SECTION I

60 MINUTES, 55 QUESTIONS

Directions: The following 55 questions are meant to test your knowledge of the complete curriculum of AP Comparative Government and Politics. Select the best answer from the choices provided with each question.

Which of the following is the best example of a government?
1. The current president and his administration
2. A civil society association
3. The constitution and its associated political traditions
4. Democracy and rule of law
Civil society is defined as
1. groups that compete for public office by nominating candidates for elections
2. the political “rules of the game” and norms that political actors follow
3. voluntary associational groups people join to express their interests
4. states where citizens possess basic freedoms of expression and human rights
In Nigeria, the availability of large supplies of subsoil oil resources has had which of the following effects?
1. It has provided Nigeria with a basis from which to build a diversified and developed economy.
2. It has made it possible for Nigeria to run large budget surpluses consistently.
3. It has inhibited the progress of overall economic development and created opportunities for corruption.
4. It has limited the influence of multi-national companies in Nigeria’s economy and political system.
Which of the following could best be used to compare the level of economic development in two societies?
1. The GDP
2. The GDP per capita
3. The Gini index
4. The rate of inflation

Questions 5 and 6 refer to the following charts.

The data in the charts presented support which of the following empirical conclusions?
1. Democracy as a political system is failing in Nigeria.
2. Nigeria’s judiciary is demonstrably unfair to most people.
3. In Nigeria, satisfaction or dissatisfaction with democracy is correlated with religious affiliation.
4. Corruption is the primary complaint most Nigerians have against democracy.
Political cleavages such as the one illustrated in the charts can affect countries in which of the following ways?
1. Cleavages indicate citizens are distrustful of the corrupt behavior of political elites.
2. Cleavages are indications of election fraud, causing an increased support for authoritarianism.
3. Cleavages refer to irregular or unjust applications of the law, undermining the public’s faith in the legal system.
4. Cleavages indicate major divisions between groups in a society, potentially undermining national unity.
Which of the following best describes how the Russian Constitution of 1993 was ratified?
1. It was presented to the people in a national referendum.
2. It was submitted to Russia’s eighty-three regions for ratification.
3. The president signed it into law without consulting the legislature.
4. The Supreme Soviet approved it just before the dissolution of the U.S.S.R.
British elections occur
1. at the behest of the prime minister, within a four-year time frame
2. on a fixed schedule, every four years
3. at the behest of the monarch, within a five-year time frame
4. on a fixed schedule, every five years, unless two-thirds of the House of Commons support an early election
In Iran, who was given control of most of the wealth of the Shah and his allies after the Revolution of 1979?
1. The president and his administration, to fund national defense
2. The people, after a massive redistribution scheme
3. Charitable foundations overseen by Khomeini’s allies, which used the money to build support for the regime
4. The Majlis, for use in annual government budgets
Which of the following best explains the concept of “nations” in Britain?
1. Nearly all British share an ethnic and national identity.
2. More than 90 percent of people in Britain identify ethnically as English.
3. Religion and language unify the British into a single national identity.
4. There is a strong identity among differing British nations, but a shared political culture.
Which of the following best describes the nature of the media in Russia?
1. The media is exclusively state-owned and communicates a pro-government message consistently.
2. There is a large state-owned share of the media, but it can freely criticize the government and does so regularly.
3. There is a mix of state-owned and privately owned media, but the government exercises considerable control over the messages of both.
4. All media is privately owned, but it is closely allied with government officials and critical voices have difficulty getting coverage.
A regime that combines religious clerical authority and state authority would be called
1. an authoritarian regime
2. a theocratic regime
3. a constitutional republic
4. a monarchy
Of the following examples, which best displays rational-legal legitimacy?
1. A popular and charismatic political leader builds political processes around his own preferences.
2. The power to rule is passed down to hereditary heirs.
3. Political processes change based on the preferences of the government most recently elected into power.
4. Political processes remain predictable from government to government, based on principles in a constitution.
In Mexico, the embrace of free-trade and free-market economic policies came about as a result of
1. the imposition by a powerful general who deposed a leftist government
2. demands from internal forces, especially elites in charge of parastatal agencies
3. the democratic transition, which helped elect an opposition party, the PRD, into power
4. external pressure from lenders who assisted Mexico during the debt crisis
Nigeria is affected by its membership in ECOWAS in which of the following ways?
1. Most Nigerian economic decisions are now made at the supranational level.
2. Nigeria’s military is now under the command of the regional body to prevent further military intervention in politics.
3. The Nigerian people are increasingly resorting to violence to oppose further ECOWAS integration.
4. Membership in ECOWAS has reduced Nigeria’s sovereignty in trade and some other economic matters.
Which of the following would best represent a welfare-state policy of the related country?
1. The creation of the National Health Service in Britain
2. The creation of superdistricts over regional governments in Russia
3. IMF structural adjustment in Mexico
4. The Cultural Revolution in Iran
Which of the following best characterizes the relationship between the Cabinet and the Parliament in Great Britain?
1. The Cabinet is constitutionally superior, but it takes its direction from the Parliament in practice.
2. Members of the Parliament each hold a political loyalty to a specific member of the Cabinet in Great Britain’s patron-client system.
3. While members of the Cabinet are directly elected by voters, the Cabinet may appoint members of Parliament.
4. The Cabinet is approved by the Parliament and can be removed by the Parliament through a vote of no confidence.
A single-member-district (SMD) election system is most likely to result in
1. hung parliaments
2. control of government by a coalition of parties
3. a two-party system
4. a dominant one-party state
Which of the following Iranian officials is appointed, rather than elected by the people?
1. The Guardian Council
2. The Majlis
3. The president
4. The Assembly of Religious Experts
The presidents of both Mexico and Russia
1. may dissolve the legislature by decree
2. may only be elected to a single term
3. serve a six-year term
4. must be elected by a majority of voters
The Supreme Leader of Iran may be removed by
1. Iranian voters at regular elections
2. the Majlis on conviction of impeachment
3. the Assembly of Religious Experts
4. the Guardian Council
A network in which state officials provide benefits to groups in return for support is called
1. pluralism
2. patron-clientelism
3. democratic centralism
4. neocorporatism
If a political scientist observed a large number of newly registered NGOs in China, this could be interpreted as a direct indication that
1. civil society is growing in China
2. China has full respect for civil liberties
3. democracy and competitive party politics are likely to develop
4. the Chinese Communist Party has become tolerant of dissent
The highest form of law in Iran is
1. the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Constitution of 1979
2. qanun code law passed by the Majlis and the president
3. fatwas issued by the Supreme Leader
4. the interpretation of the Shari’ah by clerical elites
Russia’s Constitutional Court has the power to
1. remove the president in an impeachment trial
2. challenge the constitutionality of laws and presidential decrees
3. act as the court of last resort in civil and criminal cases
4. remove regional officials who violate federal laws
Which of the following individuals in Iran is LEAST likely to have a clerical background?
1. A member of the Majlis
2. A member of the Guardian Council
3. The Supreme Leader
4. The president
The Nigerian Senate
1. represents 300 SMD constituencies, divided based on their populations
2. possesses little power in comparison to the legislature’s lower house
3. represents each Nigerian state with an equal number of senators
4. is filled by appointment of state governors, rather than by election
Which of the following is true of both presidential and parliamentary systems?
1. The chief executive is selected by the members of the legislature.
2. The legislature has mechanisms to hold the chief executive accountable.
3. Separation of powers and checks and balances between branches of government are key features of both systems.
4. Powers are divided between the national and regional levels of government.
In which state would the use of a federal system be most likely?
1. A state with a large territory and a diverse population
2. A state with a small territory and a homogeneous population
3. A state with a large territory and a homogeneous population
4. A pluralist state with a presidential system of government

