Advanced Placement Comparative Government and Politics: Fall 2013
Teacher:Ms.
Office Hours:Monday: Lunch
Wednesday: 7:15 Room North 135
Personal Philosophy
I truly believe that students learn more about their own government when taking Comparative Government and Politics. Because this course has students compare countries and governments, all aspects of a country's government (including their own) become relative.
With this course, there are a few overarching goals that I hope for my students to achieve:
1. A better understanding of U.S. politics and foreign goals
2. A better understanding of other countries' political dynamics
3. A better understanding of political possibility and transition
4. A better understanding of society's relationship with the government and vise versa
Course Overview
During this course, students will have the opportunity to examine and compare the cultures and political behaviors of people in six different countries: United Kingdom, Iran, China, Russia, Nigeria and Mexico. While they do so, they will participate in seminars as well as at home research for current events. They will compare political institutions and systems in regard to the ways they provide for the welfare, needs and desires of its constituents. In order to do so, students will use analytical tools such as concepts and inquiry to conduct their comparisons.
In this course, students will be expected to complete the following tasks:
1. Readings will be assigned every marking period and will be discussed mainly on Thursdays during seminar. Your use of text and article knowledge will highly advance your grade.
2. Seminars will be held on Thursday where your participation is required. Your use of readings and analysis will be measured.
3. Tests will be given every other Friday. Test questions reflect the AP Exam and will emphasis multiple-choice AND free-response questions.
3. Quizzes will be given every other Tuesday covering current readings, vocabulary and concepts. A vocabulary list will be given every marking period. Hand written vocabulary definitions and hand written lecture notes are permitted on quizzes.
4. Current events will be turned in every other Tuesday and must focus on a foreign political issue covering one of the six countries we focus on. Summarize the event, explain why it is politically significant, describe a possible consequence or effect of this event, explain your personal solution/suggestion for the country, and place the event in comparative context: to what extent does this event tell us something unique about the country's political system? How is this seen in other political systems?
Course Requirements and Student Evaluation
Grades will be based upon Westside High School's Grading Policy. Students scoring below 70% on a major grade will be permitted to one retake attempt per marking period. All retakes must be completed within one week of posted grade. All make-up assignments (quizzes, tests, seminars) must be completed within one week of the date originally taken. Late grades, major and minor, will be rewarded no higher than a 70%. Any student caught or suspected of cheating, which includes copying someone else’s work and portraying it as their own, will receive a zero for that assignment and will not be allowed to make it up. Students may appeal this decision to a dean.
For each marking period (6-weeks) the following grades will be assigned and expected.
Minor grades are non-negotiable and will remain constant throughout the semester.
Major grades will be a combination of multiple-choice and free response questions.
Major Grades: 70%Minor Grades: 30%
Test #1: Short answer concepts3 Vocabulary and Concept Quizzes
Test #2: Conceptual analysis3 Current Events
Test #3: Country context comparison3 Socratic seminars
Short Answer Concept questions - Students will provide brief definitions or descriptions of five concepts or terms, noting their significance. May be asked to provide an example of the concept in one or more of the countries studied or contrast concepts.
5 questions 30 minutes - 25%
Conceptual Analysis questions - Students will use major concepts to identify and explain important relationships and discuss causes and implications of politics and policy.
1 question 30 minutes - 25%
Country Context Comparison - Students will use concepts in an analysis of one or more of the counties studied to answer two questions. They will be asked to discuss concepts and then apply this concept in a comparative context.
2 questions 40 minutes - 50%
Multiple Choice - All questions will contain five answer choices and will represent AP standards.
55 questions 45 minutes
How to be successful
Because this course is completed in one semester, it is crucial for the class to move on a quick pace. In order to be successful, it is necessary for you to make habit of reading and keeping up with assignments. There will be no surprises in this class and you will have plenty of notification on all requirements.
Helpful Tips:
1. Study your vocabulary! Government has many terms that you must understand.
2. Readings must be completed/outlined for seminar in order to fulfill participation requirement.
3. Look forward to current events and participation to help your grade. They are simple assignments, but require your effort. DO NOT BE LAZY!
4. Review concepts, terms and comparisons before exam days. FORM A STUDY GROUP!
5. Never hesitate to ask for help. Come to office hours, and make me aware of situations.
Resources
Textbook: (readings will be assigned every marking period and are necessary for quizzes and exams)
Barrington, Lowell. 2009. Comparative Politics: Structures and Choices, 1st edition. Boston: Wadsworth.
Supplementary Readings: (excerpts from the following sources will be provided by the teacher for analysis during seminar)
Abrahamian, Ervand. 2008. A History of Modern Iran. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Barany, Zoltan and Robert Moser. 2001. Russian Politics: Challenges of Democratization. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Brown, Archie. 2001. Contemporary Russian Politics. New York: Oxford University Press.
Joseph, William A. 2010. Politics in China: An Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press.
Marr, Andrew. 2008. A History of Modern Britain. London: Macmillan.
Paden, John. N. 2008. Faith and Politics in Nigeria: Nigeria as a Pivotal State in the Muslim World. Washington D.C: United States Institute of Peace Press.
Pei, Minxin. 2008. China's Trapped Transition: The Limits of Developmental Autocracy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Online Resources:(websites must be used for current event assignments and the end-of-semester project)
Primary Documents: (resources from various materials will be provided by the teacher for evaluation, including from):
Course Planner
1. Introduction to Comparative Politics (1 weeks)
Purpose and methods of comparison: Why compare governments?
Concepts and challenges to a nation, state, regime, government
2. Sovereignty, Authority, and Power (3 weeks)
Sources of power
Constitutions (forms, purposes, application)
Regime types
Types of economic systems
Governance and accountability
State building, legitimacy and stability
3. Citizens, Society and the State (2 weeks)
Representation and equality (ethnic, racial, class, gender, religion, region)
The media and the people
Political participation including political violence
Social movements
4. Political and Economic Change (2 weeks)
Revolution, coups and war
Trends and types of political change including democratization
Trends and types of economic change including globalization
5. Political Institutions and Branches (3 weeks)
The levels of government
Executive power: president v. prime minister
Legislature organization: unicameral v. bicameral
Parliamentary and presidential systems
Political parties: organization, members, and ideological goals
Political elections: electoral, noncompetitive, plurality
Interest groups
Bureaucracies and institutions
6. Public Policy (1 weeks)
Domestic and Global influences
Shifts and Changes
Common policy issues: social welfare, civil liberties, population, and economic outcome
7. Case Studies Project (3 weeks)
Democracies
United Kingdom
European Union
Transition Systems
Russia
Mexico
Nigeria
Non-democracies
China
Iran
8. Review and Final (1 week)