AP Comparative Government & Politics — Cheatsheet
Formulas, exam-day tips, and key terms on one page.
On the exam
- Keep the four core terms sharp: **state** (sovereign territory), **nation** (shared identity), **regime** (enduring rules/institutions), **government** (current officeholders). AP prompts frequently test whether you can tell a change of *government* (an election) from a change of *regime* (a revolution).
- Do not equate "holds elections" with "democracy." Russia and Iran hold elections but are hybrid/authoritarian because competition is managed. On the exam, judge a regime by whether power is genuinely **contested and constrained**, not just by whether ballots are cast.
- When a prompt describes a democracy that "cannot deliver," reach for **state capacity**, not regime type. AP loves scenarios where a country is democratic in form but weak in practice (Nigeria) versus authoritarian but effective (China) — separate the two dimensions explicitly.
- For every executive question, ask two things: (1) Is the executive accountable to the legislature (parliamentary) or elected separately for a fixed term (presidential)? (2) Are the head-of-state and head-of-government roles combined or split? These two axes classify all six countries.
- Watch for bicameralism tracking federalism: federal states (**Russia, Mexico, Nigeria**) tend to have a second chamber representing regions, while the unitary authoritarian systems (**China, Iran**) are unicameral. The UK is unitary but bicameral — a useful exception to remember.
- The UK’s historic principle of **parliamentary sovereignty** means Parliament’s statutes were traditionally supreme and not subject to being struck down by courts — a sharp contrast with strong judicial review. Note the 2009 UK Supreme Court can review *government actions* but this legislative-supremacy tradition still shapes the system.
- On cleavage questions, state both the *type* and the *effect*: cross-cutting → moderates conflict; coinciding/reinforcing → intensifies conflict. Then anchor it to a country (Nigeria for reinforcing ethnic-religious-regional divides) for full credit.
- Link civil society to democratization: a strong, independent civil society supports democratic transition and consolidation, which is exactly why authoritarian regimes (China, Russia, Iran) work to co-opt, corporatize, or repress it. State that causal link explicitly in essays.
- Rank media freedom across the six: **UK** (free) → **Mexico/Nigeria** (free but journalists endangered) → **Russia/Iran** (state-controlled, censored) → **China** (most controlled, Great Firewall). Free-response prompts often ask you to compare two countries’ media environments directly.
- Memorize the pairing: **FPTP → two parties** (UK), **PR → many parties + coalitions**, **mixed → in between** (Mexico, Russia). When a prompt changes the electoral rules, predict the party-system effect through Duverger’s law for full credit.
- Distinguish **one-party** (rivals banned — China) from **dominant-party** (rivals legal but never win — Russia, historic PRI Mexico). The presence of *legal but powerless* opposition is the giveaway for a dominant-party system.
- Contrast the two interest-group models cleanly: **pluralism** = many groups, open competition, no guaranteed access (UK); **corporatism** = few recognized groups with privileged access, and in its **state** form the government controls them (China). Name the model *and* the country.
- Frame globalization questions around the **sovereignty tradeoff**: integration brings economic benefits but requires ceding policy control, and backlash (Brexit) reclaims sovereignty at economic cost. Naming both sides of the tradeoff earns fuller credit than describing only one.
- China’s reforms make a key comparative point: **economic liberalization does not require political liberalization**. Use China versus post-Soviet Russia to show that market reform can pair with authoritarian control (China) or with disruptive privatization and oligarchy (Russia).
- Always ask whether change alters the **regime** (revolution — Iran 1979) or only the **government/leaders** (a coup, or a normal election). And watch for **democratic backsliding**: an elected leader keeping democratic forms while gutting their substance is a frequent, high-value exam concept.
How to get a 5
- Always be prepared to compare at least two countries. The course is 'Comparative' Government, so FRQs will ask you to identify a concept and explain how it looks different in two specific core countries.
- Use the precise vocabulary. Don't say 'rules'; say 'regime.' Don't say 'country'; say 'state.' Demonstrating mastery of political science terminology earns points.
- Understand that legitimacy (the right to rule) can come from multiple sources: rational-legal (constitutions, elections), traditional (monarchy), or charismatic (a revolutionary leader).
- Be aware of current events up to the year before the exam, particularly regarding leadership changes, major protests, or shifts in electoral laws in the six core countries.
Key terms
The Six Core Countries — United Kingdom, Russia, China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria.
State vs. Nation vs. Regime — State: Monopoly on violence over a territory. Nation: Group of people with a shared identity. Regime: The fundamental rules and norms of politics (e.g., democratic vs. authoritarian).
Parliamentary vs. Presidential System — Parliamentary: Executive (PM) is chosen by the legislature (UK). Presidential: Executive is elected separately from the legislature (Mexico, Nigeria).
First-Past-The-Post (SMD) — Electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a district wins the sole seat. Tends to produce two-party systems (Duverger's Law). Used in UK, Nigeria.
Proportional Representation (PR) — Parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for them. Tends to produce multiparty systems. Used in Russia (Duma).
Rentier State — A country that obtains a large portion of its revenue from the export of raw materials or leasing out natural resources to foreign entities (e.g., Iran, Russia, Nigeria via oil).
Illiberal Democracy / Hybrid Regime — A regime that has democratic mechanisms like elections, but lacks robust civil liberties, rule of law, and independent media (e.g., Russia under Putin).
Cleavages (Cross-cutting vs. Coinciding) — Cross-cutting: Divides society into many groups, reducing conflict. Coinciding (Cumulative): Identity divisions align (e.g., ethnicity + religion + class), escalating conflict (e.g., Nigeria).
Democratic Centralism — Leninist principle used in China: discussion is permitted among party members, but once a decision is made by the central leadership, all must obey unconditionally.
Devolution — The transfer of power from a central government to subnational/regional governments (e.g., UK giving power to Scottish Parliament).
Supranational Organization — An organization that has sovereign power over its member states in certain areas (e.g., the European Union vs. the UN).
Corporatism — A system where interest groups become an institutionalized part of the state, often limiting the formation of independent groups (common in authoritarian regimes and historically in Mexico under the PRI).