Questions 30 and 31 refer to the following passage.

MOSCOW—As President Vladimir Putin this week continued his run of sackings in Russia’s regions, state TV told the nation the Kremlin is grooming a new generation of leaders for top posts across the country.

Channel One on October 8 aired video of a team-building exercise near Sochi in which promising thirty- and forty-something officials were shown in wetsuits and helmets, queuing up to leap from a seven-meter cliff into the water below.

“This is not the end of their career, but rather a step into the future,” the reporter quipped, adding that recent graduates of the Kremlin’s new “leadership school” include several of Putin’s fresh gubernatorial appointees.

Over the last three weeks, the governors of 11 regions have been replaced in a series of moves that analysts say are designed to give the “illusion of renewal” as Putin, who recently turned 65, prepares to seek a fourth term in March. . . .

When Putin came to power in 2000, he set about strengthening Moscow’s power over the country’s 80-plus regions, which were often ruled by elected governors with the backing of local elites unbeholden to the capital.

In 2004, Putin abolished direct elections for governors, appointing regional heads personally, and weakened provincial authorities through tax reform and the neutering of the Federation Council, the upper house of parliament. Gubernatorial elections were brought back in 2012 by then-President Dmitry Medvedev, but a new signature-collecting requirement known as the “municipal ﬁlter” makes it almost impossible for opposition candidates to register in elections without official backing.

In the current arrangement, Putin can dismiss regional heads and appoint “acting” governors who must then stand for election—usually little more than a formality—on united election day in September.

“Russia’s Governors Shake-Up; Fresh Ideas, or ‘Illusion of Renewal’?” Copyright © 2017. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036. https://www.rferl.org/a/regional-shakeups-fresh-ideas-illusion-of-renewal/28794607.html

