1.5 Sources of and Changes in Power and Authority

TLDR

Sources of power and authority are the things that give a government the right and ability to rule, including constitutions, religion, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support. In AP Comparative Government, you connect each of the six course countries (China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, and the United Kingdom) to the specific source that backs its regime, like the Communist Party's control of China's military or Iran's shift to religious rule after 1979.

Why This Matters for the AP Comparative Government Exam

This topic gives you the building blocks for explaining how any regime gains the right to rule and keeps it. Once you can name a source of power and tie it to a course country, you are ready to compare countries, explain causes and effects, and support arguments with specific evidence.

The exam rewards you for going past definitions. You should be able to explain how a source of power actually works in a country and why it matters, not just list that a country has a constitution or a military. That skill carries directly into later units on institutions, legitimacy, and stability.

Key Takeaways

• Power is the ability to influence or control others; authority is the recognized right to use that power.
• Sources of power and authority include constitutions, religion, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support.
• Each course country has a signature source of power you should be able to name and explain with a real example.
• China's regime rests on the Communist Party's control over the military; Iran shifted to religious rule after the 1979 Revolution.
• Russia relies on political elites backing a strong president, while the UK uses constitutional reforms like devolution to stay stable.
• Mexico and Nigeria moved toward multiparty competition after single-party rule and military rule, respectively.

What is Power? What is Authority?

• Power is the ability to influence and control others within a political system.
• Authority is the recognized right to use that power.

Power and authority can come from many sources: constitutions, religion, military forces, political parties, legislatures, and popular support. Most regimes lean on more than one source at the same time.

Sources of Power

Here are the main sources of power and authority, with examples from the course countries.

• Constitution A set of rules and principles a state agrees to follow. Constitutions can set who holds power and how it changes.
  • Example: Constitutional reforms in the United Kingdom devolved power to multiple parliaments, which helped the regime stay stable.
• Religion Religion can shape values, social norms, and political authority.
  • Example: After the 1979 Revolution, Iran became a theocracy built on Sharia law, with religious leaders holding ultimate authority.
• Military Forces Power can come from control over the military or the threat of force.
  • Example: In China, the Communist Party's control over the military provides power and authority to maintain regime stability. In Nigeria, military regimes used force to control the population before the transition to civilian rule.
• Political Parties A controlling party can shape who holds office and how elections work.
  • Example: In Russia, political elites back a strong president, creating a managed democracy with election rules that favor one party.
• Legislatures Legislatures shape policy and the direction of government.
  • Example: In Russia, lawmakers aligned with the elite have passed rules that protect the president's power and limit real opposition.
• Popular Support Strong public backing can boost a leader's or party's authority.
  • Example: In Mexico, the PRI held power for decades partly through clientelism, trading services and benefits for political loyalty before losing the presidency in 2000.

Clientelism is when politicians offer benefits, services, or goods to supporters in exchange for their loyalty and votes. Treat it as an application of popular support, not a required term for every country.

How Much History Do You Need?

You need a general understanding of where each country's power to rule came from and the basic changes over time. You do not need to memorize detailed timelines. Focus on the source of power and the one or two big shifts that explain a country's regime today.

The United Kingdom

• The UK moved gradually from a strong monarchy to a parliamentary democracy over centuries.
• The Magna Carta (1215) limited the monarch, and later changes shifted real power to Parliament.
• Today power sits with Parliament and the prime minister, while the monarch holds mostly ceremonial authority. Constitutional reforms, including devolution, are the source of power the course highlights for stability.

Mexico

• Mexico went from Spanish rule to independence, then through long stretches of instability and authoritarian control.
• The Revolution of 1910 reshaped the system, and the PRI later held power for roughly 70 years.
• The PRI lost the presidency in 2000, marking Mexico's move toward multiparty competition and a stronger focus on the rule of law.

Nigeria

• Nigeria gained independence from British colonial rule in 1960.
• Its diverse population has fueled competition between regional and ethnic groups, and military regimes controlled much of its early history.
• Nigeria transitioned to a multiparty republic after military rule, which is the change the course emphasizes.

China

• China was ruled by dynasties for centuries, then faced revolution in the 20th century.
• Under Mao Zedong, China became a communist state with strict authoritarian control.
• The Communist Party's control over the military is the source of power the course highlights for regime stability.

Iran

• Iran's political system is deeply tied to its religious traditions.
• Before 1979, a Shah (a king) held the authority to rule.
• The 1979 Revolution shifted authority to religious leaders, creating a theocracy that still defines the regime.

Russia

• Russia moved from rule by tsars to a communist state, then to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
• After 1991 it appeared to head toward democracy, but power has since concentrated in a strong presidency backed by political elites.
• The course frames Russia's source of power as elite support for a strong president, not competitive election results.

Signature Source of Power by Country

Use this as a quick reference for the example tied to each course country.

How to Use This on the AP Comparative Government Exam

Conceptual Application

When a question asks about sources of power, name the specific source and explain how it works. Saying "Iran is a theocracy" is a start; explaining that religious leaders gained ultimate authority after the 1979 Revolution and now control major decisions is the explanation the exam wants.

Comparison

Be ready to compare how two countries draw power from different sources. For example, China relies on party control of the military, while the UK relies on a flexible constitutional framework. Point to the difference and explain why it matters for stability.

Common Trap

Do not stop at definitions. Explaining the how or why is what separates a full response from a partial one. Tie every source of power to a specific country example whenever the question allows.

Common Misconceptions

• Power and authority are not the same thing. Power is the ability to control others; authority is the recognized right to use that power. A regime can have power without broad authority.
• A country usually has more than one source of power. Naming only one source can miss how regimes actually rule. Lead with the source the course highlights, but recognize that constitutions, parties, and popular support often overlap.
• Clientelism is an example, not a required label for every country. Use it to explain how popular support worked in Mexico, not as a term you must apply everywhere.
• Russia's president is backed by elites, not strong election competition. The course frames Russia as a managed democracy where elite support, not fair elections, props up presidential power.
• The UK's source of power is its evolving constitutional framework, including devolution. It is not a single written document, and the monarch's role today is mostly ceremonial.
• Emerging democracy does not mean a finished democracy. Mexico and Nigeria moved toward multiparty competition, but that shift is a direction, not a guarantee.

Related AP Comparative Government Guides

• Unit 1 Overview: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments
• 1.1 The Practice of Political Scientists
• 1.3 Democracy vs. Authoritarianism
• 1.2 Defining Political Institutions
• 1.4 Democratization
• 1.8 Political Legitimacy