· web viewdefine a rentier (rent-seeking) state. identify one rentier state among the six ap...

AP Comparative Government IRAN FRQs Activity Names: ___________________Barton/Relator 2015 Date: ____________ Bl:_____

Directions: Answer the following question with your partners, using your notes, Briefing Paper and the book. Be prepared to present your answer to the class.

Group 1 – Short Answer Concepts:

1. Identify the institution in Iran that controls which candidates can run for the Majles. Describe how this institution controls the selection process. Explain how the candidate selection process influences electoral competition.

2. Describe two distinct sources of political legitimacy established by the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Discuss one example of how having both those sources of political legitimacy simultaneously has led to tensions in Iran in the last fifteen years.



Group 2 –Country Context: Iran & Mexico Competition and Transparency

Political competition and transparency are key concepts that political scientists use when evaluating political systems.

(a) Describe political competition, and describe transparency in the context of politics.

(b) Explain the function of Iran’s Guardian Council in the electoral process. Explain the function of Mexico’s Institute of Federal Elections (IFE) in the electoral process.

(c) Compare transparency in the electoral process in post-1979 Iran with transparency in the electoral process in post-1985 Mexico.

(d) Compare political competition in the electoral process in post-1979 Iran with political competition in the electoral process in post-1985 Mexico.



Group 3 –Country Context: Iran & China Population Growth

Population growth rate is defined as the average annual percent change in the population resulting from a surplus or deficit of births over deaths.

(a) Describe one trend shown in the graph for Iran and describe one trend shown in the graph for China.

(b) Explain one policy Iran has used to address population growth issues. Explain one policy China has used to address population growth issues.

(c) Explain why both Iran and China pursued population growth policies.

(d) Describe one social or economic consequence of manipulating population growth rates.



Group 4 – Short Answer Concepts:

1. Define a rentier (rent-seeking) state. Identify one rentier state among the six AP Comparative Politics and Government countries. Describe a problem that a rentier state typically faces that has an impact on economic development.

2. Identify two similarities in the goals of the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution in China and the Cultural Revolution in Iran.



Group 5 –Country Context: Iran & Nigeria Presidential Elections

a) Describe on similarity in the procedure for selecting the President in Iran and in Nigeria.b) Describe two differences in the procedure for selecting the President in Iran and in Nigeria.c) Explain why the Nigerian President has more power than the Iranian President. d)



Group 6 –Country Context: Iran & Nigeria Process of Democratization


Answers:

Group 1 –

2012 #5 Guardian Council

One point is earned for correctly identifying the Guardian Council as the institution that controls which candidates can run for the Majles.

One point is earned for a correct description of how the Guardian Council controls the selection process. An acceptable description includes: • Candidates apply to run and the Guardian Council accepts or denies the nomination. • Candidates are vetted. • Candidates are evaluated using political criteria for placement on the ballot.

One point is earned for a correct explanation of how the candidate selection process influences electoral competition. An acceptable explanation includes: • Limits the number of candidates and therefore reduces electoral competition. • Favors some ideas or groups and therefore reduces electoral competition.

2011 # 1 Political Legitimacy

3 points One point is earned for each correct description of a distinct source of political legitimacy established by the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Acceptable descriptions of a source of political legitimacy include the following: • God/Allah • Divine revelation • Divine laws • Religious texts • Sovereignty/truth of Koran • Supreme Leader • Islamic revolution • Charismatic leadership of Khomeini • People of Iran • Elections (presidential or to the Majles) • Secular law

One point is earned for a correct example of how having both sources of political legitimacy simultaneously has led to tensions in Iran in the past 15 years. Acceptable examples of tensions created by having both sources of political legitimacy include the following: • Green Movement or protests • Factionalism within the elite • Institutional tensions between popularly elected offices and appointed clerical offices • Tensions between the Supreme Leader and the president Note: Simply stating “protests” or “factionalism” does not earn a point.


Group 2: 2010 #8

Part (a): 2 points

One point is earned for an accurate description of political competition. Acceptable descriptions include: • when there is more than one political group or candidate that can contest an election and have a chance of winning • when there are a limited number of hurdles for entering into meaningful electoral competition One point is earned for an accurate description of transparency in the context of politics. Acceptable explanations include: • when citizens can access information about government decisions and decision-making processes • when political decisions and processes are openly explained and visible to the citizenry

Note: Discussing government openness as a description of transparency is acceptable. Transparency is citizens’ ability to access that information, not citizen awareness of information.

Part (b): 2 points

One point is earned for an accurate explanation of the function of the Guardian Council in Iran’s electoral process. Acceptable explanations include: • vetting candidates for the legislative and presidential positions • supervising the overall quality of the elections, including monitoring electoral fraud • nullifying election results if they are deemed fraudulent; approving the results if they are not

Note: The Ministry of Interior (MoI), not the Guardian Council, organizes and administers elections. The Guardian Council’s role in overseeing elections is a broad supervisory one.

One point is earned for an accurate explanation of the function of the Institute of Federal Elections (IFE) in the electoral process. Acceptable descriptions include: • organizing elections of the president and the Congress of the Union • registering voters and parties • giving all parties access to the media • setting the ceiling for campaign expenditures • allocating public funds for campaigns • recruiting and training citizens to run polling places • confirming the electoral results (counting votes and certifying results)

Part (c): 2 points

One point is earned for an accurate comparison of transparency in the electoral process in Iran and Mexico.

Acceptable comparisons include: • Over time, transparency has increased in Mexico, while it has not increased in Iran. • The electoral process in Mexico is more transparent than the electoral process in Iran.

