NIGERIA REVIEW SHEET

Country Fact Sheet

Directions

Below is some key information you should know about each countries you studied in Comparative Politics.  Use this chart to test yourself and see what you need to review

NIGERIA REVIEW SHEET

Federal/Unitary Use quote on page 311 to introduce country…. “Nigeria’s prominent place in the world is more potential than real…”	Number of subunits -Federalism	Description of arrangement (for example, devolution, etc) See instructions on the left
Presidential, Parliamentary, or Mixed?	Name of Head of State (for example, President) (must discuss CURRENT leadership as well as historical changes in structure)	Name of Head of Government
Head of State/Head of Government *Research from outside source. The book is outdated in this information*	Powers of head of state, length of term	Powers of head of government
	Election of head of state, length of term	Election of head of government
Name of Legislative Branch (Identify both houses if applicable)	Number of seats in legislative branch, length of term, describe power of legislative branch (rubber stamp, powerful)	Describe elections of legislative branch
Name of Judicial Branch	How are judges selected? - The Judiciary	Describe type of power
Bureaucracy/Cabinet	Describe bureaucracy	Describe cabinet
Political Recruitment	How are elites recruited? - Political Recruitment (factors: region, military, education, role of money)
Other important institutions (complete only if applicable to the country)	- Independent National Election Commission (INEC) *Discuss role of military in Nigeria’s history (You may find this by skimming through the chapter.* - Regulative Behavior ( Nigerian Police Force)
Media	Describe type of “feedback” citizens receive - The Mass Media (among other things, discuss the restriction reversed by the 1999 Constitution) -Discuss the state’s propaganda campaigns.
Legitimacy	Describe levels of legitimacy - Democratic Norms and Values (What are 2 values widely held?)	Identify sources of legitimacy - Political Corruption
Features of the Constitution	When was it written? - The Development of the Constitution of 1999 (discuss background by which it was written and key players involved)	Identify 3 unique features
Historical Evolution of Political Traditions	(Identify 3 key events and briefly explain how the events shaped current government (revolutions for example)) - The Enduring Effects of Pre-colonial Events (MUST discuss how Nigeria has been defined by its colonial experience under British rule.) - The Colonial Interlude (1900-1960) - Nigerian Independence	Constitutional History: - Periods from 1983-1999, Discuss the 3 Constitutions of 1963, 1979, and 1989
Key Political Leaders and their Policies	Identify and describe at least 3 key political leaders Discuss Moshood Abiola, Olusegun Obasanjo, General Babangida
Ethnic Cleavages	Identify the major ethnic cleavages in the country - Igbo, Hausa, Fulani, Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba (also see 315 and how they dominate regions of Nigeria). - Hausa-Fulani, Igbo, Yoruba - Religion	Describe the results of these cleavages in political conflict and government response; include a description of women - The Political Role of Women - Ethnic Solidarity and Party Loyalty
Political Parties (Identify/describe platforms of 3)	- Parties and Elections Describe:  National Council of Nigeria and the cameroons (NCNC), Action Group (AG), Northern Elements’ Progressive Union (NEPU), Northern Peoples’ Congress (NPC), United Party, and All Nigeria’s People’s Party (ANPP)
Electoral Systems	Describe the methods by which citizens elect their leaders.  Include length of terms, frequency of elections,
Role of Political Elites	Identify elites (people with political power) and describe the role
Citizens	Describe attitudes towards government (political socialization) -  Discuss effects of “indirect rule” by British on Nigerian people, the incompatible objectives of the British, and the influence of missionaries and education by the British.  - The Evolution of Nigerian Nationalism - Political Socialization (family, schools, the state, contact with urban life, religion)	Describe types of political participation - Describe how Nigerians are subjects not participants. - Political Participation
Interest Group System (identify pluralist or corporatist)	Identify key interest groups - INTEREST ARTICULATION (Ethnic and Religious Associations, Associational Groups, Nonassociational Groups, and Patron-Client Networks) *Key interest groups to discuss (at minimum) include:  Igbo Federal Union, Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers (NUPENG), Professional organizations, universities, National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), the Campaign for Democracy (CD), and the Kaduna Mafia	Describe their power and activities
Economic System (identify capitalist, socialist, etc.; identify major economic policies government has adopted)	Identify state-owned industries, foreign-owned industries, nature of privatization	Describe nature of private/public industries - Petroleum - The Geographic Distribution of Natural Resources: Political Effects - Prospects for Development
First World/Third World	Describe level of economic development - Conditions Affecting Agricultural Production and the Sale of Primary commodities	Identify 5 socioeconomic indicators that places the country in this category - Environmental Potential and Limitations (GNP, Per capita GNP) - How Nigeria similar to other African and other Third World nations? - Disease, Population Growth, Urbanization - Discuss the United Nations Development Programs’ Human Development Index and how Nigeria ranks
Supranational Organizations	Identify supranational organizations that country is a part of - OPEC, Nigerian National Oil Corporation - Nigeria in Africa and in the World	Discuss impact of supranational organizations on sovereignty and on development - The International Environment (Discuss: Cold War, end of Cold War, and how international debt has affected its relationships with other countries)
Public Policy	Identify and describe 3 recent policies - May be found under the following:   Policy Formation and Implementation (Extractive Performance (discuss importance of oil on economy), Distributive Performance	Identify and describe most pressing current problems - Current Policy Challenges - Dealing with Debt and Structural Adjustment - Conclusions on Performance
Other

