AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
2016-2017 Summer Assignment
Comparative government and politics provides an introduction to the consequences of an increasingly interdependent world. Although this
curriculum focuses on specific countries, it also emphasizes an understanding of conceptual tools and methods that form a framework for
comparing almost any governments that exist today. The 21st century has taught us that we cannot ignore the world around us. Happenings
around the globe now directly impact our lives and therefore, it is necessary to think and learn globally.
This is a one-year course designed to give students an analytical perspective on global politics. Students will focus on the governments of the
United States as well as the diverse political structures of the United Kingdom, Mexico, Iran, Nigeria, China and Russia. Additionally, students
will learn about the economic and political framework of the European Union. Comparisons will be made in terms of power structures, political
institutions, citizen participation, political and economic change and public policy. Students will be exposed to different theoretical and practical
frameworks that are the foundations for a variety of political systems.
Summer Assignment:
Part 1
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Assemble a small (1”) 3-Ring Binder with 8 clearly marked sections (use dividers): U.S., Britain (U.K.), Russia,
China, Mexico, Nigeria, Iran & European Union (E.U.).
During the course of the summer, collect two news articles per country and the EU (16 total articles). Articles
must be legitimate (not short little paragraphs hi-lighting issues) & published in the last five years (2011 – 2016).
(FYI: The European Union is an economic & political partnership between 28 European countries, in which a
single currency is used among most members, trade is free, and political policies are often common.) The
articles should provide you with information about the political, economic or foreign policy issues which
confront each nation and the E.U. Check out the most recent referendum (June 23) in the U.K. and Russia is
holding legislative elections on 18 September 2016.
IMPORTANT: You will most likely have a hard time understanding the topics of articles and you WILL have to
conduct some research to make sense of background information, reference, and acronyms that articles discuss.
If you want reliable background information, check out the College Board briefing papers on Mexico, Iran &
Nigeria: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/courses/teachers_corner/42256.html.
Possible article sources include, but are not limited to:
o New York Times – www.nytimes.com
o CNN World News - http://www.cnn.com/world
o BBC – http://www.bbc.com/news
o Time Magazine – www.time.com
o The Moscow Times - http://www.themoscowtimes.com/
o The Journal of Comparative Politics – http://web.gc.cuny.edu/jcp/
o CIA – https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
o The Economist - http://www.economist.com/
o Al Jazeera – http://america.aljazeera.com/
o Russia Pravda English - http://english.pravda.ru/
o The Punch (Nigeria) - http://www.punchng.com/
o Washington Post - http://www.washingtonpost.com/
o Global Media Monitor - http://lass.calumet.purdue.edu/cca/gmm/
o U.S. News &World Report - http://www.usnews.com/
o The Guardian - http://www.theguardian.com/us
o Washington Times- http://www.washingtontimes.com/
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Everyone should subscribe to the Teaching Comparative notification of the day! Yes, even though you
are not a teacher, provide your e-mail address and receive articles every single day that address ONLY the topics
on the AP Comparative Government & Politics exam. You can use these articles for the summer assignment, but
you can also use these articles throughout the year for the Article of Week assignment. The site is maintained
by Ken Wedding, a professor and College Board consultant (so he knows the test). There is also a great review
book that you can purchase at the site as well, but remember, many of you have purchased the Ethel Wood
book already, so this would be supplementary spending & information:
o http://compgovpol.blogspot.com/
Part 2
 Write an analysis of each article (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font – approximately one-page). The analysis
must include:
#1 – A summary that outlines the topic and provides specific information to prove an understanding of the
issue(s) involved.
#2 – A personal opinion or response as to how and why this topic is important, who is most influenced by the
situation, or your own idea(s) about the topic in general. I want to know your opinion & understand how you
think!
Part 3
Complete the attached charts “Vocabulary” and “Development Terms” (Political & Economic Measures). If you would
like to complete these in a different format, feel free to do so. The charts are on my web-site also, if you prefer to use
the computer. It is imperative that you try to define the terms in your own words and/or provide an example so that
you begin making connections about the content.
Part 4
 Design & complete a chart for each country (including the U.S., but not the E.U.) with the following information:
o Leader
o Type of government
o Capital city
o Geographic border (nations, bodies of water, region)
o Population
o Population density (population v. physical size of country)
o Population growth rate
o Infant mortality rate
o Life expectancy
o HIV/AIDS adult prevalence rate
o Primary ethnic and racial groups (don’t go crazy on this!)
o Population below poverty line
o Unemployment rate
o Military expenditures
o Major industries
o Major natural resources
o GDP & GNP per capita
o Inflation rate
o Education expenditure
o Major problems facing nation
Check out CIA World Factbook for this information. It is concise and fairly updated https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Part 5
 Write a two-page paper analyzing what you have learned about any or all of the countries in regards to these
statistics and facts. You may write an analytical comparison between two or more countries or an analytical
case study focusing on only one of the countries. Express your opinion, in some way, about what you have
learned! I want to know what you think and how you think and how you process this information!
You may consider focusing on the following, but these are suggestions ONLY: What do these figures tell us about a
country? Were there certain statistics that surprised or concerned you? Explain. When writing your analysis, you
may use specifics to help illustrate your arguments. Connect a minimum of THREE terms you analyzed on one of the
two charts. (e.g. China is an authoritarian nation. This is obvious by the fact that they do not allow free speech or a free press.
I read an article about the “Great Firewall of China” which outlined the technological strategies the government uses to keep
people from accessing information about any topic the government does not agree with. ) Read, think, & analyze! For
example, why is the HIV/AIDS rate so important? What does it tell us about a country (medical services, health &
human welfare, behaviors of government officials and/or citizens, education, economic status of citizens, etc)? How
does one country’s statistic compare to another’s? Is one country’s statistic interesting and if so, why?
DUE: 1st day of class
If you ordered an Ethel Wood study guide, I will have them for you on the 1st day of class, but if you want it
earlier, e-mail me and you can meet me at school one day in July to pick it up – it will be helpful.
VOCABULARY
Define the following terms in your own words, give examples or draw pictures.
Coalition Government (no
Industrialized Democracy
Globalization
Political Culture
Newly Industrialized
Country
Democratization
Bureaucracy
Imperialism
Interest Group
Legitimacy
Sovereignty
Less Developed Nation
Totalitarianism
Authoritarianism
Federal state / country
Unitary state / country
Theocracy
Political Party System
Political Cleavage(s)
Public Policy
Command System /
Communism
Mixed economy
longer relevant in U.K., but 20102015 it was)
(two-party system; one-party
system; mulit-party system)
Free-market economy
Private Enterprise v.
State-Owned Enterprise
DEVELOPMENT KEY TERMS
POLITICAL & SOCIOECONOMIC MEASURES - write a simple explanation in your own
words and if you do not know why this information is important, explain what this information says
about a country.
Political development
Social development
Economic development
Developing country
“Third World” country
Income distribution
Democratization
Newly Industrialized Country (NIC)
Import substitution
Neoliberalism
Industrialization
Structural Adjustment (economic)
GDP
GNP
Gini Index / Coefficient
Life expectancy
Death rate
Literacy rate (male/female)
Education levels (male/female)
Civil liberties & civil rights
Infant mortality rate
Rights of Women
Population distribution (urban/rural)
UN Human Development Index (HDI)
UN Gender Inequality Index (GII)
Transparency International data on corruption
World Values Survey (WVS)
Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)