Comparative Government Sem Review
Each of Russia's 85 regional administrative districts sends how many members each to the Federation Council?
2
Each term of the Chinese president is
5 years
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of a head of state and a head of government?
A head of state generally serves as the symbolic political representative of the nation, while a head of government is the official responsible for running the government.
Iran and China share which of the following institutional arrangements?
A national assembly with only limited powers to oversee the executive and enact laws
Which of the following explains why a country would choose a parliamentary system over a presidential system?
A parliamentary system does not divide powers among as many branches of government, so it is more efficient.
Which of the following best describes an effect of recent demographic change in the United Kingdom?
A positive net migration of immigrants that has resulted in social and political tensions.
Which of the following statements accurately describes a cleavage in Iran?
A religious cleavage exists between the Shi'a Muslims and the minority Iranian Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians.
Which description below most accurately describes Iran's Islamic republic?
A unitary government with a dual executive whose prerogatives and responsibilities are specified in the Constitution
Which of the following is a core principle of the present-day Islamist regime in Iran?
Accommodation of Islam to a constitutional framework
Which of the following best explains an important step in the democratic consolidation process in a country like Nigeria?
Allowing for competitive and fair elections gives citizens the right to express their political opinions.
Which of the following is true about how Mexican senators are voted into office?
Although three senators are voted into office for each state, no more than two of those three can represent the same political party.
The Supreme Leader in Iran is appointed for life by the
Assembly of Experts
Which of the following has decreased as a consequence of globalization?
Barriers to trade and to the flow of capital and labor between countries
Which of the following refers to a large and omnipresent paramilitary organization in Iran with multifaceted roles, and which acts as the eyes and ears of the Islamic regime?
Basij
Which is the most common selection method for members of the United Kingdom's House of Lords?
Being nominated by the prime minister and approved by the monarch
Which of the following accurately explains a common challenge for health services in both the United Kingdom and China?
Both countries have an aging population, so more governmental resources will be needed to deal with health issues.
Which of the following do Great Britain and Nigeria have in common?
Both countries have ethnic diversity and strong regional identities
Which of the following is a similarity between the political systems of Mexico and Iran?
Both countries have popularly elected presidents.
Which of the following best explains why both Nigeria and the United Kingdom have two major political parties?
Both countries' electoral systems use single-member districts with first-past-the-post rules, which tend to favor catch-all parties.
Which of the following best describes both China and Iran?
Both have a unitary system of government.
Which of the following best explains why Mexico and Nigeria have similar sources of authority?
Both transitioned into multiparty republics from authoritarian regimes.
Which of the following is an accurate description of why Great Britain's conflict in Northern Ireland has diminished since 1998 ?
Britain supported a power-sharing agreement between Protestant and Roman Catholic leaders in Northern Ireland.
Which of the following best describes how a government can maintain political legitimacy?
By decreasing political corruption
Which of the following is true of a presidential system?
Cabinet members operate more independently of the legislature in a presidential system than in a parliamentary system.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the current political party systems in Russia and China?
China has a one-party system, while Russia has a dominant-party system.
For citizens involved in legal disputes with the government in China and the United Kingdom, which of the following best explains the likely outcome?
Citizens in China are less likely to receive a fair trial because the judicial system is governed by rule by law, whereas the United Kingdom's judicial system is governed by rule of law.
Which of the following describes civil society in Russia and Iran?
Civil society groups in Russia and Iran are either prohibited or severely limited.
The major motivation for neoliberal economic reforms in Mexico and Nigeria has come from which of the following?
Debt burdens and pressures from international lenders
Which of the following would most likely increase legitimacy in Iran?
Economic Growth
Which of the following accurately explains a consequence of economic liberalization policies in China?
Economic liberalization in China created job growth on the east coast, causing migration from the west to the east.
Which of the following is true about the current legal system in China?
Economic reform has led to judicial reform.
Which of the following is a key component of economic liberalization in former command economies?
