The chart every AP Comp Gov class builds and re-uses all year — the six required countries side by side, then 14 comparative questions in the exact format the real FRQs use (always comparing two or more systems, never asking about one in isolation).
The Six Required Countries
United Kingdom
Parliamentary democracy, fused powers
Unwritten constitution; PM and Cabinet drawn from and accountable to Parliament; devolution to Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but Westminster retains ultimate sovereignty.
Russia
Federal semi-presidential system (authoritarian in practice)
A strong president dominates a weak, largely rubber-stamp Duma; courts consistently favor the state; independent media and opposition are tightly restricted.
China
One-party authoritarian state
The Communist Party controls all three branches; the National People’s Congress is mostly ceremonial; no independent judiciary; competitive elections exist only at the village level.
Mexico
Federal presidential democracy
One party (the PRI) dominated for over 70 years until losing power peacefully in 2000; now genuinely competitive multiparty elections; federalism divides power between national and state governments.
Iran
Theocratic hybrid regime
An elected president and Majlis coexist with unelected clerical authority — the Supreme Leader and Guardian Council hold final power, including vetting who may even run for office.
Nigeria
Federal presidential democracy
Deep ethnic and religious divisions (a largely Muslim north, largely Christian south) and a history of military coups shape politics; oil wealth drives major regional conflict.
Name: _______________________
Date: _______________________
AP Comparative Government — Six-Country Comparison
14 Comparative Questions
1. Compare the role of the legislature in the United Kingdom and China. In which system does the legislature exercise genuine independent power, and why?
2. Compare how executive power is checked in Nigeria versus Russia.
3. Iran’s regime is often called a "hybrid" system. Explain what makes it a hybrid, using two specific institutions.
4. Compare the historical role of a single dominant party in Mexico and China.
5. Which of these six countries use a formal federal system, dividing power between national and subnational governments? Name at least three.
6. Explain one way colonial history shaped Nigeria’s political institutions.
7. In which of these six systems is judicial independence weakest, and what evidence supports that?
8. Compare devolution in the United Kingdom to federalism in Mexico.
9. Explain how civil society operates differently in Russia compared to the United Kingdom.
10. Which of the six countries has experienced the most military coups or direct military rule historically?
11. Compare how China and Iran each justify limiting political participation.
12. A comparative FRQ asks you to explain why Mexico is classified as a democracy while China is not, despite both holding elections. What is the key distinguishing factor?
13. Explain one similarity between Iran’s Guardian Council and China’s Communist Party in how they limit democratic competition.
14. Of these six countries, identify which is generally classified as a "consolidated democracy," which as "authoritarian," and give one example of a "hybrid" case.
Every real AP Comp Gov FRQ asks you to compare, never to describe one country alone — so drilling facts about a single country in isolation is the wrong unit of study. The better habit is always pairing: for every fact you learn about one country, immediately ask which of the other five it’s most useful to contrast it against.
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