1. “The Big Picture”
AP Comparative Review

2. Think… “It’s all about being old”

3. United Kingdom: The Big Picture
System of Government: Parliamentary System
Distribution of Power: Unitary
Electoral System: Single Member District Plurality
Constitution: Unwritten constitution
Legislature: Bicameral—House of Commons & House of Lords
Current Prime Minister: David Cameron
Current Ruling Party: Coalition - Conservative & Liberal Democrats
Major Political Parties: Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats

4. UK: things to know… “It’s all about being old!”
Represents advanced democracies in AP Comparative
Represents example of well functioning parliamentary system
Political Institutions and Electoral Systems (KNOW THEM!)
Rational-Legal Authority
Nobelese Oblige
Gradualism
Tony Blair’s “third way”
Thatcherism
Devolution
Labour, Conservatives, and Liberal Democrats

5. Think…
“It’s all about Putin”

6. Russia: The Big Picture
System of Government: Mixed Presidential/Parliamentary
Distribution of Power: Federal System (Asymmetric)
Electoral System: Proportional Representation (2007)
Constitution: Constitution
Legislature: Bicameral—Duma and Federation Council
Current President: Vladimir Putin
Current Prime Minister: Dmitry Medvedev
Current Ruling Party: United Russia Party
Major Political Parties: United Russia Party, Communist, Liberal Democrats, Fair Russia

7. Russia: things to know…
“It’s all about Putin”
Represents former communist countries in AP Comparative
Represents example of mixed parliamentary-presidential system
Political Institutions and Electoral Systems (KNOW THEM!)
Chechnya
United Russia (party of power)
How Putin has consolidated central control
Boris Yeltsin
Glasnost and perestroika
Shock Therapy

8. “It’s all about the Party”
Think…
“It’s all about the Party”

9. China: The Big Picture
System of Government: Authoritarian Single Party Rule
Distribution of Power: Unitary System
Electoral System: Is there one? Authoritarian One Party
Constitution: 1982
Legislature: Unicameral
Current Head of Party and State: President Xi Jinping
Head of Government: Primer Wen Jiabao
Current Ruling Party: Communist Party
Major Political Parties: Communist Party

10. China: things to know… “It’s all about the Party!”
Represents Communist Countries in AP Comparative
Parallel Structures of Party and Government (KNOW THEM!)
Be able to explain relationships to each other
Legitimacy = Economic Growth
Rural vs. Urban Cleavages
Guanxi (Patron-Client Relationships)
Fang-Shou (cycle of letting go and tightening up)
Confucianism (Impact on Chinese Mind)
Mao’s Rule
Changes/Differences from Mao to Deng

11. Think… “It’s all about the PRI”

12. Mexico: The Big Picture
System of Government: Presidential
Distribution of Power: Federal System
Electoral System: Mixed System: SMDP and PR
Constitution: Constitution of 1917
Legislature: Bicameral—Chamber of Deputies & Senate
Current Head of State: Enrique Peña Nieto
Head of Government: Enrique Peña Nieto
Current Ruling Party: PRI
Major Political Parties: PRI, PAN, PRD

13. Mexico: things to know…
“It’s all about the PRI”
Represents Newly Industrializing Countries in AP Comparative
Example of One Party Rule
Political Institutions and Electoral Systems (KNOW THEM!)
Mexican Revolution (impact: Mexican mind & Politics)
State Corporatism
Technicos
Caudillos &Camarillas (patron-client relationships)
Sexenio
NAFTA
Ejidos (land ownership system based on parcels)

14. “It’s all about the circles”
Think…
“It’s all about the circles”

15. “It’s all about the circles”
Institutions of the Revolution (Islam)
1979
Institutions of
the Shah
(Until 1979)
Democratic Structures
Theocratic

16. Iran: The Big Picture
System of Government: Mixed Theocratic-Presidential
Distribution of Power: Unitary System
Electoral System: SMDP
Constitution: Constitution of 1979
Legislature: Unicameral—Majles
Current Head of State: Hassan Rouhani & Supreme Leader
Head of Government: Hassan Rouhani
Current Ruling Party: “conservatives”
Major Political Parties: “conservatives”, “moderates”, and “reformers”

17. Iran: things to know… “It’s all about circles”
Represents theocracy in countries in AP Comparative
Political Institutions and Electoral Systems: KNOW THEM!
Iranian (Islamic) Revolution of 1979 (impact: Iranian Politics)
Impact of history = Theocracy and Democracy
Jurist Guardianship
Rentier State
Shia Islam
Parastatals
Sharia Law vs. Qanon Law
Elections of 2005 & 2009
Supreme Leaders: 1st Khomeini, 2nd Khamenei

18. Think… “It’s all about the cleavages”

19. Nigeria: The Big Picture
System of Government: Presidential System
Distribution of Power: Federal System
Electoral System: Single Member District Plurality
Constitution: Constitution of 1999
Legislature: Bicameral—Senate and House of Rep.
Current Head of State: Goodluck Jonathan
Head of Government: Goodluck Jonathan
Current Ruling Party: People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
Major Political Parties: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Action Congress (AC)

20. Nigeria: things to know…
“It’s all about the cleavages”
ER squared
Represents less industrialized and former colonies in AP6
Political Institutions and Electoral Systems: KNOW THEM!
Biafran War (impact: Iranian Politics)
Rentier State
National Question
Federal Character: Impact on Nigerian Politics
Impact of British Colonialism
Impact of World Bank and IMF on internal politics
Prebendalism (Patron-Client Relationships)
Recent Elections