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.