AP Comparative Government practice Flashcards

Which of the following is true of the Nigerian government's responses to political violence?

A. The Nigerian government deploys diplomacy and is committed to avoiding the use of force on its citizens

B. The Nigerian government does not have a military, so it relies on its allies to quell political violence

C. The Nigerian government uses force where necessary to stop political violence

D. The Nigerian government is helpless to stop the political violence because of corruption in the military

Which of the following is true of the political violence in Nigeria?

A. Islamic law in northern Nigeria is the source of violence, as illustrated in the graph

B. Nigeria suffers from religious divisions that sometimes result in political violence

C. The existence of Boko Haram is seen by most Nigerians as a cultural problem, rather than a religious one

D. Despite the harm inflicted by Boko Haram, the Nigerian government does not respond to state or local issues

A nation is best described as which of the following?

A. The norms and rules that guide government

B. A community of faith

C. A historic community of peoples

D. A collection of governing bureaucracies

Which of the following is a necessary aspect of a state?

A. Historical tradition

B. Religious leadership

C. Defined territory

D. Democratic institutions

Which of the following is true of a government?

A. A government is highly institutionalized and difficult to change

B. A government is insulated from public opinion

C. A government consists of a president and an executive branch of a country

D. A government consists of a set of institutions empowered to make binding decisions

Which of the following statements about elections is accurate?

A. While the United Kingdom has free and fair legislative elections, legislative elections in Iran are not competitive and have candidates that have been vetted

B. While all citizens in Nigeria are eligible to vote in all elections, citizens of China have no right to vote

C. While Iran and Mexico both have mostly free and fair legislative elections, neither has free or fair presidential elections

D. While the members of the United Kingdom's upper house are elected, members of Russia's upper house are appointed

Which of the following statements about freedom of the press is correct?

A. While China offers almost no press freedoms, Mexican journalists can operate in a remarkably free space

B. While Mexico and Russia both have legal protections of press freedom, journalists often operate in fear of violence

C. While China seeks to control access to the Internet, the Russian regime allows for a totally free Internet but censors television

D. Iranian and Mexican journalists demand freedom and are heavily supported by, respectively, Muslim clerics in Iran and the Catholic clergy in Mexico

Which of the following statements about one six countries studied in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course is true?

A. While there are no effective checks on presidential power in Iran, the Mexican legislature has effective checks on the president

B. Over the past decade, both the Russian and Chinese presidents have increased the power of the legislature

C. The British legislature regularly seeks to hold the executive accountable, while the Chinese legislature does not serve as a regular check on executive power

D. The Nigerian and Russian legislatures both act as effective checks on presidential power

Which of the following is most likely to inhibit democratization in Nigeria?

A. Competitive elections, which tends to pit one group of people against another

B. Diversity, which tends to cause unequal treatment of citizens

C. Universal suffrage, which tends to give uninformed people voting rights

D. Political corruption, which tends to undermine rule of law

Which of the following is a feature of democratic consolidation in the United Kingdom?

A. Protection of civil liberties

B. Domination of the judiciary

C. Strengthening power in the executive

D. Devolution of powers

Which of the following would most likely be affected by corruption in Mexico?

A. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

B. The Human Development Index (HDI)

C. The Freedom House Ranking

D. The Gini Index coefficient

Which of the following statements explains how sources of power and authority have affected two AP Comparative Government and Politics course countries?
A. Religion has helped shape the postrevolutionary governments of Iran and China

B. The Mexican and Nigerian constitutions have helped the countries develop competitive party systems

C. The legislatures in Russia and the United Kingdom have helped the countries become more democratic

D. The military in Nigeria and Iran have helped the countries remain politically stable over time

Which of the following statements is true about the source of political authority in Nigeria and the United Kingdom?

A. Both countries substantiate their political authority through religious authority and symbolism

B. Both countries substantiate their political authority through unwritten constitutions

C. Both countries substantiate their political authority by relying on popular elections

D. Both countries substantiate their political authjority by relying on federal systems of goverment

Which of the following is true of Mexico and Nigeria with regard to power sharing as a means to promote stability?
A. Over the past two decades, both Mexico and Nigeria have forcibly centralized power in the national government

B. Over the past two decades, both Mexico and Nigeria have formally devolved some powers to subnational units

C. Over the past two decades, Mexico has consolidated power in the national government, while Nigeria has formally devolved some powers to subnational regions

D. Over the past two decades, Mexico and Nigeria have both given greater autonomy to regions with violent separatist movements

Which of the following is most likely a consequence of factors such as policy effectiveness, institutionalized laws, and political tradition, as seen in the United Kingdom?

A. GDP growth

B. Political legitimacy

C. Consensual politics

D. Competitive parties

Since 1998, which of the following is the most substantial cause of political legitimacy in Russia?