Eliminating price controls
Which of the following is an accurate explanation of an advantage to executive term limits?
Executive term limits can prevent executives from consolidating power.
Which of the following best describes the difference between fascism and communism?
Fascism is the belief in a nationalist ideology favoring authoritarian rule, and communism is the belief in the removal of private property and government control over the economy.
Which of the following is an accurate description of the difference between fascism and individualism?
Fascism is the belief in an extreme nationalist ideology, and individualism is the belief that preserving individual freedom is more important than collective goals.
Which of the following poses a threat to state sovereignty in the United Kingdom?
Foreign direct investment and multinational corporations
The current regime of Nigeria, dating from the adoption of the constitution of 1999 is called the
Fourth Republic
Which of the following identifies two basic elements of all modern representative democracies?
Free and fair elections and widespread suffrage
Which of the following data sources would be the most appropriate to use to measure a country's protection of civil liberties?
Freedom House
Which of the following is the most accurate description of the general pattern of internal migration within Mexico?
From south to north
Mikhail Gorbachev's program of opening Soviet society to allow the formation of independent groups and reduce controls on freedom of expression is known as
Glasnost
In 2015, Nigeria experienced a rare peaceful transfer of power between
Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammadu Buhari
In a rentier system like that in Iran, public policy is less responsive to citizens because of which of the following factors?
Government revenues are derived from foreign purchases of a particular resource.
Which of the following economic changes did Vladimir Putin implement during his first two terms as president (2000-2008) ?
He gradually returned key privatized industries back to state control.
Which of the following is true of Iran's Supreme Leader?
He has the power to appoint half of the members of the Guardian Council.
Which of the following variables is the best measure of living standards in a country?
Human Development Index (HDI)
Which of the following describes sources of political legitimacy in China and Iran?
Ideology and economic performance in China, and religious authority in Iran
Which of the following is a difference between federal and unitary systems of government?
In a federal system, subnational governments may maintain their own police forces and militias.
Which of the following sets of contrasts is true for all parliamentary and presidential systems?
In parliamentary systems, the legislative and executive branches are fused, while in presidential systems they are separate.
Which of the following principles did President Mohammad Khatami put at the center of his domestic agenda in his first term?
Increased freedom of the press
Which of the following groups would most likely support Britain's Conservative Party?
Individuals who oppose the adoption of Europe's common currency
Which of the following accurately compares interest groups and social movements?
Interest groups are organized to advocate for a specific policy issue, whereas social movements advocate for broad social change.
Which of the following refers to Mao Zedong's policy (implemented until 1978) that followed a command economy, providing citizens with cradle-to grave health care, work, and retirement security?
Iron Rice Bowl
Which of the following statements pertaining to the British constitution is true?
It consists of laws, customs, and conventions.
Which of the following is true of the current Mexican Constitution?
It declares that all subsoil rights are the property of the nation and limits foreigners' rights to exploit natural resources.
Which of the following is a true statement about the Chinese government's approach to ethnic minorities?
It has given some latitude to ethnic minorities in such matters as population control and language.
Which of the following is an accurate description of a hybrid regime?
It holds regular elections for public offices.
Which of the following is an effect of globalization?
It often limits state sovereignty.
What is meant by the term "el dedazo" in Mexican politics?
It refers to how presidents often selected their successor under PRI rule.
Which of the following caused the British government to establish a Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in 2009 ?
It was determined that a permanent legal body be established with jurisdiction to resolve disputes relating to devolution in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
Which of the following best describes how judiciaries remain independent from other branches of government?
Judiciaries overrule executive and legislative actions.
Which of the following best explains why countries rich in oil are susceptible to economic crises?
Lack of economic diversification makes them vulnerable to debt when oil prices fall.
The institution in Iran that makes laws related to civil liberties is the
Majles
What is a similarity between elections for the United Kingdom's House of Commons and elections for the Nigerian House of Representatives?
Members are directly elected by plurality in single-member districts.
