AP Comp Gov QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADE A + SOLUTIONS

Political Efficacy •A citizens belief that he or she can understand and influence government or political affairs Regime •a political system with a specific pattern of relationship between the state, society, market, and the world. • example: from military dictatorship to democratically elected president & legislature. Procedural Democracy •Has all the trappings and symbols of democracy but citizens have little impact on government and few choices of candidates. (SIMILAR TO ILLBERAL DEMOCRACY) ex. Russia, Iran, China, Nigeria Substantive Democracy •A democracy that is not at all theoretical, citizens help choose candidates, have many to choose from, have the ear of government officials, etc. (REAL DEMOCRACY) ex. United Kingdom, Mexico Single-Member-District Electoral System •One person is elected from each sub-sub-unit to represent only the people in that district • Winners get the most votes (plurality) and not necessarily 50% or more, and winner takes all (no seats for coming in second in a district) • SMD systems usually end up two party systems with only weak 3rd/other parties Proportional-Representations system •People focus on the party they want to have more seats or jobs, not on individuals • in a proportional system every party that pases a minimal number of votes get some number of seats • Proportional systems usually end up with multi-party systems Federal System •Has a constitutional (formal) division of power between national and subnational levels of government • Regional autonomy and reserved powers are constitutionally (formally) protected. • Examples: Russia, Nigeria, Mexico Unitary System • All the power is constitutionally (formally) given to the national government. • Devolution may occur, and subnational levels of government may have regional autonomy, but these powers may be rescinded by the national government. • Powers held by subnational levels of government are delegated by the central government, and no powers are reserved to the subnational level. • Examples: Great Britain, China, Iran Parliamentary System • A system of government in which the executive and legislative branches are fused together. The majority party in the legislature selects the chief executive and also may dismiss the head of the executive. Rentier State • A state that derives a substantial portion of its revenue on a regular basis from payments by foreign concerns in the form of rent (land leasing, etc.). • A country that obtains significant income by exporting a raw material or leasing out a natural resource to foreign countries. Often negatively affects economic development. • Examples of countries include: Iran, Nigeria, Russia (natural resource- oil) Political Competition • When there is more than one political group or candidate that can run in an election and have a chance of winning Civil Society • Formal and informal organizations that are voluntary and autonomous, created to advance their own causes. • Bring together people with common interests in social, charitable, religious, community or political concerns. Transparency • When citizens can access information about government decisions and decision-making processes • Note: Transparency is citizens' ability to access that information, not citizen awareness of information. Political Ideology • A coherent set of values and beliefs about the goals of government, public policy, or politics. CONTINUED.....