A. Charismatic leadership

B. Decreased political efficacy

C. Increased political corruption

D. Foreign direct investment

Which of the following statements is true concerning sources of legitimacy in China?

A. While China used to rely on charismatic leadership to promote legitimacy, it no longer does so at all

B. China is transitioning to relying on competitive national elections rather than charismatic leadership to reinforce its legitimacy

C. Whereas China used to rely more on charismatic leadership to bolster legitimacy, for the last several decades, China has relied more on economic growth than charismatic leadership

D. Because of the stronghold of the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese government does not concern itself with political legitimacy

The journalist Walter Bagehot wrote, "The efficient secret of [its] Constitution may be described as the close union, the nearly complete fusion, of the executive and legislative powers." To which of the following systems was Bagehot referring?

A. Parliamentary

B. Authoritarian

C. Semi-presidential

D. Theocracy

It is often said that in a parliamentary model, the executive and legislative functions are fused. What is meant by this characterization?

A. A parliamentary system combines the lawmaking and executive functions of government

B. A monarch unites the executive and legislature together as one

C. Fusion combines territories together into a federal system under only one set of laws

D. A parliamentary system lacks an executive and functions efficiently with a powerful legislature

Which of the following is a consequence of fusing the executive and lawmaking functions?

A. The legislature and executive are usually controlled by different parties

B. The legislature can remove the executive through a vote of no confidence

C. The legislature and executive are constitutionally arranged to function independently ad have powers over each other

D. Parliament is often dissolved because such a system is dysfunctional and not very efficient

Which of the following best explains a key difference between the Mexican presidential system and the British parliamentary system?

A. The Mexican presidential system has to balance national and regional powers, while the British parliamentary system is only concerned with regional powers

B. The head of government in the British parliamentary system is usually an unelected king or queen, while the head of government in the Mexican presidential system is always a directly elected president

C. The Mexican presidential system has a strong cabinet, while the British parliamentary system has a weak cabinet

D. The British parliamentary system has fewer institutional obstacles in passing and enacting policy, while the Mexican presidential system is more likely to face institutional barriers such as checks and balances

Which of the following best explains a difference in the cabinet between the Nigerian presidential system and the British parliamentary system?

A. Cabinet members are elected in the United Kingdom but not in Nigeria, so policymaking often becomes cumbersome as representatives work hard to represent their constituents rather than the country as a whole

B. There are fewer institutional obstacles for cabinets in the United Kingdom than in Nigeria because the executive and legislature are controlled by the same political party, so policymaking may be quicker and more efficient

C. In Nigeria cabinet members are appointed by the Supreme Court, and in the United Kingdom cabinet members are chosen by the majority party

D. Conservative parties in Nigeria and the United Kingdom are able to institute policy changes more easily than liberal parties since they are usually more closely affiliated with the monarchy

One difference between the British parliamentary system and the Nigerian presidential system is that the Nigerian presidential system

A. Ensures there will be no periods of divided government

B. Sets no fixed term of office for the executive

C. Makes the executive subject to a possible vote of no confidence by the legislature

D. Has an executive electorally independent from the legislature

Which of the following most accurately describes the role of the British cabinet?

A. The cabinet formulates, implements, and enforces policy through different agencies

B. The cabinet exclusively oversees the subnational units of governments such as states and regions

C. The cabinet exclusively oversees subnational units of governments such as states and regions

D. The cabinet inhibits democratic procedures because it has the power to veto or delay bills passed by the House of Commons

Which of the following best describes the primary role of the Mexican executive branch?

A. The primary role of the Mexican executive branch is to determine the constitutionality of laws

B. The primary role of the Mexican executive branch is to issue decrees

C. The primary role of the Mexican executive branch is to implement and enforce policies

D. The primary role of the Mexican executive branch is to ensure that laws are applied fairly to all levels of government

Which of the following is an accurate description of the Iranian dual executive power-sharing arrangement as outlined in the 1979 Constitution?

A. The supreme leader serves as commander in chief while the president conducts foreign policy

B. The supreme leader has complete control over all aspects of the military and of foreign policy while the president's sole responsibility is to oversee economic policy

C. The president has complete control over all aspects of the military while the supreme leader oversees foreign policy

D. The president serves as commander in chief while the supreme leader oversees the Majles and domestic policy

Which of the following describes a political challenge common to legislatures in both the United Kingdom and Mexico?

A. Both counties have bicameral legislatures with equal powers

B. Both countries have one strong chamber and one powerless chamber

C. Both countries have legislatures with multiple competing parties

D. Both countries have legislatures that select the executive

Which of the following describes a political challenge common to legislatures in both Russia and China?

A. Both countries have legislatures that confirm either a prime minister or premier

B. Both countries have legislatures that are solely in charge of developing foreign policy

C. In both countries the executive branch appoints members to the upper house of the legislature

D. Both countries have legislatures that are elected in single-member districts in first-past-the-post elections

Which of the following describes a difference between the Iranian and Nigerian legislatures?