Since Vladimir Putin became president in 2000, reforms such as the ones described in the passage have reduced the extent to which Russia can be considered
1. a federal system
2. a presidential system
3. an authoritarian system
4. a proportional representation system
Many of Russia’s reforms since 2000, like those explained in the passage, have served to
1. enhance regional autonomy for Russia’s republics and oblasts
2. combat political corruption at the national level
3. consolidate executive power in the hands of the president
4. move Russia toward parliamentary democracy
Which of the following pairs of countries both divide the executive and legislative powers of government into separate institutions?
1. Mexico and Nigeria
2. Russia and Britain
3. China and Iran
4. Russia and China
Political parties in Iran
1. fall along strict right/left ideological divides
2. are not allowed to exist based on Shari’ah law
3. are highly fluid, and change from election to election
4. are the main institution of interest articulation
In which of the following areas do women in Iran participate at the highest percentage?
1. Representation in political office
2. The labor market
3. University enrollment
4. Religious leadership
In multinational states, social and political cleavages within the country can most directly result in which of the following?
1. Public demands for the removal of the chief executive
2. Debt problems and structural adjustment programs
3. Emergence of socialist ideology in public policymaking
4. Formation of organized separatist movements
Which of the following best describes the status of the media in Nigeria?
1. There is one dominant state-owned media company that most Nigerians get their political information from.
2. Nigerians have access to information from a few large media companies, but nearly all of them are friendly to the government.
3. There are a multitude of media outlets available to Nigerians, especially compared to most of Africa, but journalists are still routinely harassed by the government.
4. Press freedom is deeply imbedded into Nigerian political culture, and journalists are free to report without restriction.
Compared to Britain, China’s government could be considered to
1. place more emphasis on the rule of law
2. have a lower level of patron-clientelism
3. have a lower tolerance of dissent
4. place less emphasis on economic growth
Political culture is best defined as
1. the process by which citizens acquire their political beliefs
2. the ways in which citizens express their interests in the political system
3. common norms and beliefs about political behaviors in a society
4. the system by which political leaders are selected
If citizens believe their input and participation matter in formulating the policy of their country, they could be considered to have a high level of
1. civil society
2. political socialization
3. political efficacy
4. legitimacy
Russian civil society has been
1. strengthened by the Kremlin’s willingness to let NGOs operate without restriction in Russia
2. strengthened by widespread participation in new interest groups
3. strengthened by democratic reforms in the post-Soviet era
4. weakened by strenuous rules that make it difficult to form and organize interest groups
Which of the following would be the best example of Import Substitution Industrialization (ISI) policy?
1. Enacting laws prohibiting multinational corporations from operating in the country
2. The signing of major free-trade agreements with other countries in the region
3. Privatizing formerly state-owned enterprises that manufacture consumer goods
4. Accepting loans from the IMF and World Bank in order to build major development projects
China’s path of neoliberal economic reform and development since 1991 has resulted in
1. an increase in the number of barriers to international trade in China
2. a decline in the overall Chinese standard of living
3. increases in the overall national income with higher levels of inequality
4. persistent and uncontrollable levels of inflation
In Nigeria, opponents of globalization have largely focused their efforts against
1. the ruling party’s free-trade agenda
2. ECOWAS’s attempts to create a unified West African currency
3. the activity of multinational oil companies
4. Nigerian banks and investors

Question 44 refers to the chart below.

Source: International Monetary Fund, 2014
Country	GDP Per Capita
United Kingdom	$45,653
Russia	$12,926
China	$7,589
Mexico	$10,715
Iran	$5,183
Nigeria	$3,298

Which of the following is an empirical statement that could be made using the data shown above?
1. The standard of living in Russia is higher than the standard of living in Iran.
2. The economies of China and Mexico have implemented reform more successfully than Iran and Nigeria.
3. Nigeria should limit the growth of its population in order to raise its standard of living.
4. The United Kingdom’s economic policies should be mimicked by other countries around the world.
The terms “nationalization” and “privatization” refer to
1. who owns and controls major resources and industry: the state or private entities
2. the level of privacy citizens have from government searches and seizures
3. the possible processes of attaining recognition of citizenship within a state
4. the overall level of taxation in a state
Opposition to globalization in a developed country is most likely to come from
1. manufacturing labor unions
2. multinational corporations
3. government ministries and regulators
4. economists and other intellectuals
The legitimacy of Iran’s theocratic regime and institutions is rooted in
1. the Constitution of 1905
2. the Shah’s White Revolution of 1963
3. the Islamic Revolution and the Constitution of 1979
4. the Green Movement protests of 2009
Which of the following best explains the significance of the National Electoral Institute (INE) in Mexico?
1. The INE has improved the fairness of Mexico’s elections as part of the democratic transition.
2. The INE assisted the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) in controlling the results of elections to stay in power continuously.
3. Even though voters cast ballots for their preferred candidate for president of Mexico, the INE holds the final power to select the winner.
4. In Mexico, candidates for president and Congress are frequently removed from the ballot by the INE.
When Umaru Yar’Adua succeeded Olusegun Obasanjo as president of Nigeria in 2007, it was significant because
1. Yar’Adua was the first Muslim president in Nigeria’s history
2. it was the first transfer of power from a civilian to another civilian
3. it was the first time an opposition candidate won the presidency in an election
4. it was largely regarded as the freest and fairest election in Nigeria’s history
Which of the following accurately describes a policy of the government of Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990)?
1. Trade unions were invited to play a larger role in formulating labor policy.
2. International trade was restricted significantly so as to boost domestic manufacturing.
3. State-owned industries were sold into the private sector to promote efficiency.
4. Britain pursued further integration into Europe, and adopted the euro as its currency.
The Russian economic reforms referred to as “shock therapy” occurred during the presidency of
1. Joseph Stalin
2. Leonid Brezhnev
3. Mikhail Gorbachev
4. Boris Yeltsin

Questions 52 and 53 refer to the following chart.

