AP® Comparative Government and Politics review sheet from Aim for Five (aimforfive.com/comp-gov/units/4)
Unit 4
13–18% of examParty and Electoral Systems and Citizen Organizations
Unit 4 shows how election rules shape who wins, how many parties compete and how citizens organize. You'll compare electoral systems, party systems, social movements and interest groups across the six course countries.
Study this unit
Flashcards (32)Practice questions (52)Comparative Government must-know sheetFree-response questions on this unit
Write your own answer, then score it with the rubric or with AI.
- Conceptual analysisCorporatism4 points · about 10 minutes
- Quantitative analysisVotes and seats in the UK's 2024 election5 points · about 20 minutes
- Quantitative analysisWomen in national legislatures5 points · about 20 minutes
- Comparative analysisParty systems and the rules behind them5 points · about 20 minutes
- Argument essayWhich electoral system represents citizens better?5 points · about 40 minutes
Big ideas
- Election rules shape party systems and who gets represented
- Rules can widen or narrow who is allowed to run and win
- Party systems range from one-party to multiparty
- Interest groups work differently in pluralist and corporatist systems
Full unit reviews
Longer videos that cover the whole unit. Good for a first pass or a final review.
Topics
In a single-member district plurality system (first-past-the-post), used for the UK House of Commons, each district elects one winner, which tends to favor two big parties. Proportional representation gives parties seats by vote share and tends to produce more parties. Mexico and Russia use mixed systems for their lower houses, and Nigeria's president needs the most votes plus at least 25% in two-thirds of the states.
Key terms
- single-member district plurality
- first-past-the-post
- proportional representation
- mixed electoral system
- runoff election
- threshold
A few quick questions on this topic, with the answers explained.
Election rules serve goals: who gets on the ballot, how winners are decided and who ends up represented. Iran's Guardian Council vets candidates; Mexico's National Electoral Institute (INE) and Nigeria's INEC are independent bodies meant to reduce fraud; thresholds and gender quotas change who wins seats; and members of the UK House of Lords are appointed rather than elected.
Key terms
- ballot access
- Guardian Council
- independent electoral commission
- gender quota
- threshold
A few quick questions on this topic, with the answers explained.
Party systems range from one party in control (China's Communist Party) and a dominant party (United Russia) to two big parties that have long dominated (the UK's Conservatives and Labour, though smaller parties also win seats) and multiparty competition (Mexico, Nigeria). Iran has loose political factions instead of formal parties. Rules like registration requirements and thresholds help decide how many parties can compete.
Key terms
- one-party system
- dominant-party system
- two-party system
- multiparty system
- catch-all party
- Duverger's law
A few quick questions on this topic, with the answers explained.
Parties link citizens to government by recruiting candidates, running campaigns and shaping policy. In the UK, strict party discipline drives votes in the Commons; Mexico's PRI lost its long dominance as election rules changed and competition grew; and in Russia, United Russia dominates the Duma.
Key terms
- linkage institution
- party discipline
- dominant party
- patronage
- el dedazo
A few quick questions on this topic, with the answers explained.
Social movements are large, loosely organized pushes for broad change, while interest groups organize around a specific interest or policy. Examples include Iran's Green Movement after the 2009 election, the 1994 Zapatista uprising in Mexico's Chiapas state, and Niger Delta movements such as MOSOP and MEND in Nigeria.
Key terms
- social movement
- interest group
- grassroots
- Green Movement
- Zapatistas
- MEND
A few quick questions on this topic, with the answers explained.
In a pluralist system, like the UK's, many independent groups compete to influence government. In a corporatist system, the state recognizes a few official groups to speak for labor, business and farmers, which gives it more control over citizen input. Mexico has moved from a corporatist system under the PRI toward pluralism.
Key terms
- pluralism
- corporatism
- single peak association
- state-sanctioned group
- interest group
A few quick questions on this topic, with the answers explained.