UPDATE
- The textbook we will be using is Comparative Politics Today: A World View, 8th edition (Almond et al). If you are interested in purchasing your own copy of the text so you can underline, highlight, make notes, etc, please visit this link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0321350995/ref=sr_1_olp_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262115255&sr=8-1&condition=used
Currently, there are used copies available for around $5.
- The recommended review book is AP Comparative Government and Politics: a Study Guide, 4th edition, by Ethel Wood. It is the most recently published (Oct. 09) and comprehensive review book. Here is a link to order: http://www.amazon.com/AP-Comparative-Government-Politics-Study/dp/0974348171/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254919231&sr=1-4
Bookmark this site and visit it often! Included here will be required readings, supplemental resources, outlines, web links, and assignments. This is a very intense 1-semester college course designed to cover the basic concepts of Comparative Government through the study of six countries. Due to the district calendar and the fact that this is the first AP exam scheduled, we have a mere 65 class days to learn and prepare for the AP exam. As a college-level course, the rule of 1-2 hours of outside work for every hour in the classroom will apply. Please understand this in advance.
How Should I Use This Website?
The three most important features of this website are:
1. The Calendar
2. The Articles
3. The Message Board
The Calendar feature can be found by scrolling to the bottom of this site. It will be used for upcoming dates relevant to the class and to Plant High School. If a homework assignment is required, this will be distinguished by (homework) next to the title of the date -- see January 20th for an example.
The Articles feature can be found on the right-hand sidebar of this site. It will have resources, both required and optional, for comparative government in general, as well as for each country we study. Familiarizing yourself with these articles as early in the course as possible (and continuing to use them throughout the semester) will be essential to your success in the class.
The Message Board can be found by following the purple link directly under "Calendar and Download Area." It will be used periodically throughout the semester. Near the end of each unit of study, a question (or questions) will be posed, and you will be required to respond both to the question and to at least one of your colleagues' responses. More direction regarding this feature will be given in class.
What Will We Study in This Class?
Below is an excerpt of the course description from the College Board. To view the entire course description, please visit the Comparative Government and Politics Site.
The AP course in Comparative Government and Politics introduces students to fundamental concepts used by political scientists to study the processes and outcomes of politics in a variety of country settings. The course aims to illustrate the rich diversity of political life, to show available institutional alternatives, to explain differences in processes and policy outcomes, and to communicate to students the importance of global political and economic changes.
In addition to covering the major concepts that are used to organize and interpret what we know about political phenomena and relationships, the course should cover specific countries and their governments. Six countries form the core of the AP Comparative Government and Politics course. China, Great Britain, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia are all regularly covered in college-level introductory comparative politics courses. The inclusion of Iran adds a political system from a very important region of the world and one that is subject to distinctive political and cultural dynamics. By using these six core countries, the course can move the discussion of concepts from abstract definition to concrete example, noting that not all concepts will be equally useful in all country settings.
Why is AP Comparative Government and Politics Relevant?
NOT paying attention to global affairs is not an option in today's world
Students' First Day Back at School! August 25, 2009
Class Downloads
PHS Goes to France 2011.pdf
2011 Summer travel to France! (4.93 MB) Interested in traveling to France next summer with your friends and favorite teachers? Ms. Beitler, Ms. Nevergold, and Ms. Wathey are leading a trip to various places throughout the country. Click on the link for more information, and contact one of these teachers to sign up!
