comp - 4
Mexicans head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, and the biggest question is whether a country that has made great political and economic strides is about to slide backward. The question takes the form of leftwing Morena party candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is the heavy favorite to win after two previous losses. The 64-year-old AMLO, as he is known, claims to have moderated his views but retains his zeal for the corporatist Mexico of the 1970s. With a six-year term he could reverse the progress this nation of 130 million has made to becoming a modern, advanced democracy. It's worth recalling how recent and substantial that progress is. For decades through the early 1980s, Mexico was a one-party, inward-looking state run by the PRI. Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mexicos-presidential-watershed-1530225438 Which of the following is an implication of the argument in the passage? A If Obrador wins the election, citizens will have less influence in government. B If Obrador wins the election, Mexico will become a consolidated democracy. C If Obrador loses the election, businesses and the Mexican economy will suffer. D If Obrador loses the election, basic services for many Mexican citizens will end.
A If Obrador wins the election, citizens will have less influence in government.
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.
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.
Which of the following is an implication for the ruling coalition in the House of Commons that is not found in the House of Representatives? A The coalition government in the House of Commons will have to accommodate the interests of two parties in governing and policy making, which is not the case in the House of Representatives, where one party has a majority. B The coalition government in the House of Commons will have to coordinate policies with the House of Lords to get a majority, and the ruling party in the House of Representatives does not have to coordinate policies to get a majority. C The coalition government in the House of Commons will have to have the approval of all parties to pass any legislation, and the ruling party in the House of Representatives will only have to work with a few small parties to pass legislation. D The coalition government in the House of Commons consists of parties with similar platforms and will not face challenges from other parties until the next elections, unlike in the House of Representatives, where there are constant threats from small parties
A The coalition government in the House of Commons will have to accommodate the interests of two parties in governing and policy making, which is not the case in the House of Representatives, where one party has a majority.
Which of the following is a difference in the outcome of the distribution of seats in the United Kingdom and Nigeria in 2018? A The majority party in each country controlled the legislature and formed a government which dominated policy-making. B A coalition of political parties governed in the United Kingdom, and a single-party majority controlled the legislature in Nigeria. C In both countries small parties received a large percentage of the vote but were awarded relatively few seats in the legislature. D In the United Kingdom a hung parliament was unable to choose a chief executive, while in Nigeria the APC had a majority and was able to appoint the president.
B A coalition of political parties governed in the United Kingdom, and a single-party majority controlled the legislature in Nigeria.
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.
B Both systems feature a hybrid method for lower-house legislative elections, using both single-member districts and proportional representation for legislative seats.
Which of the following is an implication for the governing parties in the Nigerian House of Representatives and Britain's House of Commons? A There is a much greater likelihood of a vote of no confidence and early elections in Nigeria's House of Representatives than in Britain's House of Commons. B Gridlock is more likely a result of divided government in Nigeria while in Britain gridlock would result from disagreements among the coalition partners. C Members of Britain's House of Commons. are more likely to work with the president to pass legislation than are members of the Nigerian House of Representatives D Policy making will likely be more straightforward in the House of Representatives than in the House of Commons due to the threat of the prime minister's veto power.
B Gridlock is more likely a result of divided government in Nigeria while in Britain gridlock would result from disagreements among the coalition partners.
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.
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.
Nigeria is deeply divided. One of the most fundamental rifts is between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south, and the population is fairly evenly split between the religions. Africa's most populous country also has more than 200 ethnic groups, with the three largest the Hausa in the north, the Yoruba in the southwest and the Igbo in the south-east... Those divisions play into what could be one of the major issues of the 2019 elections: deadly violence between mostly Christian farmers and mainly Muslim nomadic herders that has broken out in the Nigerian hinterland states known as the Middle Belt... This could turn the Middle Belt, much of which voted for Buhari in 2015, into some of the most crucial swing states next year. Buhari won in 2015, becoming the first candidate to defeat an incumbent president, in part because he gained votes in the Middle Belt, where the predominantly Muslim north and Christian south collide. "The region includes several states that are likely to be hotly contested, including Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory, which the PDP won by margins ranging from three percent to 12 percent in 2015," said Ben Payton, head of Africa research at Verisk Maplecroft. Source: http://www.africanews.com/2018/04/15/nigeria-2019-elections-all-you-need-to-know-following-buhari-s-decision-to The author's claim regarding the significance of the Nigeria's Middle Belt is tied to which of the following features of Nigerian elections? A Presidential candidates must win a majority of the national popular vote, making the densely populous Middle Belt decisive in Nigerian elections. B To win the presidency, candidates must get at least a plurality of votes nationwide with at least 25% of the vote in two-thirds of the states. C The Middle Belt states are traditionally swing states that carry the decisive electoral votes in the Nigerian electoral college. D To win the presidency, candidates must get a majority of the votes of at least one-half of the ethnic groups in Nigeria.
