#AP Comparative Government: Political Party Systems - Your Night-Before Guide 🚀

Hey! Let's get you prepped for the AP Comparative Government exam. This guide is designed to be your go-to resource for a quick, effective review of political party systems. We'll make sure you're confident and ready to ace this! 💪

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Unit 4: Political Parties - Key Concepts

#4.3 Political Party Systems

#Importance of Political Parties

Political parties are the backbone of democratic regimes. They:

• Provide a structure for citizens to engage in politics.
• Organize political beliefs and ideologies.
• Simplify political processes by helping politicians organize and campaign.
• Offer a platform—a set of policies a party will implement if elected, promoting accountability and stability.

#Party Systems Continuum

Party systems range from dominant party systems to multi-party systems. Let's see where our course countries fall:

• Dominant Party System: One party holds most of the power.
• Multi-Party System: Multiple parties compete for power.

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4.3.1 Course Country Party Systems

Let's dive into each country, focusing on what the AP CED emphasizes. Remember, if the College Board mentions it, it's likely to be on the exam! 💡

#1. China 🇨🇳

• Regime Type: Authoritarian

• Dominant Party: Communist Party of China (CPC)

• Key Features:

  • CPC controls governing power, military, media, and judicial system.
  • Eight other parties exist but have no real power.
  • Maintains centralism and order.
  

#2. Russia 🇷🇺

• Regime Type: Hybrid (moving towards authoritarianism)

• Dominant Party: United Russia

• Key Features:

  • Increasing party registration requirements.
  • Selective court decisions to disqualify candidates.
  • Limited media access for opposition.
  • High threshold rules to limit party access to the ballot.
  • Eliminated gubernatorial elections.
  • Direct elections at the national level, but only approved candidates can run.
  • United Russia is center-right, with conservative social policy, a market economy, and a strong state.
  

#3. Mexico 🇲🇽

• Regime Type: Emerging/Procedural Democracy

• Key Features:

  • Transitioning away from one-party dominance.
  • Eliminated el dedazo (president handpicking successor).
  • Privatized state-owned corporations to reduce patronage.
  • Decentralized power at the subnational level.
  • Strengthened the National Electoral Institute.
  • Combating clientelism (buying party loyalty).
  • Moving towards a multi-party system.
  

#4. Nigeria 🇳🇬

• Regime Type: Emerging/Procedural Democracy

• Party System: Multi-party system

• Key Features:

  • 30 registered political parties.
  • Two strong parties: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).
  • PDP: Center-left, mixed economy, social welfare, strong state.
  • APC: Market economy, individual freedom, smaller government.
  

#5. UK 🇬🇧

• Regime Type: Substantive Democracy

• Party System: Two-party dominant

• Key Features:

  • Competition between Conservative and Labour parties.
  • First-past-the-post favors major parties.
  • Minor parties with regional representation.
  • Catch-all parties with diverse platforms.
  • Strong party discipline in the legislature.
  

#6. Iran 🇮🇷

• Regime Type: Authoritarian

• Party System: No formal structure

• Key Features:

  • No freedom of speech opposing Islamic rule.
  • Islamic Republic Party (IRP) controls parliament since 1979. * IRP endorses a conservative ideology.
  

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Remember to connect political party systems to other units, like electoral systems and regime types. For example, how does first-past-the-post in the UK affect its two-party system? These connections are key for FRQs! 🔗

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Final Exam Focus

#High-Priority Topics

• Party System Types: Dominant vs. Multi-party.
• Course Country Examples: Know the specifics of each country's party system.
• Impact of Party Systems: How do they affect democracy and policy-making?

#Common Question Types

• Multiple Choice: Identifying characteristics of different party systems.
• Short Answer: Comparing party systems across countries.
• Free Response: Analyzing the impact of party systems on political stability and democracy.

#Last-Minute Tips

• Time Management: Quickly identify the question type and allocate your time accordingly.
• Common Pitfalls: Avoid vague answers. Be specific with examples from the course countries.
• Strategies: Use the course countries to support your arguments. Practice connecting different units.

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Practice Question

Practice Questions

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which of the following best describes the political party system in China? (A) A multi-party system with free and fair elections (B) A dominant-party system where the Communist Party holds power (C) A two-party system with strong competition (D) A system with no political parties

2. In which of the following countries does the electoral system most strongly favor the development of a two-party system? (A) Mexico (B) Nigeria (C) United Kingdom (D) Russia

3. Which of the following is a key feature of the political party system in Iran? (A) A multi-party system with free elections (B) A dominant-party system with a secular ideology (C) A system with no formal structure for political parties and limited freedom of speech (D) A two-party system with strong competition

#Free Response Question

Prompt:

Compare and contrast the political party systems of two of the following countries: Mexico, Russia, and the United Kingdom. In your response, be sure to:

• Define the key characteristics of each country’s party system.
• Discuss the factors that have contributed to the development of each system.
• Analyze the impact of each system on the country’s political landscape.

Scoring Guidelines:

• Point 1 (1 point): Correctly identifies and defines the party system of Mexico as a multi-party system that is transitioning away from a dominant party system.
• Point 2 (1 point): Correctly identifies and defines the party system of Russia as a dominant party system with United Russia.
• Point 3 (1 point): Correctly identifies and defines the party system of the UK as a two-party dominant system.
• Point 4 (1 point): Discusses factors contributing to Mexico's multi-party system, such as the elimination of el dedazo and decentralization.
• Point 5 (1 point): Discusses factors contributing to Russia's dominant party system, such as strict party registration requirements and limited media access for the opposition.
• Point 6 (1 point): Discusses factors contributing to the UK's two-party system, such as the first-past-the-post electoral system.
• Point 7 (1 point): Analyzes the impact of Mexico's system on its democratization process and the weakening of the previously dominant party.
• Point 8 (1 point): Analyzes the impact of Russia's system on limiting political opposition and consolidating power.
• Point 9 (1 point): Analyzes the impact of the UK's system on the dominance of two major parties and the challenges faced by minor parties.

Good luck! You've got this! 🎉