Median Across 14 Countries

Which of the following is empirically true, based on the data shown in the chart?
1. Citizens in the countries surveyed are more likely to have voted than to have engaged in other types of political activities.
2. Voting in elections is the most effective form of political participation for achieving political goals.
3. Organized protests are more effective in achieving political goals in democracies than in authoritarian systems.
4. Voter turnout rates are declining in most democracies today.
The data in this chart could be used to gather information about the level of which of the following in the countries that were surveyed?
1. Political rights and freedoms
2. Potential for future economic growth
3. Political socialization
4. Political efficacy
Which one of the following statements best characterizes the current legal system of China?
1. Capitalism and globalization are unable to fully take hold because of poor protection of property rights in China.
2. Although criminal proceedings are often arbitrary, much progress has been made in improving rule of law and protecting contracts and workers’ rights.
3. Rule of law in China today is on par with most industrialized liberal democracies.
4. Communism in China heavily prioritizes the interests of the working class over those of the business owners.
Which of the following modern policy concerns has most frequently been the focus of the creation of supranational institutions?
1. Concerns over illegal immigration and migrant refugees
2. Expansion of the social safety net and the welfare state to the world’s poorest
3. Religious and moral issues such as same-sex marriage
4. Economic integration and the expansion of trade

SECTION II

1 HOUR 30 MINUTES, 4 QUESTIONS

Directions: You have 90 minutes to answer four questions. Be sure to answer every part of each question, and use substantive examples where appropriate.

Conceptual Analysis

Answer parts (A), (B), (C), and (D).
1. Define a regime.
2. Describe one way in which regime change can occur.
3. Explain the difference between a regime and a government.
4. Explain one reason why changes in regime occur less frequently than changes in government.
Quantitative Analysis

Review the data in the chart. Then answer parts (A), (B), (C), (D), and (E).

Data source: Freedom House, 2017.
1. From the data, identify the year in which the largest share of countries were considered not to have freedom of the press.
2. Describe one identifiable trend in the data on freedom of the press since 1986.
3. Define freedom of the press.
4. Explain one reason why authoritarian regimes restrict freedom of the press.
5. Explain one reason why democratic regimes sometimes restrict freedom of the press.
Comparative Analysis

Compare how the legislative election system affects the party system in two different AP Comparative Government and Politics course countries. In your response, you should do the following.
1. Describe the difference between a single-member-district system and a proportional representation system.
2. Describe how the election system used affects the party system in two different AP Comparative Government and Politics course countries, choosing one that uses a single-member-district system and one that at least partially uses a proportional system.
3. Explain one reason why a multiethnic society would choose to use a single-member-district system.
4. Explain one reason why a multiethnic society would choose to use a proportional representation system.
Argument Essay

Develop an argument as to whether presidential or parliamentary systems are more effective at promoting majority rule in a democracy. Use one or more of the following course concepts in your response:
- Party systems
- Separation of powers
- Fusion of powers
In your response, you should do the following:
- Respond to the prompt with a defensible claim or thesis that establishes a line of reasoning using one or more of the provided course concepts.
- Support your claim with at least TWO pieces of specific and relevant evidence from one or more course countries. The evidence should be relevant to one or more of the provided course concepts.
- Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim or thesis, using one or more of the provided course concepts.
- Respond to an opposing or alternate perspective using refutation, concession, or rebuttal.

