Comparative Politics

What is the civil society like in South Africa?

"vigorous, effective, and shallow" there are many groups, but they only represent a few people

What are the three challenges facing Mexico?

- need for state to establish political order - need to implement fair/effective strategy for economic development - need to establish political transparency and rule of law

How many official languages are recognized in South Africa?

11

How many constitutions has Nigeria had?

6

How many islands does Japan have?

7000

What is the main religion in South Africa?

80% Christian

What is Japan's system?

A "top down" system--know your place and stay there

What are the demographics of South Africa's population?

About half of the population is 24 years or younger, explaining unemployment

What do institutions seek to do in Iran?

Balance popular rights with the word of god

What do Germans believe about nationalism?

Believe that nationalism is dangerous; more proud of political system

What happened in 1689 in the United Kingdom?

Bill of Rights issued by Parliament, establishing constitutional monarchy

What are the current issues in Nigeria?

Boko Haram and Oil/Niger Delta are current issues

Whose legislature is the most powerful on earth?

Britain's

What is South Africa's government based on?

British institutions

What is the most influential institution of policy making authorities in Japan?

Bureacracy

What is the most populous country in the world?

China with 1.4 billion

What are the current issues in South Africa?

Crime/Corruption and HIV/AIDS

What four nations comprise the United Kingdom?

England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland

Which branch is the most powerful in France?

Executive

Who has Europe's largest immigrant population?

Germany

What role does Vladmir Putin play in Russia?

He has been the president/prime minister since 2000.

What do over 80% of Indians identify as?

Hindu. Third-largest world religion.

Where does most of the power reside in Iran?

In the supreme leader, who serves for life

What is the world's largest democracy?

India

Whose media establishment is one of the largest and most active in the world?

India

How did the Islamic Republic in Iran come to be?

It had a violent birth

What is the PRI party in Mexico?

It has no coherent ideology, just goes with whatever those in power say

What are some misconceptions about Japan?

It is NOT small, defenseless, or unique

How is the population in India represented politically?

It is largely unrepresented. Each one represents about 2 million people.

What is the constitution in India like?

It is one of the world's largest, modeled after Britain's unwritten constitution

What is the population in India like?

It is racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse

What is the economy in Germany like?

It is very stable

What role does the government in China play in responding to uprises?

It quickly silences any uprisings, such as Tianamen Square. You will not be in a position to be elite if you haven't stayed in line with the party almost your whole life

What was France's transition to democracy like?

It was hard and they only fairly recently transitioned from authoritarian rule

How is Russia keeping afloat?

It's in disrepair economically and politically, but natural resources are barely keeping it afloat

What happened in 1215 in the United Kingdom?

King John I was forced to sign the Magna Carta

What are the current issues in Mexico?

Mexico Drug War and Migration

What is the third-largest wetland in the world?

Niger Delta

What is the most populous country in Africa?

Nigeria

What are the current problems in Iran?

Nuclear Program and Alcohol/drugs

What is Mexico's history?

One of violence and problems both inside and outside the country

What have oil revenues in Nigeria allowed for?

One-party dominance and corruption

Who makes up the majority in Iran?

Persians

Who has the real power in Japan?

Prime Minister

What is the largest nation in terms of land mass?

Russia

What type of presidential system does France have?

Semi-presidental: president is the head of the state and prime minister is the head of government

Where is the legal system in Iran derived from?

Sharia

What happens when Spain conquers Mexico?

The population reduces from 25 million to 1 million

What is South Africa's patriotism level?

They have a high level of national identity and patriotism

Where do Britains owe allegiance?

To the Crown rather than a written Constitution

Which country is considered the world's oldest democracy and birthplace of the Industrial Revolution?

United Kingdom

What is India dependent on?

agriculture

What does the government control in China?

all of the content of the Internet

How is the society in South Africa divided?

along racial and ethnic lines

What was happening in South Africa before 1990s?

apartheid

Organizations that maintain a monopoly of violence over a given territory are called a. nations. b. states. c. governments. d. regimes.

b. states

What does South Africa's constitution attempt to do?

balance majority and minority concerns

What is a serious problem among politicians in India?

corruption

Which of the following describes electoral systems in which voters cast their ballots for a list of party candidates and the percentage of the votes a party receives in a district determines how many of that district's seats it wins? a. single-member districts b. plurality systems c. first past the post d. proportional representation

d. proportional representation

What is still a problem in employment and marriage in Japan?

discrimination

What type of population does Iran have?

diverse

What are the current issues in Brazil?

economic equality/crime and political corruption

What are huge parts of industry in Japan?

electronics and automobiles

What branch is primary in China?

executive branch/head of government

What type of society does Brazil have?

highly urbanized

What is Japan's ethnic and political condition?

homogenous

What do most people think of the government in Russia?

huge distrust of the government

Where is most of Russia's population?

in the western part of the country

What is the political system in Germany like?

it has more checks and balances

What is the caste system in India?

it is the ancient Hindu system that dictates a person's social rank they are born with. It is mutually sustaining, yet discriminating

What is a crucial check on the government in South Africa?

judiciary

Who chooses the Prime Minister in the UK?

legislature

What is Islamic fundamentalism in Iran?

literal interpretation of faith

What is a "resource trap?"

makes the country poorer rather than richer, even if there is a lot of that resource in the country

What is South Africa facing?

massive unemployment, growing income inequality, persistent poverty

Where have most of the powerful leaders come from in Nigeria?

military

Brazil has a large ________ population.

mulatto

China is strongly ________.

nationalistic. This can lead to fear of outsiders.

Is Russia a democracy?

no

What is Nigeria heavily dependent on?

oil

What is the biggest source of tax revenue in Mexico?

oil

What is Iran's "resource trap?"

oil--fourth largest oil reserves in the world

How are parties organized in Brazil?

organized around charismatic leaders, not ideology

Who do people vote for in South Africa?

parties in electoral system

__________ are more corrupt in Mexico, while the __________ ________ are more reliable.

police; armed forces

What is a huge issue in Brazil in politics?

political corruption

Who are the central political actors in Germany?

political parties

Asymmetric federalism in India?

power divided unequally across country and constituent regions

Who is the head of state in India?

president, which is a largely symbolic role

What happened to Brazil in five years?

quick decline from prosperity to poverty

What is the apartheid in South Africa?

racist authoritarian system, "separateness"

What are the current issues in India?

rape and corruption

Where do the law and politics come from in Iran?

the Koran.

Who is in power in Russia?

the president/Vladmir Putin

What is central to French identity?

the state. French national identity over religion/ethnicity

What is the biggest issue in foreign affairs in Brazil?

trade relations

What do South Africans trust in?

trust in media

What are Mexican's views on political system and government?

very negative view of political system and distrust in government

Is voting compulsory in Brazil?

yes

Is voting compulsory in Mexico?

yes