Which of the following is a difference between the legislative electoral systems in Mexico and Britain?
Members of the British House of Commons are elected in single-member districts, and members of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies are elected in single-member districts and through proportional representation.
Which of the following best explains a characteristic of elections in Mexico and Nigeria?
Mexico and Nigeria both have independent electoral commissions to reduce the impact of corrupt practices upon election results.
Which is the best explanation for why the Mexican Chamber of Deputies has a higher proportion of women legislators than the United Kingdom Parliament?
Mexico has gender quota legislation requiring parties to place a minimum percentage of women on their party lists, while the United Kingdom does not.
Which of the following statements accurately describes how Mexico and Russia have responded to market forces regarding ownership of their oil and natural gas industry?
Mexico has privatized some of its oil and natural gas industry, while Russia has renationalized its oil and natural gas industry.
Which of the following is true of the electoral systems for the legislatures in Nigeria and Mexico?
Mexico uses a mix of proportional and first-past-the-post representation while Nigeria uses only first-past-the-post.
Which of the following was established by the CCP to guarantee party-state control of the military in China?
Military Affairs Commission
Which of the following is a consequence of one-party rule in China?
Minor parties have limited influence on policy making in China.
Which of the following is a common criticism of "first-past-the-post" voting systems?
Minority groups may be underrepresented.
Iran's Green Revolution was a series of protests in response to the 2009 presidential election between Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and
Mir-Hossein Mousavi
In British politics, which of the following has created the most conflict over the European Union?
Monetary policy
Which of the following describes the activities of multinational corporations operating in the oil industry in Nigeria?
Multinational corporations have facilitated corruption in Nigeria and the government's dependency on money from oil.
According to the Chinese constitution, formal power of governing rests with the
National People's Congress
Which of the following best captures why Nigeria has experienced more coups than Mexico has since 1960 ?
Nigeria features sharper ethnic and religious divides than Mexico does, provoking conflict between groups for control of the central government, which has permitted the military to intervene.
Which of the following is the best explanation of how natural resources have affected political development in Nigeria?
Oil extraction in Nigeria has motivated political elites to seek government control of these resources, deepening corruption and impeding democratic consolidation.
Russia's prime minister is primarily responsible for which of the following?
Overseeing the civil service
Which of the following is a highly influential state-owned oil company in Mexico?
PEMEX
Which of the following describes an accurate difference between parliamentary and presidential systems?
Parliamentary systems have fewer institutional obstacles to enact policy.
Which of the following is true of political participation and parties in China?
Parties other than the Chinese Communist Party are allowed to exist but they have very little power.
Which of the following refers to the array of political parties operating in a particular country and the nature of the relationship between them?
Party system
Which of the following best describes internal migration in Mexico since 2010 ?
People from the south often move to the north to work in maquiladora zones.
Which of the following statements comparing pluralism and corporatism is correct?
Pluralism leads more often to public debates and controversies, whereas corporatism is associated more often with negotiations among elites.
Which of the following is a consequence of the bicameral legislature in both Mexico and the United Kingdom?
Policy making is slowed because both chambers participate in the policy-making process.
Which of the following is the best indicator of a successful transition to democracy?
Political actors accept electoral competition, citizen participation, and rule of law.
Which of the following accurately compares political culture and political ideology?
Political culture is composed of a set of broadly shared attitudes and values, whereas political ideology is a more specific set of beliefs or values about government and politics.
In China, the head of government (as opposed to the head of state) is the
Premier
In the British political system, effective policy- making power rests primarily with the
Prime Minister and cabinet
Which of the following actions would a government take as part of an economic liberalization program?
Privatizing government-owned corporations
During the 1980s, the governments of Great Britain and China did which of the following?
Promoted free markets and private profit incentives
Which of the following election systems is most likely to produce the largest number of competitive political parties?
Proportional representation
Which of the following refers to a body of statues made by legislative bodies in Iran that have no sacred basis (but must in no way contradict Sharia law)?
