AP Comparative Government Exam Review CardsGRADE A+ SOLUTIONS

Authoritarian A system of government in which decisions are made by political elites, without much input from citizens. They may be ruled by a single dictator, a hereditary monarch, a small group of aristocrats, or a single political party. EX: China Bureaucracy Literally "rule by the desk," they consist of agencies that generally implement government policy. They are usually part of the executive branch of government. They are often majority merit based, with hierarchical structure, and have well established formal rules. Charismatic Leader A person or group with a dynamic personality that inspires followers to support him/her/them. Occasionally, followers with be devoted to the point that they would die for their leader. Governments based on this principle rarely continue past their founder. EX: Tony Blair, Mao Zedong, Ayatollah Khomeini Civil Service The term for the portion of the government that is involved in improving the quality of life of the citizens. They are appointed based on merit rather than political affiliation. Civil Society The term or organizations outside the state that aid citizens in advancing their interests. They are very strong in liberal democracies, where citizens are more encouraged to exercise their freedoms. Organizations may be based on class, religion, or ethnic ties, or may go above these to create a more united society outside of governmental control. Cleavages This is the term for divisions in society that should theoretically be outside the bounds of political issues. They include class, religion, and ethnicity and have a large impact of policy making. Can be either cross-cutting or cumulative. EX: Religion in the UK is a societal cleavage, and it is often cumulative with the other cleavage of ethnicity. Northern Irish Catholics vs. British Protestantism. Cross-cutting cleavages Cross-cutting cleavages are many cleavages that divide the population in different ways and along different lines, and prevent too much polarization. Cumulative cleavages Cumulative cleavages are multiple divisions that fall almost exactly along the same line in the population, and leader to a more divisive and polarized state. Democratic Corporatism This arrangement is when government officials interact with people or groups outside the government before they set policy. Often times these groups are business or labor leaders, or members of a patron-client system. EX: In some countries, such as Mexico, unions operate under corporatism, where the union represents a large fraction of the workers and has a large influence in governmental policy. Coup d' etat Literally "blows to the state," they are a replacement of the leadership of the country with new leaders. Coups are often carried out by the military and usually occur when the new leader forcibly takes power when political institutions are weak. EX: In Iran, in 1953 there was a coup d'état against the elected government to place the authoritarian and pro-Western Shah back into power. Command Economy Economies where centralized planning and state ownership are the norm. Command economies have strong ties to socialist principles, and are mostly fading from existence in favor or market or mixed economies. EX: The Soviet Union and China both had command economies, where industries were state owned and the government had massive oversight on the economy. Constitution A constitution is a set of basic rules concerning decision making, rights, and the distribution of authority in a political system. They can be fully written out o based on tradition and precedent. EX: The UK constitution does not exist as a single documents, but rather as all previous laws and interpretations of the Law Lords, with a strong basis in tradition and legitimacy from the Monarchy CONTINUED.....