Find what you need to study
3 min readโขdecember 23, 2022
Isabela Padilha Vilela
kelly-cotton
Isabela Padilha Vilela
kelly-cotton
Unit 1 of the AP Comparative Politics course introduces students to the way think to draw analysis and conclusions about global politics. There are big ideas that students have to keep in mind when studying Comparative politics, and the first one is that politics is all about power and authority. ๐ซ
In analyzing the six core countries of the AP exam keep in mind these questions: Who has the power and who is affected by it? How did they get this power? The political history of each nation will provide you with the answers to those questions. ๐
This unit will also provide you with the tools to incorporate quantitative and qualitative data so you can generate meaningful conclusions to identify and explains trends and patterns in other nations - basically to do what political scientists do!
(Remember: is expressed in numerical form and can be analyzed statistically. contains non-numerical representations such as words, images and text.)
Before we get into unit 1, let's take a quick second to look at the course as a whole. The course is divided into 5๏ธโฃ five units covering:
How government gains power ๐ช and
(stable, long-lasting organizations that help turn political ideas into actual policy. Think of legislatures and political parties!)
๐ณ๏ธ (social factors are extremely important in understanding !)
and ๐ฅ
Political and economic ๐น change
The course will ask you to demonstrate what you have learned about each of these topics through six 6๏ธโฃ countries, called the Core Course Countries. These nations were chosen by the College Board because they present distinct features that can explain the different ramifications of politics across the world
UK ๐ฌ๐ง: When you use the term UK or United Kingdom we are referring to the combination of Scotland ๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ, Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง, and Northern Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช. Key Characteristics of the UK: Democratic ๐regime, as well as a .
Russia ๐ท๐บ: Russia came into existence again after the Soviet Union broke ๐ up in 1991. Russia is used as an example of an authoritarian ๐ regime, post-communist nation that exhibits a semi-presidential ๐ system.
Iran ๐ฎ๐ท as a course country is quite interesting because it is an authoritarian ๐ regime, but it is also an example of a theocratic ๐ government. Unlike the first two course countries, the UK and Russia, Iran cannot be identified as a semi-presidential, presidential, or , but more on that in Unit 2 Political ๐
Mexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ: This country, much like the UK, is an example of a democratic ๐ regime, however unlike the UK, Mexico is an example of a presidential ๐คด system.
China ๐จ๐ณ: This country is an authoritarian ๐ regime, similar to Russia and Iran. Much like Iran, the course does not categorize China as a presidential, semi-presidential, or , but once again we will talk ๐ฌ about that in Unit 2 Political .
Nigeria ๐ณ๐ฌ: This country, much like the UK, is an example of a democratic ๐ regime, however unlike the UK, Nigeria is similar to Mexico in that it is an example of a presidential ๐คด system.
In addition, you also need to know about . These are organizations like the EU ๐ช๐บ that encourage states to pool their sovereignty together in order to receive economic, political, and social benefit, but more on that later.
Authoritarian Regime
: An authoritarian regime refers to an oppressive form of government where political power rests in one leader or group, who exercise authority without meaningful checks or balances.Citizen Organizations
: Citizen organizations are non-governmental groups formed by individuals who come together around shared interests or causes. They aim to promote specific issues, advocate for policy changes, or provide services to communities without being part of the government structure.Comparative Political Scientists
: Comparative political scientists are scholars who study and analyze political systems, institutions, and processes across different countries to identify similarities, differences, and patterns.Culture and Participation
: Culture and participation refers to the ways in which a society's beliefs, values, norms, and traditions influence political behavior and engagement. It encompasses how individuals interact with their government and participate in political activities.Democratic Regime
: A democratic regime refers to a political system where power is held by the people, who exercise their authority through free and fair elections.Economic Change
: Economic change refers to the transformation or shift in an economy's structure, policies, or performance over time. It involves alterations in factors such as production methods, technology, trade patterns, and government regulations.Elections
: Elections are formal processes where citizens choose their representatives or leaders through voting. They provide an opportunity for people to express their preferences and have a say in shaping the government.Institutions
: Institutions refer to the established structures and organizations that shape and govern political systems. They provide the framework for how power is exercised, decisions are made, and policies are implemented within a society.Legitimacy
: Legitimacy refers to the acceptance and recognition of a government or political system by its citizens as having the right to rule and exercise authority.Parliamentary System
: A parliamentary system is a form of government where executive power is vested in an elected legislature (parliament) which chooses a prime minister or head of government.Political Change
: Political change refers to the process of altering or transforming the structure, systems, or policies within a government or political system.Political Systems
: Political systems refer to the structures and processes through which a society makes collective decisions, exercises power, and governs itself.Presidential System
: A presidential system is a form of government where there is a separation between the executive and legislative branches, with an elected president serving as both head of state and head of government.Qualitative Data
: Qualitative data refers to non-numerical information that focuses on qualities, characteristics, and descriptions. It involves collecting data through interviews, observations, or open-ended survey questions.Quantitative Data
: Quantitative data refers to numerical information that can be measured and analyzed using mathematical methods. It involves collecting data through structured surveys, experiments, or observations.Semi-Presidential System
: A semi-presidential system combines elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems. It features an elected president as head of state alongside a prime minister who is responsible for the day-to-day governance.Supranational Organizations
: Supranational organizations are international institutions that have authority over member states, making decisions that affect all members. They often have the power to create and enforce laws, regulations, and policies.Theocratic Government
: A theocratic government is a form of government where religious leaders hold power and religious law is used as the basis for governance.3 min readโขdecember 23, 2022
Isabela Padilha Vilela
kelly-cotton
Isabela Padilha Vilela
kelly-cotton
Unit 1 of the AP Comparative Politics course introduces students to the way think to draw analysis and conclusions about global politics. There are big ideas that students have to keep in mind when studying Comparative politics, and the first one is that politics is all about power and authority. ๐ซ
In analyzing the six core countries of the AP exam keep in mind these questions: Who has the power and who is affected by it? How did they get this power? The political history of each nation will provide you with the answers to those questions. ๐
This unit will also provide you with the tools to incorporate quantitative and qualitative data so you can generate meaningful conclusions to identify and explains trends and patterns in other nations - basically to do what political scientists do!