Qanun
Which of the following refers to a vote by the public on a particular policy issue?
Referendum
Which of the following is a difference between a regime and a government?
Regimes typically endure from government to government.
Which of the following statements best characterizes Nigerian society?
Religious diversity, ethnic diversity, linguistic diversity
Which of the following describes a policy employed by the Chinese government to establish legitimacy with ethnic minorities?
Representation in the National People's Congress
Which of the following statements best describes the judiciary in Russia and Nigeria?
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 explains why Russia puts limits on civil society organizations with foreign sponsorship?
Russian leaders are concerned that a vibrant civil society would promote democratization and liberalism by promoting organization and participation.
Before the Mexican elections of 2000, the presidential nominee of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had been chosen by which of the following processes?
Selection by the sitting president
Why is Nigeria more likely to have a separation of powers than China?
Separate branches in Nigeria prevent governmental power from residing in a small group of leaders.
Which of the following is a feature shared by the political systems of Great Britain and Russia?
Separate individuals serving as head of state and head of government
Which of the following institutions most limit the exercise of independent legislative power in China?
Standing Committee of the Politburo
Which of the following is an accurate description of the Mexican judiciary?
Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Which of the following statements concerning Mexican and Nigerian politics is most accurate?
Supreme courts in both countries can exercise judicial review.
Democratic consolidation requires which of the following?
That both elites and nonelites be committed to democratization in spite of difficulties
Which of the following best explains why, between general elections, the British prime minister is more likely than the president of Mexico to be replaced between general elections?
The British prime minister can be removed by members of Parliament (MPs), while the Mexican president can be removed only by the impeachment process.
Which of the following institutions in Iran has the ultimate authority to assess the compatibility of laws with Islam?
The Guardian Council
Which of the following explains the effect the Guardian Council's powers have on presidential candidates in Iran?
The Guardian Council restricts the number of reform-minded presidential candidates limiting the number of candidates.
Which institution has responsibility for organizing federal elections in Mexico?
The Institute of Federal Elections (IFE)
Which of the following are the two most powerful policy-making institutions in Iran?
The Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majles) and the Guardian Council
Which of the following best explains how power in the National People's Congress is constrained?
The National People's Congress is subservient to the Politburo Standing Committee, which is the actual center of power in China.
Which of the following is an implication for competitiveness of the electoral process in Nigeria and Iran?
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.
Which of the following best describes how the president is removed in Nigeria?
The Nigerian president is removed through impeachment proceedings in the legislature.
Which of the following is an accurate description of the executive in Nigeria?
The Nigerian president is the head of state and conducts foreign policy.
Which of the following statements best characterizes the varying geographic distribution of the electoral support received by the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) and the National Action Party (PAN) in Mexico since 2000 ?
The PAN receives significantly more support in northern Mexico than the PRD does.
Since 2000, which of the following political parties has held the executive branch of Nigeria for the longest period?
The People's Democratic Party
Which of the following best describes political culture?
The collective attitudes, values, and beliefs of the citizenry and the norms of behavior in the political system
Which of the following is a reason why a country might implement import substitution industrialization (ISI) policies?
The country is attempting to reduce foreign influence on its economy.
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?
The development of a social movement
Which of the following issues recently have led to significant public protests in Russia?
The election fraud and corruption of the government
Which of the following is the most substantial cause of the weak judiciary in Russia?
The executive branch, which appoints judges, uses the courts to target opposition.
With regard to human rights in Iran, the Iranian government has acted in which of following ways?
The government targets and imprisons political opponents.
Which of the following accurately describes the Chinese government's imposition of restrictions on civil society groups?
The government's actions contradict guarantees of civil liberties in its constitution.
Which of the following challenges to the state have tended to strengthen democracy?
The growing independence of civil society
Which of the following is an implication of political parties in both Iran and Russia?
The irrelevance of the traditional left-right ideological spectrum has reduced the importance of political parties in both countries.
Who selects the head of the British government?
