Inside This Unit: The Full Breakdown
This unit compares the executives, legislatures, and judiciaries of the six countries, and how parliamentary, presidential, semi-presidential, and theocratic designs distribute and check power.
Why it matters
Institutional design determines accountability and how easily leaders are removed. Comparative FRQs frequently ask you to contrast institutions across two countries.
Key concepts
- Parliamentary systems fuse executive and legislature (UK); presidential systems separate them (Mexico, Nigeria).
- Semi-presidential systems split executive power between a president and prime minister (Russia).
- Judicial independence and judicial review vary widely across the six countries.
- In Iran, unelected clerical bodies (Supreme Leader, Guardian Council) constrain elected institutions.
Executives and Accountability
A parliamentary executive (UK PM) is drawn from the legislature and can be removed by a vote of no confidence — accountability is continuous. A presidential executive serves a fixed term and is separately elected, trading flexibility for stability. Russia’s semi-presidential system gives a dominant president alongside a prime minister.
Legislatures and Judiciaries
Legislatures may genuinely check the executive or mainly legitimate its decisions — China’s National People’s Congress ratifies Communist Party choices. Judiciaries range from independent (UK) to politically constrained (China, Russia). Judicial review is stronger in Mexico and Nigeria than in the UK’s traditional parliamentary-sovereignty model.
Layered Authority in Iran
Iran layers elected institutions (president, parliament) beneath unelected clerical bodies. The Supreme Leader holds ultimate authority and the Guardian Council vets candidates and laws, so elected officials operate within limits set by religious authority.
AP exam tip
When comparing institutions, name the specific bodies (e.g., Guardian Council, National People’s Congress) rather than speaking generally — concrete institutional evidence earns the comparative-analysis points.
Connections to other units
- Unit 1: Regime type determines which institutions hold real power.
- Unit 4: Electoral rules shape the legislatures these institutions produce.
- Unit 6: Institutional design affects a state’s capacity to implement policy.