A. The Iranian legislature has the power of impeachment, but the Nigerian legislature does not

B. The Iranian legislature is unicameral, while the Nigerian legislature is bicameral

C. The Iranian legislature is appointed, while the Nigerian legislature is directly elected

D. The Iranian legislature does not have confirmation powers, while the Nigerian Senate does

Which of the following best explains why, despite the intervention of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), there are still problems with strengthening civil society in Nigeria?

A. The country is large, and there are multiple societal cleavages and divisions

B. Most NGOs are funded by oil money, and resources have diminished since 2000

C. The media, which is controlled by the government, discourages people from joining organizations

D. Nigeria has a unitary government where all organizations are controlled or coopted by the state

Which of the following best explains how corruption influences the media in Nigeria?

A. The Nigeria government only allows international organizations to cover stories that the government deems appropriate

B. Some journalists are paid to write positive stories about government officials or to stop negative stories from being published

C. There is only one state newspaper, and people have to bride the editors to get stories published in it

D. The Nigerian government heavily censors the Internet and removes all negative stories about the president

Which of the following statements best demonstrates that a healthy civil society exists in the United Kingdom?

A. Groups promoting hate speech or intolerance have been permanently banned

B. The House of Common often passes laws that protect various minority groups

C. The history of gradualism in the United Kingdom permits changes to the class structure to occur very slowly

D. Freedom of assembly allows groups to express their discontent with the government by protesting

Which of the following indicates a major difference in how political culture affects institutions?

A. In Iran, 1979 revolution led to a theocratic system, whereas in the United Kingdom, a history of limited government has led to a democratic system

B. In Russia, a high level of political trust has led to a dominant party system, whereas in Mexico, educated voters are more likely to have high levels of political efficacy

C. In Nigeria, religious cleavages have impeded democracy, whereas in China, economic development has been aided by a communist past

D. In Mexico, charismatic rulers have obtained power through religious tradition, whereas in Nigeria, a history of wars with neighboring countries has led to military dictatorship

Which of the following statements most accurately explains the socialization in two course countries?

A. In China, the independent media has a strong impact on citizens' socialization, which has led to a one-party system, while in Nigeria, the media has had less of an impact on citizens' socialization, which has resulted in a democratic system

B. In Mexico, the Catholic Church has fostered democratic attitudes among citizens, which has led to a multiparty system, while in Russia the Orthodox Church has supported authoritarian attitudes, which has led to a one-party system

C. In Iran, Islam plays an important role in citizens' socialization, which has led to the election of conservative candidates, while in the United Kingdom the Anglican Church plays little role in citizens' socialization and choice of political candidates

D. In Russia, nongovernmental organizations have shaped citizens' political attitudes, which has led to an increase in liberal candidates, while in Nigeria nongovernmental organizations have played an active role in citizen socialization, which has led to an increase in military dictators

Which of the following correctly compares agents of socialization within China and Iran?

A. Both regimes are led by charismatic religious leaders, who use religion to socialize citizens, resulting in an increase in citizens' support of government

B. Both countries have free and independent media, which officials use to bolster support and influence citizens' beliefs and behaviors

C. Both countries have extensive civic organizations, which have led to increased citizen involvement in policy making at the national level

D. Both regimes apply pressure to socialize their citizens around conforming beliefs, which results in legitimization of their rule

Which of the following accurately compares political ideologies?

A. Communism is a nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the right of an ethnic majority to rule over a nation-state

B. Neoliberalism is the belief in limited governmental intervention in the economy and society, supports privatization, and free trade and deregulation

C. Individualism is the philosophy that supports the voice of the common people over that of elites

D. Populism is the belief in the abolition of private property in order to achieve an elimination of economic classes in society

Which of the following accurately compares neoliberalism and communism?

A. Neoliberalism is the belief that free enterprise is the best solution for economic growth, and communism is the belief that private property should be abolished

B. Neoliberalism is the belief that subsidies are beneficial for state economies, and communism is in part the belief in the nationalization of major private industries

C. Neoliberalism is the belief of individual civil liberties over government restrictions, and communism is the belief that supports the interests of common people over those of the elites

D. Neoliberalism is the belief that privatization is best for the economy, and communism is the belief that major economic disparities are vital to a thriving economic system

Which of the following accurately compares populism and fascism?

A. Populism is the belief in the rights of the common people over those of the elites, while fascism is the belief in the rights of the ethnic majority over those of ethnic minorities

B. Populism is a nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule, while fascism is an ideology that supports the reduction of income disparities

C. Populism is in part the belief in the abolition of private property, while fascism is in part the belief in privatization to encourage economic growth

D. Populism supports the rights and interests of individuals, while fascism supports the rights of political parties and the political opposition

Which of the following describes politically relevant cleavages in two AP Comparative Government and Politics course countries?