The majority party in the House of Commons
Which of the following statements is most accurate about the middle class in Iran?
The middle class in Iran is culturally westernized and often hostile to the clergy.
Which of the following statements accurately describes the military in both China and Iran?
The military has been used to suppress public demonstrations.
Which of the following events best explains how Nigeria's government maintained political legitimacy in 2015?
The opposition party won the presidential election and took power peacefully.
Which of the following statements is true about Iranian domestic policy?
The predominant interpretation of Shari'ah law allows for birth control.
Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice and other political institutions in Mexico?
The president has the power to appoint or nominate members to the National Supreme Court of Justice.
Which of the following describes how the Mexican president is elected?
The president is chosen using a plurality formula, where the candidate who wins the most votes in a single round is elected president.
Which of the following is often true about semi-presidential systems like that in Russia?
The president usually nominates the prime minister, which implies that the prime minister would support the president's policy agenda.
Russia's constitution provides for a semipresidential system in which of the following ways?
The president's choice for prime minister must be approved by the Duma.
In China, economic liberalization policies have resulted in which of the following?
The significant migration of the people from one region to another
Which of the following is the best example of regime change?
The transfer of power from Mikhail Gorbachev to Boris Yeltsin
Which of the following is an empirically based statement about politics in Nigeria?
There are many major ethnic groups in Nigeria.
Which of the following best explains how the government of the United Kingdom maintains political legitimacy despite the lack of a written constitution?
There is a long-standing legal tradition of protecting civil liberties and representative government at the national level.
Which of the following is true of women in Nigeria?
They enjoy more freedom in the southern region than they do in the north.
Which of the following best describes pluralist systems?
They promote competition among autonomous groups not linked to the state.
Which of the following is a consequence of the United Kingdom's single-member district plurality electoral system?
Third parties without specific regional support are often underrepresented in Parliament.
Which of the following best explains why the Chinese government allows some political protests?
To act as a release valve for the public
Which of the following is the purpose of the Great Firewall in China?
To limit political criticism on social media
Why did the Zapatistas in the state of Chiapas initiate an uprising in 1994?
To protest the enactment of NAFTA
Which of the following is an example of civil society changing in the United Kingdom?
Trade unions became less influential with fewer resources after Thatcherism.
Which of the following is an important cleavage common to both Mexico and China?
Urban and rural populations
Which of the following has the Nigerian state done to alleviate cleavage-based problems?
Used ethnic quotas in government hiring
Which of the following best describes democratic consolidation?
When a democratic regime matures in its protections of civil rights and liberties and is thereby unlikely to revert to an authoritarian regime
For most of its history, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in Mexico has been
a dominant party
Party discipline in Great Britain tends to be strong because
a government's tenure in the House of Commons relies on its ability to maintain party support
A nation-state is best characterized as
a politically defined territory in which the state and national identity coincide
Which of the following best describes Iran?
a rentier state
In Iran, the head of the judiciary is
appointed by the Supreme Leader
The Communist Youth League (CYL), All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and All-China Women's Federation are significant because they
are mass organizations that have served as channels of political education and participation under Chinese Communist Party rule
Charitable trusts in Iran that play a major role in Iran's non-petroleum economy are called
bonyads
People in positions of authority who are paid by the government of party in China are called
cadres
------------The patron-client networks rooted heavily in agrarian Mexico are known as
camarillas
A political regime is considered to be legitimate when
citizens accept the government's right to rule
In the twentieth century, the greatest social cleavage manifested in British politics was
class
Which of the following best describes a philosophy in China that values the good of the community above that of the individual?
