AP COGO Study Set - 9/18/25

These are the following study term on our next mini quiz. :) (FYI: Gov't = Government)

Unitary

Concentrates all power into the central/national gov’t.

Responsible for Political Decisions.

EX: U.K., Iran, & China.

Federal

Power is dived between the national and regional gov’t.

Regional gov’t has protected powers from the national gov’t.

EX: U.S., Russia, Nigeria, & Mexico. 

Devolution

The transfer of power from the central gov’t to lower/regional gov’t.

Legislative

Makes/creates the laws and policies.

Powers of the Legislative

• Introduces Laws

• Coins Money

• Declares War

• Overrides a Presidential Veto

• Impeaches/Removes the President

Executive

Enforces/caries out laws and policies.

Powers of the Executive

• Signs Bills Into Law

• Nominates Supreme Court Justices

• Vetoes Bills

• Commander-in-Chief of the Army/Navy

• Issues a Pardon

• Makes Treaties

Judical

Interprets laws and policies, reviews cases, and Settle public disputes in the nation/state. 

Powers of the Judical

• Declares Laws Unconstitutional

• Interprets/Makes Meaning of Laws

Head of States

Mostly symbolic figurehead of the country.

EX: Monarch

Head of Gov’t

A policymaking leader who takes care of day to day activities. 

EX: Prime Minster

Parliamentary System

Citizen vote for legislative representatives which choose leaders of executive branches.

Legislative and Executive powers are fused.

Roles: Head of States, Head of Gov’t, Cabinet Members, & Chief Executives. 

EX: U.K.

President System

Citizen vote for legislative representatives and executive branch leaders. 

Seperation of powers. 

EX: U.S., Mexico, Nigeria, & Iran. 

Semi-Presidential System

Power is divided between a directly elect leader (president) and a prime minster elected from a parliament. 

EX: Russia, & China. 

Porpotional Representation

Electoral system where seats are given based on the percentage of votes a party receives.

EX: 50% of votes for Candidate 1 = 50 seats in house. 

First Past the Post (FPTP)

Electoral system where the candidates with the most votes in a district wins.

EX: Candidate 1 has 35% of votes. Candidate 2 has 20% of votes. Candidate 3 has 45% of votes. Candidate 3 wins.

Bureaucracy

Unelected official/agencies that implement and enforce gov’t policies.

Often seen as inefficient and corrupt.