FINAL Flashcards
Who has the largest economy in Europe?
Germany
who were the four allied powers during WWII?
- USA
- Britain
- France
- Russia
The federal Republic of Germany was which side?
West
The German Democratic Republic was which side?
East
What years did Konrad Adenauer run Germany?
1949-1963
Who aligned Germany in NATO?
Konrad Adenauer
what years did Willy Brandt run Germany?
1969-1974
Brandt introduced a pragmatic policy of reconciliation with east Germany, known as what?
Ostpolitik
When did the gates of the Berlin Wall open?
November 9th, 1989
When was Germany reunited?
1990
what are the four essential organs of Germany’s government?
- The Bund
- The national parliament
- Government/judiciary
- agencies of constituent states
The Constitution of Germany is called what?
Basic Law
what are the Laender?
Constituent states/provinces
The lower house of Germany is called what?
The Bundestag
The upper chamber of Germany is called what?
Bundesrat
Seats in the Bundesrat are allocated based on what?
Population `
How long is the German president’s term?
5 years
Who elects the German president?
the federal convention and the electoral college
Deputies of the Bundestag and an equal number of delegates elected by the states make up what?
Electoral college
The politically responsible executive in Germany is who?
The Chancellor
The deputies of the federal diet are directly elected by the German voters how often?
Every four years
In Germany, who is responsible for the collection of the income tax?
State governments
In Germany, public policy is implemented by civil servants called what?
Beamten
What 2 countries are larger in population than the USA?
China and India
What years were the American revolution?
1775-1783
What battle ended the American revolution?
Yorktown
When were the Articles of Confederation written?
1781
When did the states ratify the constitution?
1788
When did the first US congress meet?
1789
When was the US civil war?
1861-1865
The American political system focuses on creating what?
limited government
What are the 5 principles the US constitution is based on?
- power of the people
- separation of powers/checks and balances
- federalism
- limited government
- judicial supremacy
In 1932, Japan annexed what?
Monchuria
When did Japan invade China?
1937
When did Japan surrender?
September 2, 1945
Who managed the occupation of Japan?
Douglas MacArthur
When was the new Japanese constitution adopted?
1947
Article 9 of the new Japanese constitution included what/
The peace clause
what is the diet?
Japanese legislature
What is the lower house of the diet and how many members are there?
house of representatives; 480
What is the upper house of the diet and how many members are there?
House of councilors; 242
What are the two major parties in Japan?
- conservative liberal democratic party
- democratic party of japan
Who is the ceremonial head of state in Japan?
The emperor
Who runs the Japanese government?
The prime minister and cabinet
What is the highest institution in Japan?
The National Diet
How much larger is Russia than the US?
4 Times
How many time zones does Russia cover?
11
What are the three political institutions of Russia?
- the Constitution
- branches of government
- the legislature
Who makes up the Kremlin?
the president and the prime minister
The Russian bicameral parliament is known as what?
The federal assembly
What is the lower house of the federal assembly and how many members are there?
State Duma; 450
What is the upper house of the federal assembly and how many members are there?
federation council; 178
What is the highest legal structure in Russia?
Constitutional Court
How has Russia selected their president since 1990?
Direct election
Russia is a federal system with an array of how many different bodies?
89
What are the 2 federal cities in Russia?
Moscow and St. Petersburg
Name the four major parties in Russia
- Communist
- Leftist
- Liberal
- Nationalist
Why is Russia under sanctions from the US and EU?
Annexing Crimea
How many people does China have?
1.3 billion
What philosophy influenced imperial leaders?
Confucianism
When did the 2000 year old Chinese authority finally crumble?
Early 20th century
What two political parties competed for power in the early 20th century?
- the nationalist party
- Chinese communist party
Who led the nationalist party?
Sun Yat Sen
Who led the Chinese Communist party?
Mao Zedong, Later Deng Xiaoping
The Long March, Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution were led by who?
The Communist Party
When was the Long March?
1934-1935
When was the Great Leap Forward?
1958-1960
When did the Cultural Revolution begin?
The 1960’s
What is the Chinese constitution called?
The Fundamental Law of the State
What is China’s legislature?
The National People’s Congress
Who leads the state council?
The prime minister
What is the chief administrative institution of government in China?
The Council of State
Who makes up the Council of State?
- prime minister
- VP
- foreign minister
- other ministers
- commissioners of the central government
Who has judicial authority in China?
Supreme People’s Court
What are the 2 main organs of each Chinese local government?
