What do you know?
1. Official or Legal Names:
• London = The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Moscow = Rossiiskaya Federatsiya (Russian Federation)
• Beijing = Zhonghua Renmin Gonghe Guo (People’s Republic of China)
• Tehran = Jomhuri-ye Eslami-ye Iran (Islamic Republic of Iran)
1. Official or Legal Names (cont’d):
• Mexico City = Estados Unidos Mexicanos (United Mexican States)
• Abuja = Federal Republic of Nigeria
• Washington, DC = United States of America
2. Per Capita GDP Rankings
1. United States ($37,800)
2. United Kingdom ($27,700)
3. Mexico ($9,000)
4. Russia ($8,900)
5. Iran ($7,000)
6. China ($5,000)
7. Nigeria ($800)
3. When was the Constitution written?
a. United Kingdom = N/A
b. Russia = 1993
c. China = 1982
d. Iran = 1979 (major revisions in 1989)
e. Mexico = 1917
f. Nigeria = 1999
g. United States = 1789
4. Each country’s regime:
a. United Kingdom = constitutional republic
b. Russia = constitutional republic
c. China = single party republic
d. Iran = theocratic republic
e. Mexico = constitutional republic
f. Nigeria = constitutional republic
g. USA = constitutional republic
5. Title of the Head of State:
a. United Kingdom = queen
b. Russia = president
c. China = president
d. Iran = supreme leader
e. Mexico = president
f. Nigeria = president
g. USA = president
Name of Head of State
a. United Kingdom = Queen Elizabeth IIb. Russia = President Dmitry Medvedevc. China = President Hu Jintaod. Iran = Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khameneie. Mexico = President Felipe Calderonf. Nigeria = President Goodluck Jonathang. USA = President Barack Obama
6. Title of Head of Government:
a. United Kingdom = prime minister
b. Russia = prime minister
c. China = premier
d. Iran = president
e. Mexico = president
f. Nigeria = president
g. USA = president
Name of Head of Government
a. United Kingdom = P.M. David Cameron
b. Russia = P.M. Vladimir Putin
c. China = Premier Wen Jiabao
d. Iran = President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
e. Mexico = President Felipe Calderon
f. Nigeria = President Goodluck Jonathan
g. USA = President Barack Obama
7. Term of office for head of state:
a. United Kingdom = life
b. Russia = 4 years
c. China = 5 years
d. Iran = life
e. Mexico = 6 years
f. Nigeria = 4 years
g. USA = 4 years
8. Term of office for head of government:
a. United Kingdom = up to 5 years
b. Russia = up to 4 years
c. China = up to 5 years
d. Iran = 4 years
e. Mexico = 6 years
f. Nigeria = 4 years
g. USA = 4 years
9. Unicameral or Bicameral?
a. United Kingdom = bicameral (Parliament– House of Commons and House of Lords)
b. Russia = bicameral (Federation Council or Soviet Federalist and the State Duma)
c. China = unicameral (Quanguo Renmin Baibiao Dahui or National People’s Congress)
d. Iran = unicameral (Consultative Assembly)
9. Unicameral or Bicameral?
e. Mexico = bicameral (National Congress/Congreso de la Union– Senate/Camara de Senadores and the Federal Chamber of Deputies/Camara Federal de Diputados)
f. Nigeria = bicameral (National Assembly– House of Reps and Senate)
g. USA = bicameral (Congress– House of Representatives and Senate)
10. Largest Division of the Legislature
a. United Kingdom = House of Commons, 659
b. Russia = Duma, 450
c. China = N/A (Quanguo Renmin Baibiao Dahui, 2,985)
d. Iran = N/A (Majles, 290)
e. Mexico = Camara Federal de Diputados, 500
f. Nigeria = House of Representatives, 360
g. USA = House of Representatives, 435
Federal or Unitary?
a. United Kingdom = unitary
b. Russia = federal (with unitary tendencies)
c. China = unitary (with federalist tendencies)
d. Iran = unitary
e. Mexico = federal (with unitary tendencies)
f. Nigeria = federal
g. USA = federal
A few definitions:
• Constitution – a supreme law that defines the structure of a nation-state’s regime and the legal processes governments must follow
• Regime – institutions and practices that typically endure from govt. to govt.
• Head of state – the chief public representative of a state, may or may not have real policymaking power
• Head of government – the person charged with leading the everyday operation of the government
• Bicameral – a legislative body with 2 houses
• Unicameral – a legislative body with one house
• Federal – political authority is shared between a central government and local governments
• Unitary – political authority is concentrated in a central govt.
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