Skip to Main Content

AP Comparative Government: Party and Electoral Systems and Citizen Organizations (4)

Mexico

President elected through plurality, not majority. 1 term max (Sexenio), independent electoral commission. Eliminated el dedazo.

Britain

Russia

Nigeria

China

Iran

4.1 Electoral Systems and Rules

Some regimes allow for competitive elections while others carefully control elections to advance specific political interests. Proportional representation systems depend on multimember districts leading to multiparty systems.

4.2 Objectives of Election Rules

Understand how election rules depend on the different objects of regimes. Analyze the rules of electoral systems for legislatures and the existence of democratization. Electoral rules include FPTP, PR, presidential election systems, ballot access and appointment systems in legislative bodies.

4.3/4.4 Political Parties

Major political parties:

UK: Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, regional parties, SMDs
Mexico: Morena, PAN, PRI, PRD
Russia: United Russia dominant, SMDs
Iran: no formal party system
China: CCP, no other competitive political parties
Nigeria: PDP, APC, smaller parties, ethnic quotas

4.5 Impact of Social Movements and Interest Groups

Iran: Green Movement (2009 election)
Mexico: Zapatistas
Nigeria: Boko Haram, Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Movement for Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP)
Russia: Protests over restrictions against LGBTQ+ rights
 

4.6 Pluralist and Corporatist Interests

Systems of interest group representation. Pluralism encourages competition, corporatism means government control on state-sanctioned groups.
Mexico: moving from corporatism to pluralism