- people’s congress
- revolutionary committee
China has how many provinces and counties?
27 provinces; 3000 counties
China has how many townships and villages?
45000 townships; 1 million villages
By the 1990’s, China’s Socialist Command Economy had been transformed into what?
Socialist Market Economy
Where did Nationalist troops retreat to after the Communist won in 1949?
Taiwan
Who led the Nationalist troops to Taiwan?
Chiang Kai-Shek
When did Taiwan lose its UN seat?
1971
When did the US and other nations stop recognizing Taiwan as a nation?
1979
When did Britain agree to give Hong Kong to China?
the 1980’s; executed in 1997
Under what principle did China grant Hong Kong total autonomy?
“One country, two systems”
How long is Hong Kong’s transitional period?
50 years
India is the world’s largest what?
Democracy
How many languages and dialects are spoken in India?
325 languages; 1500 dialects
What does the UN predict will happen by 2035?
India’s population will surpass China’s
What are the major religions in India?
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
- Islam
India adopted what aspect of British democracy?
The Westminster Parliamentary model
The president of India is what?
Symbolic
Who appoints the prime minister in India?
The president
Who makes up the executive branch of India?
The Prime Minister and the cabinet
What is the lower house of the Indian legislature and how many members does it have?
The House of the people; 545
What is the upper house of the Indian legislature and how many members does it have?
House of states; 250
How many justices are on the Indian Supreme Court?
26
How many single member districts are in India?
543
India is divided into how many states and how many territories?
28 states, 7 territories
What are the two main political parties in India?
- Indian national congress
- BJP of Indian people’s party
What party is led by Jawal Nehru and Indira Ghandi?
Indian national congress
The BJP is an advocate of what?
Hindu identity
Who are the Dalits?
the untouchables
How large is the Indian media?
40,000 newspapers; 4,000 dailies
Until 1935, Iran was called what?
Persia
When did the Safavids rule?
1502-1736
When did the Qajars rule?
1794-1925
Under the Safavids, the country adopted what?
Shiism
Shiism claims what?
A descendant of Ali, the hidden Imam, will return at the end of time and restore justice and equality
The monarchy in the Qajar dynasty experimented with what?
Western style economic and political institutions
What Shah came after the Qajars and pursued far reaching westernization?
Shah Reza Pahlavi
Why did Reza Shah have to abdicate his son?
He was allied with Germany
What led to the Iranian revolution?
Opposition to the new Shah
When did the Iranian revolution occur?
1979
What was the main product of the Iranian revolution?
The Constitution
The Iranian branches of government include who?
the supreme leader and the president
Who chooses the supreme leader?
The Assembly of Experts
How many members are in the Assembly of Experts?
86
How is the president elected in Iran?
Direct election; maximum of 2, 4 year terms
What is the Iranian legislature called?
Majlis
How many seats are in the Majlis?
290
What is the role of the guardian council?
To make sure legislation complies with Islam and the Constitution
What is the role of the expediency council?
Mediate the Majlis and the guardian council
What is the Basij?
The people’s militia
Until July 2000, Mexican politics were dominated by who?
The PRI
True or false: after Brazil, Mexico has the second largest population in Latin America
true
More than half of Mexico’s population are what?
mestizos
What are mestizos?
people of mixed Spanish and indigenous heritage
The Aztec empire was replaced by what?
The Spanish Empire
Mexico’s independence was dominated by who?
Political conservatives
Who ruled Mexico between 1876 and 1910?
General Porifiro Diaz
What happened between 1910 and 1920?
Another revolution
When did the Mexican constitution pass?
1917
How long is the Mexican president’s term?
6 years
What is the Mexican legislature called?
the national congress
What is the lower house of the national congress called and how many members does it have?
The Chamber of Deputies; 500
What is the upper house of the national congress called and how many members does it have?
The senate; 128
How many senators come from each Mexica state?
3; 1 from each federal district
How many justices are on the Mexican supreme court?
11
How long do Mexican supreme court justices serve for?
15 years
What country is the fifth largest in the world?
Brazil
The cultivation of what made Brazil important to the Portuguese?
Sugar
There is a strong association between what two things in Brazil?
race and wealth
When did brazil experience a gradual transition to democracy?
Mid 1980’s
When did Brazil adopt its current constitution?
1988
The president of Brazil is the head of what?
Both state and government
The national congress of brazil has a lower house called what with how many members?
Chamber of deputies; 513 members
The upper house of the national congress is called what with how many members?
Federal senate; 81 members
The Brazilian judicial system employs what?
