1. AP Comparative Government
Core Countries: The Basics

2. Industrialized Democracies Communist and Former Communist Regimes
Less Developed Countries

3. Great Britain

4. The Basics The Kingdoms
One of world’s most densely populated countries
No longer an “all white” country
Welfare state is still strong

5. Political Parties Conservative Labour Thatcher
Elitist and effective party organization
Opening organization to more democratic processes led to Thatcher’s election
Since Thatcher, party has struggled to find success
Labour
Began as alliance of unions, socialists, and cooperative associations in the early 20th century
New Labour, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and younger, more moderate leaders took over in mid-1990s

7. Political Culture
Identification with the UK has declined in past 40 years
Resurgence of support for regional parties in Scotland and Wales
Devolution (regional parliaments)
Monarchy’s loss of influence and prestige
Increasing racial diversity (most born in the UK)
Growing importance of the EU

8. Political Participation
Interest groups
Trades Union Council and Confederation of British Industries are dominant peak associations
Lobbying must be done at highest levels where bills are drafted

9. The British State: Enduring Myths and Changing Realities
The Monarchy and the Lords: visible but powerless
Parliamentary sovereignty, sort of
Real power lies with leadership of majority party
Collective responsibility is key to power

10. Mexico

11. The Basics Poverty Slow economic growth High unemployment
Massive national debt
Northward emigration – remittances

12. Diversity
Geographic and climatic variations
Variety of ethnic heritages
Linguistic and cultural diversity

13. U.S. – Mexican relationship
Economic interdependence
Mexican immigration to the U.S.
Cross border drug traffic

14. Political Culture
Parochials: Indians not well integrated into Mexican system
Subjects: majority who tolerate the system (elderly, poor, women, peasant farmers)
PRI participants: beneficiaries of the party and its dominance
Anti-PRI participants: opposition based on policy differences

16. The federal system The military
Most state and local governments still dominated by PRI
PAN and PRD have won more and more elections in last decade
The military
Non-political military for past 60 years
Corruption and drug trade threaten military’s reputation and effectiveness

17. Public Policy Debt and Development Crisis of the 1980s oil prices
Privatization
Opening up the economy
U.S.- Mexico relationship
Immigration
Drugs

18. Iran

19. The Basics
Persia vs. Iran
some reformers (like the Pahlevis) emphasized Persian roots and traditions
others emphasized Shiite values and traditions
ethnic diversity complicates simplistic divisions

20. The Basics Shiite dominance in Iran
Shiite vs. Sunni
Shiite dominance in Iran
established clergy and theological training
tradition of theological debate to reach truth
before Islamic revolution, most clergy shunned politics

21. income and wealth distribution is highly unequal
Persia vs. Shiism: two powerful traditions
Social and economic conditions
huge oil reserves
income and wealth distribution is highly unequal
brain drain since 1979
challenges of the very young population

22. The Status of Women Islamic debate about roles of women
women suffered from Islamic revolution changes

23. People and Politics Political Culture no homogeneous political culture
cleavages within Shiism
division between rural and urban poor and urban middle class and wealthy
unpredictable evolution of huge youth cohort

24. Iranian State Unelected elements
Supreme Leader: controls military, media, judiciary, and clerical hierarchy
Guardian Council: approves all candidates and legislation
Expediency Council: mediates between majlis and Guardian Council
judiciary

25. Elected Institutions
President
Assembly of Experts
Majlis

26. Assembly of Religious Experts
Supreme Leader
Leadership Council
Assembly of Religious Experts
Guardian Council
Islamic Majlies
(Legislative)
President
(Executive)
Chief Judge
(Judiciary)
Cabinet
Electorate

27. Public Policy Faith and gender The Economy theocracy
treatment of women is a telling sign of state of affairs
The Economy
average wealth equal to Mexico or Russia
dependence on export of oil
poverty, inflation, and unemployment of youth are unsolved problems
bonyads, created from seized property of former regime leaders and powerful economic influence

28. Russia

29. The Basics Geography: a huge country at high northern latitudes
Diversity: dozens of cultural and ethnic identities preserved into the 21st century
Poverty: a poor country that got poorer after 1989 until oil prices began rising
The Environment: pollution and the health problems it causes are endemic all across the country

31. The Russian State Party State
Nomenklatura: maintaining loyalty and choosing successors
Democratic Centralism

32. Reform
Glasnost: greater transparency in Party and government operation
Democratization: strengthening of government powers and the election of a legislature
Peristroika: economic restructuring and introduction of market mechanisms
Small-scale private ownership
Agricultural reform
Facilitation of joint ventures with foreign investors

33. Putin Named PM and acting president
Elected president and consolidated power
Since 2000, Putin has centralized power more and more on presidency (or is it on Putin?)

34. Political Participation
Having relied on force, regimes lack legitimacy
People expect an authoritarian system
Weak and small civil society

35. Political Participation
Putin’s manipulation of parties has caused a lack of legitimacy
Elections
Low Participation
Changing parties and rules reduces legitimacy

36. The Russian State

37. Public Policy Economy Media
Largely privatized but economy still shrinking
Most Russians are still poor
Media
Open since the 90s but Putin has been consolidating to loyal oligarchs since 2000

38. Putin’s Plan
Watch Putin’s Plan here.

39. China

40. The Basics The world’s most populous country
Relative ethnic homogeneity
Great linguistic differences within one language
Poverty deep and widespread
Great growth of middle class

41. The Chinese State
Mao thought people were “poor and blank” and could easily be taught a new political and economic culture
Cultural change the primary priority for Maoists
Collectivism
Struggle and activism
Egalitarianism and populism
Self-reliance
State domination of all agents of socialization
Cultural change has become a much less important goal since ‘76

42. The Chinese State Participation from the top down
CCP determines what people should do and organizes their participation
More than 70 million Party members engage in implementation of policy decided by leadership
Less top-down activity as more people are involved in enterprises not directly controlled by the Party and government

44. Public Policy Foreign Policy Agriculture Media 2008 Olympics
North Korea
Agriculture
Most peasants still very poor
People leave countryside for urban opportunities at every chance
Media
Tightly controlled by the CCP

45. Nigeria

46. The Basics Huge population Fertile soil Well-educated elite
Vast oil and gas reserves
Poverty

47. The Basics Ethnic Diversity 400 ethnic groups
Multiplicity of languages

48. The Nigerian State History of colonialism
Cycle of military rule and republic

49. The Nigerian State Mass political culture
People dissatisfied with political system
People prefer democracy to other regimes
Fragmented and polarized populace
Ethnically
Religiously
Regionally
Economically

50. Brain Drain