Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments

Question 1

Empirical data

Answer 1

fact-based information from
observation or experimentation

Question 2

Normative statement

Answer 2

a value or opinion statement that
cannot be proven or disproven

Question 3

Quantitative data

Answer 3

information that can be measured with
numbers

Question 4

Qualitative data

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Causation

Answer 5

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

Question 5

Correlation

Answer 5

when there is an association between
two or more variables

Question 6

Human Development Index (HDI)

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Gross domestic product (GDP)

Answer 7

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

Question 8

GDP per capita

Answer 8

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

• UK highest, Nigeria lowest

Question 9

GDP growth rate

Answer 9

shows the rate of national economic
expansion

• China highest, Iran lowest

Question 10

Freedom House

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Governmental transparency

Answer 11

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

Question 12

Governmental corruption

Answer 12

when public officials abuse
power for personal benefit

Question 13

The Fragile States Index

Answer 13

(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

Question 14

Gini index

Answer 14

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

Question 15

Corruption Perception Index

Answer 15

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)

Question 16

Political systems

Answer 16

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.

Question 17

China’s political system

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Iran’s political system

Answer 18

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).

Question 19

Russia’s political system

Answer 19

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.

Question 20

Mexico and Nigeria’s political systems

Answer 20

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.

Question 21

UK’s political system

Answer 21

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.

Question 22

States

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Regimes

Answer 23

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

Question 24

Government

Answer 24

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

Question 25

Sovereignty

Answer 25

the independent legal authority over a population in a particular territory

Question 26

Nation

Answer 26

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

Question 27

Key components for democracy

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Transitions to democratization

Answer 28

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.

Question 29

Democratic electoral systems

Answer 29

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)

Question 30

Democratic consolidation

Answer 30

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.

Question 31

Sources of power and authority in China

Answer 31

(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.

Question 32

Sources of power and authority in Iran

Answer 32

(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

Question 33

Sources of power and authority in Nigeria and Mexico

Answer 33

(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.

Question 34

Sources of power and authority in Russia

Answer 34

(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.

Question 35

Sources of power and authority in the UK

Answer 35

(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.

Question 36

Federal states

Answer 36

- 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

Question 37

Unitary states

Answer 37

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

Question 38

Sources/undermining of legitimacy in China

Answer 38

- 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

Question 39

Sources/maintenance of legitimacy in Iran

Answer 39

- 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)

Question 40

Sources of legitimacy in Mexico

Answer 40

- 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.

Question 41

Sources of legitimacy in Nigeria

Answer 41

- 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

Question 42

Sources of legitimacy in Russia

Answer 42

- 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)

Question 43

Sources of legitimacy in the UK

Answer 43

- 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

Question 44

Combatting political corruption

Answer 44

- 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.