Note: To earn the point, the response must accurately compare transparency in the electoral process in Mexico with transparency in the electoral process in Iran. Comparisons within countries (over time) that do not also compare across countries do not earn a point.


One point is earned for an accurate discussion of transparency in the electoral process in Iran and Mexico.

Acceptable discussions include: • In Mexico, the establishment of the IFE has facilitated access to decision making about those eligible to be candidates . • In Iran, there is no formal mechanism for citizens to demand access to Guardian Council decisions and decision-making processes with regard to vetting of candidates. Note: To earn the point, the response must accurately discuss transparency in the electoral process in both countries.

Part (d): 2 points One point is earned for an accurate comparison of political competition in the electoral process in Iran and Mexico. Acceptable comparisons include: • In terms of overall trends, political competition increased in Mexico between 1985 and 2010, while it did not increase in Iran between 1979 and 2010. • There are more political parties or groups competing in elections in Iran, but the electoral process in Mexico is more competitive than the electoral process in Iran.

Note: To earn the point, the response must accurately compare political competition in Mexico to political competition in Iran. Comparisons within countries (over time) that do not also compare across countries do not earn a point. In certain periods in Iran (e.g., the 1997 election) there was greater political competition than in others.

One point is earned for an accurate discussion of political competition in Iran and Mexico. Acceptable discussions include: • In Mexico electoral law reforms have provided opportunities for more meaningful competition. • In Iran there is no guarantee of meaningful political competition.

Note: To earn the point, the response must accurately discuss political competition in both countries.


Group #: 3: 2009 #8

7 points

Part (a): 2 points

One point is earned for an accurate description of one trend shown in the graph for Iran. Acceptable descriptions include either of the following: • Decline in population growth rate from 1980–1984 to 2000–2004. • Increase in population growth rate from 1970–1974 to 1980–1984.

One point is earned for an accurate description of one trend shown in the graph for China. The following is an acceptable description: • Decline in population growth rate over the time period 1970–2009.

Notes: Trends are not mere descriptions of individual points on the graph. The populations of China and Iran did not decrease during this time period.

Parts (b), (c), and (d) do not require specific references to the graph used in part (a). If the student describes a policy that was designed to increase the population growth rate, the student must place that policy in its time period accurately. Description of a policy designed to decrease the population growth rate does not have to state a time period.

Part (b): 2 points One point is earned for an accurate explanation of a policy Iran has used to address population growth issues. Acceptable explanations include any of the following: • Incentives to increase family size to build the army (Iran–Iraq War). • Family-planning law: encourages reductions in family size (1989–present). • State-controlled media campaigns to raise awareness. • Free birth control: state-sanctioned condom factories to provide access to birth control. • Mandatory marital sex counseling for men and women to provide education on how to avoid unwanted pregnancies. • Increased education/employment opportunities for women, as more education for females leads to lower birth rates.

One point is earned for an accurate explanation of a policy China has used to address population growth issues. Acceptable explanations include any of the following: • One-child policy to ensure only one child per family, in most instances. • Fines for noncompliance incurred for having more than one child without state permission. • Preferential housing/educational opportunities for compliance. • Exemptions for ethnic minorities and rural areas to reduce opposition to one-child policy.

Note: The response must explain the policy; a simple identification of a policy is not sufficient. Part (c): 2 points Two points are earned for an explanation of why both Iran and China pursued population growth policies. Acceptable explanations include any of the following: • Economic development. • Fear of unrest resulting from overpopulation. • Relief of pressure on government budget. • Strain on natural resources. Note: A statement that the purpose has been to reduce population is not sufficient.

Part (d): 1 point One point is earned for a description of one social or economic consequence of manipulating growth rates. Acceptable descriptions of a social consequence include any of the following: • Popular resistance to the policy of restriction. • Female infanticide; “missing girls.” • Selective


abortion. • Sex-ratio imbalance. • Potential empowerment of women. Acceptable descriptions of an economic consequence include any of the following: • Need for a security system to replace the traditional safety net provided by children for parents in large families. • Reduction of poverty. • Economic growth possibility.

Note: Students may use country-specific examples to describe a consequence of manipulating growth rates.


Group #: 4: Short Answer Concepts

2010 #4 – Rentier state

3 Points

One point is earned for a correct definition of a rentier state. Acceptable definitions include: • a country that obtains lucrative income by exporting a raw material or leasing out a natural resource to foreign countries • a country that obtains much of its revenue from the export of oil or another natural resource • a country that receives a significant amount of income in the form of rents from foreign companies Note: The answer must show that not only are resources purchased or leased from the other state, but significant income is accrued by the state.

One point is earned for a correct identification of one country in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course that is a rentier state. Acceptable identifications include: • Iran • Nigeria • Russia

One point is earned for a correct description of a problem that a rentier state typically faces that has an impact on economic development. Acceptable descriptions include: • lack of diversification of the local economy • price fluctuations caused by dependence on world market • income inequality exacerbated where disparity is already extreme • no incentive to industrialize/modernize economy • increased opportunity for corrupt usage of income from rents • lack of accountability to citizens Note: Foreign economic investment alone is not a sufficient answer. The response must show that investments are made in a specific resource that produces the major portion of the state’s income/budget.

2007 #3 China & Iran Cultural Revolutions


Group # 5: Presidential Elections of Iran and Nigeria – 2007 #8


Group # 6: Process of democratization in Iran and Nigeria – 2006 #8

· web viewdefine a rentier (rent-seeking) state. identify one rentier state among the six ap...

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