AP World History : Political History

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #151 : Political History

What was the name of the eccentric Libyan colonel who took power after revolution in 1969 and ruled until he was overthrown during the Arab Spring?

Possible Answers:

Robert Mugabe

Hosni Mubarak

Hafez al-Assad

Muammar Gaddafi

Saddam Hussein

Correct answer:

Muammar Gaddafi

Explanation:

Libya has had a tumultuous political situation over the last several years after Muammar Gaddafi's regime fell and he was assassinated. The country is showing signs of moving past his massive impact on all sectors of society, though it is nearly impossible to discuss Libya's recent history without mentioning Gaddafi. He was at times a brutal dictator and was always an enigmatic representative of Libya to the world for a long time.

Example Question #152 : Political History

Which key term describes connections between people in a region that blurs the political borders of countries? 

Possible Answers:

Conditionality

Transnationalism

Hyper-relatability

Globalization

Assimilation

Correct answer:

Transnationalism

Explanation:

Transnationalism is the key term that describes boundaries becoming irrelevant due to people's connections across those boundaries.

In other words, some countries' borders don't define the citizens within them perfectly.  

In the Middle East, there are many nomadic groups as well as a massive flow of migrant workers throughout multiple countries. Some languages cross borders and unite peoples that way; other times, a shared history from before the borders were drawn can unite people. Regions and transnationalism play a huge role in Middle Eastern culture and politics, as does statehood and national pride.

Example Question #153 : Political History

What was the Arab proposal to Israel at the Arab League Summit in 2002?

Possible Answers:

Oil revenue sharing

Military alliance

Economic package

Logistical support against Hamas

Two-state solution with Palestine

Correct answer:

Two-state solution with Palestine

Explanation:

The Arab League Summit had all 22 members agree on the Arab proposal of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. In a second extension of diplomacy, the Arab League also extended a peace offering between the Arab community and Israel.

A multitude of complications prevented Israel and Palestine from reaching the two-state solution at that time, and the issue continues in the region.

Example Question #154 : Political History

What two groups signed the Cairo Agreement in 1969 with Egyptian President Nasser present as witness?

Possible Answers:

Lebanese officials and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) members

The Jordanian King and the Israeli Prime Minister

Afghani warlords and KGB from the Soviet Union

Mao Zedong of China and Indian President V. V. Giri

U.S. diplomats and Iranian revolutionaries

Correct answer:

Lebanese officials and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) members

Explanation:

A series of conflicts with Israel and internal turmoil caused Lebanon to give up a part of its territory to the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) to conduct military operations, which created divisions along religious and political lines throughout the region.

Within six years, Lebanon had collapsed into total civil war that lasted for fifteen years. Hezbollah is in power in the area that was once occupied by the PLO decades ago.

Example Question #155 : Political History

In Iran, the executive branch is comprised of the ___________ and the ___________

Possible Answers:

Prime Minister . . . Supreme Leader

President . . . Guardian Council

Guardian Council . . . Cabinet

Supreme Leader . . . President

Prime Minister . . . Cabinet

Correct answer:

Supreme Leader . . . President

Explanation:

There are two components to the executive branch, which makes Iran's system semi-presidential. The executive branch includes the Supreme Leader and President.  

Islam is deeply important to Iran's society, government, and laws. The Supreme Leader is a religious and political leader, and is an expert in religion. His political power reigns above all branches in government. At any time, he can oust the president from office.

Example Question #156 : Political History

Which political party took power in Iraq in 1968 and was nearly wiped out completely when the Saddam Hussein regime was toppled?

Possible Answers:

National People's Congress

Arabian Peninsula People's Union 

Likud Party

Ba'athist Party

New Wafd Party

Correct answer:

Ba'athist Party

Explanation:

The Ba'athist Party became the ruling regime for Iraq in 1968, and Saddam Hussein took the presidency in 1979. The underlying Ba'athist belief is Arab unity, also called Pan-Arabism. The Ba'athist regime continued to dominate Iraq until Saddam was deposed by the American-led coalition.

Example Question #157 : Political History

What form of government does Jordan have?

Possible Answers:

Dictatorship

Hereditary monarchy

Theocracy

Semi Presidential system

Parliamentary system

Correct answer:

Hereditary monarchy

Explanation:

Jordan has a hereditary monarchy, with the kingship passing through the family since the formation of Jordan in the early 1920s (then Transjordan). The Hashemites are the ruling family of Jordan, and King Hussein (ruling from 1953–1999) ruled over several decades of modernization and regional warring. Abdullah II, the current King of Jordan, is King Hussein's son.

Example Question #158 : Political History

Which of these is NOT an aspect of Kuwait's identity?

Possible Answers:

Bedouin culture

The emir as head of state

Reliance on investments for external revenue

Reliance on oil for internal revenue

A powerful military force

Correct answer:

A powerful military force

Explanation:

When the questions and answers are complicated, it's important to use your knowledge to eliminate wrong answers and pinpoint the correct one.

Iraq invaded Kuwait in the 1990s, and NATO (the North American Treaty Alliance) intervened on behalf of Kuwait. This intervention, coupled with Iraq's invasion, proves that Kuwait does not have a powerful military, at least historically.

Kuwait's leader is called the emir, and the discovery of oil fields created a massive amount of Kuwaiti business. Realizing that oil is not forever, Kuwait has established considerable investment opportunities abroad to bolster the economy while looking towards the future.

Bedouins are nomadic peoples who have a history across the Middle East. In Kuwait, Bedouins began to move into major cities, especially Kuwait City. The booming oil industry offered jobs and stability.

Example Question #159 : Political History

The rise of all of the following contributed to the outbreak of World War One except ___________.

Possible Answers:

Imperialism

Nationalism

Industrialization

Militarism

Communism

Correct answer:

Communism

Explanation:

All of the following contributed to the outbreak of World War One except communism. Communism, although influential in European society in the early years of the twentieth century, did not take root in any country until Russia became the first communist country with the Russian Revolution of 1917. Competing nationalist and imperialist goals, however, were massive contributing factors to the outbreak of World War One. As were the forces of rapid militarization and industrialization that were so prevalent in Europe at the time.

Example Question #160 : Political History

The American occupation of Japan lasted from the end of World War Two until __________.

Possible Answers:

1992

1962

1972

1982

1952

Correct answer:

1952

Explanation:

The Allied Occupation of Japan, spearheaded by Douglas MacArthur, lasted from the end of the war in 1945 until the withdrawal of American forces in 1952. The occupation was successful in rebuilding and reforming Japanese society and contributed to the emergence of Japan as a modern, liberal, economically powerful nation in the second-half of the twentieth century.

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