Welcome to Mr. Tredinnick's AP Comparative Government Class
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The AP Comparative Government and Politics course is designed to introduce students to a variety of political institutions through examining issues such as citizen participation, governmental organization, the idea of sovereignty and the root of power, public policy, and the ways in which political and economic institutions change. The primary goal of the course is to increase understanding of the different political institutions, values, and structures of different governmental systems. Students will become more familiar with these institutions through examining case studies of Great Britain, Nigeria, Mexico, Iran, China, and Russia. This semester long course is designed to have the workload and rigor of a freshman or sophomore level college course. Upon completion of the course students will be able to take the Advanced Placement test for potential college credit. The course will emphasize critical thinking and application of knowledge with the goal that students will have a better critical perspective of the inner workings of different systems of government.
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Unit V - Test Review
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Week 18: Test Preparation
(May 8-12) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Study Day - Practice Multiple Choice Exam - Independent study time - Time to work on Corrections Wednesday: No Classes Senior Ceremony Thursday: Test Day - AP Examination Day: Thursday May 11th, 2017 - Invictus Friday: No Class "A" Day |
Week 19: Post-Test Activities
(May 15-19) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Post-Test - Invictus + Discuss tools used by government in movie Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: End of Year Interest Project - Interest Project (Assignment) Friday: No Class - Work Day
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Week 20: End of Year Wrap-Up
(May 15-19) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Finish Interest Project - Interest Project (Assignment) - Finding AP CoGov in the News (Assignment) - End of Course Survey Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: No Class - End of Year Check-Out Friday: No School - Summer Vacation | ||
Unit IV - Closed Authoritarian States: Iran and China
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Week 13: Examining Iran
(Apr 3-7) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Introducing Iran - Forum: Benefits of a Religious Society (4.1) - Iran's Formation (Notes) HW: Collegeboard Briefing: Iran (Pgs. 1-19) Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Iran's Governmental Structure - Forum: Influence of Religion(4.2) - Iranian Governmental Grid (Assignment) Friday: No Class - Zoo Orientation Week 16: Modern Chinese Issues
(Apr 24-28) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Issues Related to China's Government - Forum: Security or Liberty (4.7) - Observations of China (Notes) - TED: A Tale of Two Political Systems HW: Defending Communism (Assignment) Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Party Control of China - Forum: Control of Religion (4.8) - State Order No. 5 (Assignment) + Last Week Tonight: Dalai Lama + How Does China's Government Work? - The Umbrella Protest (Assignment) + The Guardian - Umbrella Revolution HW: End of Unit Test next Thursday Friday: No Class - Zoo Orientation |
Week 14: Modern Iranian Issues
(Apr 10-14) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Issues Related to Iran's Government - Forum: Problems of an Oil-Based Economy(4.3) - Issues facing the Iranian State (Notes) HW: BBC - US-Iran Relations Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Iran's Relations with the West - Forum: Importance of Global Connections (4.4) - Discuss Homework Reading Assignment - Iranian Foreign Relations (Notes) - In-Class Reading (Iran Briefing 48-51) Friday: No School - Staff Development 
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Week 15: Examining China
(Apr 17-21) Monday: No School - Staff Development Tuesday: Introduction to China - Forum: Problems of transitioning Economies (4.5) - Making Modern China (Notes) HW: Comparing Chinese Revolutions (Assignment) + Crash Course: Chinese Revolutions Wednesday: No Classes - ACT Thursday: China's Governmental Structure - Forum: Influence of the Party (4.6) - Go over Comparing Chinese Revolutions - Structures of Governance: China (Notes) + Explained: China's Communist Party Friday: Field Trip - Morrill Hall Week 17: Finish Unit IV
(May 1- 5) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: HW: Review all notes and Assignments for Unit IV Test - Closed Authoritarian States + Iran Review + China Review Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Unit IV Test - Unit IV Test - Closed Authoritarian States + Thursday May 4th, 2017 Friday: Final Critique for ZO |
Unit IV Notes
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Unit IV Assignments
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Unit IV Resources
Unit III - Procedural and Electoral Authoritarian States: Nigeria and Russia
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Week 8: Examining Nigeria
(Feb 20-24) Monday: No School - President's Day Tuesday: Nigeria's Origins - Forum: Issues of Colonialism (3.1) - Nigeria's Formation (Assignment) + College Board Briefing - Nigeria HW: Finish Creating Presentation Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Modern Issues Related to Nigeria - Forum: Multi-Ethnic States (3.2) - Nigerian Issues (Assignment) + Al Jazeera: States of Independence - Nigeria + BBC: Nigeria's Hidden Conflict HW: Have Nigerian Issues and Presentation completed for next class Friday: No Class "A" Day Week 11: Russia's Troubles
(Mar 20-24) Monday: No School - Spring Break Tuesday: Modern Issues Related to Russia - Forum - Importance of Press Freedom (3.7) - Issues facing the Russian State + BBC: Vodka in Russia + Putin's Chechnya + Russia's Silent HIV Epidemic + Russia's Difficult Transition to Democracy + The Guardian: Press Freedom in Russia Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: The Putin Issue - Forum: (3.8) - Electoral Issues of Russia (Notes) - Illiberal Democracies Cornell Notes (Notes) + Illiberal Democracy and Putin's Russia HW: End of Unit Test Next Thursday Friday: No Class Zoo Project Day |