ANSWER KEY

Practice Test 2

ANSWERS EXPLAINED

Multiple-Choice

(A) The government is the people currently exercising political power. It is not the regime, which is the current political system or “rules of the game” for politics. Current members of parliament, a presidential administration, and similar examples of people in power are the best examples of governments.
(C) Civil society is composed of groupings that express interests of citizens, but it is more inclusive than the term “interest groups.” It includes groups such as churches, charities, and by some scholars’ definitions, even families, in addition to those groups that formally lobby the government. Strong, independently organized civil society is one of the features of liberal democracy.
(C) While oil supplies provide a source of revenue for the Nigerian state, the reliance on oil as the center of Nigeria’s economic activity has limited the extent to which Nigeria has developed other industries, and the large amount of resources under the control of the state has created opportunities for officials to engage in corruption in their relationships with private businesses and multi-national corporations. This is sometimes referred to as the “resource curse.”
(B) Unlike the GDP, which measures total economic output of the whole society, GDP per capita measures it on a per person basis, giving a better sense of the standard of living for the average person in the society.
(C) Although many Nigerians expressed frustration with corruption and the conduct of the judiciary, these are not empirical statements because the data cannot prove them to be right or wrong without some kind of value judgment; therefore, choices (B) and (D) are normative statements. There is no specific question or set of data that clearly shows the “failure” of democracy, even if a segment of Nigerians expresses doubts about how well it is working, so choice (A) is not correct. There is clear evidence in the second chart indicating that in 2017 being Muslim correlates closely to being satisfied with democracy, and that in 2017 being Christian correlates to dissatisfaction with democracy.
(D) Political cleavages is a term referring to divisions that cause conflicts in politics. Extensive and repetitive cleavages among regional, religious, ethnic, ideological, and economic groups can undermine the continued stability and unity of a nation.
(A) In 1993, Boris Yeltsin submitted the proposed Russian Constitution to the people in a national referendum. It was approved by 58 percent of voters.
(D) Although the elections used to occur at the discretion of the prime minister within a five-year time frame, the Fixed Term Parliaments Act of 2011 changed them to fixed five-year terms, as a condition of the Liberal Democratic Party to join a Conservative coalition after no party won a majority in 2010. The only exception to this is if a vote of no confidence is held to remove a prime minister.
(C) Khomeini and the new revolutionary regime placed the wealth of the Shah and his allies in a number of “foundations” that were meant to do charitable work for the people of Iran. Most of these foundations engaged in activity directly intended to boost political support for the new regime, and they became a large component of the new patron-client network of the regime.
(D) The British have strong national identities divided as English, Welsh, Scottish, and Northern Irish, but there are unifying themes of belief in the rules of democracy, constitutionalism, tradition, and change through gradual reform, which unify their political culture.
(C) There are both state-owned and private sources of media available to citizens, but since Putin’s election in 2000, the freedom those sources have to criticize the state and investigate corruption has been highly curtailed.
(B) Theocracies merge the religious establishment with the political power of the state, giving clerics policymaking authority. Iran’s regime is an example of a theocracy, as the Supreme Leader and other clerical officials are entrusted with more political power than the democratically elected institutions.
(D) Rational-legal legitimacy protects the political regime from being altered to suit the preferences of those currently in power. People in power may only exercise those powers duly granted constitutionally, and they must adhere to the rules, such as fixed terms, and other checks on their power. Even an unpopular leader who still has years on his or her term can continue exercising their formal powers, since they were gained through legitimate legal processes.
(D) When the International Monetary Fund provided loans to Mexico in 1986, they came with a number of strings attached: public sector reform, privatization, and the opening of trade to international competition.
(D) The treaty establishing the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) requires the creation of a unified common market with free trade, limiting Nigeria’s control over its trade policies while it is a member. Although it allows for cooperative security collaboration between the member states, ECOWAS does not have control over Nigeria’s military. Nigeria still retains control over most other internal economic policies, such as pay and working regulations.
(A) Welfare-state policies attempt to protect people from unfortunate circumstances through a social safety net guarantee, such as in Britain, where the National Health Service provides every British citizen with guaranteed access to health care, no matter their income or employment status.
(D) Great Britain has a parliamentary system, which means the Parliament chooses the Prime Minister and approves the Cabinet who serves with the Prime Minister as the government. Parliament may remove the Prime Minister and/or any member of the Cabinet by holding a vote of no confidence.
(C) In SMD systems, only the winning candidate takes office, and all others receive nothing for their votes, so voters are strongly encouraged to get behind the largest parties with a chance of winning the seat, often resulting in a system with two large “big tent” parties, such as Labour and Conservative in Britain.
(A) Iranians elect many of their officials, but the Guardian Council is composed of twelve members, six of whom are appointed by the Supreme Leader, and six by the Chief Judge with the consent of the Majlis.
(C) Since the Constitution of 1911, Mexico’s presidents have served single six-year terms. The Russian president serves a six-year term since a reform in 2012 (before which it was a four-year term), but the Russian president may be reelected to a second term.
(C) The Assembly of Religious Experts has the constitutional power to choose and remove a Supreme Leader, although they have never actually exercised the removal power, and have only chosen a Supreme Leader twice: in 1979 after the revolution, and in 1989 after Khomeini’s death.
(B) Patron-client networks involve the giving of government positions and resources to individuals and groups in exchange for their political support. They are a fundamental feature of many authoritarian regimes that helps keep an entrenched elite in support of the regime in order to keep their benefits.
(A) NGOs, non-governmental organizations, are a good measure of the extent to which people choose to join associational groups to advance an interest or cause they care about. A growing number of NGO registrations might be an indicator of growing civil society.
(D) Shari’ah law, and particularly the Supreme Leader and Guardian Council’s current interpretation of the Shari’ah, is Iran’s supreme law, and this idea is even expressed in Iran’s Constitution of 1979. No action of government can conflict with the Shari’ah.
(B) Although other courts review specific cases and appeals, the Constitutional Court has only one responsibility, and that is to review laws and presidential decrees, and strike down any that are unconstitutional. In practice, this power is rarely used.
(A) The Supreme Leader, the Guardian Council, and the judges on Supreme Court must be clerics to qualify for the position. A president does not need to be one, though non-clerics are usually excluded from the ballot by the Guardian Council. Only one president so far (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) was not a cleric. Members of the Majlis are more likely to have nonclerical backgrounds.
(C) Each state gets three senators in Nigeria’s Senate, regardless of the population of the state. Its power is balanced with the House of Representatives, and both must pass any bill for it to become law.
(B) The legislature only selects the chief executive in a parliamentary system, and only a presidential system separates powers between branches, or gives the branches checks and balances against one another. In both systems, however, the legislature is given powers to check the chief executive, such as removal of the executive through impeachment (in a presidential system) or a vote of no confidence (in a parliamentary system), as well as control over the budget and power to investigate or question members of the executive branch.
