Jeff Davis - AP Comparative Government and Politics: With 3 Practice Tests (Barrons Test Prep)

Jeff Davis has taught at Mountain View High School in Mesa, Arizona, since 2004, teaching AP Comparative Government, AP European History, AP U.S. Government, and Economics. He is the advisor to Mountain Views nationally recognized Model United Nations team. Jeff and his wife Marisa have two incredibly adorable children, Audrey and Austin. When he isnt teaching or writing AP review content, Mr. Davis loves listening to bluegrass music and playing basketball.

Copyright 2020, 2019, 2016 by Kaplan, Inc., d/b/a Barrons Educational Series

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this eBook on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

Published by Kaplan, Inc., d/b/a Barrons Educational Series
750 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
www.barronseduc.com

ISBN: 978-1-5062-7199-6

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

As you review the content of this book to work toward earning a on your AP Comparative Government and Politics exam, you MUST focus on these five essential points:

AP Comparative Government and Politics is a course that focuses on examining theoretical models of the structure and functions of political systems, and focuses on an in-depth study of six specific countries as a close examination of these models and principles, allowing for comparison among them. The six countries of study include the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Britain, for short), the Russian Federation (Russia), the Peoples Republic of China (China), the United Mexican States (Mexico), the Islamic Republic of Iran (Iran), and the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria). Students will demonstrate their understanding of complex and diverse political systems by answering questions about general political themes, specific aspects about an individual countrys political system, and questions comparing one system to another, while applying disciplinary practices specific to political science. Specifically, the topics of study for the course and each country will include:

• Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments1827% of the exam
• Political Institutions2233%
• Political Culture and Participation1118%
• Party and Electoral Systems and Citizen Organization1318%
• Political and Economic Changes and Development1624%

The course will also include study and practical application of the disciplinary practices used by political scientists in the field of comparative politics. These disciplinary practices will cover:

• Concept Applicationapplying political concepts and processes in authentic contexts
• Country Comparisoncomparing political concepts and processes among the course countries (Britain, Russia, China, Mexico, Iran, and Nigeria)
• Data Analysisanalyze and interpret quantitative data represented in tables, charts, graphs, maps, and infographics
• Source Analysisread, analyze, and interpret text-based sources
• Argumentationdevelop an argument in essay format

The end of the twentieth century brought a new reality to the modern worldglobalization. Most of us have concluded that the lessons of the great wars of the twentieth century proved that we cannot simply ignore events around the world and assume we will not be affected. Globalization has made this truer than ever before. Multinational corporations, labor competition, trade agreements, global investing, the Internet, international tensions, and much, much more, give us evidence every day that the rest of the world is happening to us, and we are happening to it as well. It is more important than ever that students grasp what life and history have been like for other people around the world in the hope that we can better understand each other, conquer shared problems together, and preserve peace and prosperity for the rest of this century.

Comparative Government and Politics is also an amazing training regimen for critical thinking and analysis skills. Making comparisons between countries, and attempting to find cause-and-effect relationships between history, constitutional design, and political outcomes will stretch your mind in ways that feel invigorating and enlightening.

Finally, it is simply a very interesting course! I am confident you will find your readings and studies of AP Comparative Government and Politics more enjoyable and enriching than just about any other course you study in high school.

The curriculum for AP designated classes is created and approved by the College Board. The College Board administers a test in each AP subject every May. Students with qualifying scores earn hours of credit at colleges and universities across the United States. The exam is broken into two sections: