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The Chinese Communist Party has controlled the government of China since 1949.

The nine-member Politburo (political bureau) of the Chinese Communist Party is the main decision-making body.

The President is a member of the Politburo.

Any formal opposition to the Chinese Communist Party is illegal.

The German legislature has two houses. 

Members of the lower house are directly elected by the people.  The upper house consists of representatives selected by the 16 state governments.

The lower house of the legislature elects the head of the executive branch. The head of the executive branch is called the federal chancellor.

Germany has many political parties. 

The prime minister is the head of government. The president of India is a member of the executive branch but has mostly ceremonial duties.

India has a legislature with two houses. 

India has many political parties. The oldest continuous political party is the Indian National Congress. 

The majority party in the House of the People elects the prime minister.

The Supreme Leader is the highest ranking political and religious power in Iran. 

The Assembly of Experts is a body of 83 religious figures whose sole purpose is to choose a new Supreme Leader upon the death of the previous leader.

Iran has a president who is elected by the people and who heads the executive branch. A one-house legislature is responsible for making laws.

Libya’s leader, Muammar Qadhafi, came to power in 1969 after overthrowing the previous government.

He held all real political power in Libya and was supreme leader of the country.

There was a revolution and he was killed in 2011.

The government of Saudi Arabia is led by the king, who has almost unlimited power.

The only limit on his power is that all laws must agree with Islamic law and the Qur’an, the holy book of Islam.

The king serves for life. Upon his death, the new king must be chosen from among the sons and grandsons of Saudi Arabia’s first king.

Power in the national government is divided among three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.

Each branch of government can limit the power of the other branches. This is called the system of checks and balances.

The president heads the executive branch.

The president is elected by popular vote through an electoral college of 538 members.