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AP Comparative Government and Politics Unit 5: Political and Economic Changes and Development

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Unit 5: Political and Economic Changes and Development

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Question 1

Economic liberalization refers to policies that reduce state intervention in the economy and expand the role of markets. Which of the following best represents economic liberalization?

A.A government nationalizing key industries to increase state control over economic outputB.A government privatizing state-owned enterprises, reducing tariffs, and removing price controlsC.A government imposing capital controls to prevent money from leaving the countryD.A government subsidizing domestic producers to insulate them from foreign competition

Question 2

Globalization has created both opportunities and vulnerabilities for developing countries. Which statement best describes the impact of globalization on Nigeria's political economy?

A.Globalization has primarily benefited Nigeria by diversifying its economy away from oil dependence through global manufacturing integrationB.Nigeria's oil-export economy makes it highly vulnerable to global commodity price cycles, while oil wealth has fueled corruption and undermined governance qualityC.Globalization has had minimal impact on Nigeria because it exports primarily agricultural products not traded on global commodity exchangesD.Foreign direct investment has replaced oil revenues as Nigeria's primary source of government funding, reducing the 'resource curse'

Question 3

The 'rentier state' concept holds that governments that derive most revenue from resource exports rather than taxation of citizens have weaker incentives to be accountable to those citizens. Which of the following best illustrates this argument applied to Iran?

A.Iran's high income tax rates create strong citizen expectations of services and responsive governanceB.The Iranian government uses oil revenues to fund subsidies and patronage that reduce citizen pressure for democratic accountabilityC.Iran's dependence on oil exports forces the government to maintain good relations with Western democracies to sell petroleumD.Oil revenues flow directly to citizens through a universal dividend, creating a direct economic stake in resource management

Question 4

A comparative politics scholar argues: 'The most significant impediment to Nigeria's democratization and economic development is not poverty, corruption, or ethnic conflict per se — it is the specific institution of petroleum-based rentier governance, which creates the conditions that reproduce all three.'

Which evidence best supports this argument?

A.Nigeria's poverty rate has increased since oil extraction began, while other non-oil African countries at similar starting points have grown faster, suggesting oil drives the problemB.Nigerian politicians compete primarily to control oil revenue distribution rather than to build productive economic capacity or provide public goods, creating a political economy that incentivizes corruption and ethnic clientelism while discouraging accountabilityC.Nigeria's ethnic diversity is itself caused by oil wealth, which attracted immigration that fragmented a previously homogeneous countryD.Oil revenues have funded universal education in Nigeria, which should have produced democratic consolidation — their failure to do so proves that education, not oil, is the real obstacle

Question 5

The table below shows urbanization rates and GDP per capita (2022 estimates) for the six course countries.

Country	Urban population %	GDP per capita (PPP, USD)
UK	84%	~46,000
Russia	74%	~29,000
Mexico	81%	~20,000
China	64%	~21,000
Iran	76%	~14,000
Nigeria	54%	~5,500

Which conclusion about the relationship between development and regime type is best supported by the table?

A.Higher GDP per capita always produces democracy — the table shows that the three richest countries are all democraciesB.The data is consistent with modernization theory's general correlation but is contradicted by Russia and China, which have middle-to-high development indicators without democratic governanceC.Urbanization is negatively correlated with democracy — the most urbanized countries (UK, Mexico) are the least democraticD.Nigeria's low GDP per capita proves that poverty is the sole determinant of authoritarian governance

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Question 6

The concept of 'democratic backsliding' refers to the gradual erosion of democratic norms and institutions in countries that were previously democratic. Which country among the AP Comparative Government course nations most clearly exemplifies democratic backsliding in the late twentieth or early twenty-first century?

