Comparative Politics - Nigeria Exam

Nigeria is the center of West African ...

regional trade, culture, and military strength

How big is Nigeria?

slightly more than twice the size of California

Nigeria Politics in Comparative Perspective

- A Globalizing World of States - Governing the Economy - The Democratic Idea - Collective Identities - Developmental State

The Legislature

- A victim of the country's political instability - Senate elections are on the basis of equal state representation

2015 completes democratic transition with alternation of power...

- Buhari "converted democrat" elected to first term, ran against corruption - First time incumbent president removed by elections

The Political Impact of Technology

- Cell phones have created a lucrative industry - 2011 election: used social media to track election violations across the country - Occupy Nigeria in 2012: interfaith cooperation

The National Question and Constitutional Governance

- Govern diversity - Institutional form of government - Harmony, not exclusion or domination of disparate sectors

Youth Politics and the Generational Divide

- Handful of old wealthy men dominate politics and the economy; presidents routinely getting sick, dying in office - Country overwhelmingly poor and young (Youth not incorporated into political parties or spoils of the state; they have increasingly turned to violence and armed militias)

British Colonial Rule and Its Impact (1860-1960)

- Indirect rule in north - Warrant chiefs (direct rule) in the south - Pitted ethnic groups against one another, ensuring that ethnicity would remain main vehicle of identification and mobilization after independence - 3 ethnic regions: Hausa Fulani in North, Yoruba in Southwest, Igbo Southeast - Interventionist

Interest Groups, Social Movements, and Protest

- Labor - The Business Community

Federalism & State Structure

- Legacy of military rule: states very weak, highly dependent on central government; oil wealth and corresponding command structure concentrated in federal government - States compete against each other for access to federal patronage

The Fourth Republic (1999 to the Present)

- Like 2nd republic, U.S. style Presidency with strong exec - 1998 starts transition: Pol. parties allowed to form - 1999 election: First democratic election of 4th Rep. - Competitive oligarchy

Subnational Government

- Massive tax avoidance makes states even more dependent on federal government for oil distributions - 90% of state incomes come directly from federal govt

Violence

- Militias - even university student clubs are armed and feed into militias - Religious extremists, both Christian and Muslim - Environmental groups: Niger Delta militias - Ethnic/communal violence

Political Culture, Citizenship, and Identity

- Modernity versus Traditionalism - Religion

Nigeria and the U.S.

- Oil - Pentecostals welcomed amid religious extremists

Elections

- Old Roots and New Alignments: The PDP and the Other Parties of the Fourth Republic - People's Democratic Party

The Military

- Personalistic - Patron-client

Nigeria's Political Instability

- Political parties still affiliated with one ethnic group - Winner takes all mentality - Winners disperse spoils - clientelism and corruption - direct state resources to their ethnic groups

Military's rapid transition program 1998-1999 produced a conflicted democratic government that must:

- Restore key institutions - Secure social stability - Reform the economy

The Bureaucracy

- Semipublic Institutions - Prebendalism

The Judiciary

- State and Local Judiciaries - Optional parallel religious courts; must be chosen by both parties; secular courts are default

The Executive

- The Executive under Military Rule - The Fourth Republic: civilian rule returned in 1999 > U.S.-style Presidency: Obasanjo unsuccessfully tries to change constitution to allow for 3rd term > Ethnic rotation, alternation between leader from Yoruba/Igbo South and HousaFulani North: 1993 Southerner electorally defeated Northerner

The Precolonial Period (800-1900)

- Trade brought Arabic education which gradually replaced traditional social and religious practices - Acephalous societies lacked executive; ruled by consensus

Environmental Issues

- Water supplies are drying up: desertification - Nomadic Fulani herders increasingly coming into violent confrontation with Igbo farmers over land rights - Pollution from the oil industries has killed off local fish stock - Lagos: over 20 million metropolis

Gender Disparities

- Women constitute just 6% of national legislators - Enormous underrepresentation; Lack of political power translated into lack of economic and social empowerment - Even female education was risky and endangered

The First Republic (1960-1966), Second and Third

- far reaching administrative controls of interventionist colonial rule expand after 1960 independence - Efforts to established democratically elected rule - Constantly interrupted by civil war, assassinations, coups, predatory military rule - First Republic modeled off colonizers: British Parliament

3 Origins of Economic Decline

1. 1960s development initiatives, war, and drought destroyed food sovereignty 2. Resource curse: embrace of oil without solid institutions in place led to rent-seeking, collapse of agriculture, pollution, and corruption 3. External debt skyrockets among lending spree of 1970s

Lake Chad _______ of size it was in 1960

1/5

What was Nigeria's population in 2016?

186.1 million (most populous in Africa)

The three largest ethnic groups, the Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba together comprise approximately _______ of Nigeria's population. They have long dominated the political process.

2/3

How many ethnic groups are in Nigeria?

250

Only _____ of 469 national legislators are women.

27 (or about 5.75 percent)

How many "zones" are in Nigeria?

6 (divided by ethnic group)

Infant mortality rate

71/100,000

How many military heads of state has Nigeria had since independence? a. 7 b. 11 c. 1 d. 3 (12.3 Quiz)

A

Accountability (12.1)

A government's responsibility to its population, usually by periodic popular elections, by transparent fiscal practices, and by the legislature having the power to dismiss the government by impeachment or passing a motion of no confidence. In a political system characterized by accountability, the major actions taken by government must be known and understood by the citizenry.

Developmental State (12.5)

A nation-state in which the government carries out policies that effectively promote national economic growth.

Resource Curse (12.2)

A paradoxical situation that affects some countries rich in natural resources, wherein other sectors of the economy are neglected and a high concentration of wealth and power exists, thus impairing sustainable economic development and encouraging authoritarianism.

