Monday's Class Notes

Syria:
-Type of government - republic under an authoritarian regime
-harshly suppress oppositsion an iut lacks human rights anf free elections
-the regime's prime method to suppress internal opposition is the state of emergency act
-has been republic under an authoritarian regime since 1941 (73 year) 

Bashar al assad:
-father was born to a poor family, but became prime minister by joing a political party
-Bashar Al Assad had 88.7% of the electoral votes; but they mostly came from threats that Bashar had said he would do
-been in power for 1 year and will end in 2021 

How votes were rigged for Bashar:
-"counting wrong"
-threats 

Ways to get rid of the President:
-Country being taken over by another
-Revolutionary war
-Assassination


Germany:
- type of government is Federal republic
-government has been in place since October 3, 1990
-East Germany and West Germany were separated by Berlin Wall after WWII, but was reunited as a whole country in 1990

Leader:
-Joachim Gauck - in office since march 23, 2012; indepent political party; pastor over a protestant chirch
Angela Merkel - in office since November 22, 200; leader of Christian Democratic Unon since 2000; former research scientist


Replacing the Leaders:
-president - impeachment, president elected by federal convention and not the people
-chancellor - president nominates new chancellor, Bundestag can kick the chancellor out

Elections:

-offices are elcetd by the Bundestag
-held every four years
-18 is the legal age to vote


United Kingdom:
-Constitutional monarchy - when a king or queen acts as the head of state
-constitutioanl monarchy since 1066
-Commonwealth Realm:  has 54 members with one suspended and dates back to the mid 20th century



Prime Minister:
-No term limits
-appointed by Moonarch
-elections take pace generally every four to five years
-David Cameron: born October 9th, 1966
-became prime minister on June 2nd, 2010 -leader of conservative party
-youngest prime minister since 1812
-appoints members of the government
-The principal government figure in the House of Commons 

United States:
-leader is Barack Obama
-America has a constitution based federal republic
-will be in power until 2016
- cannot run again
-first African American President
-re-elcet a president
-president can be oevr thrown for impeachment
-revolution
-assassinate


Russia:
-type of government - federation - formation of political unity, with a central government, by a number of separate states, each of which retains control of its own internal affairs
-official name for Russia is Russian Federation
-governed under the constitution of 1993
- became Russian Federation in 1991


Vladimir Putin:
-president since May 7, 2012
-not allowed to serve another term
-second term of presidency
-has been prime minister before
-in United Russia Party
-six year terms