Code law
How many justices are on the Brazilian supreme court?
11
Brazilian supreme court justice terms must not exceed how long?
30 years
Who earned the right to vote in Brazil in 1988?
Illiterates
How old do you need to be to vote in Brazil?
16
True or false: even if you’re literate and between the ages of 18 and 70, you don’t have to vote in Brazil
False
How many municipalities are in Brazil?
5000
Roughly how big is South Africa?
twice the size of Texas
South Africa has how many official languages?
11
When did settlers first arrive to South Africa?
mid 1600’s
How many people live in South Africa?
56 million
Who are the Afrikaners?
Descendants of Dutch, French, and German colonists
When did the apartheid officially come into effect?
1948
What were the four official races in south Africa?
- white
- black
- colored
- Asian/Indian
What year was the massacre in Sharpeville?
1969
What year was the SOWETO massacre?
1976
The prohibition of mixed marriages act of 1950 banned what?
Interracial marriages
The reservation of separate amenities act of 1953 did what?
provided legal basis for segregating beaches and bathrooms
What is the African National Congress?
anti-apartheid liberation movement
Who led the African National Congress?
Albert Lithuli in 1912
What was formed in 1961?
Umkhanto we Sizwe; the spear of the nation; military wing
Who led reforms in 1989?
F.W. Deklerk
When was Nelson Mandel released from Prison?
February, 1990
When was Nelson Mandel elected president?
May, 1994
What was Mandela awarded in 1998?
A degree from Harvard; congressional gold medal
What was Mandela given in October, 2001?
Honorary Canadian citizenship
How many capitals does South African have?
3
The seat of government in south Africa is called what?
Pretoria
Where is the legislative capital in south Africa?
Capetown
Where is the judicial capital in South Africa?
Bloemenfontein
Who is the head of government and head of state in south Africa?
the president
Who chooses the president of south Africa?
the lower house of the legislature
What is the legislature in South Africa?
A bicameral parliament
The lower house of the South African legislature is called what?
National Assembly
The upper house of the South African Legislature is called what?
The National Council of Provinces
Each province gets how many delegates?
10
How many justices are on the South African Constitutional Court?
11
What are the three major parties in South Africa?
- The African National Congress
- The Ikathe Freedom party
- The Democratic alliance
What is the most populous country in Africa?
Nigeria
How many ethnic groups are in Nigeria?
250
The Hausa and the Iulani are of what religion and located where?
Muslim; north Nigeria
The Ibo are of what religion and located where?
Christian; southeast Nigeria
The Yoruba are split between Christian and Muslim and located where?
Southwest Nigeria
When did Islam reach Nigeria?
11th century
What religious scholar was crucial in spreading Islam?
Usman
What empire did Usman create?
Sokoto
when did Nigeria become a British colony?
19th century
When did Nigeria become an independent nation?
October 1, 1960
Politics after Nigeria’s independence were run by what groups?
- Hausa-Iulani
- Ibo
- Yoruba
How long was the military rule between the first and second republics?
13 years
When was the Nigerian civil war?
1967-1970
In May 1967, the eastern region of Nigeria seceded as what?
The republic of Biafra
After the Nigerian civil war, how long did the military rule?
until 1979
When was the Nigerian civil president overthrown?
1983
When did a democratically elected president take office over the 4th republic?
1999
Since independence, Nigeria has been governed by how many constitutions?
6
What are the house of Nigeria’s National Assembly?
- House of representatives
- senate
How many members are in the Nigerian HOR?
346
How many members are in the Nigerian senate?
109
How many states are in Nigeria?
36; 1 federal district of Abuja
How long are legislative terms in Nigeria?
4 years
What amount of votes do you need to gain office in Nigeria?
- 25% of casted ballots
- overall majority
States fail when they can’t provide what?
- personal security
- food security
- basic social services
Failed states normally harbor what?
- terrorists
- drugs
- refugees
- weapons
How many UN millennium development goals are there?
8
What are the ingredients for globalization?
- improved travel
- internet
- increased travel
- improved infrastructure
Balkan conflicts involved who?
Bosnia, Kosovo
Illegal drugs produces how much revenue a year?
300 billion
Alien smuggling produces how much revenue a year?
7 billion
How many Non-governmental organizations are there?
26,000
How large was China’s economy in the 1980’s?
10% of the US
What is the solution to drought?
irrigation
What is the solution to remoteness?
mobile phones
Where have there been border conflicts?
- Korea
- Middle East
- Kashmir
