Comp Gov Infinty Packet

HDI

• life expectancy

• knowledge

• standard of living

GDP

all goods produced econmic value

per capita = per person

Gini index

income inequality

0 = equal

1 = unequal

freedom house

0 = least degree of freedom

higer = more freedom

failed states index

higer score = closer to failure

types of authoritarianism

1. personal/monarch

2. military

3. one-party

4. theocracy

5. illiberal

democracy characteristics

1. competitve, free, fair, transparent election

2. strong civil society

3. protected civil rights and liberties

4. rule of law

5. equality

China - source of power?

• one party CCP

• been in power since 1949 revolution

Iran - source of power?

• thoecracy since 1979

Mexico - source of power?

Once authoritarian

(one-party + military)

• now have constituition and regular elections

Nigeria source of power

Once authoritarian

(one-party + military)

• now have constituition and regular elections

Russia - sources of power?

• Illiberal democracy

• Putin manages results to his advantage

UK - sources of power?

• gradually reformed democracy

• monarch but only traditionally

China - Changes in regime/power

• By revolution in 1949 and constituition

  • president Hu to president Xi 2012 by party mandate

Iran - Changes in regime/power

• By revolution and constituition 1979

  • Ahmedinejad to Rouhani 2013 by term limit and election

Mexico - Changes in regime/power

• by revolution and constitution 1917

• Nieto to Obrador in 2019

Nigeria - Changes in regime/power

revoliution and constituition in 1999

jonathn to buhari in 2015 by election

Russia - Changes in regime/power

by revolution and constituition in 1993

Putin to Medvedev by 2008 term limit/election

UK - Changes in regime/power

by tradition and magna carta 1215

PM cameron to PM May in 2016

Unitary countries

1. china

2. iran

3. UK

federal countries

1. mexico

2. nigeria

3. Russia

china - freedom house score

10

not free

iran - freedom house score

17

not free

mexico - freedom house score

62

partly free

nigeria — freedom house score

47

partly free

russia — freedom house score

20

not free

UK — freedom house score

94

free

ways legitmacy is lost

• corruption

• lack of fairness

• failing economy

• social conflict

• inability to control violence

corruption index ranked

1. iran - 149/180

2. russia - 129

3. mexico - 124

4. nigeria - 123

5. china - 78

6. UK - 11

china heads

state - president

gov - prime minister

iran heads

state - supreme leader

gov - president

mexico heads

state + gov - president

nigeria heads

stae + gov = president

russia heads

state - president

gov - PM

UK heads

State - monarch

gov - PM

China - how do heads come to power

• Nat ppl council chooses president (legally) and other gov officials

• not much competition for these offices

Iran - how do heads come to power

• presidential system ?

• directly elects president every 4 years

  • must win majority of the vote or runoff happens btw top 2

  • iran elects the majles seperately

  • elections not democratic because candidates can be removed from the ballot by the unelected supreme leader and guardian council

mexico - how do heads come to power

• presidential

• directly elects its presdient every 6 years

• mexico also elects its upper and lower house every 3 years

nigeria - how do heads come to power

• presidential

• direct election for the president

• winner must win a majority of the vote and atleast 25% OF THE VOTE IN 2/3 OF THE STATES

• seperately elects upper and lower house

UK - how do heads come to power

• parliamentary

• 650 members of parliament

• MPs elected using FPTP

China - head titles

heads confirmed by the Nat ppl congress every 5 years

president =

• head of state

• commander in cheif

• chair of central military commission

• gen sec of CCP

Premier =

• nominated by president

• head of government

• leader of china’s civil service

Iran - head titles

• sup leader chosen by assembly of religious experts

presdient =

• elected for upto 4 year terms

• head of gov

• oversees civil service

• conduscts foriegn policy

mexico - head titles

president =

• head of state

• head of gov

• commander in cheif

• leader of bureacracy

• approves democratic legislation

• conducts foriegn policy

nigeria - head titles

president =

• head of state

• head of gov

• commander in cheif

• cheif exec

• head of civil service

• approves democratic legislation

• conducts foreign politcy

russia - head titles

president =

• up to 2 6 year terms

• head of state

• comander in cheif

• appoints top ministers

• conducts foriegn policy

UK - head titles

PM =

• elected as MP

• party leader of majority party

• head of gov

• commander in cheif

• cheif exec over the civil service

china - term limits

• no term limits

• renewed every 5 years

• berifly had a 2 year limit until 2018

iran - term limits

• none for supreme leader

• 2 terms of 4 years for president

mexico - term limits

• one term of 6 years

nigeria - term limits

• 2 terms of 4 years

russia - term limits

• 2 terms of 6 years

UK - term limits

• no term limits on PM

• can serve as long as leader of majority party

china - removal of exec

• no official process to remove exec

iran - removal of exec

• assembly of religious experts chooses supreme leader can also remove him and put someone else

• never been done before

• president can be ipeached by the majles

mexico - removal of exec

• lower house COD may bring chrges of impeachment

• upper house senate acts as the jury with a 2/3 vote resulting in removal of the president

• never been done before

nigeria - removal of exec

• oth houses of the national assembly can institute an investigation into presidential misconduct

