act as effective checks on presidential power.

C) The British legislature regularly seeks to hold the executive accountable, while the Chinese legislature does not serve as a regular check on executive power.

Which of the following is most likely to inhibit democratization in Nigeria?

A) Competitive elections, which tends to pit one group of people against another

B) Diversity, which tends to cause unequal treatment of citizens

C) Universal suffrage, which tends to give uninformed people voting rights

D) Political corruption, which tends to undermine rule of law

D) Political corruption, which tends to undermine rule of law

Which of the following is a feature of democratic consolidation in the United Kingdom?

A) Protection of civil liberties

B) Domination of the judiciary

C) Strengthening power in the executive

D) Devolution of powers

A) Protection of civil liberties

Which component of the Human Development Index is most likely to be affected by corruption in Mexico?

A) Life expectancy

B) Years of schooling

C) Per capita gross national income

D) Income inequality

C) Per capita gross national income

Which of the following statements explains how sources of power and authority have affected two AP Comparative Government and Politics course countries?

A) Religion has helped shape the postrevolutionary governments of Iran and China.

B) The Mexican and Nigerian constitutions have helped the countries develop competitive party systems.

C) The legislatures in Russia and the United Kingdom have helped the countries become more democratic.

D) The military in Nigeria and Iran have helped the countries remain politically stable over time.

B) The Mexican and Nigerian constitutions have helped the countries develop competitive party systems.

Which of the following statements is true about the sources of political authority in Iran and the United Kingdom?

A) Both countries substantiate their political authority through religious authority and symbolism.

B) Both countries substantiate their political authority through unwritten constitutions.

C) Both countries substantiate their political authority by relying on popular elections.

D) Both countries substantiate their political authority through competitive, disciplined political parties.

C) Both countries substantiate their political authority by relying on popular elections.

Which of the following is true of Russia and the United Kingdom with regard to power sharing as a means to promote stability?

A) Over the past two decades, both Russia and the United Kingdom have forcibly centralized power in the national government.

B) Over the past two decades, Russia has consolidated power in the national government, while the United Kingdom has devolved some powers to subnational units.

C) Over the past two decades, both Russia and the United Kingdom have devolved some powers to regions with more ethno-religious minorities.

D) Over the past two decades, Russia and the United Kingdom have both granted more powers to former colonies and satellite states.

B) Over the past two decades, Russia has consolidated power in the national government, while the United Kingdom has devolved some powers to subnational units.

Which of the following is most likely a consequence of factors such as policy effectiveness, institutionalized laws, and political tradition, as seen in the United Kingdom?

A) GDP growth

B) Political legitimacy

C) Consensual politics

D) Competitive parties

B) Political legitimacy

Since 1998, which of the following is the most substantial cause of political legitimacy in Russia?

A) Charismatic leadership

B) Decreased political efficacy

C) Increased political corruption

D) Foreign direct investment

A) Charismatic leadership

Which of the following statements is true concerning sources of legitimacy in China?

A) While China used to rely on charismatic leadership to promote legitimacy, it no longer does so at all.

B) China is transitioning to relying on competitive national elections rather than charismatic leadership to reinforce its legitimacy.

C) Whereas China used to rely more on charismatic leadership to bolster legitimacy, for the last several decades, China has relied more on economic growth than charismatic leadership.

D) Because of the stronghold of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government does not concern itself with political legitimacy.

B) China is transitioning to relying on competitive national elections rather than charismatic leadership to reinforce its legitimacy.