collectivism
The 25 members of the Politburo are chosen by
current and retired members of the Politburo
The United Kingdom has used a referendum in the past ten years to
decide whether to leave the European Union
The organizing principle of the Chinese Communist Party is
democratic centralism
The main duty of China's Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) is to
draft and pass legislation
The protests in Russia that occurred in 2011 and 2012 were due to
election fraud and the president's abuse of power
An important change in China in the post-Mao era has been the
encouragement of greater foreign investment in the national economy
The electoral system in the United Kingdom tends to
exaggerate the scale of victory of the largest party
One major contrast between the Yeltsin and Putin presidential administrations in terms of domestic policies lies in the
extensive media freedom under Yeltsin and the significant decrease in media freedom under Putin
A corporatist political system is one in which
formal relationships exist between the government and recognized interest groups
Compared with first-past-the-post, a proportional representation electoral system
gives third parties a better chance at winning seats in a legislature
When David Cameron replaced Gordon Brown as prime minister, there was a change in which of the following?
government
How are members of the Russian Duma elected?
half single-member district plurality voting (SMD) and half proportional representation (PR)
The primary purpose of the Question Hour in the British Parliament is to
hold government ministers accountable for their actions
One challenge for the Chinese government is that nomadic laborers in China are flowing into Chinese cities without permits known as
hukou
Economic performances of countries are compared with the Gini coefficient that
is an indicator of income inequality
The use of judicial review in the United Kingdom is limited because
judicial review is seen as violating the principle of parliamentary sovereignty
When deciding which party to vote for in an election, Russian voters are generally influenced most by the party's
leader
Compared to parties in a proportional-representation system, parties in a single-member-district system are typically
less ideological and less class-based
One difference between the parliamentary and presidential forms of government is that the presidential form
makes the executive electorally independent of other branches of government
Mao Zedong's concept of a line of communication between party leaders and peasants that would allow all to struggle toward realization of the Communist state was called
mass line
One similarity between the Prime Minister of Russia and the Prime Minister of Great Britain is that both
may be removed as a result of votes of no confidence in the lower house of the legislature
The two largest ethnic groups in Mexico are
mestizo and indigenous
One reason why the National Action Party (PAN) has been popular with business leaders in Mexico is due to its support of
neoliberal policies
A second round of voting is held in a Russian presidential election when
no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round
The process of elite recruitment in communist systems like that of Russia, whereby leaders at higher levels of the power hierarchy provide the names of those they would like to see promoted, is known as
nomenklatura
In Nigeria, Shari'ah law is part of the legal system in the
northern region
The voting behavior of members of the British House of Commons is principally determined by their
party affiliation
The concept of nation is best defined as a
population with common historical, ethnic, linguistic, and/or religious bonds
In Great Britain, the House of Lords has the power to
postpone the enactment of legislation
Mexico's government can best be described as
presidential
In addition to its basic lawmaking function, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation also has the power to
ratify treaties and approve troop deployments
The most persistent political challenge facing Nigeria since independence has been
regional and ethno-religious cleavages
Which of the following best describes Russia's system of government?
semi-presidential
In Iran, the concept of jurist guardianship states that
senior clerics have authority over the entire community
Devolution in the United Kingdom has allowed
separatist parties to have roles in Scotland and Wales
The "first-past-the-post" electoral system in Great Britain is based on
single-member districts
Nigeria's multistate structure was primarily designed to
splinter the power of its main ethnic groups
The European Union (EU) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are examples of
supranational organizations
The nature of the social and political cleavages in China and Russia are different because in China
the Communist Party is still one important and stable channel of upward mobility, while in Russia it is not
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was a free-trade agreement established in 1994 between Mexico and
the United States and Canada
A successful vote of no confidence in a parliamentary system means that
the government steps down and a new government must be formed
Rule of law is stronger in the United Kingdom than it is in Russia because
the judiciary in the United Kingdom is independent, whereas the judiciary in Russia is not
Gross national product (GNP) and gross domestic product (GDP) are measures used to compare countries on
the size of their economies
The common law system, especially as practiced in Great Britain, is based on
the use of precedents to guide legal decisions
Iran's government can best be described as a/an
theocracy
According to the 1993 constitution, the Russian president is limited to
two six-year terms
Which of the following groups would most likely support Mexico's Democratic Revolutionary Party (PRD) ?
urban workers
