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
