AP®︎ Comparative Government: Topic 1.5 Flashcards

The ability to influence political behavior, control institutions, make binding decisions, or compel compliance

The recognized right to exercise power and make and enforce political decisions

Constitutions provide a legal basis for rule by authorizing institutions, allocating powers, and establishing procedures for governing

A constitutional order drawn from statutes, judicial decisions, conventions, common law, and practices rather than one supreme written document

Religious law, leaders, institutions, and traditions provide a sacred basis for rule and can determine acceptable policy and who may govern

A political system in which religious authorities or principles provide the ultimate basis for rule

Islamic religious law that, with clerical interpretation, serves as a standard for Iranian government and public policy

The Iranian doctrine assigning senior Islamic jurists ultimate responsibility for ensuring that government conforms to Islam

Armed forces provide coercive capacity to defend a regime, suppress resistance, remove leaders, or seize government

Government in which armed-forces officers displace elected institutions and govern principally through command

Parties recruit leaders, organize supporters, control access to office, set policy priorities, and connect citizens to the state

A system with legal opposition and elections in which one party’s institutional advantages make genuine competition and alternation difficult

A system in which only the ruling party may exercise national political leadership

The exchange of targeted goods, services, jobs, or other benefits for political loyalty

Legislatures make laws, authorize policy and budgets, represent constituencies, and may constrain or reinforce the executive

Public authorization expressed through elections, referendums, participation, mobilization, membership, or acceptance of government

A republic in which multiple political parties can compete through constitutional elections for control of government

The Chinese Communist Party controls the People’s Liberation Army through party leadership, providing coercive power and protecting one-party regime stability

The revolution replaced the shah’s monarchy with an Islamic Republic in which Sharia and unelected clerical institutions supervise elected institutions

Electoral reforms weakened PRI dominance, and the PAN’s 2000 presidential victory demonstrated competitive elections and peaceful party alternation

The Fourth Republic in 1999 replaced direct military rule with civilian constitutional government, multiparty elections, and popular authorization

A system that retains elections and multiple parties while authorities manipulate competition to give governing leaders systematic advantages

Political elites back a strong presidency, while election rules favor United Russia, concentrating effective power in the executive and sustaining a managed democracy

The transfer of decision-making authority over specified policy areas from the central government to regional legislatures and governments

Constitutional reforms devolved specified powers to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, accommodating regional demands and helping preserve regime stability