(A) Federalism does not make much sense for a state with a small territory, as the laws would change quickly and frequently from place to place within a small area. There would be unnecessary extra levels of bureaucracy present in a very small space. It does not make much sense for a homogeneous population with similar values, either, since the purpose of federalism is to reflect local diversity in local policies, while unifying the areas with common national policies. Large, diverse countries are the ones who typically choose a federalist model. Russia, Mexico, and Nigeria are each large and diverse.
(A) Federal systems constitutionally protect the existence and autonomy of regional governments so that they may act based on local preferences without interference from the national level (depending on the issue). The article details the extent to which the president of Russia has gained power over time to remove and appoint governors of regional governments who were once independently elected by local voters in free elections. This reduces the extent to which Russia is functionally a federal system.
(C) The president’s powers to oversee regional governments and appoint governors has increased the political power held by the chief executive, further consolidating his control over the politics of the country.
(A) Mexico and Nigeria both have separate legislative and executive branches. Great Britain and China have an executive chosen by the legislature, and the two branches are effectively fused together.
(C) Political parties are confused and sometimes undistinguished from interest groups in Iran, and a strong political party fielding a presidential candidate in one election may not field any candidates in the next. They come and go with the political personalities of the election cycle, but tend to group into reformist or conservative camps.
(C) Women are a majority of university students in Iran, and made up as much as two-thirds of the population at many schools, until reforms ensuring a 50/50 male/female ratio at the top schools. They are about one-third of the labor force, but that number may grow given the educational statistics. Women are generally restricted from participating in political life or on the media in similar numbers. Women may not serve as clerics in Iran.
(D) Social and political cleavages are internal divisions that structure societies based on class, ethnicity, religion, or territory. These internal divisions can directly lead to the organic creation of separatist movements who seek sovereign independence for their people group in a multinational state. The other options could potentially emerge because of circumstances resulting from the social and political cleavages in the country, but not directly.
(C) Although journalists report getting harassed by officials who don’t like their coverage, there are a wide variety of media outlets in Nigeria, and the government isn’t capable of stopping or controlling their reporting and criticism. The press is relatively free in Nigeria.
(C) The British culture protects civil liberties such as the expression of dissent. While China is often tolerant of protests or other dissenting demonstrations, their tolerance has limits, and China regularly surveils and harasses those individuals and groups it finds problematic.
(C) Political culture refers to the norms that people accept in political behavior. It is based in national history and values, and is generally resistant to change. Political leaders must exercise power in the context of the political culture.
(C) Political efficacy refers to how much citizens believe their input can affect political outcomes, for instance, whether it matters if they vote or not, or whether their signature on a petition will make an impact or not. Societies with high political efficacy have higher rates of citizens political participation.
(D) The Kremlin has made it extremely difficult in recent years for groups to organize to express their views and challenge the government. For example, candidates for president must declare their candidacy in front of a gathering of 500 witnesses, but many opposition candidates are denied the permit to hold such a rally in a public place.
(A) Import Substitution Industrialization policies aim to replace foreign business entities with domestic production. Banning multinational corporations would protect domestic industries from foreign competition.
(C) Neoliberalism is an ideology that advocates economic reforms that remove barriers the state may otherwise put in place to trade and market interactions. These can include low tax rates, negotiating free trade agreements or otherwise encouraging foreign direct investment, protecting private property rights of individuals and corporations, and removing particular regulations seen as too cumbersome. In China, these policies have contributed to the creation of a large middle class and much higher overall levels of national income, while increasing the gap in standard of living between the upper and lower classes in China.
(C) Multinational oil companies are the typical target of Nigerian protests, demanding changes to their wages and working conditions, or environmental responsibility. This is due to the impact of oil on Nigeria’s economy, which may account for as much as 46 percent of Nigeria’s GDP.
(A) Empirical statements make a claim from fact alone, as statement (A) does. They do not make value judgments, such as what the goals of a country’s policies should be, or whether one country performed better than another (without reference to a specific measurement). Statements that also include a value judgment are called normative statements.
(A) Nationalization means the state takes ownership and control over an asset or industry, while privatization means the state is selling the asset or industry into the private sector.
(A) Multinational companies and investors are likely to benefit from free trade and global economic integration thanks to opportunities to reduce their costs of doing business, and the ability to buy cheaper products from overseas suppliers; however, domestic labor unions are most likely to suffer job losses because of the new lower priced competition.
(C) After what was perceived by many Iranians to be excessive secularization and Westernization of Iranian society by the Shah’s regime, revolutionaries led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini overthrew the state in 1979 and established a new constitution as an Islamic Republic. This period of history established Iran as a theocratic state fusing religious and political powers together.
(A) In 1990, Mexico created a new independent agency with enforcement powers to make Mexico’s elections more free, fair, and competitive. This agency was reformed and renamed in 2014 to become the National Election Institute (INE). It operates with complete independence from Mexico’s executive branch. It has policies in place to regulate candidates’ access to the ballot and count the results transparently so that the public can trust election processes and results with confidence.
(B) Obasanjo, though a former general, was a civilian president, who transferred power to another civilian in Yar’Adua. The election, however, was considered a complete fraud, and was assumed to have been rigged by the PDP, the party both men belonged to.
(C) Thatcher’s government is known for its radical economic liberalization agenda, with the centerpiece of the agenda being the privatization of national industries, such as the coal mines, railroads, telecoms, and others. Trade unions lost a substantial amount of political power as a result of the reforms. Thatcher remained ardently opposed to the euro throughout her time as prime minister, and Britain has still not adopted it.
(D) Yeltsin acted quickly to convert Russia to a market economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and pursued a rapid “shock therapy” plan. Gorbachev had envisioned a more gradual approach through “perestroika” to gradually add market elements, but his regime did not last long enough to see these reforms through fully.
(A) This is the only choice that is actually measured on the data. The poll taken did not make any assertions about the effectiveness of various strategies in achieving a political goal, but it did measure how many citizens actually participated in each behavior. More citizens have voted in a national election (78 percent) than any other type of political activity.
(D) Political efficacy refers to the extent to which people believe their participation in politics matters. Because this poll gauged the likelihood of people to participate in various political activities, it could be used by political scientists to gather information about the general level of political efficacy.
(B) Courts in China are increasingly deciding civil cases based on contract law in favor of workers against their employers, and China has moved quickly to train lawyers and judges to accommodate global business interests. Criminal law, meanwhile, is still highly arbitrary, and 99 percent of criminal defendants are convicted as guilty, many without an attorney to represent them in court.
(D) Supranational organizations, such as the EU, ECOWAS, and the WTO have largely focused on economic integration and the expansion of trade between their members. These organizations are rarely empowered to take action on issues beyond this realm.