A.China, which transitioned from democracy to authoritarianism following the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdownB.Russia, which transitioned from competitive post-Soviet democracy toward increasing authoritarianism under PutinC.Iran, which experienced democratic backsliding when the 1979 revolution overthrew the democratic Pahlavi monarchyD.Nigeria, which reversed its 1999 democratic constitution and returned to military rule in the 2010s

Question 7

Russia's 'shock therapy' economic reforms of the early 1990s contrasted sharply with China's gradualist approach. Which political consequence did the rapid Russian transition most clearly produce?

A.Rapid and stable democratization, as economic liberalization immediately created a middle class demanding political rightsB.Economic chaos and the rise of oligarchs who acquired state assets at below-market prices, creating a fusion of economic and political power that Putin later exploitedC.A successful transition to a Scandinavian-style social democratic economy with robust welfare state protectionsD.Stable federalism in which Russian regions became economically self-sufficient and politically autonomous from Moscow

Question 8

Mexico's NAFTA membership (1994-2020) and replacement by the USMCA (2020) represent the deepest trade integration of any course country. Which of the following best describes NAFTA/USMCA's political impact on Mexico?

A.NAFTA strengthened Mexico's indigenous communities by guaranteeing them trade preferences for craft exportsB.NAFTA accelerated economic liberalization and exposed Mexico to external legal norms, contributing to both industrial development and inequality while creating pressure for democratic governanceC.NAFTA gave the United States formal authority to veto Mexican legislation that conflicted with trade rules, undermining Mexican sovereigntyD.NAFTA eliminated Mexico's agricultural sector entirely by flooding the market with cheap US corn, causing a rural exodus but no political consequences

Question 9

Demographic pressures — including rapid population growth and a youth bulge — are particularly acute in Nigeria. Which political consequence does this demographic profile most directly create?

A.Rapid population growth automatically accelerates democratization by increasing the number of voters demanding accountabilityB.A large youth population without sufficient economic opportunity creates conditions for political instability, recruitment into armed groups, and pressure on public servicesC.Nigeria's population decline due to emigration reduces pressure on the government to provide services, stabilizing governanceD.An aging population in Nigeria requires the government to shift resources from defense to pension systems, reducing military power

Question 10

The 'authoritarian resilience' literature explains why authoritarian regimes have survived despite predictions that globalization and economic development would push them toward democratization. Which Chinese Communist Party strategy best illustrates authoritarian resilience?

A.The CCP has maintained power by isolating China completely from the global economy, preventing exposure to democratic ideasB.The CCP has combined economic liberalization and integration with political controls — using prosperity to build legitimacy while suppressing organized opposition through censorship and surveillanceC.The CCP has gradually expanded competitive elections at all government levels to build democratic legitimacy, making its rule stable through popular consentD.China's authoritarian resilience stems from its geographic isolation — landlocked borders prevent foreign democratic influences from reaching Chinese citizens

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Question 11

China's 'special economic zones' (SEZs), established beginning in 1980, were designed primarily to:

A.Create military-industrial complexes that would manufacture weapons for the People's Liberation ArmyB.Attract foreign investment and test market-oriented economic policies without applying them to the whole countryC.Establish autonomous regions that would eventually become independent states under international lawD.Replace the planned economy nationwide by immediately converting all state enterprises to private ownership

Question 12

The UK's 'Brexit' referendum (2016), in which a majority voted to leave the European Union, illustrates which challenge to established theories of globalization and political development?

A.Brexit shows that highly developed democracies inevitably reject globalization as citizens prioritize economic security over international integrationB.Brexit demonstrates that globalization can generate domestic backlash even in wealthy democracies, driven by economic inequality, cultural anxiety, and anti-establishment politicsC.Brexit proves that parliamentary sovereignty is incompatible with membership in international organizations, and the UK's system uniquely forced an exit no other democracy would faceD.Brexit was primarily a foreign policy elite decision that did not reflect popular opinion, illustrating the gap between democratic theory and elite decision-making

AP Comparative Government and Politics Unit 5: Political and Economic Changes and Development — Free with Answer Explanations | Test Practice Hub