AP Comparative Government & Politics Review

Flashcards for AP Comparative Government & Politics review, covering key concepts related to the governments, leaders, and policies of the core countries: Britain, Russia, China, Nigeria, Mexico, and Iran.

What percentage of the AP Comparative Government & Politics exam score comes from the multiple-choice section?

50%

Which countries are the focus of the multiple-choice questions in AP Comparative Government & Politics?

China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom

What type of government does Britain have?

Parliamentary Democracy & Sovereignty, Unitary, Fusion of Powers, Constitutional Monarchy

Who is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom?

Boris Johnson

What type of electoral system does the UK use?

Single-Member Plurality, also known as First Past the Post

What are the two houses of the UK Parliament?

House of Commons and House of Lords

What legal system is the UK based off of?

Common Law - Legal System based on local customs and precedent rather than formal legal codes

What are some examples of major cleavages in the UK?

Racial and religious differences, social class, and urban vs. rural divides

What are austerity measures in the UK context?

Government policies that aim to reduce public sector debt

What are current policy issues in the UK?

Economy, Big Society, Devolution, and Brexit

What is the main function of Whitehall in the UK?

Administers the government

What type of government does Russia have?

Asymmetrical Federal State, Semi-Presidential System, Soft Authoritarianism, Hybrid Regime, Illiberal Democracy

Who is the current president of Russia?

Vladimir Putin

What is the dominant political party in Russia?

United Russia

What type of electoral system does Russia use for Duma elections?

Mixed PR & SMD

What are the two houses of the Russian Federal Assembly?

Federation Council (Upper House) and Duma (Lower House)

What is the Constitutional Court in Russia?

Operates on civil law with judicial review

What are some major cleavages in Russia?

Muslim v. Orthodox, Chechnya v. Russia, Slavophile v. Westernizer

What are some recent economic trends in Russia?

Increased Privatization, where private interests (namely oligarchs) dominate

What is Nomenklatura in the context of Russian bureaucracy?

Patron-Client Connections

What type of government does China have?

Communist Party-State

Who is the current president of China?

Xi Jinping

What is the only political party in China?

Chinese Communist Party

Does China have national level elections?

No

What is the legislative body in China?

National People's Congress

Who was the the leader of the Chinese Revolution?

Mao Zedong

What type of judiciaries system does China have?

Civil Law and Criminal Law

What are some examples of major cleavages in China?

Urban v. Rural, Tibet/Uighers/Hong Kong v. PRC, Technocrat v. Old School Communists

What are some recent economic trends in China?

Increased but limited privatization and an exponentially growing economy

What are current policy issues in China?

International relations, improving economy, and COVID 19 lockdowns

What are cadres in China?

Person who exercises authority in a communist party state

What type of government does Nigeria have?

Federal republic Presidential system with Strong executive Checks & balances Unitary

Who is the current president of Nigeria?

President Buhari

What type of electoral system does Nigeria use for electing a president?

Direct election requiring a majority and no less than ¼ of votes in at least 2/3 of the states

What is the legislative body in Nigeria called?

National Assembly consisting of a Senate (Upper house) and House of Representatives (Lower house)

What is the judiciaries system in Nigeria like?

Supreme Court with increasing power of JUDICIAL REVIEW and State Courts using English common law and Shari'a law

What are some examples of major cleavages in Nigeria?

Ethnic lines, North v. South, Muslim v. Christian, Oil developers, Economic inequality

What is a Rentier state in Nigeria?

Oil Unfair distribution of wealth

What is Prebendalism in Nigeria?

Leads to corruption in the bureaucracy & elected officials

What type of government does Mexico have?

Federal Republic with Separation of Powers and Checks & Balances

Who is the current president of Mexico?

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO)

What is the threshold for a party to obtain representation in the Mexican legislature?

2%

What is the legislative body in Mexico called?

Congress of the Union (National Congress) Federal Division of Power Bicameral Senate and Chamber of Deputies

What is Amparo

Citizens ask for a writ of protection claiming their rights have been violated by the government

What are some examples of major cleavages in Mexico?

South to North and Amerindians v. Europeans

What are current policy issues in Mexico?

War on Drugs and Corruption

What are parastatals in Mexico?

Industries partly owned by the state.

What type of government does Iran have?

Theocracy with Elements of democracy

Who is the current Supreme Leader of Iran?

Ayatollah Khameni

What is the leader of the Iranian Revolution?

Ayatollah Khomeini

What is the Assembly of Religious Experts in Iran?

Elections every 4 years 8 year terms Conservative clerics

What are some examples of major cleavages in Iran?

Liberal Muslims v. Ruling Party

What are some current policy issues in Iran?

Maintaining the ruling party and Youth/women Nuclear proliferation

What is the function of Revolutionary Guard in Iran?

Protects Islamic ideals within the country