Week 9: Nigerian Governmental Structure
(Feb 27- Mar 3) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Nigerian Governmental Structure - Forum: Strongest Branch (3.3) - Structures of Governance: Nigeria (Notes) HW: College Board Briefing (Page 19-33) Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Nigeria's Electoral Issues - Forum: Needs for a "fair election" (3.4) - Fairness of Nigeria's Elections (Assignment) + How Nigeria's Presidential Elections Work + Factsheet: Nigeria's Elections + Voting Extended as Nigerian Elections marred by Violence Friday: No Class Zoo Project Day - Spring Break (Mar 11-19) -
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Week 10: Foundations of Russia
(Mar 6-10) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Democratization of Russia - Forum: Appeal of a Strongman (3.5) - Foundations of Russia's Government (Notes) HW: Khrushchev's Secret Speech (Assignment) Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Russia's Government - Forum: Advantages of a Split Executive? - Structures of Governance: Russia (Notes) Friday: No Class Zoo Project Day Week 12: Finish Unit III
(Mar 27-31) Monday: No Class 'A" Day Tuesday: ACT Prep - Test 3: Reading HW: Review all notes and Assignments for Unit III Test - Procedural and Electoral Authoritarian States + Nigeria Review + Russian Federation Review Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Unit III Test - Unit III Test - Procedural and Electoral Authoritarian States + Thursday Mar 30th, 2017 Friday: No Class "A" Day 
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Unit III Notes
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Unit III Assignments
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Unit III Resources
College Board Briefing - Nigeria
Unit II - Substantive Democracies: Great Britain, the European Union, and Mexico
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Week 3: The Ideals of Democracy
(Jan 16-20) Monday: No School - Martin Luther King Day Tuesday: Democratic Ideals - Forum: Requirements for Democracy (2.1) - Principles of Democracy (Notes) HW: State of the State - Mexico (Assignment) + CFR: Mexico - Development and Democracy at a Crossroads + FP: Mexico is Not a Functioning Democracy Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Democratization of Mexico - Forum: Is Mexico a Democracy? (2.2) - Discuss State of the State - Mexico HW - Foundations of Mexico's Government (Notes) HW: Collegeboard Briefing - Mexico (pgs 1-13) Friday: No Class "A" Day Week 6: The British Democracy
(Feb 6-10) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Institutions of the United Kingdom - Forum: Permanent MPs? (2.7) - Structure of Governance: The UK (Notes) HW: Media's Role in British Politics (Assignment) + BBC: Media's Role in 2015 Election Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Modern British Issues - Forum: Pros and Cons of the Union (2.8) - Issues in Modern Britain HW: Begin Reviewing for Unit II Test Friday: No Class Zoo Project Day |
Week 4: Mexican Democracy
(Jan 23-27) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Mexico Government Structure and Issues - Forum: Mexico's Biggest Issue (2.3) - Structure of Governance: Mexico (Notes) HW: Mexican Drug War (Assignment) HW: Collegeboard Briefing - Mexico (pgs 13-30) Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: The Establishment of the EU - Forum: Complications of Opinions (2.4) - Foundations of the EU (Notes) HW: Institutions of the EU (Assignment) Friday: No Class Zoo Project Day 
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Week 5: The European Union
(Jan 30-Feb 3) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: The Modern European Union - Forum: Advantages and Disadvantages (2.5) - The Financial Crisis (Assignment) + European Debt Crisis Visualized - Refugee Crisis in Europe (Assignment) + Global Conflict Tracker Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Democracy in the UK - Forum: President or Prime Minister? (2.6) - Foundations of the United Kingdom's Government (Notes) HW: History and Policy - Democratisation: Historical Lessons from the British Case Friday: No Class Zoo Project Day Week 7: Finish Unit II
(Feb 13-17) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Review - Review all notes and assignments for Unit II - Substantive Democracies + Britain Review + Mexico Review Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Finish Unit - Unit II Test - Substantive Democracies + Thursday Feb 16th, 2017 Friday: No Class Zoo Project Day |
Unit II Notes
Unit II Review |
Unit II Assignments
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Unit II Resources
Unit I - Introduction to Comparative Politics
Unit I Course Schedule
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Week 1: Course Introduction
(Jan 2-6) Monday: No School - Winter Break Tuesday: No School - Winter Break Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Course Overview - Forum: Can all states be democracies? (1.1) - Course Expectations (Syllabus) - Global Politics Vocabulary (Assignment) HW: College Board Briefing - Democratization (Notes) Friday: No Class - Zoo Project Day 
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Week 2: Global Governance Concepts
(Jan 9-13) Monday: No Class "A" Day Tuesday: Political Theory - Forum: What is the Purpose of Government (1.2) - Early Political Theory (Assignment) - International Political Systems (Notes) - Comparing Liberalism and Conservatism (Notes) - Analyzing Governence Systems (Assignment) HW: Finish Governance Systems + Be prepared to argue findings on Thursday Wednesday: No Class "A" Day Thursday: Concepts of Government - Forum: A country's biggest problems (1.3) - Levels of Government (Notes) - Common Policy Issues (Assignment) HW: Country Profile (Assignment) - Using Analyzing Governance Systems HW Friday: No Class - Zoo Project Day |
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Unit I Notes
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Unit I Assignments
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Unit I Resources
CIA World Factbook
AP Comparitive Government Course Resources
Course Materials |
Class Forum
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Helpful Websites
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