A. China has a Uighur ethnic majority and several ethnic minorities, and Iran has a Sunni Muslim majority and several religious minorities

B. Mexico has a Catholic majority with a large Protestant minority, and Nigeria has a large Christian majority with very few other religious minorities

C. Russia has an ethnic cleavage consisting of a majority of ethnic Russians and a non-Russian population, and the United Kingdom has ethnic differences between people in different regions

D. China has regional differences such as Tibetans in the southwest, and Mexico has regional differences between the east and west

Which of the following statements accurately describes politically relevant cleavages in two countries?

A. In Mexico, there are ethnic divisions between the Amerindian population and whites and mestizos, while in Russia there are divisions between the ethnic Russian population and minority groups such as the Chechens in the Caucasus region

B. In China, the majority of the population is ethnically Uighur, while in the United Kingdom ethnic differences exist between the English, Scottish, Welsh, and Irish

C. In Iran, religious differences exist between the majority Sunni and minority Shia, while in Nigeria regional differences between the East and the West exist

D. In Iran, ethnic cleavages exist between Kurds and Azerbaijanis and the majority Persians, while in China, the eastern region is predominantly Muslim while the northern region is predominantly Buddhist

Which of the following accurately compares the nature of social cleavages in both Nigeria and Mexico?

A. Both countries have a Christian majority and a significant Muslim minority

B. Both countries have a homogeneous population with few ethnic minorities

C. Both countries feature regional differences divided along socioeconomic lines

D. Both countries have significant regional linguistic and religious differences

The religious and ethnic characteristics cited by the author have resulted in a Nigerian electoral system characterized by

A. mandatory voting in national elections but not in local elections

B. a constitutional mandate requiring the regional rotation of the presidency

C. rules for presidential elections that seek to give the winner a mandate to govern

D. dominance of state institutions by the ethnic majority in every election

According to the passage, which of the following explains how agricultural groups would be affected by an Obrador victory?

A. Agricultural groups would be more likely to be responsive to citizens’ demands

B. Agricultural groups would be less likely to receive state subsidies from the national government

C. Agricultural groups would be less independent from the state

D. Agricultural groups would be more likely to use grassroots lobbying methods

In which of the following pairs of countries are the representatives of the lower house of the legislature chosen exclusively through elections in single-member districts?

A. Russia and Iran

B. The United Kingdom and Mexico

C. Mexico and Nigeria

D. Nigeria and the United Kingdom

Which of the following features do the Russian and Mexican electoral systems have in common?

A. Both systems seek to limit party competition through the use of proportional representation in legislative elections

B. Both systems feature a hybrid method for lower-house legislative elections, using both single-member districts and proportional representation for legislative seats

C. Both systems use proportional representation for elections to the lower house of the legislature and single-member districts for elections to the upper house of the legislature

D. Both systems provide for the selection of the upper house of the national legislature by regional or state governments

Which of the following is a true statement concerning representation of demographic groups in legislatures of the AP Comparative Government and Politics countries?

A. The British House of Commons reserves seats for regional parties from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, while Nigeria reserves seats in the House of Representatives for Muslims from the north

B. Both the Russian Duma and the Chinese National People’s Congress reserve a specific number of seats in their legislature for religious minorities from autonomous regions

C. Mexico’s Chamber of Deputies uses gender quotas in party lists to increase female representation in the legislature, while Iran’s Majles reserves a specific number of seats for religious minorities

D. The United Kingdom uses gender quotas in party lists to increase female representation in the legislature, while China reserves a specific number of seats in the legislature for religious minorities

Which of the following accurately compares how political parties operate in different countries?

A. In Mexico, parties are required to form coalitions within government, while in the United Kingdom, coalitions are prohibited

B. In Russia, one party is given power by the constitution, while in Iran, parties are merely loosely formed alliances

C. In Nigeria, federalism has led multiple parties to form with regional backing, while in China, one party has controlled the government consecutively since 1949

D. In the United Kingdom, a dominant-party system operates within a parliamentary system, while in Russia, proportional representation has led to a multiple-party system

Which of the following accurately compares how party systems affect citizen participation?

A. In China, support for alternatives to the Chinese Communist Party is strongly discouraged by the state, while in the United Kingdom, the two major parties have undermined citizen participation

B. In Russia, a dominant party discourages participation except in support of the dominant party, while in Mexico, competitive national elections have encouraged citizen participation

C. In Iran, free and fair elections have occurred despite a lack of formal parties, while in Nigeria, a two-party system discourages citizen participation

D. In the United Kingdom, there are no political parties that discourage participation, while in Iran, a dominant-party system increases participation

Which of the following best explains a difference in minor-party representation in two countries studied in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course?

