Comparative Government

Shared AP Core Terms

| State | A political organization that maintains a monopoly of violence over a territory; both UK and China are states but differ in regime type. | AP Core |
| Nation | A group of people bound by common identity; UK has multiple nations (Scotland, Wales, etc.), China emphasizes Han nationalism. | AP Core |
| Regime | Rules and norms of political authority; UK has a democratic regime, China an authoritarian one-party regime. | AP Core |
| Government | Leadership in power at a given time; UK = PM & cabinet, China = State Council under CCP. | AP Core |
| Legitimacy | Right to rule as accepted by people; UK = traditional and rational-legal, China = performance legitimacy. | AP Core |
| Rule of Law | Law applies equally to all; strong in UK. In China, replaced by 'Rule by Law' (law as tool of CCP control). | AP Core |
| Sovereignty | Authority to govern within borders; UK regained full sovereignty post-Brexit; China asserts sovereignty in Taiwan & South China Sea. | AP Core |
| Political Efficacy | Citizens’ belief in ability to influence politics; higher in UK, limited in China. | AP Core |
| Democratization | Movement toward democracy; advanced in UK, restricted in China. | AP Core |
| Authoritarianism | Concentration of power in a single authority; key feature of China's regime. | AP Core |
| Civil Society | Voluntary organizations independent of state; robust in UK, restricted in China. | AP Core |
| Transparency | Government openness; high in UK, low in China due to censorship. | AP Core |

United Kingdom Terms

History
| Magna Carta | Charter limiting monarch's power, foundation for UK constitutional development. | UK History |
| Glorious Revolution | 1688 overthrow of James II establishing parliamentary supremacy. | UK History |
| Bill of Rights | 1689 document ensuring parliamentary sovereignty and civil liberties. | UK History |
| Industrial Revolution | Transformation of economy & society; rise of working class & unions. | UK History |
| Reform Acts | Expanded suffrage and modernized electoral system. | UK History |
| Labour & Conservative Party Formation | Major parties representing working class (Labour) and elites (Conservative). | UK History |
| Beveridge Report | 1942 report forming basis for Welfare State. | UK History |
| NHS Creation | National Health Service (1948), universal healthcare. | UK History |
| Thatcherism | Neoliberal reforms: privatization, deregulation, reduced union power. | UK History |
| New Labour / Third Way | Modernized Labour Party under Tony Blair combining market-friendly policies with social programs. | UK History |
| Coalition Government 2010 | Conservatives & Liberal Democrats coalition after hung parliament. | UK History |
| Brexit Referendum & Withdrawal | 2016 referendum removing UK from EU, restoring parliamentary sovereignty. | UK History |

Regime / Institutions
| Unwritten Constitution | UK has no single codified constitution; relies on statutes, conventions, common law. | UK Regime |
| Parliamentary Sovereignty | Parliament is supreme; can make or unmake any law without judicial review. | UK Regime |
| Constitutional Monarchy | Monarch is ceremonial, power rests with elected Parliament. | UK Regime |
| Prime Minister | Head of government; leader of majority party in House of Commons. | UK Regime |
| Vote of No Confidence | Commons can remove the PM by majority vote. | UK Regime |
| House of Commons | Lower chamber, main legislative body elected via FPTP. | UK Regime |
| House of Lords | Upper chamber, revising and delaying powers only. | UK Regime |
| Cabinet Government | Collective responsibility of ministers for government decisions. | UK Regime |
| Devolution | Transfer of power to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland; partial autonomy. | UK Regime |

Political Competition
| Two-Party System | Conservative & Labour dominance; minor parties include Liberal Democrats, SNP, UKIP, Green Party. | UK Political Competition |
| First Past the Post (FPTP) | Electoral system awarding seats to candidate with most votes; leads to two-party dominance. | UK Political Competition |
| Safe & Marginal Seats | Constituencies where outcome is predictable (safe) or competitive (marginal). | UK Political Competition |
| Coalition Governments | Occur when no party has majority; e.g., 2010 Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. | UK Political Competition |
| Interest Groups | TUC, CBI; influence policy & legislation. | UK Political Competition |
| Party Whips | Party officials ensuring member votes align with party line. | UK Political Competition |

Political Economy
| Mixed Economy | Combines private and public ownership; UK has free market + Welfare State. | UK Political Economy |
| Privatization | Selling state-owned enterprises to private ownership. | UK Political Economy |
| Deregulation | Reducing government control over economy. | UK Political Economy |
| Austerity Measures | Government policies reducing public spending. | UK Political Economy |
| Regional Inequality | Economic differences between North/South or urban/rural areas. | UK Political Economy |
| Brexit Economic Impact | Trade & regulatory changes due to EU departure. | UK Political Economy |
| Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) | Investment from other countries into UK economy. | UK Political Economy |
| Trade Agreements | Deals negotiated by UK post-Brexit (e.g., CPTPP). | UK Political Economy |

Society
| Class System | Upper, middle, working class structure. | UK Society |
| Regional Cleavages | Differences in identity, economy, & politics (North/South, Scotland/Wales). | UK Society |
| Immigration & Multiculturalism | Inflow of diverse populations influencing society & politics. | UK Society |
| National Identity | Multiple nations under one UK state; debates over British vs Scottish/Welsh identity. | UK Society |
| Civil Liberties | Freedoms such as speech, press, assembly. | UK Society |
| Media Freedom | Independent media and press watchdogs. | UK Society |
| Political Participation | Voting, protest, activism; variable by region & class. | UK Society |