(Remember: is expressed in numerical form and can be analyzed statistically. contains non-numerical representations such as words, images and text.)
Before we get into unit 1, let's take a quick second to look at the course as a whole. The course is divided into 5๏ธโฃ five units covering:
How government gains power ๐ช and
(stable, long-lasting organizations that help turn political ideas into actual policy. Think of legislatures and political parties!)
๐ณ๏ธ (social factors are extremely important in understanding !)
and ๐ฅ
Political and economic ๐น change
The course will ask you to demonstrate what you have learned about each of these topics through six 6๏ธโฃ countries, called the Core Course Countries. These nations were chosen by the College Board because they present distinct features that can explain the different ramifications of politics across the world
UK ๐ฌ๐ง: When you use the term UK or United Kingdom we are referring to the combination of Scotland ๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ, Great Britain ๐ฌ๐ง, and Northern Ireland ๐ฎ๐ช. Key Characteristics of the UK: Democratic ๐regime, as well as a .
Russia ๐ท๐บ: Russia came into existence again after the Soviet Union broke ๐ up in 1991. Russia is used as an example of an authoritarian ๐ regime, post-communist nation that exhibits a semi-presidential ๐ system.
Iran ๐ฎ๐ท as a course country is quite interesting because it is an authoritarian ๐ regime, but it is also an example of a theocratic ๐ government. Unlike the first two course countries, the UK and Russia, Iran cannot be identified as a semi-presidential, presidential, or , but more on that in Unit 2 Political ๐
Mexico ๐ฒ๐ฝ: This country, much like the UK, is an example of a democratic ๐ regime, however unlike the UK, Mexico is an example of a presidential ๐คด system.
China ๐จ๐ณ: This country is an authoritarian ๐ regime, similar to Russia and Iran. Much like Iran, the course does not categorize China as a presidential, semi-presidential, or , but once again we will talk ๐ฌ about that in Unit 2 Political .
Nigeria ๐ณ๐ฌ: This country, much like the UK, is an example of a democratic ๐ regime, however unlike the UK, Nigeria is similar to Mexico in that it is an example of a presidential ๐คด system.
In addition, you also need to know about . These are organizations like the EU ๐ช๐บ that encourage states to pool their sovereignty together in order to receive economic, political, and social benefit, but more on that later.
Authoritarian Regime
: An authoritarian regime refers to an oppressive form of government where political power rests in one leader or group, who exercise authority without meaningful checks or balances.Citizen Organizations
: Citizen organizations are non-governmental groups formed by individuals who come together around shared interests or causes. They aim to promote specific issues, advocate for policy changes, or provide services to communities without being part of the government structure.Comparative Political Scientists
: Comparative political scientists are scholars who study and analyze political systems, institutions, and processes across different countries to identify similarities, differences, and patterns.Culture and Participation
: Culture and participation refers to the ways in which a society's beliefs, values, norms, and traditions influence political behavior and engagement. It encompasses how individuals interact with their government and participate in political activities.Democratic Regime
: A democratic regime refers to a political system where power is held by the people, who exercise their authority through free and fair elections.Economic Change
: Economic change refers to the transformation or shift in an economy's structure, policies, or performance over time. It involves alterations in factors such as production methods, technology, trade patterns, and government regulations.Elections
: Elections are formal processes where citizens choose their representatives or leaders through voting. They provide an opportunity for people to express their preferences and have a say in shaping the government.Institutions
: Institutions refer to the established structures and organizations that shape and govern political systems. They provide the framework for how power is exercised, decisions are made, and policies are implemented within a society.Legitimacy
: Legitimacy refers to the acceptance and recognition of a government or political system by its citizens as having the right to rule and exercise authority.Parliamentary System
: A parliamentary system is a form of government where executive power is vested in an elected legislature (parliament) which chooses a prime minister or head of government.Political Change
: Political change refers to the process of altering or transforming the structure, systems, or policies within a government or political system.Political Systems
: Political systems refer to the structures and processes through which a society makes collective decisions, exercises power, and governs itself.Presidential System
: A presidential system is a form of government where there is a separation between the executive and legislative branches, with an elected president serving as both head of state and head of government.Qualitative Data
: Qualitative data refers to non-numerical information that focuses on qualities, characteristics, and descriptions. It involves collecting data through interviews, observations, or open-ended survey questions.Quantitative Data
: Quantitative data refers to numerical information that can be measured and analyzed using mathematical methods. It involves collecting data through structured surveys, experiments, or observations.Semi-Presidential System
: A semi-presidential system combines elements of both parliamentary and presidential systems. It features an elected president as head of state alongside a prime minister who is responsible for the day-to-day governance.Supranational Organizations
: Supranational organizations are international institutions that have authority over member states, making decisions that affect all members. They often have the power to create and enforce laws, regulations, and policies.Theocratic Government
: A theocratic government is a form of government where religious leaders hold power and religious law is used as the basis for governance.ยฉ 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
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