Nigeria's Political System Overview

NIGERIA

• Former Authoritarian Regime: Nigeria previously had an authoritarian government.
• Current Democratic System: Now a democratic system with a written constitution and regular elections.
• Federal System: Power is divided between the national and state governments.
• Presidential System: A president is elected by popular vote and serves as head of state, head of government, and commander-in-chief.
• Presidential Appointments: The president appoints cabinet members, subject to Senate approval.
• Impeachment: The president can be removed through impeachment proceedings.
• Term Limits: The president is limited to two consecutive four-year terms.
• Election Process: Direct elections every four years; the winning candidate needs a majority (50% + 1) of the vote or a runoff election to secure 25% of the national vote in two-thirds of the states.
• Bicameral Legislature: A bicameral legislature comprised of the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house).
• House of Representatives Election: Elected through the plurality system (winner-take-all).
• Senate Election: Elected through the plurality system.
• Legal System: Adopts a common law system with the power of judicial review.
• Sharia Law: Sharia law is used in 12 northern states.
• Multiparty System: Nigeria has a multiparty system.
• Patron-Clientelism: Favors and jobs are exchanged for personal gain, often associated with prebendalism.
• Social Movements: Groups like MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta) and MOSOP (Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People) protest issues like those in the Niger Delta.
• Ethnic and Religious Divides: Nigeria faces ethnic and religious cleavages (north is predominantly Muslim, south is predominantly Christian), leading to regional tensions.
• Economic Divisions: Economic disparities exist between the oil-rich south and other regions.
• Rentier State: Nigeria relies heavily on oil revenue.
• Resource Curse: Over-reliance on oil exports limits diversification.
• Oil Wealth & Bureaucracy: Oil wealth is often paired with a large and corrupt bureaucracy.
• State Corporatism: Para-statals are used to maintain state control, despite the appearance of public-private cooperation.
• Para-statals: These are privately owned entities headed by government appointees.
• Foreign Policy: Nigeria's importance in international relations stems from its oil exports. Active member with several supranational organizations, including the AU, ECOWAS, OPEC, UN, and WTO.
• Federal Character Principle: A quota system designed to promote ethnic balance among government officials.

MEXICO

• Former Authoritarian Regime: Mexico previously had one-party dominance under the PRI.
• Current Democratic Regime: Now a democratic regime with written constitutions and regular elections.
• Federal System: Power is divided among national and subnational (state and local) governments.
• Presidential System: Mexico has a presidential system.
• Presidential Term Limit: One term limit of six years.
• Election System: First past the post system, candidate with most votes wins.
• Impeachment: The legislature can impeach the president.
• Bicameral Legislature: Mexico has a bicameral congressional system, wherein the Chamber of Deputies (lower house) and the Senate (upper house) have distinct elections.
• Chamber of Deputies: Elected through single-member district elections, limited to four terms.
• Senate: Chosen through multi-member state elections, with two year term limits for each of the six-year terms.
• Judicial System: Follows civil law.
• Judicial Review: Though a judicial review exists, it is not extensively used.
• Supreme Court Appointments: Members of the Supreme Court are appointed for 15-year terms by vote and Senate approval.
• Multiparty System: Mexico has a multiparty system.
• Political Party: Morena is a prominent political party.
• Transparency & Media: The constitution promises transparency, but historical media limitations remain.
• Civil Society: Organisations like the Zapatistas, who protested NAFTA policies, are examples of civil society responses to neoliberal policies.
• Cleavages: Mexico faces ethnic (Indigenous/White), regional (North/South), and economic (wealthy/poor) divides.
• Economic Activity: Maquiladora factories in the North, agriculture in the South.
• Economic Focus (Past): Import Substitution Industrialization
• State Oil Company: PEMEX, a state-owned oil company.
• Government Privatization: The current government advocates for PEMEX privatization.
• Election Integrity: The INE (Federal Electoral Institute) protects elections.
• Drug Trafficking and Cartels: A significant challenge.
• Supranational Organizations: Importance in organizations like NAFTA, WTO, and IMF, recently replaced by the USMCA.

UNITED KINGDOM

• Parliamentary System: The UK has a parliamentary system.
• Bicameral Legislature: A bicameral legislature comprised of the House of Lords (upper house) and the House of Commons (lower house).
• House of Commons: Elected through a single-member district plurality system, with 650 members.
• Prime Minister: Chosen by the majority party in the House of Commons.
• Government & Opposition: The party in control forms the government; the minority forms the opposition.
• Fixed-Term Parliament Act (2011): Set five-year terms for Parliament.
• Vote of No Confidence: Allows the House of Commons to remove the government.
• Hung Parliament: Occurs when no party achieves a majority in the House of Commons, often leading to coalition governments.
• House of Lords: Composed of appointed members. Their power is mainly to delay legislation or raise concerns about technical details.
• UK Cabinet Members: All cabinet ministers are also members of the House of Commons.
• Prime Minister's Questions: A parliamentary session where the prime minister answers questions put forth by opposition members.
• Judicial System: Uses common law.
• Supreme Court: Established in 2009.
• Judicial Review: The UK Supreme Court does not utilize judicial review.
• Devolution: Process of delegating power to regional governments.