A. Minor and regional parties in the United Kingdom may win elections and become part of the government, whereas in China the Communist Party prevents minor parties from gaining any real power

B. Minor parties are allowed in Iran because members are vetted by the Guardian Council, whereas in Mexico minor parties represent primarily Catholics in the north

C. In Russia minor parties are supported largely by anti-Putin activists, whereas in Nigeria minor parties are promoted by Nigeria's constitution

D. In Mexico minor parties have led to gridlock, whereas in Nigeria the proliferation of minor parties have led to polarization

Which of the following accurately compares the economic policies of two countries studied in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course?

A. In China, special economic zones (SEZs) have been established to promote private industry, while in Mexico, there has been increased privatization of the oil industry

B. In Russia, oil and gas industries have been completely privatized, while in Mexico, the oil industry has partnered with foreign companies to extract oil

C. In the United Kingdom, natural resources are mostly privately controlled, while in Iran, the government has adopted socialism as a means to become a regional power

D. In Russia, Putin has nationalized the oil industry, while in the United Kingdom, most natural resources are controlled by the government

Which of the following explains the difference between the policies that Nigeria and Russia have adopted in response to global economic forces?

A. Russia has established a policy of promoting foreign direct investment, while Nigeria has opposed such investment and focused on domestic production

B. Russia has joined the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Nigeria has refused to join any international organizations

C. Russia has established special zones for foreign investment but maintained a communist system, while Nigeria has relied on a state-owned oil company for government revenue

D. Russia has re-nationalized the oil and gas industries, while Nigeria has opened up to foreign domestic investment to extract its abundant oil resources

Mexico has promoted increased competition in the oil industry, while in China, special economic zones (SEZs) along the coast have promoted private ownership locally. Which of the following explains the most likely reason for these policies?

A. Pressure from nongovernmental organizations to improve human rights within those countries

B. A desire by the dominant party to be able to govern without competition

C. An inability of the government to control provincial governments

D. A desire to use global market forces as a means to improve domestic economic output

Which of the following is true of foreign direct investment in China since the 1980s?

A. Foreign direct investment in China has led to substantial political openings

B. Foreign direct investment in China has led to severe environmental degradation

C. Foreign direct investment in China has effectively undermined Communist Party rule

D. Foreign direct investment in China has led to reunification negotiations with Taiwan

Which of the following best describes the reactions of inhabitants of the Niger delta region to the environmental and economic impact of oil?

A. Nigerians in the delta tend to be politically apathetic and have not engaged much with the impact of oil

B. Nigerians in the delta have hardly been affected by oil though many are aware of the impact in other regions

C. Nigerians in the delta have created civil society organizations and have fought, sometimes violently, against the environmental and economic impact of oil

D. Nigerians in the delta, though they might desire to rebel, realize that they live in a totalitarian military state, which does not tolerate dissent

Which of the following best describes the impact of United Nations (UN) sanctions on Iran between 1987 and 2015?

A. UN sanctions in Iran have taken a substantial economic toll, which has created domestic political turmoil

B. UN sanctions in Iran have not been levied since the Iran-Iraq War, so there is no impact of the sanctions today

C. UN sanctions in Iran have led to only conservative candidates being elected president in Iran

D. UN sanctions in Iran have led to an opening, strengthening, and diversification of the Iranian economy

Which of the following statements is true regarding education in Nigeria and Mexico?

A. Partly due to their federalist systems, the quality of education varies by region in both countries

B. Both countries have equal educational opportunities throughout the country based on long-standing governmental policies

C. As a result of decades of public sector failure, both countries have largely privatized their education systems since the 1990s

D. Both countries are committed to secular educational models throughout the country, and religion has very little influence in either country

Which of the following pairs of countries instituted gender inclusivity policies in elections as a result of domestic pressure and to increase political legitimacy?

A. Mexico and China

B. China and Russia

C. Iran and the United Kingdom

D. Mexico and Iran

Which of the following best explains why China and Russia are among the nations with the highest literacy rates in the world?

A. The Communist Parties in both countries require all members to have secondary degrees

B. The governments of both countries implemented literacy policies to maintain political legitimacy

C. Countries with command economies often have higher literacy rates than countries with market economies

D. Since 2000, the Russian and Chinese governments have promoted literacy policies to slow emigration

Which of the following is most likely to cause a regime change?

A. Ethnic diversity

B. Austerity measures

C. An election

D. Revolution

Which of the following best describes how judiciaries remain independent from other branches of government?

A. Judiciaries overrule executive and legislative actions

B. Judges are appointed by the president or prime minister

C. Judiciaries routinely advise executives on economic policy

D. Federal judges counsel lower-court judges on important cases

Which of the following practices is more common in authoritarian political systems than in democratic political systems?

A. Censorship of citizens' use of the Internet and social media

B. Proportional representation for legislative elections

C. The incorporation of the principle of federalism in the constitution

D. The presence of a monarch as the symbolic head of state

The United Kingdom has used a referendum in the past ten years to

A. pass legislation dealing with immigration

B. ratify structural adjustment policies

C. amend international trade agreements

D. decide whether to leave the European Union

Which of the following best explains why governments seek to devolve power?

