AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND
POLITICS 2026 FINAL REVIEW PACK
COMPLETE QUESTION SET AND CORE
CONCEPT SUMMARY
◉ normative question. Answer: The second type of question asked
by political scientists - how should things happen? - is known as a
______________. The answer to this type of question is subjective, value-
laden, and open to debate.
◉ Regime. Answer: The system and the rules and laws in place in a
particular territory at a particular time.
◉ Government. Answer: The people in charge of a territory at a
given time. Note: This term is also used to describe the prime
minister and the cabinet in a parliamentary system. When used in
this way, Government is often capitalized.
◉ politics. Answer: The process of making collective decisions.
_______ takes many forms. The concept encompasses what is done
within the formal governmental and political structures of a society,
but also informal interactions as well.
,◉ power. Answer: The ability to make others do something they
might not otherwise have done.
◉ authority. Answer: Similar to power, but with at least a claim of
legitimacy.
◉ legitimacy. Answer: _______ is the generally held belief, within a
society, that a government has the right to rule or exercise power.
◉ sources of legitimacy. Answer: 1. Charisma of a leader
2. Belief systems, ideologies, and founding myths
3. Tradition (including monarchy and birthright)
4. Revolutions
5. Religion
6. Constitutions
7. Rule of law and/or rational legal authority
8. Competitive elections
9. Distinct aspects of a country's political culture
◉ nation. Answer: a large group of people, with ties to a particular
piece of land or area, who share a unified identity based in a shared
culture, history, and language. Normally, the term nation is only used
when such groups have or desire a government of their own.
,◉ state. Answer: The territory (or one of the territories) under the
control of a government. The concept of _____ includes the idea that
control is exercised by some degree of force. While a _____ may
consist of only a single nation, many ___s rule over two or more
nations.
◉ Nation-State. Answer: A nation which has its own government.
◉ Market. Answer: A _____ is any type of structure that allows buyers
and sellers to exchange goods, services,and information. For a true
_____ to exist there must be competition. In recent decades, most
political and governmental systems around the world have moved
toward allowing freer _____s.
◉ Civil Society. Answer: _____ is made up of the voluntary
organizations that form the basis of a functioning society. Social
organizations, religious organizations, charities, civic groups, and
other voluntary organizations are part of _______.
_______ does not include the structures
of the state, which are backed up by force, nor does it include the
economic structures of society that form the market. The success of
a _______ rests on social norms that lead to cooperation within and
among groups, such as belief in the rule of law, respect for others,
and honest and reliable performance of duties. Such social norms
are the social capital of a society. If a society has few widely
, respected social norms of this type, it will be difficult, if not
impossible, to establish a well-functioning ________. Well-functioning
___________s
are often seen as necessary to establish a well-functioning liberal
democracy.
◉ Sovereignty. Answer: In a basic sense, ____________ can be defined as
having independent legal authority over a particular territory, and
the legitimate power to rule and make laws for
that territory.
◉ cleavages. Answer: A ______ is a division in a society that
causes people within that society to support different sides of an
issue, support a particular political party, or vote differently.
◉ sources of cleavages. Answer: 1. Wealth (Rich vs. Poor)
2. Region (Urban vs. Rural, Center vs. Periphery)
3. Religion (Catholics vs. Protestants, Christians vs. Muslims,
Religious vs. Secular voters)
4. Level of education (University graduates vs. High school
graduates)
5. Race
6. Ethnicity
POLITICS 2026 FINAL REVIEW PACK
COMPLETE QUESTION SET AND CORE
CONCEPT SUMMARY
◉ normative question. Answer: The second type of question asked
by political scientists - how should things happen? - is known as a
______________. The answer to this type of question is subjective, value-
laden, and open to debate.
◉ Regime. Answer: The system and the rules and laws in place in a
particular territory at a particular time.
◉ Government. Answer: The people in charge of a territory at a
given time. Note: This term is also used to describe the prime
minister and the cabinet in a parliamentary system. When used in
this way, Government is often capitalized.
◉ politics. Answer: The process of making collective decisions.
_______ takes many forms. The concept encompasses what is done
within the formal governmental and political structures of a society,
but also informal interactions as well.
,◉ power. Answer: The ability to make others do something they
might not otherwise have done.
◉ authority. Answer: Similar to power, but with at least a claim of
legitimacy.
◉ legitimacy. Answer: _______ is the generally held belief, within a
society, that a government has the right to rule or exercise power.
◉ sources of legitimacy. Answer: 1. Charisma of a leader
2. Belief systems, ideologies, and founding myths
3. Tradition (including monarchy and birthright)
4. Revolutions
5. Religion
6. Constitutions
7. Rule of law and/or rational legal authority
8. Competitive elections
9. Distinct aspects of a country's political culture
◉ nation. Answer: a large group of people, with ties to a particular
piece of land or area, who share a unified identity based in a shared
culture, history, and language. Normally, the term nation is only used
when such groups have or desire a government of their own.
,◉ state. Answer: The territory (or one of the territories) under the
control of a government. The concept of _____ includes the idea that
control is exercised by some degree of force. While a _____ may
consist of only a single nation, many ___s rule over two or more
nations.
◉ Nation-State. Answer: A nation which has its own government.
◉ Market. Answer: A _____ is any type of structure that allows buyers
and sellers to exchange goods, services,and information. For a true
_____ to exist there must be competition. In recent decades, most
political and governmental systems around the world have moved
toward allowing freer _____s.
◉ Civil Society. Answer: _____ is made up of the voluntary
organizations that form the basis of a functioning society. Social
organizations, religious organizations, charities, civic groups, and
other voluntary organizations are part of _______.
_______ does not include the structures
of the state, which are backed up by force, nor does it include the
economic structures of society that form the market. The success of
a _______ rests on social norms that lead to cooperation within and
among groups, such as belief in the rule of law, respect for others,
and honest and reliable performance of duties. Such social norms
are the social capital of a society. If a society has few widely
, respected social norms of this type, it will be difficult, if not
impossible, to establish a well-functioning ________. Well-functioning
___________s
are often seen as necessary to establish a well-functioning liberal
democracy.
◉ Sovereignty. Answer: In a basic sense, ____________ can be defined as
having independent legal authority over a particular territory, and
the legitimate power to rule and make laws for
that territory.
◉ cleavages. Answer: A ______ is a division in a society that
causes people within that society to support different sides of an
issue, support a particular political party, or vote differently.
◉ sources of cleavages. Answer: 1. Wealth (Rich vs. Poor)
2. Region (Urban vs. Rural, Center vs. Periphery)
3. Religion (Catholics vs. Protestants, Christians vs. Muslims,
Religious vs. Secular voters)
4. Level of education (University graduates vs. High school
graduates)
5. Race
6. Ethnicity
