Overview of AP Comparative Government and Politics Course Structure

Essential Information Firstly, before approaching AP Comparative Government and Politics, there’s some essential information that you need to know. ● There are 5 units to the official AP Comparative Government course framework. These are essentially the topics you should be aware of when taking this course. This is also the basis for the study guide. However, there is an additional Unit 6 here, with information on the core countries. Either way, the units are the following: 1. Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments 2. Political Institutions 3. Political Culture and Participation 4. Party and Electoral Systems, and Citizen Organizations 5. Political and Economic Changes, and Development 6. The Core Countries ● Core countries are the 6 main countries discussed in the AP exams. To take the AP exam, or even to take an AP Comparative Government and Politics course, you’ll need to be aware of these countries, their systems, and some current political issues in these countries. The table below will provide some essential information on these countries, and Unit 6 will elaborate on these countries a little bit more. ● Additionally, it’s useful to know the 5 big ideas that will be a recurring theme in comparative politics. 1. Power and Authority 2. Legitimacy and Stability 3. Democratization 4. Internal and External Forces 5. Methods of Political Analysis Comparative Politics as a Social Science Fundamental Methods ● Studying comparative politics as a science is important to researchers. They want to establish a difference between social studies and social sciences. Therefore, they adopt methods from science. ● In comparative politics, different types of information can be used to gather conclusions about the political scheme. 1. Quantitative information is presented in numbers, and in comparative politics, they serve as a way to compare different countries and draw conclusions. 2. Qualitative information is typically presented in statements. ● Also, when observing a set of data, it’s critical to distinguish correlation from causation. 1. Correlation is when two sets of data are related. 2. Causation is when one variable influences another. ○ Causation is difficult to establish in comparative politics because it’s impossible to isolate different variables in lab settings like in natural sciences. Furthermore, the variables don’t have a one-to-one relationship, and they influence each other. ● This information can be found in many sources. However, there are a select number of data collection resources that make relationships in core countries. You should be able to read data from these sources when taking the AP exam. 1. Human Development Index (HDI) 2. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 3. GDP Per Capita 4. GDP Growth Rate 5. Gini Index/Coefficient 6. Freedom House 7. Transparency International 8. Failed States Index The Comparative Method ● What does “comparative” mean in AP Comparative Government and Politics? Well, it’s a nod to the method with which researchers approach this subject, called the comparative method. ● Comparing different countries is an essential aspect of comparative politics. ● Comparison is an essential part of studying politics because it provides a certain standard. What defines a poor country? Or a corrupt one? Well, looking at just one country can’t provide a good answer, so addressing different ones is a good approach. ● The purpose of comparison; 1. Identify social and political problems 2. Recommend a course of action, or promote a reform ● When comparing different countries, you could say one of the following statements. 1. Empirical statements simply state facts. ○ “The United Kingdom’s GDP per capita in 2020 was $39800.” would be an empirical statement, because it’s merely stating a fact. 2. Normative statements include value judgments. ○ “Nigeria should change its economic policies.” would be a normative statement, because what Nigeria should do is a matter of opinion. ■ Just because normative statements include value judgments, doesn’t mean that they are inherently not scientific. Both are essential to the study of comparative politics. The Systems Theory ● The systems theory is a model, or an example, of a political system that can be generalized to most systems. It explains the factors that influence public policy during its creation and maintenance. ● In comparative politics, an environment is what surrounds a political system. Certain aspects of the environment can influence political systems. There are a number of aspects to the environment.