RUSSIA REVIEW SHEET

Country Fact Sheet

Directions

Below is some key information you should know about each countries you studied in Comparative Politics.  Use this chart to test yourself and see what you need to review

RUSSIA REVIEW SHEET

Federal/Unitary	Number of subunits * “federal districts” * Mayors races (municipalities and subunits), governors	Description of arrangement (for example, devolution, etc) 374- Yeltsin and Putin (How change?) 375- “subjects of the federation” 375- Putin’s role
Presidential, Parliamentary, or Mixed? **Remember to research UPDATED information on President and Prime Minister. The book is outdated** Also, carefully describe how the system works because it is unique.	Name of Head of State (for example, President)	Name of Head of Government
Head of State/Head of Government	Powers of head of state, length of term * Presidency * Party of Power	Powers of head of government 371- The Government
	Election of head of state, length of term	Election of head of government
Name of Legislative Branch (Identify both houses if applicable)	Number of seats in legislative branch, length of term, describe power of legislative branch  (rubber stamp, powerful) * Parliament (Duma and Federal Council) * Single Member Districts (Duma elections)	Describe elections of legislative branch 374-375- Executive-Legislative Relations 373- 3 Readings (Figure 12.3)
Name of Judicial Branch	How are judges selected? *Constitutional Court * The Bar	Describe type of power 402- Judiciary (know the difference between the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court
Bureaucracy/Cabinet	Describe bureaucracy * Procuracy (this is not the bureaucracy itself but plays an important role in how the bureaucracy operates) *You will need to do some outside research for this topic*	Describe cabinet *You will need to do some outside research for this topic*
Political Recruitment/Participation	How are elites recruited? * Soviet Regime (nomenklatura). Also, discuss recent changes. * Channels of recruitment of political elite * New Sectors	What are various forms of participation?
Other important institutions (complete only if applicable to the country)
Media	Describe type of “feedback” citizens receive * How affected by FSB? * What forced the media to report a “sanitized picture of its wars?” What does this say about the role of the media. *You may need to do some outside research on this topic, as well*
Legitimacy You may want to combine this with “Historical Evolution of Political Traditions”	Describe levels of legitimacy * Historical sources of legitimacy (very important) * Describe the lack of legitimacy when transitioning from communism to democracy. This may require some outside research, as well.	Identify sources of legitimacy 401- Law-governed state 403- Constitutional Adjudication (How treat the President and why?) *You also could discuss Putin’s popularity as a source of legitimacy for his policies (p. 380).* 404- Role of Corruption in undermining legitimacy.
Features of the Constitution VERY important section!	When was it written? Established in 1993 and still lasts today. * Still evolving (discuss how power is used and the role of informal rules) * Obstacles to the Rule of Law (don’t forget corruption among citizens, businesses, and organized crime)	Identify 3 unique features 378- 1.  delegative democracy 2. Super federations 3. hallowed out democracy
Historical Evolution of Political Traditions You may want to combine with “Legitimacy”	(Identify 3 key events and briefly explain how the events shaped current government (revolutions for example) * Challenges of democracy, mindset change. * Tsarist Regime, Communist Revolution, Transition Period (Demise of USSR, and 1990-1993)
Key Political Leaders and their Policies	Identify and describe at least 3 key political leaders * Lenin and Stalin * Gorbachev * Yeltsin and Putin * Yeltsin and Putin policies regarding their use of power * Putin authoritarian while Yeltsin not so much * Putin’s approval
Ethnic Cleavages	Identify the major ethnic cleavages in the country * Demographic factors (2nd paragraph) * Chechnya	Describe the results of these cleavages in political conflict and government response; include a description of women
Political Parties (Identify/describe platforms of 3)	Discuss role of Communist Party in Russian political life. * United Russia * parties and aggregation of interests
Electoral Systems	Describe the methods by which citizens elect their leaders.  Include length of terms, frequency of elections, * Single Member Districts (Duma elections)
Role of Political Elites	Identify elites (people with political power) and describe the role * Governors and conflict * Governors * oligarchs
Citizens	Describe attitudes towards government (political socialization) * Russian Political Culture (History of autocratic rule, Gibson findings, impact of Yeltsin reforms) * Faith in political system * contradictory elements * Political socialization * Participation * Social Capital * New Sectors of Interest * Social Conditions	Describe types of political participation
Interest Group System (identify pluralist or corporatist)	Identify key interest groups * RUIE * Committee of Soldiers’ mothers. * FITUR	Describe their power and activities 386- Between statism and pluralism (be sure to define each and discuss how between the two) -Also, discuss transition, impact of glasnost, insider and outsider access)
Economic System (identify capitalist, socialist, etc.; identify major economic policies government has adopted)	Identify state-owned industries, foreign-owned industries, nature of privatization *market economy (describe how?) *stabilization and privatization (describe what these are and consequences of each in detail)	Describe nature of private/public industries 400- Challenges of post-communist state (contrast on paper and in practice), 1998 collapse of ruble)
First World/Third World	Describe level of economic development *This discussion can be combined with above*	Identify 5 socioeconomic indicators that places the country in this category
Supranational Organizations	Identify supranational organizations that country is a part of  (Provide a brief discussion of challenges)	Discuss impact of supranational organizations on sovereignty and on development 406- emphasize trade with the west and their view of the war on terror
Public Policy	Identify and describe 3 recent policies	Identify and describe most pressing current problems
Other	Yukos Affair *Describe Russia’s recent invasion of Georgia and how it has impacted the region.  Also, describe international reaction to the event. *