Mexico and Nigeria - AP Comparative Government

Which of the following best explains a major source of power for a president in a presidential system?

• Legislatures often have no constitutional checks on a president's authority in a presidential system.
• In addition to serving as head of government, head of state, and commander in chief, a president often appoints people to several positions in government.

• Presidents usually do not have term limits, but the legislative branch does, which gives the president the incumbency advantage.
• The president has fused powers and controls the executive and legislative branches.

A ________ government, which could happen in either Nigeria or Mexico (because they have presidential systems of government), is when one party controls the executive branch while another party holds the majority in the legislative branch.

• unified

• coalition

• parliamentary

• divided

Mexico's legislature is selected through

• single- member district elections.

• Proportional representation elections.

• a mixture of single-member district and proportional representation elections.

• presidential appointment.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the executive in Nigeria?

• The Nigerian president has no power over the military.

• The Nigerian president chooses the prime minister.

• The Nigerian president is the head of state and conducts foreign policy.

• The Nigerian president does not interact with the legislature.

Which of the following comparisons of the Nigerian and Mexican executives is true?

• Both Nigeria and Mexico elect their presidents by straight national popular vote. There are no other conditions or requirements.

• Nigeria's president is elected by popular vote, but he or she must win a minimum of 25% of the votes in at least 2/3 of Nigeria's 36 states. Mexico's president is elected by popular vote. There is no requirement that he or she win a majority of the popular vote.

• Nigeria's presidential candidates must be approved by the Nigerian sharia courts prior to gaining access to the ballot. Mexico's presidential candidates must be approved by the Catholic Church in Mexico.

• In Nigeria, the president is the head of state, while the Vice President is the head of government. In Mexico, the president is both the head of state and the head of government.

In which of the following pairs of countries do both governments have a federal structure?

• Nigeria and China

• Nigeria and Mexico

• Russia and Iran

• Mexico and China

Which of the following best explains why Mexico and Nigeria have similar sources of authority?

• Both transitioned into multiparty republics from authoritarian regimes.

• Both have established theocracies in their executive branch leadership.

• Both feature a ruling Communist Party that maintains regime stability.

• Both maintain election rules that guarantee dominance by one party.

Which of the following is an accurate explanation of an advantage of executive term limits?

• Executive term limits allow legislators to develop coherent policies over time.

• Executive term limits allow executives greater control over the legislative process.

• Executive term limits can prevent executives from consolidating power in an attempt to become a dictator.

• Term limits create a lame-duck period for the executive office holder

How many terms can a candidate run for President in Mexico?

• 1 term (sexenio)

• 2 terms

• no limits on terms

• 6 terms

If a country is a __________ government, then that must mean the state's legislature is ___________.

• federal, unicameral

• unitary, unicameral

• unitary, bicameral

• federal, bicameral