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AP Comparative Government > Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments > Flashcards

Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments Flashcards

1
Q

Empirical data

A

fact-based information from
observation or experimentation

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2
Q

Normative statement

A

a value or opinion statement that
cannot be proven or disproven

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3
Q

Quantitative data

A

information that can be measured with
numbers

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4
Q

Qualitative data

A

information that is difficult to measure
including sources such as speeches, foundational
documents, political cartoons, maps and political
commentaries

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5
Q

Causation

A

Causal relationships are difficult to determine
with certainty in comparative politics, as often there are
numerous variables that potentially influence political
policies and/or regime stability, with no way to isolate and
demonstrate which is producing the change

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5
Q

Correlation

A

when there is an association between
two or more variables

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6
Q

Human Development Index (HDI)

A

comes from the United Nations Development Programme as “a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development” including statistics about life expectancy, amount of schooling, and income

  • UK highest, Nigeria lowest
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7
Q

Gross domestic product (GDP)

A

which is the market value of goods and services produced over a certain time in a country. GDP can depict the overall all size of a national economy

  • China highest, Nigeria lowest
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8
Q

GDP per capita

A

can reflect the size of the national economy in comparison with the population size

  • UK highest, Nigeria lowest
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9
Q

GDP growth rate

A

shows the rate of national economic
expansion

  • China highest, Iran lowest
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10
Q

Freedom House

A

scores are reported by a non-governmental organization (Freedom House) that ranks countries based on scores for political rights and civil liberties

  • UK highest scorer, China lowest scorer
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11
Q

Governmental transparency

A

the ability of citizens to access information about a government’s policy making and policy implementation to help hold officials accountable

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12
Q

Governmental corruption

A

when public officials abuse
power for personal benefit

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13
Q

The Fragile States Index

A

(formerly called the Failed States Index) is reported by The Fund for Peace which is a non-governmental organization that assesses and ranks countries based on their potential to weaken due to conflicts and domestic turmoil

  • UK highest scorer, Nigeria lowest scorer
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14
Q

Gini index

A

shows income inequality within a country. A Gini of 100% indicates perfect inequality whereas a Gini of 0% indicates perfect equality

  • All countries fall between 34-45
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15
Q

Corruption Perception Index

A

Corruption Perception Index scores are reported by Transparency International which is a non-governmental organization that assesses and ranks the perception of corruption in different countries. Higher scores on the 0-100 scale on this index indicate lower perceptions of corruption.

  • UK higher score (lower corruption), Nigeria lower score (higher corruption)
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16
Q

Political systems

A

comprise the laws, ideas, and procedures that address who should have authority to rule and what the government’s influence on its people and economy should be.

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17
Q

China’s political system

A

China is an authoritarian regime, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) having the ultimate power to rule. It was established by revolution in 1949 and a constitution.

An example of governmental change was the shift of power in 2012 from President Hu to President Xi by party mandate.

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18
Q

Iran’s political system

A

Iran’s political system is a theocracy, with a religious leader of Shi’a Islam as its head of state and directly elected president. The regime was established by revolution and the development of a constitution in 1979.

An example of governmental change being President Ahmadinejad to President Raisi (2021).

19
Q

Russia’s political system

A

Russia’s political system is based on a 1993 constitution, which empowers a president and a national legislature led by a prime minister. Under the presidencies of Vladimir Putin (1999-2008 + 2012-2024), the president gained more authoritarian power and led a dominant political party (United Russia).

An example of governmental change is President Putin to President Medvedev (2008) and back to President Putin (2012) by term limit and election.

20
Q

Mexico and Nigeria’s political systems

A

Nigeria’s political system has been a constitutional democracy since 1999, and Mexico’s since 1917, with a directly elected president acting as both head of state and head of government as well as an elected national legislature. Both countries have had indicators of authoritarianism, but have seen opposition political parties win control of the executive and legislative branches through elections.

An example of governmental change in Mexico was President Pena Nieto to President López Obrador (2019) by election.
In Nigeria, President Jonathan to President Buhari (2015) by election.