Foreign Relations
| Special Relationship | Close UK-US alliance in diplomacy & defense. | UK Foreign Relations |
| NATO | UK member, collective defense organization. | UK Foreign Relations |
| Commonwealth | Organization of former British colonies; UK influence & soft power. | UK Foreign Relations |
| EU (pre-Brexit) | Membership influenced laws, economy, foreign policy. | UK Foreign Relations |
| Brexit Negotiations | Managing exit from EU; Northern Ireland Protocol included. | UK Foreign Relations |
| UN Role | Active in UN Security Council & international diplomacy. | UK Foreign Relations |
| Soft Power | Cultural exports like BBC, monarchy, education, arts. | UK Foreign Relations |

China Terms

History
| Qing Dynasty Collapse | End of imperial rule, 1911 revolution. | China History |
| Republic of China | Predecessor government (1912–1949). | China History |
| CCP Formation | 1921, founding of Chinese Communist Party. | China History |
| People's Republic of China (PRC) | Founded 1949 by CCP under Mao. | China History |
| Mao Zedong | Communist revolutionary leader; Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution. | China History |
| Great Leap Forward | 1958–1962; economic campaign causing famine. | China History |
| Cultural Revolution | 1966–1976; social and political upheaval. | China History |
| Deng Xiaoping Reforms | Market-oriented economic reforms post-Mao. | China History |
| Four Modernizations | Agriculture, industry, science & technology, defense. | China History |
| Tiananmen Square 1989 | Pro-democracy protests suppressed by CCP. | China History |
| Hong Kong Handover | 1997 transfer from UK to China; “one country, two systems.” | China History |
| WTO Accession | 2001; increased trade and integration with global economy. | China History |
| Xi Jinping Era | Authoritarian consolidation, removal of presidential term limits. | China History |

Regime / Institutions
| Chinese Communist Party (CCP) | Single ruling party controlling state and military. | China Regime |
| Politburo Standing Committee | Top leadership body; Xi Jinping ultimate authority. | China Regime |
| General Secretary | Head of CCP; most powerful political position. | China Regime |
| Central Committee | Party body directing major policies. | China Regime |
| National People's Congress (NPC) | Rubber-stamp legislature; approves CCP decisions. | China Regime |
| State Council | Executive branch led by Premier. | China Regime |
| Central Military Commission | Controls PLA; party control over military. | China Regime |
| PLA | People’s Liberation Army; military under CCP. | China Regime |
| Nomenklatura System | Party personnel appointments & promotions. | China Regime |
| Hukou System | Household registration controlling migration & welfare. | China Regime |

Political Competition
| No Competitive National Elections | All elections controlled; CCP dominance. | China Political Competition |
| Village Elections | Limited local elections in some rural areas. | China Political Competition |
| Democratic Centralism | Decision-making structure: debate internally, unity publicly. | China Political Competition |
| Factionalism | CCP internal power groups. | China Political Competition |
| Xi Jinping Thought | Ideology centralizing Xi's authority. | China Political Competition |
| Propaganda | State messaging to control public perception. | China Political Competition |
| Censorship | Media and internet restrictions. | China Political Competition |
| Civil Society (State-Controlled) | NGOs allowed only under state supervision. | China Political Competition |
| Social Credit System | Monitors citizen behavior to encourage compliance. | China Political Competition |

Political Economy
| Socialist Market Economy | Mix of state & market influences; CCP guides economy. | China Political Economy |
| SOEs | State-Owned Enterprises dominate strategic industries. | China Political Economy |
| SEZs | Special Economic Zones (e.g., Shenzhen) to attract investment. | China Political Economy |
| Five-Year Plans | Central planning documents for economic growth. | China Political Economy |
| Household Responsibility System | Rural land reforms giving farmers control over output. | China Political Economy |
| TVEs | Township and Village Enterprises in rural reform era. | China Political Economy |
| Belt and Road Initiative | Global infrastructure & influence program. | China Political Economy |
| Made in China 2025 | Industrial upgrade plan. | China Political Economy |
| Common Prosperity | Government initiative to reduce inequality. | China Political Economy |
| Urban-Rural Inequality | Disparities in income, education, and services. | China Political Economy |
| Environmental Policy | Pollution control, renewable energy programs. | China Political Economy |
| Shadow Banking | Unregulated financial activity outside formal banking. | China Political Economy |
| Real Estate & Tech Regulation | Government intervention in key sectors. | China Political Economy |

Society
| Population Policy | 1-child → 2-child → 3-child policy to manage demographics. | China Society |
| Aging Population | Increasing proportion of elderly citizens. | China Society |
| Urban vs. Rural Divide | Economic & social differences. | China Society |
| Ethnic Minorities | Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hui; issues with assimilation & autonomy. | China Society |
| Hong Kong Protests | Pro-democracy movements; responded with security laws. | China Society |
| Internet & Media Censorship | Limits on free speech & information. | China Society |
| Education | Highly competitive, state-directed system. | China Society |
| Middle Class | Growing consumer class, urban-based. | China Society |
| Gender Imbalance | Skewed male-female ratio from past policies. | China Society |

Foreign Relations
| One China Policy | Diplomatic principle asserting Taiwan is part of China. | China Foreign Relations |
| South China Sea Disputes | Territorial claims causing international tensions. | China Foreign Relations |
| Belt and Road Initiative | Infrastructure & trade diplomacy. | China Foreign Relations |
| Trade War with US | Tariffs & economic confrontation. | China Foreign Relations |
| WTO Membership | Integration into global trade system. | China Foreign Relations |
| BRICS Alliance | Cooperation with Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa. | China Foreign Relations |
| Wolf Warrior Diplomacy | Aggressive Chinese diplomatic approach. | China Foreign Relations |
| UN Security Council | Permanent member influencing international decisions. | China Foreign Relations |
| Climate Change Commitments | Carbon neutrality goal by 2060. | China Foreign Relations |