• 2/3 of both houses must vote to remove the president

russia - removal of exec

• president and duma can both remove PM

• president can only be impeached

• need 2/3 of deputies in the duma to approve the charges

UK - removal of exec

• The house of commons chose the PM and Cabinet

• can hold a vote of no confidence

china - legislature

• unicameral

• nat ppls congress

• rubber stamp

• 3000 members

• meet once every 5 years

iran - legislature

• unicameral

• majles

• represents the people

• elected by the people

• oversee the budget

• confirm presidential nominees to the cabinet

mexico - legislature

• bicameral

• congress of the deputies

• chamber of deputies = lower house

  • represents the people

  • elected

  • approves legislation, taxes, verifies elections

• senate

  • upper house

  • represtents each state equally

  • confirms presidential appointments to supreme court

  • approves treaties

nigeria - legislature

• bicamerial congress

• House of representatives

  • lower house

  • represents people

  • elected

  • approves legislation

  • no unique powers

• senate

  • upper house

  • rep each state equally

  • confirms some residential appointments

  • holds limited unique powers in the impeachment process

russia - législature

• bicamerial

• parliament

• duma

  • lower house

  • rep the people

  • passes legislation

  • confirms PM

• Federation council

  • upper house

  • represents each regional gov

  • equally appointed by state gocs

  • approves budgetm legislation, treaties judicial nominees, troop deployments

UK - legislature

• bicameral

• parliament

house of commosn

• represents the people

• elected by th epople

• all meaningful powers held by HOC

House of Lords

• appointed by the monarch

• lifetime service

• once a meaningful 2nd house but now only has power to take a bill up for debate

• delaying the passage of legislation

not independent legislature countries

• china

• iran

china - judiciary

• judges appointed by CCP

• 4 levels: grassroots, intermediate, higher, supreme peoples court

• rule by law

• criminal law largely unchanged and harsh

• supreme people’s court

iran - judiciary

• head of judiciary appt by sup leader

• judges appoitned

• judges trained in sharia

• supreme court

• complies w sharia

mexico - judiciary

• judges appt by the president confirmed by senate

• 15 year term

• supreme court

• moved to a voting system in 2024 all judges to be voted in every office in 2025

nigeria - judiciary

• recommended by the judicial council ‘appointed by president w senate

• similar to US systen

• judges recommended by a judiciail council aand appt by the president

• has judicial review

• sharia courts in the north w rulings inconsistent w principles in federal constituion

• supreme court

russia - judiciary

• appt by president then approves by fed council

• targets opposition

• constituitionally have judicial review

• supreme arbitration court - final court for arbritation

UK - judiciary

• lower and high courts

• supreme court established in 2009

• based on common law

• rule of law

china - civil society

• significant restrictions on civil society

• heavy monitoring

• groups that register with gov can operate more openly

• w/o registration grouos growing rapidly

iran - civil society

• constituition guarantees freedon of speech, assmebly etc

• but groups highly restricted and monitored

• groupo will freq rise against state

mexico - civil society

• civil society mostly free to form but there is targeting

• UNHCR counts 13 human rights activists having died in mexico in 2019

• evidence on electronic spying

nigeria - civil society

• gov often cracks down on grouos that question legitimacy

• mostly free

russia - civil society

• highly restricted and monitored

• grouos w international structure requied to register as foreign agents

• accepting foreign funding for NGO work in russia can be treason

UK - civiil society

• relatively free and indepednent

china - terrorism

• chinese communist revolution 1945-1949

iran terrorism

protests for civil liberties throughout

iranian revolution 1979

mexico terrorism

mexican revolutoin 1920-1921

nigeria terrorism

boko haram. kidnapping 200 schoolgirls in norther nigeria 2014

russia terrorism

russian revolution 1917

chechen islamic militants

protests of human rights and exclusion of opposition political opponents

UK terrorism

IRA bombings in norhtern ireland 1960-1980

bombings by islamists on London mass transit systems 2005

china cleavges

minority groups

ethnicity Han chinese majority

urban v rural

generational + regional

uighyrs + tebetians minorty

class

iran cleavages

religion

sunni v shia

shia v christians/jews/zoroastrians

majority persians v azeris and kurds

mexico cleaveges

rich v poor

north v south

mestizos v indegenous/amerindian

political parties

regional

nigeria cleavages

muslim v christian

ethnic: hausa v yoruba v igbo

sunni islam v protestants christian

north v south

biafra wars

russia cleavegs

ethnic russian v otthers

russian orthodox v minority

chechens

UK cleavages

class

ethnic

gender

english v welsh v Irish v scottish

prot v caths in northern ireland

china electoral system

• unicameral

• rubber stamp

• CCP selects privately and rise up the ranks

iran electoral system

• unicameral

• SMD plurality FPTP

• majority required

• if no majority = runoff

mexico electoral system

• mixed system

• legis → partially SMD partially PR

• bicameral

• Mix of SMD and PR for both houses

• plurality of national vote with no majority required

nigeria electoral system

• SMD

• bicameral

• majority of the vote required

• at least 25% of the vote in 2/3 of the states to win in first round

  • prevents regional winnings

Russia electoral system

• mixed

• bicameral

• SMD + PR

• majority req

• 2nd round runoff

UK electoral system

• SMD

• bicameral but functionally unicameral

• no direct exec election

china - party system

one party under CCP

iran party system

politcal parties dont exist in Iran

groups dissapear each cycle

lack of formal party structure

mexico party system

multiparty system

formerly dominant under PRI

[PAN, PRD, PRI, MORENA]

nigeria party system

multiparty but looks like a 2 party system

[APC, PDP]

30 registered parties still run for office

russia party system

dominant party system

United Russia