21
Q

UK’s political system

A

The UK’s political system is a democracy, with popular elections determining control of the House of Commons and establishing the Prime Minister as its Head of Government. However, the UK does not have a constitution that establishes its government as a democracy. British governmental ceremonies highlight the role of the unelected monarch as having ultimate authority to rule and confer powers to the prime minister.

An example of governmental change was PM Cameron to PM May (2016) by voluntary resignation.

22
Q

States

A

political organizations that combine a permanent population with governing institutions to exercise control over a
defined territory with international recognition

23
Q

Regimes

A

the fundamental rules that control access to and the exercise of political power. Regimes typically endure from government to government. A regime can be characterized as democratic or authoritarian based on how it sets rules or makes decisions about how to exercise power

24
Q

Government

A

the set of institutions or individuals legally empowered to make binding decisions for a state. A government’s authority is derived from the state’s legitimate right to use power to enforce policies and decisions; the right and power to govern itself without outside interference is a crucial aspect of a state’s sovereignty. A sovereign state has independent legal authority over a population in a particular territory

25
Q

Sovereignty

A

the independent legal authority over a
population in a particular territory

26
Q

Nation

A

a group of people with commonalities including
race, language, religion, ethnicity, political identity and
aspirations

  • China: Uighurs, Tibetans, and Han Chinese
  • Iran: Persians, Azeris, and Kurds
  • Mexico: Mestizo and indigenous peoples
  • Russia: Russian, Chechen, Tatar
  • Nigeria: Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo
  • United Kingdom: Scottish, Irish, English, and Welsh
27
Q

Key components for democracy

A
  1. Rule of law
  2. Little govt. control of the media
  3. Free and fair elections
  4. Transparency
  5. Citizen participation
  6. Independence of govt branches
28
Q

Transitions to democratization

A
  1. More competition, fairness, and transparency in elections and universal suffrage for adult citizens
    – Mexico and Nigeria have created independent election commissions that attempt to reduce voter fraud and manipulation and enhance electoral competition.
  2. Increased citizen participation in policy-making processes
    – Mexico has transitioned to a pluralist system in which citizens can
    affiliate with more independent interest group to attempt to shape public policies in national and local government.
  3. Greater governmental transparency
    – Both Mexico and Nigeria have passed national Freedom of Information Acts (FOIA) to allow citizens access to more public information. Both countries have many media outlets that are allowed to criticize government officials.
  4. Protected civil rights and liberties and equal treatment of citizens
    – Both Mexico and Nigeria have national courts and constitutional protections of rights and liberties; drug cartel violence and religious/ethnic tensions have made Mexican and Nigerian governments efforts to protect citizens inadequate
  5. Establishment of the rule of law
    – Both Mexico and Nigeria have had ruling officials replaced by rival party leaders based on electoral
    defeats.
29
Q

Democratic electoral systems

A

Accommodate ethnic diversity and increase multiparty competition with rule adjustments, including gender or cultural quotas, proportional representation, and changes in vote thresholds and district boundaries.

– Both Nigeria (SMD) and Mexico (mixed) have legislative election systems that guarantee representation of different regions
and multiple; Ethnic quotas in Nigeria, Gender quotas in Mexico
– In the Russian Duma, SMD elections guarantee representation for different regions while its PR system for some legislative
seats guarantees that multiple parties are represented in this legislative chamber (only United Russia has ever had majority)

30
Q

Democratic consolidation

A

the process by which a democratic regime matures in terms of election rules, separation of powers, and protection of civil liberties, making it unlikely to revert to authoritarianism without an external shock

– Both Nigeria and Mexico have a degree of democratic consolidation in that both countries had a dominant
party that lost power in the executive and legislative branches to a rival party.

31
Q

Sources of power and authority in China

A

(include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support)

The Communist Party’s control over China’s military, which provided power and authority to maintain regime stability. CCP’s People’s Liberation Army won a civil war in 1949 in which Mao Zedong emerged as the revolutionary leader of the People’s Republic of China.

