1. GOVERNMENT SYSTEM EXECUTIVE BRANCH UK PARLIAMENTARY
PM TERESA MAY (HEAD OF GOV)
QUEEN ELIZABETH II (CEREMONIAL HEAD OF STATE)
RUSSIA
HYBRID (PARLIAMENTARY-PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM)
PRESIDENT PUTIN (HEAD OF STATE) PM MEDVEDEV (HEAD OF GOV)
CHINA
PRESIDENTIAL SYSTEM
PRESIDENT XI XINGPING (HEAD OF STATE); PREMIER Li Keqiang (HEAD OF GOV)
IRAN
PRESIDENT ROUHANI (HEAD OF GOV); AYATOLLAH KHOMENEI (HEAD OF STATE)
NIGERIA
PRESIDENT BUHARI (HEAD OF STATE; GOVERNMENT)
MEXICO
PRESIDENT NIETO (HEAD OF STATE; GOVERNMENT)

2. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA LEGISLATIVE BRANCH NAME OF LEG. BRANCH
LOWER HOUSE (name + duties)
UPPER HOUSE (name + duties)
MORE POWERFUL? UK
PARLIAMENT
House of Commons
House of Lords
RUSSIA
FEDERAL ASSEMBLY
Duma
Federation Council
CHINA
NATIONAL PEOPLE’S CONGRESS
Unicameral legislature
Unicameral
IRAN
MAJLIS
NIGERIA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Chamber of Deputies
Senate
Same
MEXICO
CONGRESS

3. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO JUDICIAL BRANCH
TYPE OF LAW (Common, Codified, Shariah, Custom)
JUDICIARY BRANCH (name of highest crt)
Reforms? Problems? Notes? UK
Common Law (unwritten constitution)
Supreme Court
Used to be in House of Lords; Estd in 2005 bc of EU law
RUSSIA
Codified
Constitutional Court (judicial review)
Corrupt; political tool
CHINA
Supreme People’s Court
Civil law is being reformed to attract international business
IRAN
Shariah, Codified (Qanun)
Decentralized
Lacks due process; outdated; used for political means
NIGERIA
Shariah, Codified
Certain states in North adopted Shariah law; problem with overlap, ie Amina Lawal
MEXICO
1995 reform act; corruption is rampant

4. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO OTHER
EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS ARE HELD EVERY…
MOST POWERFUL BRANCH
LIBERAL/ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY UK
5 years (except snap election)
Legislative
Liberal
RUSSIA
6 years (used to be 4)
Executive
Illiberal
CHINA
Not a democracy
IRAN
4 years
NIGERIA
MEXICO
6 years
Illiberal  Liberal

5. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO Elections are held on what level?
SMD or Proportional or Mixed? First-past-post?
Problems with elections? Notes? UK
Local, MP, and EU
SMD, first-past-the-post
Candidates vote for parties, not candidates
RUSSIA
Local, Legislative, President
Mixed
Putin changes to see fit
CHINA
Local only
IRAN
Local, Majlis, President, Assembly of Religious Experts
SMD
Green movement felt that elections were unfair; Theocratic leaders choose who can run
NIGERIA
SMD for House; Plurality for Senate; SMD for Prez
Candidate must win 2/3 of vote in 25% of states in first round
MEXICO
SMD, PR
There used to be rigging but less so now

6. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO POLITICAL SYSTEM
MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES
PARTY IN POWER
DOMINANT PARTY STATE? UK
DEMOCRACY
CONSERVATIVE, LABOUR, LIB-DEM, SNP
CONSERVATIVE NO
RUSSIA
ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY
UNITED RUSSIA
CURRENTLY BASED AROUND PUTIN
CHINA
SOCIALIST
CCP
YES!! ONE PARTY STATE
IRAN
THEOCRACY
MODERATES AND CONSERVATIVES (parties change every election)
MODERATES
NIGERIA
PDP, APC
APC
PDP FROM
MEXICO
PAN, PRI
PRI
PRI UNTIL 2000

7. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO
REGIME (CONSTITUTION)WAS CREATED IN
RECENT REVOLUTIONS?
RECENT COUPS? UK
No; gradual reform
RUSSIA
1993
YES; RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 1917
Failed coup in 1991
CHINA
1949
REVOLUTION OF 1949; CULTURAL REVOLUTION NO
IRAN
1979
WHITE REVOLUTION; ISLAMIC REVOLUTION 1979; CULTURAL REVOLUTION
COUP AGAINST MOSSADEGH
NIGERIA
1999
YES!!!!!!!!!! 1960S-1999
MEXICO
1917
REVOLUTION OF 1910

8. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO ECONOMIC SYSTEM
Economy is centered around
Development stage?
Rentier state UK
Mixed (capitalist/social democracy)
Finance
Developed No
RUSSIA
Capitalist  more state control
Oil
Developing/Middle Income
CHINA
Socialist  capitalist
Manufacturing
IRAN
Mixed
Was under Shah
NIGERIA
Capitalist
Least developed
Yes
MEXICO
Manufacturing; trade w US

9. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO Unitary of Federation? Ethnicities
Rights of ethnic groups UK
Unitary
English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish
Devolved powers including power over edu system; own parliamentary systems
RUSSIA
Assymetrical federalism
Russian, Tartar, Chechnyan, Ukranian
Languages; some representation (although Putin is taking it away)
CHINA
Han, Uighur, Tibetan
Languages, more relaxed child policy, autonomous regions, control over edu policy
IRAN
Persian, Azeri, Kurdish
Seats are reserved for minority religious groups in the Majlis
NIGERIA
Federalism
Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba
Each state gets representation in cabinet; parties have to be favored by 2/3 of states
MEXICO
Mestizo, Amerindian, White

10. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO Official Religion Other religions
Oppressed groups UK
Anglican church
Catholicism
Northern Irish Catholics (but gained rights through Good Friday Agreement
RUSSIA
Russian Orthodox Church
Islam (Caucuses)
Chechnyans (brutal war tactics against them); Jehova’s witnesses info
CHINA
Atheism (but historically Confucianism ideology)
Buddhism (Tibet); Islam (Uyghurs)
Uighurs (always blamed for terrorism; denied cultural rights) more info
IRAN
Shi’ism
Sunni, Zoroastrianism, Baha’i
Against Baha’I faith. More info
NIGERIA
No official religion
Sunni in North; Christian in South
Constant fighting for funding and power btwn Christians and Muslims
MEXICO
No official religion but 83% catholic
Other christianity
Church wasn’t allowed to get involved in politics until 1990s  rise of PAN

11. UK RUSSIA CHINA IRAN NIGERIA MEXICO Demographic trends
Migration trends UK
Aging population; puts strain on NHS; could require immigration More info
From Eastern European EU countries to the UK for jobs
RUSSIA
Smaller population; having less children; public health problems such as alcoholism and HIV/AIDS go untreated. More info
Immigration from Central Asian countries More info
CHINA
Mao wanted greater population; One child policy under Deng; leads to female infanticide; problem with population More info here and here
Rural to urban in search of manufacturing jobs (many of which are in special economic zones); difficulty with getting Hukou. More info
IRAN
Family planning was used in the past for married couples; economy is dependent on oil and can only support so many people. More info
Diaspora abroad of dissidents and those who do not agree with the government
NIGERIA
Growing population typical of developing country. More info
Massive urbanization
More info
MEXICO
Growing population typical of developing country
Since economy has gotten better, more Mexicans returning to Mex than going to the US. After NAFTA, massive migration to factories in the North