AP Comparative Government & Politics Unit Overview Guide
Unit V: Iran, Nigeria, & the Politics of Development
TEXTBOOK READINGS ADDRESSED:
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Chapter 13: Iran
Chapter 15: Nigeria
TERMS & CONCEPTS TO KNOW:
Iran:
 Assembly of
Experts
 Axis of Evil
 Ayatollah
 Bonyads
 Clash of
Civilizations
 Constitutional
Revolution of 1905
 Dual Society
 Expediency
Council
 Farsi
 Fatwa
 Fundamentalism
 Guardian Council
 Guardianship of
the Jurist
 Islamic
Consultative
Assembly
 Islamicists
 Majles
 People of the Book
 Qu’ran
 Rentier State
 Retribution Law
 Revolution of 1979
 SAVAK
 Second of Khordad
Front
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Second of Khordad
Movement
Shah
Shari’a
Shi’ite
Statists
Sunni
Supreme Leader
Theocracy
White Revolution
People:
 Ayatollah Ruhollah
Khomeini
 Ayatollah Ali
Hoseini-Khamenei
 Mahmud Ahmadinejad
 Seyed Muhammad
Khatami
Nigeria:
 Biafra
 “Chop-Chop
Politics”
 Colonialism
 Desertification
 Dual Mandate
 Federalism
 Fourth Republic
 Hausa-Fulani
 Igbo
 Imperialism
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Import Substitution
Independent
National Electoral
Commission
Indirect Rule
Middle Belt
National Council of
Nigeria and the
Cameroons
NCWBA (National
Congress of British
West Africa)
Nigerian Youth
Movement
Parastatals
Patron-Client
Relations
Prebendalism
Shari’a
Structural
Adjustment Policy
Subsistence
Economy
Tribalism
Yoruba
People:
 Shehu Shagari
 Herbert Macaulay
 Sani Abacha
 Ibrahim Babangida
 Moshood Abiola
 Ken Saro-Wiwa
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Abdulsalami
Abubakar
Olusegun Obasanjo
Umaru Yar’Adua
Political Parties:
 PDP (Peoples
Democratic Party)
 ANPP (All Nigeria
Peoples’ Party)
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AC (Action
Congress)
Alliance for
Democracy
Essential Questions You Should Be Able to Answer:
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20.
What is the basis of legitimacy for the Nigerian government?
What are common problems facing developing nations today?
How have ethnic differences made the establishment of a stable democratic regime
so difficult in Nigeria?
What are the primary cleavages dividing the Nigerian nation, and what impact
have they had on the ability of government to advance political reforms?
What was the purpose in requiring a president to receive at least 25% of all votes in
2/3 of the states?
What effects did colonialism and imperialism have on Nigeria’s national character,
civic culture, and political and economic development?
Are outside economic and political forces more influential in Nigerian politics than
domestic pressures from Nigerian citizens? Why or why not?
Why does Nigeria remain one of the poorest nations in the world despite its
massive oil and natural gas reserves?
Describe the basic political institutional structure and policy-making process in
Nigeria.
Why did the Nigerian military fail to establish a strong authoritarian state despite
repeated coup d’etats?
How have the frequent shifts from civilian to military rule and back exacerbated
the country’s social and economic problems?
What social and economic problems does Nigeria face today?
What are the primary sources of legitimacy for the Iranian government?
What factors play a role in political socialization for Iranian citizens?
What are the most important challenges confronting the Iranian political system
today? How did these challenges develop, from a historical perspective?
Why is Iran one of the few countries left in the world that is run by religious
leaders?
How has the relative isolation experienced by Iran since the 1979 revolution
affected the way its government is structured and limited its prospects for
democratization?
In what way was the revolution of 1979 a “revolution of rising expectations”?
What is the basic political structure of the Iranian system, and what role do
religious leaders play in that system?
Why is Iran having such a difficult time developing its economy, particularly given
its significant oil and other natural resources?
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Iran has been classified as a “rentier state.” What does this mean, and why did it
happen?
Can Iran properly be classified as an example of economic modernization and
political development? Why or why not?