A. Governments seek to devolve power to allow regional governments more power over local issues

B. Governments seek to devolve power to liberalize and strengthen market economies

C. Governments seek to devolve power to shift more power to the legislative branch

D. Governments seek to devolve power to begin transitioning to a parliamentary system

Which of the following best describes political culture?

A. The government’s right to rule over citizens and monitor their behavior for the good of the entire society

B. The process of transmitting political values through family, schools, peers, and the media

C. The collective attitudes, values, and beliefs of the citizenry and the norms of behavior in the political system

D. The expressed platforms of different political parties competing for power within the state

Which of the following describes how the Mexican president is elected?

A. The president is chosen using a plurality formula, where the candidate who wins the most votes in a single round is elected president

B. The president is chosen using a majority formula, where a candidate can win only if he or she receives more than 50 percent of the vote

C. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round of elections, a runoff is held between the two candidates with the most votes in the first round

D. A candidate can become president only if he or she receives at least 25 percent of the vote in two-thirds of Mexico’s 32 states

Which of the following describes civil society in Russia and Iran?

A. Civil society groups in Russia and Iran must be connected to religious organizations

B. Civil society groups in Russia and Iran are either prohibited or severely limited

C. Since the early 2000s, there was a vibrant civil society in Russian and Iran

D. Although participation is low, Russian and Iranian citizens are free to join civil society groups

Which of the following correctly describes sources of legitimacy in two AP course countries?

A. The United Kingdom and Nigeria both rely heavily on elections as a source of legitimacy

B. Russia and the United Kingdom both depend largely on the charismatic authority of leaders as a source of legitimacy

C. Although China relies entirely on economic growth as a primary source of legitimacy, Mexico relies on charismatic authority of its leader

D. Although Iran relies primarily on elections to foster legitimacy, Russia relies on charismatic authority of its leader as a primary source of legitimacy

Which of the following statements accurately describes the effects of political cleavages in two AP course countries?

A. The United Kingdom and Iran, both being unitary states, do not have substantial political cleavages

B. Nigerian and Russian governments both grapple with a Christian-Muslim cleavage that has led to acts of political violence in both countries

C. Mexico and the United Kingdom both have substantial and violent east-west cleavages that warrant immediate political solutions

D. Russia and Iran, both being ethnically and religiously homogeneous, do not suffer from any notable political cleavages

In China, economic liberalization policies have resulted in which of the following?

A. The nationalization of industries and a decrease in state corruption

B. The significant migration of the people from one region to another

C. A reduction of inequality between urban and rural areas

D. An increase in the role of the state in determining production

Which of the following best describes how the president is removed in Nigeria?

A. The Nigerian president is removed through a vote of no confidence in the parliament

B. The Nigerian president is removed through impeachment proceedings in the legislature

C. The Nigerian constitution does not allow the president to be impeached or removed from office

D. The Nigerian president can only be removed by the judiciary, based on British common law

Austerity measures are implemented for the primary purpose of

A. addressing corruption by reducing transparency

B. reducing government spending to address budget deficits

C. improving economic conditions by increasing tariffs

D. increasing security in times of political instability

Which of the following is true of environmental policies in China?

A. They are considered to be local issues primarily addressed at the village level

B. They are difficult to implement because they often challenge or constrain economic growth

C. They are mostly ineffective because of the decentralization of state power after Mao’s death

D. They are nonexistent because the government does not recognize that there are any environmental problems

Which of the following accurately explains an outcome of differing judicial systems among the Comparative Government course countries?

A. The British judiciary uses common law to enforce rule of law, whereas the Russian judiciary uses the judiciary to target opposition

B. The Chinese judiciary uses rule of law, whereas the Russian judiciary gets its power from judicial review

C. The Nigerian judiciary is dominated by Sharia law, whereas the Mexican judiciary practices rule of law

D. The Russian judiciary supports rule of law, whereas the Iranian judiciary is governed by Sharia law

Which of the following best describes how members of Iran’s Guardian Council are selected?

A. The supreme leader directly appoints all twelve members with approval from the Assembly of Experts

B. The supreme leader selects six members and the judiciary selects the other six members with Majles approval

C. All twelve Guardian Council members are directly elected every four years by the electorate

D. The Expediency Council appoints all twelve members of the Guardian Council every ten years

Which of the following best explains the role of the judiciary in China?

A. The Chinese judiciary, informed by Confucian traditions, focuses on individualism, emphasizing protection of individual liberties.

B. The Chinese judiciary is largely free and independent, resulting in judicial decisions that are impartial and seen as fair by all

C. The Chinese judiciary promotes rule by law instead of rule of law, resulting in a judicial system that is subservient to the Communist Party

D. The Chinese political system does not have a judiciary, making the legislative branch fully responsible for interpreting the laws it passes

The role of the executive in Nigeria is similar to that of the executive in Mexico in which of the following ways?

