NIGERIA Hailie Wright Owen Sise Maddie Grace McCurdy

Political Institutions

Political Parties – Almost always been regionally and ethnically based – The People’s Democratic Party (PDP): more established party – All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP) – Action Congress (AC): formed by merging the Alliance of Democracy, the Justice Part, the Advance Congress of Democrats, and several other minor parties

Elections – Presidential Elections: if a presidential candidate doesn’t receive an outright majority, a second ballot election may take place. – President must receive at least 25% of all votes in 2/3 of the states. – Legislative elections: senate elected by direct popular vote, House of Representatives elected from single member districts by plurality vote.

Legislature – Senate: upper house composed of 109 senators, three from each of 36 states and one from the federal capital territory of Abuja. Elected by popular vote – House of Representatives: 360 members from single member districts; elected by plurality and represent many different ethnicities – Both serve four-year renewable terms; elections held the week preceding presidential elections

Bureaucracy – Civil service has grown corrupt due to bribery and patron-client system – Para-statals: corporations owned by the state designated to provide commercial and social welfare services – The often provide public utilities, others control major industries – State Corporatism: the control of a state or organization by large interest groups

Executive – Two- term limit for chief executive until Buhari staged a palace coup(1983) – Civilian rule returned in 1999 – Mostly under military rule – Patrimonialism: president is the head of an intricate patron-client system and dispense government jobs and resources as rewards to supporters. – Patrimonialism allows the president to hand out virtually all government jobs to his friends

Interest Groups/ Media – Labor Unions – Business Interests – Human Rights Groups – Well developed independent press that reflects ethnic and regional divisions – Radio is main source to receive information for most Nigerians

Comparison – Their senate is like the US in that it is represented on population – Nigeria’s parliamentary system was modeled after Britain but then changed to a presidential system

Political Change

The Pre- Colonial Era (800 C.E – Gradually conversion of religion occurred – 1808: Fulani established the Sokoto Caliphate; this established a tradition of organized, central government based on religious faith – This also converted many to Christianity

The Colonial Era ( ) – 1860 British imposed indirect role and trained natives from the south to fill European-style bureaucracy – British influence was strongest in the south

Modern Nigeria (1960-Present) – Parliamentary government was replaced by a military dictatorship when the British left – This led to a series of military coup d’etat – The elections were fraudulent and led the national question, “will Nigeria survive?” – Ethnic identities become a major basis for conflict

Sov, Authority, & Power

Constitutionalism – Nigeria’s first constitution was written in 1914; eight more have been written – The constitutions have never lasted for any length of time – Constitutionalism has eluded Nigeria – Military and civilian leaders have disobeyed the constitutional principles and the national question has become harder to answer

Political Culture – Legitimacy: – Unstable country that struggles to retain legitimacy – Past leaders have used military might to enforce authority and corruption – Military is one of the few truly national organizations, also source of stability – North has been an important source of legitimacy by the sharia law

Comparison – Nigeria's political culture is similar to Russia due to the amount of corruption – Similar to Iran in the strength of the Military

Economic Change

– The British planted influences which contradicted the democratic pattern set in place during the precolonial era: – Authority authoritarian rule – The British left in charge chiefs and other natives to protect British economic interest. This new pattern resulted in the loosening of rulers' responsibility to the people. – The interventionist state – The colonialist trained the chief operated government in order to reach economic goals in an effort to boost the growth of the fledgling government.

Citizen, Society & State

People – About 60% of all Nigerians live below the poverty line, some are too poor to survive – Literacy rate is about 68% but women are much lower than men – Not yet a democracy – Free press mostly exists – Have low trust in their government

Continued – Very reliant on oil exporting – Mostly vote in national elections and political parties are numerous and fluid – Growing professional class – Much participation in rural areas through patron-clientism

Cleavages – Ethnicity – Religion – Region (North vs. South) – Urban/Rural Differences – Social classes

Comparison – The gap between the rich and poor is like Mexico in that the distribution of income is very unequal – Like Russia both had to contend with ethnic based civil wars (Russia= Chechnya and Nigeria= Biafran Civil war)

Public Policy

Public policy – Top-down policymaking process – Output from the president and cabinet through patron-clientism – Loyalty Pyramid- senior officials are supported by junior officials

Comparisons – Just like Russia Nigeria has a top down policymaking process

Vocabulary – Type of Regime/System – Political Culture – Socialization – Sources of Political Authority – Formal Institutions – Informal Institutions – Factions/Cleavages – Consequences of Cleavages – Party System + Parties and Ideologies – Political Participation

Vocab continued: – Election System – Political Change (ability to/consequences of/ways to resist) – Factors of Political Behavior (what causes political beliefs) – Role of Interest Groups – Globalization (How it fits in the grand scheme of things) – Civil Liberties/Civil Rights – Legitimacy – Democratization – Linkage Institutions – Gender in Politics

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