Free-Response

Conceptual Analysis (4 points possible)
1. One point is earned for a correct definition of a regime. Correct definitions may include:
  - A regime is the political system that sets the rules for how politics is to be conducted and how political power can be acquired and used.
  - A regime refers to the “political rules of the game” underlying how the political system works.
2. One point is earned for correctly describing one way regime change can occur. Correct descriptions may include:
  - Regime change can occur through a revolution, in which public opposition to the current regime becomes so overwhelming and dramatic that the current regime collapses and a new one must be constructed to take its place.
  - Regime change can occur gradually through major reforms that reshape the existing constitutional structure or political institutions such that eventually the system does not operate the way it once did.
3. One point is earned for a correct explanation of the difference between a regime and a government. Correct explanations may include:
  - A regime refers to the fundamental rules of politics that underlie the entire political system, while a government refers to the current officials exercising political powers.
4. One point is earned for a correct explanation of one reason why regimes change less frequently than governments. Correct explanations may include:
  - Governments can change with regular elections that replace current leaders with new ones. Regimes only change through dramatic transformation of the political system itself.
  - Regimes are subject to remaining consistent with the political culture of a country, which is resistant to change. The public mood about individual political leaders can change more frequently; therefore, changes in government are more likely to occur.
Quantitative Analysis (5 points possible)
1. One point is earned for correctly identifying the year from the data in which the largest share of countries was considered not to have freedom of the press. Correct identifications include:
  - 1986
2. One point is earned for a correct description of one identifiable trend in the data on freedom of the press since 1986. Correct descriptions may include:
  - There are fewer countries classified as “not free” since 1986.
  - There are more countries classified as “free” or “partly free” since 1986.
  - The number of countries classified as “free” increased after 1986, but then declined after 2006.
3. One point is earned for a correct definition of freedom of the press. Correct definitions may include:
  - Freedom of the press is the right of media outlets to report on political activity and express opinions about politics without interference from the state.
  - Freedom of the press guarantees opponents of the government the right to express views of opposition publicly, in print and in other media, without fear of retribution from the state or censorship of their expression.
4. One point is earned for a correct explanation of one reason why authoritarian regimes restrict freedom of the press. Correct explanations may include:
  - To preserve the government’s ability to hold on to political power
  - To prevent threats to the continued existence of the regime or stability of the state
  - To encourage national unity by restricting divisive voices in the press
  - To prevent the exposure of corruption carried out by the government
5. One point is earned for a correct explanation of one reason why democratic regimes sometimes restrict freedom of the press. Correct explanations may include:
  - To protect the rights of minority groups from abuse or harassment
  - To guarantee balanced or unbiased coverage in the media to all political parties (such as Equal Time laws)
  - To prevent libel or slander
  - To suppress voices advocating violence against the regime or opposition to the system of democracy itself
Comparative Analysis (4 points possible)
1. One point is earned for a correct explanation of the difference between a single-member-district system and a proportional representation system. Correct explanations may include:
  - Proportional representation systems give each party representation based closely on the percentage of the vote they received, while parties must win individual constituencies to gain representation in a single-member-district system.
  - Voters cast votes for parties in a proportional representation system, but vote for an individual candidate in a single-member-district system.
  - In a single-member-district system, the country is divided into geographic constituencies that each elect one person, whereas in a proportional representations system, there may be no local level geographic constituencies, or the constituencies will elect multiple members.
2. One point is earned for EACH correct description of how the election system used affects the party system in two different course countries, with up to two points possible. To earn both points, one country must be a single-member-district system, and one must at least partially use proportional representation. Correct descriptions may include:
  - Single-member-district system countries (Great Britain, Iran, Nigeria)
    1. Universal for all three countries
      - Single-member-district systems encourage voters to support broad-based, big-tent ideological parties rather than fringe parties to maximize the chance of achieving their political goals.
      - The single-member-district system tends to result in the creation of two major parties competing for majority control of the government.
    2. Great Britain
      - For all of Britain’s democratic history, the single-member-district system has resulted in two parties, Conservative and Labour, which compete for control over the government. Other parties have been involved in some coalition governments, but one of the two major parties always heads the coalition.
      - The single-member-district system rewards regional parties such as the Scottish National Party (SNP), which win larger shares of seats in Parliament than their share of the national vote.
    3. Iran
      - Although Iran does not have enduring political parties that maintain a specific identity from election to election, every election involves a race between groups identifiable as conservative and reformist. These groups compete for majority control of the government, similar to a two-party system.
    4. Nigeria
      - Early on under Nigeria’s Constitution of 1999, regional parties were able to win elections in local geographic constituencies, making political parties mirror Nigeria’s ethnic and regional diversity.
      - Over time, Nigeria’s multitudes of competing parties have merged and consolidated into two large parties, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). Nigeria has functioned as a two-party system in recent elections.
  - Proportional representation states (Russia and Mexico)
    1. Universal for both countries
      - Because proportional systems give representation to even small parties with few votes, voters are incentivized to continue supporting these parties.