A. The executive is limited to a single term in office

B. The legislature has a constitutional check on the executive

C. The executive presides over a unitary system of government

D. The legislature can remove the executive with a vote of no confidence

Which of the following accurately compares civil liberties in authoritarian and democratic regimes?

A. Democratic regimes provide citizens access to state-controlled media, while authoritarian regimes restrict citizen access to state-controlled media

B. Authoritarian regimes limit citizen control of the media, while in democratic regimes media is largely in the hands of private citizens

C. Authoritarian regimes encourage privatization of the media to increase legitimacy, while democratic regimes support some privatization along with state control

D. While democratic and authoritarian regimes restrict access to free media, authoritarian regimes have increasingly allowed access to the Internet to increase legitimacy

Which is the best explanation for why the Mexican Chamber of Deputies has a higher proportion of women legislators than the United Kingdom Parliament?

A. Male voters in Mexico hold significantly more progressive views on the role of women in politics than male voters in the United Kingdom

B. Mexico has gender quota legislation requiring parties to place a minimum percentage of women on their party lists, while the United Kingdom does not

C. Mexico’s long-dominant political party voluntarily ensures that two-thirds of its candidates are women, while the United Kingdom’s two largest parties do not

D. Mexico employs single-member plurality districts for the election of deputies, while the United Kingdom employs multimember districts and proportional representation

Which of the following is the reason for Nigeria’s electoral rule that presidential candidates must secure at least 25 percent of the vote in two-thirds of all states?

A. The president must have support among a broad cross section of Nigeria’s diverse population

B. This rule increases run-off elections, thereby increasing electoral competition

C. This rule ensures that the president will be a Christian, since Christians are the majority of the population

D. The president will most likely be a policy centrist from Nigeria’s diverse Middle Belt

Which of the following most accurately compares the national legislatures of Iran and the United Kingdom?

A. In both countries, the legislatures approve legislation and oversee the budget

B. In both countries, each legislature has an upper and lower house

C. In both countries, laws passed by the legislatures cannot be overturned

D. In both countries, there are no restrictions as to who can run for the legislature

Which of the following statements best describes the judiciary in Russia and Nigeria?

A. Russian Supreme Court justices serve 4-year terms, and Nigerian Supreme Court justices serve 12-year terms

B. Russian courts have the power of judicial review, but Nigerian courts do not

C. Russian Supreme Court justices are approved by the president, and Nigerian Supreme Court justices are elected

D. Russia’s government uses the judicial system to target opposition, and Islamic Sharia Courts have been established in northern Nigeria

Which of the following best describes internal migration in Mexico since 2010?

A. There has been a large movement of people from urban to rural areas

B. People from the south often move to the north to work in maquiladora zones

C. Ethnic minority groups are given economic incentives to move to the west

D. Highly skilled workers are moving to the east coast for high-tech jobs

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of population growth in two AP Comparative Government and Politics countries?

A. Russia’s government offers incentives to promote families having fewer children to alleviate problems from its rapid population growth, and Mexico continues to enforce a one-child policy to reduce population growth as a way to ensure national economic growth

B. The cost of maintaining the United Kingdom’s nationalized health program increases as its older population grows proportionally larger, and China has reduced governmental restrictions on family planning in an effort to address unequal gender ratios

C. Iran has had mixed policies toward population control and growth as a result of the impact of war, and the United Kingdom continues to prohibit immigration because of problems of economic growth

D. Nigeria’s government has instituted a limit of two children per family to alleviate budgetary pressures from social service spending, and Mexico provides subsidies for rural residents to move to its capital city because of the capital’s low population density

Facing worsening air pollution and environmental degradation, Chinese citizens have been increasingly organizing in large, informal groups to protest and mobilize for change. This is an example of which of the following?

A. The development of a social movement

B. The creation of a new political party

C. The formation of local government councils

D. The establishment of a nongovernmental organization

Which of the following is an implication for competitiveness of the electoral process in Nigeria and Iran?

A. The Nigerian government has established an independent electoral commission to encourage competitiveness in elections, while the Iranian government continues to impose strict limits on who can run for office

B. Iranian legislative elections are very competitive because the Guardian Council encourages free and fair elections, while Nigerian legislative elections are not very competitive because the incumbent always wins

C. Electoral competition in Iran and Nigeria is limited, and both countries ban women from running in presidential or legislative elections

D. In Nigeria, the government requires that a certain number of seats in the legislature are reserved for minority groups, whereas in Iran there are no legislative seats reserved for specific groups

Which of the following best describes a popular energy policy undertaken by the Russian government?

A. The government renationalized the oil industry to bring it under government control

B. The government collaborated with multinational corporations to produce oil
C. The government privatized the gas industry to make it more efficient

D. The government created special energy economic zones in St. Petersburg

Which of the following explains a potentially negative consequence of executive term limits?