32
Q

Sources of power and authority in Iran

A

(include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support)

The transition of power from dictatorial rule in Iran to a theocracy based on Sharia law after the 1979 Revolution. After Iranian revolutionaries deposed the Shah of Iran in 1979, the Ayatollah Khomeini guided the creation of a new constitution in which he, as Iran’s supreme leader, would implement the Guardianship of the
Islamic Jurist

33
Q

Sources of power and authority in Nigeria and Mexico

A

(include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support)

The transition of power in Nigeria and Mexico to multiparty republics following military rule and single-party dominance, respectively:

Repeated coups resulted in two extended periods of military rule until the ratification of Nigeria’s current constitution. The first peaceful transfer of power from one elected president to another occurred in 2007.
After Mexico’s revolution, the government created by Mexico’s 1917 constitution was dominated by a single party. PRI allowed opposing parties to win some legislative elections, and lost the presidency in 2000.

34
Q

Sources of power and authority in Russia

A

(include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support)

The political elite’s backing of a strong president in Russia, creating a managed democracy with election rules favoring
one dominant party—United Russia. Within eight years of his first two terms as president, Putin helped create United Russia as the dominant party and only three other parties that consistently won some legislative
elections.

35
Q

Sources of power and authority in the UK

A

(include constitutions, religions, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support)

The UK’s Prime Minister is appointed by the majority party of the House of Commons, but without a constitution, his powers have been greatly diminished by laws passed by the House of Commons. Since 1997, the House of Commons has devolved local governing powers to regional parliaments, even without a constitution.

36
Q

Federal states

A
  • like Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia
  • divide power among different levels of government to confer a degree of local autonomy in supplying social and educational services, while also reserving powers for the national government
37
Q

Unitary states

A
  • like China, Iran, and the United Kingdom
  • concentrate power at the national level with more uniform policies and
    potentially more efficient policy making
38
Q

Sources/undermining of legitimacy in China

A
  • China, the role of its Communist Party (CCP) in its 1949 revolution and the increases of societal order, economic growth and nationalism from the CCP’s rule
  • President Xi Jinping has used courts and corruption charges to punish government officials from rival factions and activists and dissidents due to slowing economic growth
39
Q

Sources/maintenance of legitimacy in Iran

A
  • In Iran, the role of Shi’a Islam and its religious leaders in its 1979 revolution and its constitution’s feature of an elected theocracy that is supposed to ensure its policies uphold the principles of Shi’a Islam
  • Mass protests against electoral fraud in Iran (2009)
40
Q

Sources of legitimacy in Mexico

A
  • In Mexico, its constitution that has provided the framework for Mexico’s government and election of federal officials since 1917. Mexico promotes nationalism and pride in its early 20th century revolution, which is seen as a precursor to socialist revolutions in Russia and China. Governmental leaders use this history to promote policies to make Mexico’s economy stronger, such as the nationalization of oil (PEMEX).
  • PRI’s corruption and inadequacy to respond to natural disasters led to 5,000 deaths in Mexico City in 1985.
41
Q

Sources of legitimacy in Nigeria

A
  • In Nigeria, the largest population and economy in Africa, despite poverty and violence, its 20th century independence movement from British colonialism and its constitution that has provided the framework for Nigeria’s government and election of federal officials since 1999.
  • Wave of Boko Haram terrorist violence starting in 2009 that led to the electoral defeat of incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015
42
Q

Sources of legitimacy in Russia

A
  • In Russia, Vladimir Putin built a stronger state that increased societal order, economic growth and nationalism since he gained power in 1999; works by invoking Russian nationalism for policy changes that have reduced civil liberties.
  • Mass protests against electoral fraud in Russia (2011-2012)
43
Q

Sources of legitimacy in the UK

A
  • In the United Kingdom, a centuries-long tradition of a constitutional monarchy in which a democratically elected House of Commons makes policies and limits the powers of the monarch.
  • The UK voted to leave the EU in 2016 and the government struggled to implement it until Commons passed Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement in 2020
44
Q

Combatting political corruption

A
  • The governments of the UK, Mexico and Nigeria have passed freedom of information acts to reduce corruption.
  • President Xi Jinping has used courts and corruption charges to punish 1,000,000 government officials since 2013.

AP Comparative Government (3 decks)

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