AP Comparative Government and Politics Flashcards: Impact of Natural Resources
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 11 cards to help you master important concepts.
Why does reliance on a single resource export lead to severe revenue fluctuations?
A state's revenue becomes highly vulnerable to the volatile pricing of that single commodity on the world market, leading to instability.
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Why does reliance on a single resource export lead to severe revenue fluctuations?
A state's revenue becomes highly vulnerable to the volatile pricing of that single commodity on the world market, leading to instability.
What is a rentier state?
A state that obtains a sizable percentage of its total government revenue from the export of oil and gas or from leasing the resource to foreign countries.
What are the potential negative consequences of privatizing natural resources?
The privatization of natural resources can lead to decreased government control, increased wealth inequality, and a potential loss of national sovereignty.
How does being a rentier state reduce government accountability to its citizens?
When a government's revenue comes from resource exports instead of citizen taxes, it has less incentive to be accountable to the public for its actions and spending.
What is the "resource curse"?
A term for the negative political and economic outcomes that occur when a state, particularly one with petroleum, becomes overly reliant on its natural resource exports.
What are the primary reasons a state might nationalize its natural resources?
States nationalize resources to provide government revenue, consolidate government control, and reduce the political influence of foreign governments and multinational corporations (MNCs).
How can nationalizing natural resources reinforce political legitimacy?
Nationalization can reinforce legitimacy by providing government revenue for public programs and by consolidating control away from foreign entities, which can be popular with citizens.
Identify three examples of rentier states mentioned in the text.
The text identifies Iran, Nigeria, and Russia as examples of rentier states that rely heavily on oil and gas exports.
Why do rentier states often suffer from a lack of economic diversification?
They tend to concentrate government resources on developing the single profitable export industry, like oil, to the exclusion of other types of industries.
How does Russia's approach to resource control under Putin differ from Mexico's?
Russia under Putin has a high degree of centralized control over natural resource companies, whereas the Mexican government decided to allow private investment in its state-owned company, Pemex.
In which country do foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) heavily influence oil production and politics?
In Nigeria, foreign MNCs underwrite the country's oil production, which grants them significant political control and influence.