AP® Comparative Government and Politics review sheet from Aim for Five (aimforfive.com/comp-gov/units/3/3-6)
Unit 3 · Topic 3.6
3.6 Forces that Impact Political Participation
Both democracies and authoritarian regimes hold elections and set rules for protest, but what citizens can actually change differs. Authoritarian regimes screen candidates, control media and limit protest and online speech; democracies face their own barriers, like low trust and low turnout.
Key terms
- competitive elections
- opposition
- protest
- censorship
- voter access
What shapes participation
Political efficacy is the belief that your participation makes a difference. When efficacy is low, people may stay home even where elections are free. Rules can also widen access: in Mexico, the INE issues a free voter ID card that many people use as their main form of identification.
- Election rules: who can run, who can vote, how easy it is to register.
- Competition: whether opposition parties can win.
- Information: whether media and the internet are free.
- Freedom to protest: permit rules, penalties and policing.
- Trust and efficacy: whether people believe their action makes a difference.
- Security: violence and insecurity keep voters home.
Limits in authoritarian regimes
Iran: The Guardian Council screens candidates. For the 2024 presidential election, it approved six of the roughly 80 people who registered. Internet shutdowns were used during the 2019 and 2022 protests.
Russia: Election officials have disqualified opposition and anti-war candidates over paperwork and signatures, and unapproved protests bring fines and arrests. Since 2022, laws punish spreading “false information” about the armed forces.
China: There are no competitive national elections. Direct elections exist only for village committees and for people's congresses at the county and township levels, and candidates are screened. Online criticism is censored, and protests are usually local and quickly contained.
Barriers in democracies
Democracies limit participation too, though less. Nigeria suspended Twitter from June 2021 to January 2022 after the platform deleted a presidential post. Insecurity and distrust have kept turnout low there. In the UK, new laws in 2022 and 2023 gave police more power to restrict disruptive protests, which supporters said protects the public and critics said limits peaceful protest. Since 2023, voters in Great Britain have had to show photo ID to vote in person in UK general elections and English local elections.
Both kinds of regime regulate participation, for example by setting voting rules and banning violent or highly disruptive protest. The difference is degree. Authoritarian regimes tolerate mass protest far less, because they put public order ahead of individual liberties, and they treat online criticism that challenges the regime as a threat.
Turnout in recent national elections
Figures are rounded from official results. Compare them with care: turnout reflects rules, trust, security and how competitive a race is.
| Country | Election | Approximate turnout |
|---|---|---|
| UK | 2024 general election | 60% |
| Mexico | 2024 general election | 61% |
| Nigeria | 2023 presidential election | 27% |
| Iran | 2024 presidential election, first round | 40% |
Worked examples
Try each one yourself first, then open the solution.
- Example 1
Describing and explaining turnout data
Using the turnout table, describe one difference between Nigeria and Mexico, and explain one possible cause.
Show the solutionHide the solution
- Step 1: Describe with numbers: Mexico's 2024 turnout (about 61%) was more than twice Nigeria's 2023 turnout (about 27%).
- Step 2: Offer a cause tied to course content: insecurity in parts of Nigeria, along with distrust of the electoral process after past disputed elections, can discourage voting.
- Step 3: Add a caution: inflated voter rolls can also make Nigerian turnout look lower than it is.
Answer: Mexico's turnout was more than double Nigeria's; insecurity and low trust in elections are likely causes, though inaccurate voter rolls may also lower Nigeria's figure.
Common mistakes
- Assuming only authoritarian regimes restrict participation. Democracies set rules too, though with more ways to challenge them.
- Describing Chinese elections as nonexistent. Local direct elections exist; national ones aren't competitive.
- Explaining a turnout number without stating it. Always quote the figure from the data.
On the exam
- Expect questions on how candidate vetting or media control affects participation in Iran, Russia or China.
- In the quantitative analysis question, describe the data, identify a pattern, then use a concept like legitimacy or competitive elections to explain it.
Connected topics
Videos
Check yourself
4 questions on 3.6 Forces that Impact Political Participation. Pick an answer to see if you got it, and why.
Before Russia's 2024 presidential election, election officials refused to register several candidates who had criticized government policy. This action best illustrates how authoritarian regimes
Which statement about protest is true of both democratic and authoritarian regimes?
Chinese social media platforms routinely remove posts and block search terms that officials consider politically sensitive. This practice most directly affects
In 2022, large protests spread across Iran after Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, died in custody after being detained by the morality police. The government's response, which included mass arrests and internet restrictions, best reflects how authoritarian regimes tend to
0 of 4 answered