A. Executive term limits undermine democracy

B. Executive term limits usually harm consistent application of rule of law

C. Executive term limits can force effective executives out of office

D. Executive term limits make the legislative branch too strong

The type of party system in a particular country is most influenced by the

A. type of electoral systems used for legislative elections

B. extent to which the country is a consolidated democracy

C. size of the country’s population

D. gender quota laws for legislative elections

Which of the following is an effect of globalization?

A. It usually reduces access to communication and information

B. It often limits state sovereignty

C. It typically reduces the role of international organizations

D. It diminishes the volume of foreign direct investment

Which of the following is a neoliberal economic policy?

A. Nationalizing important sectors of the economy

B. Increasing regulatory oversight and state control over industry

C. Reducing trade barriers and rolling back state intervention in the economy

D. Providing a direct transfer of money to older people and people of lower socioeconomic status

Which of the following is a consequence of the United Kingdom's single-member district plurality electoral system?

A. Third parties without specific regional support are often underrepresented in Parliament

B. British elections are not particularly free, fair, or competitive across the country

C. Ethnoreligious minorities have a very large representation in Parliament and the executive cabinet

D. Local governing authorities are appointed and have almost no political power

Which of the following is an effect of fused executive and legislative branches in parliamentary systems?

A. The executive and legislative branches often have different policy goals.

B. The judiciary has little to no power or impact as a political institution.

C. The citizens have a more difficult time following political processes

D. The legislature can remove the executive without an impeachment proceeding

Which of the following has the Nigerian state done to alleviate cleavage-based problems?

A. Used ethnic quotas in government hiring

B. Adopted a unitary system

C. Introduced proportional representation

D. Outlawed Sharia law

Which of the following is true of political systems in Mexico and Iran?

A. Both Iran and Mexico use a federal system to provide more local control over selecting mayors, governors, and local policy-makers

B. While Mexico’s use of a federal system allows greater autonomy among the various regions, Iran’s unitary system gives greater power to the central government

C. Mexico is structured as a unitary state for the purpose of unifying the 31 different regions, while Iran is structured as a federal state to reduce corruption among the 31 provinces

D. Both Mexico and Iran use a unitary system as a way to reduce religious and ethnic tensions that exist in Mexico’s northern regions and in the eastern regions of Iran

Which of the following is a similarity between the political systems of Mexico and Iran?

A. Both countries have popularly elected presidents

B. Both countries have a dominant-party system

C. Both countries have legal systems based on Sharia law

D. Both countries exclusively use single-member district elections

“The lower a state’s socioeconomic development, the more likely it is that the state will experience political instability.” This statement is an example of which of the following?

A. Causation

B. Positive or coinciding relationship

C. Negative or inverse relationship

D. Normative statement

Which of the following is a difference between the prime minister of Russia and the prime minister of the United Kingdom?

A. The Russian prime minister is directly elected, while the British prime minister is selected by the majority party in Parliament

B. The Russian prime minister must be head of the majority party in the Duma, while the British prime minister can be from any party in Parliament

C. The Russian prime minister may be removed by the president, while the British prime minister may be removed as a result of a vote of no confidence

D.The Russian prime minister may dissolve the Duma, while the British prime minister cannot dissolve Parliament

Which of the following describes a difference between fascism and populism?

A. Fascism is the belief in the abolition of private property with near total governmental control over the economy, and populism is the belief in rights of the common people over elites

B. Fascism is an extreme nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the rights of the ethnic majority over that of ethnic minorities, and populism is the belief in the reduction of income disparities

C. Fascism is an extreme nationalist ideology that favors authoritarian rule and the rights of the ethnic majority over that of ethnic minorities, and populism is the belief in rights of the common people over elites

D. Fascism is the belief in individual civil liberties and freedom over governmental restrictions, and populism is the belief in limited governmental intervention in the economy and society

Which of the following is true of political participation and parties in China and Mexico?

A. In both China and Mexico, citizens associated with foreign, nongovernmental organizations cannot form political parties or vote in national elections

B. Opposition parties supported the protests in China in 2013, but no opposition party supported protests in Mexico in the 1990s

C. Members of the Chinese National People’s Congress are elected using proportional and plurality voting systems, while members of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies are elected using only a proportional election system

D. Parties other than the Chinese Communist Party are allowed to exist in China, while most Mexican voters in the 2018 election identified with the PRI, PAN, MORENA

Which of the following countries have bicameral legislatures?

A. Nigeria and China

B. The United Kingdom and Iran

C. China and Mexico

D. Russia and Nigeria

Which of the following best describes how a government can maintain political legitimacy?
A. By instituting presidential term limits

B. By limiting the investigatory powers of the media

C. By decreasing political corruption

D. By creating political cleavages