Concepts in AP Comparative Government

Introduction

Politics is all around us. In its basic definition, politics is the struggle in any group for power that will give one or more persons the ability to make decisions for the larger group. Politics affect small organizations, such as Boy Scout troops, workplace offices in corporations, local communities, states, countries, and even to some degree the entire global population. Politics is about power. Who has the power to make decisions? How did they get that power? What challenges do leaders face from others – both inside and outside the country's borders- in keeping the power? Comparative Politics examines political realities in countries all over the world. It looks at the many ways governments operate and the ways people behave in political life, including how power is gained, managed, challenged, and maintained.

Module Lessons Preview

In this module, we will study the following topics:

Purpose and Methods of Comparision and Classification: Why do we compare nations? What insights can that give us? This microlesson will focus on the types of questions political scientists utilize, the benefits of comparisons in drawing educated conclusions, and ways to explore patterns and processes across nations.

Concepts of State, Nation, Regime, and Government: This microlesson will define what the differences are between a state, a nation, a regime, and a government. We will also explore how the components may come together to form what we know of a "country" and the people who live within the political system.

Public Policy and Economic Issues: How does a government enact laws, make policies, and allocate resources? In what ways might these be shaped by special interest groups? In this microlesson, we'll explore how nations determine public policy and how, and why, these decisions might be influenced by other stakeholders.

IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS OR OPENSOURCE