      - Some small parties with low shares of the vote total still win seats in the legislature.
    2. Russia
      - The conversion to a fully proportional system in 2007 eliminated the chance for most of the small regionally-based parties to win seats in the Duma.
    3. Mexico
      - The election system has created a multiparty democracy in which it has been difficult for one party to gain control of the government.
      - There has been frequent gridlock between and within the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate, and the Presidency due to the system making it difficult for one party to take control with so many meaningful competing parties.
3. One point is earned for a correct explanation of one reason why a multiethnic society would choose to use a single-member-district system. Correct explanations may include:
  - If members of small ethnic groups are concentrated regionally, the single-member-district system ensures that those groups can win representation from their constituency into the national legislature.
  - The nature of single-member-district systems incentivizes cooperation of diverse groups to form large, broad-based parties in order to maximize their chance to take political power. The system can encourage competing ethnic groups to work together in politics and compromise.
4. One point is earned for a correct explanation of one reason why a multiethnic society would choose to use a proportional representation system. Correct explanations may include:
  - Proportional representation systems ensure some degree of representation to nearly all organized political parties, even those that are small minorities. The system can help ensure the inclusion of all ethnic groups into the legislature.
Argument Essay (5 points possible)
1. One point is earned for constructing a defensible claim or thesis that establishes a line of reasoning using one or more of the course concepts.
  - Examples of acceptable claims or theses:
    1. “Presidential systems are more effective at promoting majority rule in a democracy, because they give the voters direct control over which individual becomes the chief executive and allow voters the flexibility for multiparty control of the government.”
    2. “Parliamentary systems create stronger majority rule in democracies than presidential systems because they ensure that the party chosen by voters to govern has full policymaking control, rather than allowing minority groups to obstruct the functioning of the government.”
  - Examples of unacceptable claims or theses:
    1. “There are many strengths and weaknesses held by both presidential and parliamentary systems when it comes to ensuring majority rule.” This attempt at a thesis does not make a specific claim regarding which system is better for promoting majority rule.
    2. “Parliamentary systems are more effective than presidential systems at promoting majority rule in a democracy.” This statement alone does not establish a line of reasoning. However, additional statements could support this claim and establish a line reasoning.
2. One point is earned for EACH use of specific evidence from one of the six course countries, with up to two points possible. The specific examples and evidence used must be relevant and support the thesis or claim of the essay.
  - Examples of specific relevant evidence (not an exhaustive list):
    1. “Great Britain’s system ensures that when voters choose one party (or coalition of parties) to govern, the government can enact policy freely, consistent with the will of the majority, without obstruction from other branches of government or minority party groups.”
    2. “The people of Great Britain, in the end, have no real say in who their Prime Minster will be, since political elites choose each party’s leader without direct input from the people. All they can decide is which party controls Parliament.”
    3. “The people of Mexico suffer from continuous gridlock in their government because even when they vote for a new president to govern for the next six years, his agenda routinely stalls in a Congress in which no party can reliably establish majority control over.”
    4. “Nigeria’s presidential system gives voters a direct voice in who the chief executive will be, and it even has provisions in place in the Constitution to guarantee that a majority votes for a president before he takes office.”
    5. “In Britain’s parliamentary system, there are routinely elections where a party takes majority control over the government, even though a minority of voters cast ballots for that party.”
    6. Note: Uses of examples from Russia and Iran are likely problematic when answering this question, as neither country could be considered a democracy at the moment. Uses of examples from China cannot apply because China is a unique system of government that does not fit neatly into either the presidential or parliamentary category, and it is also an authoritarian one-party state.
3. One point is earned for discussion of why the evidence cited supports the thesis or claim. This discussion should be specific to the evidence cited and connected back to the thesis or claim.
4. One point is earned for responding to an opposing or alternate perspective, either using refutation, concession, or rebuttal.
  - Examples of refutation, concession, or rebuttal may include:
    1. “Presidential systems certainly give voters greater control over the single decision of who becomes the chief executive; however, in many matters, that chief executive will find his attempts to govern on behalf of the majority frustrated by checks and balances wielded by minority groups in the government.”
    2. “Although parliamentary systems give more control to the group in the majority of the government, these officials often do not accurately reflect the will of the voters, and they may only represent a minority of them. Presidential systems give voters more choices over more officials within the government creating a more accurate total representation of the majority’s will.”

SCORE ANALYSIS

Section I: Multiple-Choice

Use the following formula to calculate your weighted Section I score.

Number correct (out of 55): ________ × 1.0909 = ________ (Section I Score Total)

Section II: Free-Response

Add together your weighted scores for each of the four questions to get your total weighted Section II score.

Short-Answer Concepts

Conceptual Analysis (11% of exam score)

Points earned on rubric ________ (out of 4 possible) × 3.3 = ______
Quantitative Analysis (12.5% of exam score)

Points earned on rubric ________ (out of 5 possible) × 3.0 = ______
Comparative Analysis (12.5% of exam score)

Points earned on rubric ________ (out of 5 possible) × 3.0 = ______
Argument Essay (14% of exam score)

Points earned on rubric ________ (out of 5 possible) × 3.36 = ______

Section II Score Total ______

Total Section I + Total Section II = ________/120

Conversion Chart for AP Exam Score*

Final Score Range	AP Score
84–120	5
72–83	4
60–71	3
43–59	2
0–42	1
*The score range corresponding to each grade varies from exam to exam and is approximate.