---
title: "Coups — AP Comp Gov Definition & Exam Guide"
description: "A coup is a sudden, often violent seizure of power by the military or elites without an election. Key to regime change in AP Comp Gov Topic 1.6 and Nigeria's history."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/coups"
type: "key-term"
subject: "AP Comparative Government"
unit: "Unit 1"
---

# Coups — AP Comp Gov Definition & Exam Guide

## Definition

In AP Comparative Government, a coup (coup d'état) is a sudden, often violent seizure of political power by a small group, usually the military or political elites, that replaces the existing government or regime without an election (Topic 1.6, EK PAU-1.D.3).

## What It Is

A coup, short for coup d'état, is a sudden grab for political power by a small group, most often military officers or political insiders, who push out the existing leadership without any election or mass uprising. The CED lists coups alongside [elections](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/elections "fv-autolink") and revolutions as one of the three ways regime change happens (PAU-1.D.3). The difference is in who drives it. Elections change power through popular vote, revolutions involve a large portion of the population, but coups come from the top. A handful of generals can do it overnight.

For [AP Comp Gov](/ap-comp-gov "fv-autolink"), the textbook case is **Nigeria**. Between independence in 1960 and the transition to democracy in 1999, Nigeria cycled through multiple military coups, with generals repeatedly overthrowing both civilian and other military governments. Each coup didn't just swap leaders, it often replaced the entire set of rules and institutions, which is what makes a coup a *regime* change rather than just a *government* change. That distinction (PAU-1.D.4) is one of the most tested ideas in [Unit 1](/ap-comp-gov/unit-1 "fv-autolink").

## Why It Matters

Coups live in **[Topic 1.6](/ap-comp-gov/unit-1/change-in-power-and-authority/study-guide/JGYcmwUpH577IiEEWap1 "fv-autolink") (Change in Power and Authority)** in **Unit 1: Political Systems, [Regimes](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/regime "fv-autolink"), and Governments**, supporting learning objective **AP Comp Gov 1.6.A** on sources of power and authority. Essential knowledge PAU-1.D.3 names coups as one of three mechanisms of regime change, and PAU-1.D.2 connects to why they happen. Regimes that lack democratic legitimacy need more raw power to maintain sovereignty, which makes them both more likely to be born from coups and more vulnerable to them. Coups also give you the perfect vocabulary check for the regime vs. government distinction. A coup that just replaces the president changes the government; a coup that tears up the constitution and bans elections changes the regime. Nigeria's history before 1999 is your go-to course-country evidence.

## Connections

### [Regime change (Unit 1)](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/regime-change)

Coups are one of the three CED-listed paths to [regime change](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/regime-change "fv-autolink"), alongside elections and revolutions. A coup is the sudden, top-down version. Think of it as regime change done by a few insiders with guns instead of millions of voters or protesters.

### [Authoritarian takeover (Unit 1)](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/authoritarian-takeover)

Many coups produce [authoritarian regimes](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/authoritarian-regimes "fv-autolink"), since leaders who seize power by force rarely hand it back through free elections. Nigeria's military governments before 1999 show how repeated coups can lock a country into authoritarian rule for decades.

### [Lines of succession (Unit 1)](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/lines-of-succession)

Clear, rule-based succession is basically coup insurance. When everyone knows how power legally transfers, there's less room for a general to claim the country needs 'saving.' Weak or contested succession rules are exactly the conditions where coups happen.

### [Russian Federation (Units 1-3)](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/russian-federation)

[Russia](/ap-comp-gov/key-terms/russia "fv-autolink") is a useful contrast case. Power there has shifted through managed elections and elite maneuvering rather than military coups, showing that authoritarian-leaning regimes can change leadership without tanks in the streets. Not every undemocratic transfer of power is a coup.

## On the AP Exam

Coups show up most often in multiple-choice questions on Topic 1.6, usually testing whether you can sort a scenario into the right category. A stem might describe military officers arresting a president and suspending the constitution, then ask whether that's a coup, a revolution, or an election-driven transition (it's a coup, because a small elite group did it without mass participation). The other classic move is the regime vs. government distinction. Ask yourself whether the coup replaced just the officeholders or the underlying rules and institutions. No released FRQ has centered on the word verbatim, but coups are exactly the kind of course-country evidence that strengthens an Argument Essay on regime stability or legitimacy, with Nigeria's pre-1999 military coups as your strongest example.

## coups vs Revolution

Both can replace a regime suddenly, but the difference is who participates. A coup is carried out by a small group, usually the military or political elites, acting from the top down. A revolution involves a large portion of the population demanding change from the bottom up (Iran's 1979 Revolution is the course example). On the exam, count the people involved. Generals and ministers means coup; mass mobilization means revolution.

## Key Takeaways

- A coup is a sudden, often violent seizure of power by a small group, typically the military or political elites, without an election or mass popular movement.
- The CED (PAU-1.D.3) lists coups as one of three mechanisms of regime change, alongside elections and revolutions.
- Coups differ from revolutions in scale and direction. Coups are top-down by elites, while revolutions are bottom-up with broad popular support.
- A coup can change just the government (the officeholders) or the entire regime (the rules and institutions), and the exam expects you to tell the difference.
- Nigeria is the key AP Comp Gov example, with repeated military coups between 1966 and the return to civilian democracy in 1999.
- Regimes with weak legitimacy and unclear succession rules are the most vulnerable to coups, connecting back to PAU-1.D.2 on how regimes use power to maintain sovereignty.

## FAQs

### What is a coup in AP Comparative Government?

A coup (coup d'état) is a sudden, often violent seizure of political power by a small group, usually the military or political elites, that replaces the existing government or regime without an election. It's one of three regime-change mechanisms in Topic 1.6, along with elections and revolutions.

### What's the difference between a coup and a revolution?

A coup is carried out by a small elite group, like military officers, while a revolution involves a large portion of the population. Iran 1979 is a revolution because millions mobilized; Nigeria's military takeovers between 1966 and 1999 are coups because generals seized power without mass participation.

### Does a coup always cause regime change?

No. If a coup only swaps out the leaders but keeps the same rules and institutions, it's a government change, not a regime change. It only counts as regime change when the coup replaces the underlying institutions, like suspending a constitution or banning elections (PAU-1.D.3 and PAU-1.D.4).

### Which AP Comp Gov country is the best example of coups?

Nigeria. It experienced repeated military coups between independence in 1960 and the transition to democracy in 1999, making it the go-to course-country evidence for coups and military rule on the exam.

### Are coups only carried out by the military?

Mostly, but not always. The military is the most common actor because it controls force, but civilian political elites can also seize power suddenly without elections. What defines a coup is the small group acting from the top down, not the uniform.

## Related Study Guides

- [1.6 Change in Power and Authority](/ap-comp-gov/unit-1/change-in-power-and-authority/study-guide/JGYcmwUpH577IiEEWap1)

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