Authoritarian (12.1)

A political system in which power is in the hands of only a few people.

Oligarchy (12.1)

A political system in which power is in the hands of only a few people.

Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) (12.2)

A program established by the World Bank with the intent to alter and reform the economic structures of highly indebted Third World countries as a condition for receiving international loans. SAPs call for privatization, trade liberalization, and fiscal restraint, which often lead to the dismantling of social welfare systems.

Unfinished State (12.1)

A state characterized by institutional instability and political uncertainty that may render it dysfunctional as a coherent ruling entity.

What is the capital of Nigeria?

Abuja

Balance of Payments (12.2)

An indicator of international flow of funds that shows the excess or deficit in total payments of all kinds between or among countries. Included in the calculation are exports and imports, grants, and international debt payments.

In 2015, women made up what percentage of Nigeria's National Assembly? a. 25 b. 6 c. 10 d. 50 (12.4 Quiz)

B

What does the text consider the most impressive aspect of the Occupy Nigeria movement in 2012? a. It toppled the Jonathan administration. b. Interfaith cooperation was evident throughout. c. It was led by the business community. d. It was organized via social media. (12.4 Quiz)

B

Which of the following is NOT one of the major environmental issues faced by Nigeria? a. Pollution from the oil industry in the Niger Delta b. The fact that the Sahel is not arable c. The drying of Lake Chad d. Pressure from a population explosion and megacities (12.2 Quiz)

B

Why was Nigeria's transition to democratic rule between 1985 and 1999 inconclusive? a. It was supported only by the Christian north. b. It was directed from above. c. It lacked regional support. d. The Nigerian people did not prefer democracy. (12.5 Quiz)

B

Political parties function out of Alliance of _______________.

Convenience

What conflict contributed to a sharp reduction in Nigeria's agricultural production from 1960 to 1980? a. The Boer War b. The Ogoni movement c. The Boko Haram insurgency d. The Biafran War (12.2 Quiz)

D

What is the best description of the political parties of Nigeria's Fourth Republic? a. Defined principally by ideology b. Sharply divided by religion c. Ethnically oriented d. Alliances of convenience (12.4 Quiz)

D

What is the key issue in U.S.-Nigeria relations? a. The environment b. Human rights c. Fair elections d. Oil (12.2 Quiz)

D

What public "ethic" has come to dominate the Nigerian political economy? a. Sectionalism b. Tribalism c. Factionalism d. Prebendalism (12.5 Quiz)

D

What great financial feat happened in 2005?

Debt Forgiveness (repayment and buy-backs reduces external debt by 90%)

Rents (12.2)

Economic gains that do not compensate those who produced them and do not contribute to productivity, typically associated with government earnings that are not channeled back into investments or production. Pursuit of economic rents (or "rent-seeking") is profit-seeking that takes the form of nonproductive economic activity.

Senate elections are on the basis of...

Equal State Representation

Shari'a (12.2)

Islamic law derived mostly from the Qur'an and the examples set by the Prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah.

Prebendalism (12.3)

Patterns of political behavior that rest on the justification that official state offices should be utilized for the personal benefit of officeholders, as well as of their support group or clients, particularly of the same ethnicity or religion.

What was one of Nigeria's Structural Adjustment Programs?

Privatization (privatization and restructuring of energy sector constrain growth for decades)

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The West African regional organization, including 15 member countries from Cape Verde in the west to Nigeria and Niger in the east, established in 1975. lts goals are to strengthen and broaden the economies in the region through the removal of trade barriers

Interventionist (12.1)

describing an activist government and/or state that is involved in a wide range of political, economic, and social arenas

PDP and APC dominated by ____________________.

elderly male oligarchs

Political parties are associated with...

particular ethnic groups (three-region federation)

Almost two-thirds of Nigerians are under what age? a. 55 b. 40 c. 25 d. 10 (12.5 Quiz)

C

What is the current population of Nigeria? a. 599 million b. 303 million c. 186 million d. 101 million (12.1 Quiz)

C

What kind of state is contemporary Nigeria? a. Pariah state b. Failed state c. Unfinished state d. Developmental state (12.1 Quiz)

C

What was the government structure of the First Republic? a. South-African-style ethnic rotation model b. U.S.-style presidential model c. British-style parliamentary model d. Islamic-style Shari'a model (12.3 Quiz)

C

Why did Western contacts describe traditional Nigerian societies such as the Igbo and Tiv as acephalous? a. These societies employed a parliamentary system of government. b. These societies had a strong monarchy. c. These societies were governed by committee or consensus. d. These societies were organized along racial lines. (12.1 Quiz)

C

Why was Muhammadu Buhari's election as president in 2015 a watershed in Nigerian politics? a. He was the first Muslim to become president. b. He was the first general to become president. c. His election marked the first peaceful transition of power between political parties. d. He was the first Southerner to become president (12.3 Quiz)

C

Nigeria is religiously evenly split between _______________ and ____________.

Christianity and Islam

Policy-Making Process

Legacy of top-down directives instead of legislation, consultation, or dem debate

"Jihad" (12.1)

Literally "struggle." Although often used to mean armed struggle against unbelievers, it can also mean to fight against sociopolitical corruption or to struggle for spiritual self-improvement.

_______ access to health care.

Little

Does Nigeria have a high or low life expectancy?

Low life expectancy - 53 years

Who is the president of Nigeria?

Muhammadu Buhari

What type of government is Nigeria?

Oligarchy

International Financial Institutions (IFIs) (12.2)

This term generally refers to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), but can also include other international lending institutions.

Where is Nigeria located?

West Africa

Does Nigeria have an old or young population?

Young (almost 2/3s under age 25)