AP Comp Gov Midterm

GDP

the total value of all goods and services produced in a country in a year

GDP per capita

divided by population; measures average wealth per person

GDP growth rate

percent change from year to year; shows whether the economy is expanding or contracting

GINI Index

measures income inequality (0 = equal, 100 = very unequal)

HDI (human development index)

combination of life expectancy, education, and income

FSI (fragile states index)

measures a state’s vulnerability to conflict and collapse

CPI (corruption perception index)

ranks perceived corruption (high score = clean)

Freedom house

rates political rights + civil liberties (fundamental freedoms that protect individuals from government overreach)

state

political institutions that exercise sovereignty over a territory (borders, government, laws)

nation

a group of people with shared identity (culture, language, history)

head of state

symbolic national leader, represents the unity of the state (ex: King Charles)

head of government

runs the government’s day to day operations; chief policymaker (ex: AMLO, prime minister)

regime

the rules and norms of political power: who can rule and how

what type of government is mexico?

hybrid but democratic

what type of government is the UK?

democratic

what type of government is russia?

authoritarian

nation-state

a state whose borders largely match one nation (ex: mexico)

government

the people currently running the state (ex: PM, cabinet, president)

who are the people who serve the regime?

bureaucrats, military, judges, and ruling party members who enforce regime rules

rule OF law

everyone—including leaders—is equally subject to the law

• legal bases

• conceit

• constitution

rule BY law

leaders use the law to serve their own power

• constantly creating new laws to benefit yourself

• executive orders

• Putin, AMLO, Tr*mp

• executives pushing their agenda

democracy

political system with free elections, rights, and rule of law

authoritarianism

concentrated power with limited political rights

democratization

process of becoming more democratic (Mexico in the 1990s and 2000s)

unitary system

power is concentrated in the national government (UK structure)

federal system

power shared between national and regional governments: states have powers (mexico)

devolution

central government gives power to regional governments (ex: UK with Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland parliaments)

unitary system with devolution

still legally unitary, but regions hold delegated powers

asymmetrical federalism

different regions have different levels of autonomy

parliamentary system

executive comes from the legislature; PM is head of government

presidential system

president is directly elected, separate from legislature

sovereignty

authority of a state to govern itself

legitimacy

public acceptance of the government’s right to rule

PRI (institutional revolutionary party)

• dominant authoritarian party in Mexico for 20th century

• lost presidency in 2000 (Vicente Fox)

• Peña Nieto last president (2012-2018)

• lost legitimacy due to corruption + scandals + violence

PAN (national action party)

• center right party

• Vicente Fox + first president (2000)

• ended PRI’s 70-year rule

• Felipe Calderón = president (2006-2012)

MORENA

• current ruling party

• created by AMLO (Andrés Manuel López Obrador) in 2014

• left-leaning populist; dominates politics now

EZLN (Zapatistas)

indigenous, anti-neoliberal, anti-government movement in Chiapas; demands autonomy and indigenous rights

Labour party

• UK’s center-left paty

• “Liberal” socially and economically progressive

• party of current PM (Keir Starmer as of 2024-2025)

Conservative party

• center-right party in regards to the UK

• one of the oldest and most historically dominant parties

• in power for much of 20th-21st centuries until 2024

social cleavages in Mexico

• North VS South

• Cartels vs federal govenment

• Mestizos vs indigenous

• Urban vs rural

government action for Mexico’s social cleavages

• MORENA (AMLO) — social welfare program

  • failure to deliver

  • reneges on the promise — political legitimacy goes down

• NAFTA

  • motivates economic improvement

  • Northern Mexicans (mestizos) — political legitimacy increases

  • Southern Mexicans (EZLN, Zapatistas) — political legitimacy decreases

social cleavages in the UK

• national question

  • English, northern Irish, Scots, Welsh

• “Left Behind” vs White Collar

  • formally industrial towns vs more small town areas

  • immigration

government actions for UK’s social cleavages

• devolution — late 90s

  • Welsh, Scottish, and northern Irish parliaments

    • given (most) domestic powers

  • increases political legitimacy

• BREXIT

  • motive: solve immigration and better economy

  • failed to solve fore mentioned issues

  • results in Scots wanting independence because of their view of the English governments illegitimacy

socials cleavages in Russia

• Russian orthodox vs Muslims (Chechens)

• democracy vs authoritarian

government actions for Russia’s social cleavages

• Chechen war

  • brutal

  • Putin says it is a religious war between Russian orthodox and Muslims

  • increases legitimacy among Russians bc of how Putin advertises the war

    • CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP

  • from the international perspective

    • not being able to control citizens without violence

    • lets the world know that Putin will do what he says he will do, and not to mess w/ him

political stability with authoritarian governments

• Chechen war — Putin manipulates to strengthen his image

  • dissent is squashed

  • news is censored

  • lack of transparency

  • single-party system

political stability with democratic governments

• multi-party system

  • different demographics can weigh in on policy (UK and Mexico)

  • term limits

austerity

budgeting for the state