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Constitution of the United States

Adopted 1789

Circumstances: after the revolution, the Founders were able to set up their own government

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Constitutional federal republic

More democratic than authoritarian

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The United States is a two-party system, meaning two political parties have any chance of winning elections. Throughout the years, there has been much tension and friction between these two parties - which have changed and evolved throughout the years as well.

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The executive is called the president. The current president is Joe Biden, and the executive branches primary power is to execute/enforce laws, as well as receive foreign ambassadors and represent the country overseas.

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The legislative branch of the United States is called Congress, and it's bicameral (House of Representatives and the Senate). Their primary power is to make laws (legislate).

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The United States' judicial branch is unofficially called the federal court system, which is made up of many large and small courts. The biggest court is the Supreme Court, which decides whether laws are constitutional and hears cases about the constitutionality of laws.

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Real GDP: $24.662 trillion

GDP per capita: $73,600

Major industries: automotive, food, pharmaceutical, banking

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This was effectively a US vs. Taliban conflict. After the terrorist group al-Quaeda struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the United States declared a "War on Terror" and invaded Afghanistan.

Tens of thousands were killed in this conflict, many of them civilians. The US didn't really gain anything from this war, and eventually had to pull out in 2021.

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This was a severe economic crisis that officially lasted from December 2007 to June 2009. It took many years for the economy to recover to pre-crisis levels of employment and output.

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Called the Constitution of the People's Republic of China

First adopted 1982

Circumstances:

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Communist party-led state

More authoritarian than democratic

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While China is a primarily communist - led state, there have been other minor political parties that have sprung up. Generally, the cleavage here is between people who believe that they don't need the West to be successful, and the people who believe that maybe it wouldn't hurt to take some ideas from the West about how they govern.

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Consists of chief of state (Xi Jinping), head of government (Premier Li Qiang), and the cabinet (State Council appointed by National People's Congress). The Premier assumes overall responsibility for the work of the State Council. The ministers assume overall responsibility for the work of the ministries and commissions.

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Unicameral National People's Congress (NPC) - members indirectly elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses. Also consists of the People's Liberation Army. In practice, only members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its 8 allied independent parties, and CCP-approved candidates are elected.

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Made up of the highest court (Supreme People's Court) and subordinate courts (Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; International Commercial Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues).

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Real GDP: $31.227 trillion

GDP per capita: $22,100

Major industries: manufacturing, services, agriculture

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This was the last major war China has been involved in - the most recent ones are more minor. The Sino-Vietnamese War lasted for about a month in 1979. China launched an offensive in response to Vietnam's invasion and occupation of Cambodia, which ended the rule of the Chinese-backed Khmer Rouge.

Although unable to deter Vietnam from ousting Pol Pot from Cambodia, China demonstrated that the Soviet Union, their Communist adversary, was unable to protect its Vietnamese ally.

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As a result of its earlier one-child policy, China's labor force is declining rapidly and will continue to do so for the forseeable future. At the same time, its local governments are over-indebted and their property tax collections are dwindling.

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Called the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran

First adopted 1906

Circumstances:

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Theocratic republic

More authoritarian than democratic

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There are various different political parties in Iran, including nationalist, leftist, and monarchist dissident parties. These cleavages are generally disagreements about how nationalist/how monarchist should the country be.

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Consists of chief of state - Supreme Leader Ali Hoseini-Khamenei, head of government - President Masoud Pezeshkian, and the Cabinet - selected by the president with legislative approval.

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Unicameral Islamic Consultative Assembly or Majles-e Shura-ye Eslami or Majles. It has 290 seats; 285 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by multiple non-transferable vote in 2 rounds, 1 seat each for Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrian and Chaldean Christians, Armenians in the north of the country and Armenians in the south. Members serve 4-year terms.

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Made up of the highest court (Supreme Court), and subordinate courts (Penal Courts I and II, Islamic Revolutionary Courts, Courts of Peace, Special Clerical Court, and military courts).

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Real GDP: $1.44 trillion

GDP per capita: $16,200

Major industries: oil, gas, and petrochemicals

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This was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Iraq's primary rationale for the attack against Iran cited the need to prevent an Iranian revolutionary from spreading the new Iranian ideology to Iraq.

This conflict has been compared to World War I in terms of the tactics used by both sides, including large-scale trench warfare.

These eight long years of war-exhaustion, economic devastation, decreased morale, and military stalemate (among others) eventually led Iran to accept a ceasefire brokered by the United Nations Security Council.

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From deadly air pollution to rising inflation, dwindling pension funds, and increased popular alienation from the system, the Islamic Republic of Iran is struggling to keep its equilibrium at home.

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Called the Constitution of Mexico

First adopted 1917

Circumstances: Mexican Revolution

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Federal presidential republic

More democratic than authoritarian

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There are 3 major political parties in Mexico: PAN, PRD, and PRI. Each of these parties represent different ideologies that will, undoubtedly, cause some tension. These cleavages are between people who want a certain type of democracy.

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Consists of chief of state/head of government (Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador) and the Cabinet, which is appointed by the president.

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The bicameral National Congress consists of:

Senate or Cámara de Senadores (128 seats; 96 members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 32 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms)
Chamber of Deputies or Cámara de Diputados (500 seats; 300 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 200 directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote; members serve 3-year terms)

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Made up of the highest court (Supreme Court) and subordinate courts (circuit, collegiate, and unitary courts). The Supreme Court is made up of the chief justice and 11 justices and organized into civil, criminal, administrative, and labor panels).

