AP Comparative Government and Politics Flashcards: Impact of Social Movements and Interest Groups
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 14 cards to help you master important concepts.
What type of legislation passed by the Russian state Duma led to domestic protests?
Domestic protests occurred in Russia after the passage of legislation against same-sex couples.
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What type of legislation passed by the Russian state Duma led to domestic protests?
Domestic protests occurred in Russia after the passage of legislation against same-sex couples.
What event triggered the Green Movement in Iran?
The Green Movement in Iran was a protest against corruption in the 2009 presidential election.
What is a social movement?
A social movement involves large groups of people pushing collectively for significant political or social change.
How do social movements and interest groups affect social and political change?
They put pressure on the state to promote specific rights, redistribute revenues, conduct fair elections, or ensure fair treatment of citizens.
What is the stated goal of the Boko Haram movement in Nigeria?
The Boko Haram movement is attempting to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.
What is a potential weakness of social movements with limited organizational hierarchies?
They can have difficulty attracting and mobilizing support among fellow citizens or negotiating with governmental representatives.
Identify two distinct goals that social movements in the course countries have pushed for.
Social movements have pushed for goals such as promoting indigenous civil rights, ensuring fair elections, and ensuring fair treatment of citizens of different sexual orientations.
What is a potential strength of social movements with limited organizational hierarchies?
Their lack of a clear hierarchy makes them difficult for state-run military or law enforcement to suppress.
What is an interest group?
An interest group is an organization explicitly formed to represent and advocate for a specific interest or policy issue.
What issues do movements like MEND and MOSOP advocate for in Nigeria?
These movements advocate for the rights of ethnic minorities and protest against unjust methods of oil extraction and distribution in the Niger Delta region.
What is the key difference between an interest group and a social movement?
Interest groups advocate for a specific policy issue, while social movements represent multiple groups advocating for broad social change.
What is a grassroots social movement?
A grassroots social movement is one that exerts its power up from the local level to the regional, national, or international level.
What were the Zapatistas in Mexico responding to with their uprising?
The Zapatistas uprising was a response to socioeconomic inequality and the negative impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
The Zapatista uprising in Mexico is an example of a social movement pressuring the state over what kind of issues?
This movement pressured the state over socioeconomic inequality and the effects of international trade agreements like NAFTA.