B To win the presidency, candidates must get at least a plurality of votes nationwide with at least 25% of the vote in two-thirds of the states.
Nigeria is deeply divided. One of the most fundamental rifts is between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south, and the population is fairly evenly split between the religions. Africa's most populous country also has more than 200 ethnic groups, with the three largest the Hausa in the north, the Yoruba in the southwest and the Igbo in the south-east... Those divisions play into what could be one of the major issues of the 2019 elections: deadly violence between mostly Christian farmers and mainly Muslim nomadic herders that has broken out in the Nigerian hinterland states known as the Middle Belt... This could turn the Middle Belt, much of which voted for Buhari in 2015, into some of the most crucial swing states next year. Buhari won in 2015, becoming the first candidate to defeat an incumbent president, in part because he gained votes in the Middle Belt, where the predominantly Muslim north and Christian south collide. "The region includes several states that are likely to be hotly contested, including Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory, which the PDP won by margins ranging from three percent to 12 percent in 2015," said Ben Payton, head of Africa research at Verisk Maplecroft. Source: http://www.africanews.com/2018/04/15/nigeria-2019-elections-all-you-need-to-know-following-buhari-s-decision-to The religious and ethnic differences cited by the author are important for understanding Nigerian politics because A all political parties are based on religion or ethnic cleavages B they have challenged the legitimacy of the government over time C multiethnic countries have more corruption than do homogeneous societies D democratic consolidation does not occur in ethnically diverse countries
B they have challenged the legitimacy of the government over time
Mexicans head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, and the biggest question is whether a country that has made great political and economic strides is about to slide backward. The question takes the form of leftwing Morena party candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is the heavy favorite to win after two previous losses. The 64-year-old AMLO, as he is known, claims to have moderated his views but retains his zeal for the corporatist Mexico of the 1970s. With a six-year term he could reverse the progress this nation of 130 million has made to becoming a modern, advanced democracy. It's worth recalling how recent and substantial that progress is. For decades through the early 1980s, Mexico was a one-party, inward-looking state run by the PRI. Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mexicos-presidential-watershed-1530225438 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.
C Agricultural groups would be less independent from the state.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nigeria is deeply divided. One of the most fundamental rifts is between the mainly Muslim north and the largely Christian south, and the population is fairly evenly split between the religions. Africa's most populous country also has more than 200 ethnic groups, with the three largest the Hausa in the north, the Yoruba in the southwest and the Igbo in the south-east... Those divisions play into what could be one of the major issues of the 2019 elections: deadly violence between mostly Christian farmers and mainly Muslim nomadic herders that has broken out in the Nigerian hinterland states known as the Middle Belt... This could turn the Middle Belt, much of which voted for Buhari in 2015, into some of the most crucial swing states next year. Buhari won in 2015, becoming the first candidate to defeat an incumbent president, in part because he gained votes in the Middle Belt, where the predominantly Muslim north and Christian south collide. "The region includes several states that are likely to be hotly contested, including Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa and the Federal Capital Territory, which the PDP won by margins ranging from three percent to 12 percent in 2015," said Ben Payton, head of Africa research at Verisk Maplecroft. Source: http://www.africanews.com/2018/04/15/nigeria-2019-elections-all-you-need-to-know-following-buhari-s-decision-to 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
C rules for presidential elections that seek to give the winner a mandate to govern
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
D
Mexicans head to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president, and the biggest question is whether a country that has made great political and economic strides is about to slide backward. The question takes the form of leftwing Morena party candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who is the heavy favorite to win after two previous losses. The 64-year-old AMLO, as he is known, claims to have moderated his views but retains his zeal for the corporatist Mexico of the 1970s. With a six-year term he could reverse the progress this nation of 130 million has made to becoming a modern, advanced democracy. It's worth recalling how recent and substantial that progress is. For decades through the early 1980s, Mexico was a one-party, inward-looking state run by the PRI. Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/mexicos-presidential-watershed-1530225438 Which of the following would be a realization of the authors' fear of a Mexican presidency inspired by the corporatism of the past? A Increased political polarization caused by more aggressive interest group activism from groups of the far left and far right B Privatization of state-owned corporations which would result in foreign ownership of natural resources. C The repeal of restrictions on corporate contributions to political campaigns and the return to a less transparent electoral system D An increasingly interventionist state that controls access to policy making through the use of state-sanctioned groups
D An increasingly interventionist state that controls access to policy making through the use of state-sanctioned groups