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Real GDP: $2.873 trillion

GDP per capita: $22,400

Major industries: food processing, automobiles, iron, steel, petroleum

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This was the last very major conflict Mexico was involved in. They were primarily involved in the Battle of the Philippines, the Pacific War, and the Battle of Luzon.

The Battle of the Philippines was a coordinated effort to defeat and expel the Imperial Japanese forces occupying the Philippines during WWII.

The Pacific War (sometimes called the Asian-Pacific War) was the theater of World War II that was fought in eastern Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania.

The Battle of Luzon was a land battle of the Pacific Theater of Operations by the Allied forces of the U.S, its colony the Philippines, and allies against the Empire of Japan.

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Undoubtedly the largest internal crisis Mexico is currently facing is that of the drug cartels. The Mexican Drug War is an ongoing asymmetric armed conflict between the Mexican government and various drug trafficking syndicates.

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Called the Constitution of Nigeria

First adopted 1960

Circumstances:

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Federal presidential republic

Tries to be democratic, but mostly failing

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There are a number of smaller political parties in addition to the major parties. These cleavages are mainly based on religious differences.

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Consists of chief of state/head of government (President Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu) and the Cabinet (also known as Federal Executive Council) which is appointed by the president but constrained constitutionally to include at least one member from each of the 36 states.

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Consists of the highest court (Supreme Court, which consists of chief justice and 15 justices), and various subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; Federal High Court; High Court of the Federal Capital Territory; Sharia Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory; Customary Court of Appeal of the Federal Capital Territory

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Bicameral National Assembly consists of:
Senate (109 seats - 3 each for the 36 states and 1 for Abuja-Federal Capital Territory; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)
House of Representatives (360 seats statutory, 258 current; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

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Real GDP: $1.275 trillion

GDP per capita: $5,700

Major industries: oil, gas, telecommunications, banking and financial services

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Called the Constitution of the Russian Federation

Ratified and effective December 1993.

Circumstances: end of the Cold War, collapse of the Soviet Union

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Semi-presidential federation

Authoritarian

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Slavophiles vs. Westernizers - this cleavage is between people who are proud of their country and don't want it to be "tainted" by Western civilization/culture, and people who think that maybe we should take some notes on how the West is operating its government/society and learn from them.

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Consists of chief of state (President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin), head of government (Premier Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin), and the Cabinet, which consists of deputies and ministers, all appointed by the president.

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Bicameral Federal Assembly or Federalnoye Sobraniye consists of:
Federation Council or Sovet Federatsii (170 seats statutory, 169 as of April 2023; 2 members in each of the 83 federal administrative units, oblasts, krays, republics, autonomous okrugs and oblasts, and federal cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg - appointed by the top executive and legislative officials; members serve 4-year terms)
State Duma or Gosudarstvennaya Duma (450 seats); as of February 2014, the electoral system reverted to a mixed electoral system for the 2016 election, in which one-half of the members are directly elected by simple majority vote and one-half directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

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Consists of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation - (consists of 170 members organized into the Judicial Panel for Civil Affairs, the Judicial Panel for Criminal Affairs, and the Military Panel); Constitutional Court (consists of 11 members, including the chairperson and deputy).

Subordinate courts: regional (kray) and provincial (oblast) courts; Moscow and St. Petersburg city courts; autonomous province and district courts

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Real GDP: $5.816 trillion

GDP per capita: $39,800

Major industries: oil/gas, mining, aerospace production, electric engineering

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The UK doesn't have one Constitution; instead, the Magna Carta (1215), Bill of Rights, and Rule of Law all serve as 'constitutions" of the UK.

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Parliamentary constitutional monarchy

Democratic

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Different political parties (Labour vs. Conservatives)

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Consists of chief of state (King Charles III), head of government (Prime Minister Keir Starmer), and the Cabinet (appointed by the Prime Minister)

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Bicameral Parliament consists of the House of Lords (no real power) and the House of Commons (directly elected by simple-majority popular vote)

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Consists of the Supreme Court and subordinate courts: England and Wales: Court of Appeal (civil and criminal divisions); High Court; Crown Court; County Courts; Magistrates' Courts; Scotland: Court of Sessions; Sheriff Courts; High Court of Justiciary; tribunals; Northern Ireland: Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland; High Court; county courts; magistrates' courts; specialized tribunals

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Real GDP: $3.7 trillion

GDP per capita: $54,100

Major industries: supermarkets, construction, banking, pension funding)

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The last huge, major conflict that the UK was involved in was, in fact, World War II. They were especially involved in the strategic bombing of Germany and the Normandy landings of 1944. They were on the side of the Allies, so they won and reaped in many benefits, including membership in the United Nations council and damages from the defeated Axis powers.

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Crises unique to the UK include labor shortages related to foreign workers leaving due to Brexit, and additional taxes on households.

The ongoing Cost of Living crisis, driven by rampant inflation, is still one of the main concerns of Britons in 2024.

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Significant government pressure on independent media constrained coverage of numerous topics, especially Russia's war against Ukraine; political prisoners; treatment of LGBTQI+ persons; problems involving the environment, elections, COVID-19, and corruption; and criticism of local or federal leadership, among others.

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Conflict in different parts of Nigeria has also led to internal and international displacement; disrupted livelihoods, such as farming; and contributed to food insecurity. Climate change has resulted in land degradation and increased competition over scarce fertile land, contributing to farmer-pastoralist conflict.