Syllabus & Course Guide

This course has several purposes. First and foremost, students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the political systems, institutions, and cultures of countries around the world. Second, for students who wish to earn college credit, this course will provide a foundation to prepare for the Advanced Placement Exam in Comparative Government and Politics.

• Master a broad understanding of political systems, regimes, and institutions across six core countries

• Demonstrate an understanding of how political authority is established, maintained, and challenged

• Use political data, case studies, and policy outcomes to support an argument or position

• Differentiate between regime types, electoral systems, and policymaking structures

• Interpret and apply data from charts, graphs, texts, and country-specific sources

• Effectively use analytical skills of comparison, causation, and pattern recognition

• Work effectively with others to engage in civil discourse, solve global policy problems, and simulate comparative analysis

• Prepare students to take the Advanced Placement Exam

• Materials such as Flip Notes and Practicums are located on the class website.  

• Assignments are submitted on Google Classroom.  It is strongly recommended that students install the Google Classroom app on their devices and turn on alerts to receive announcements and reminders of assignment due dates.  

• Both daily Formative Assessments and Summative Assessments will be completed through the AP Classroom platform provided by the College Board. Your teacher will give you a unique class code to join AP Classroom.

• Students are responsible for checking their school email at least once per day, but it is recommended to check it throughout the day for messages from your teachers. 

• We will also use a GroupMe for class announcements.  Your teacher will give you a join code for the GroupMe. 

• A Pacing Guide is available to students which shows activities in class on a day-by-day basis as well as all due dates for the semester.  Students should refer to the Pacing Guide on a regular basis to plan on setting time aside for when major assignments are due. 

• Unit 1 (Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments): Governments come in different forms—democracies, authoritarian regimes, and hybrids. This unit explores who holds power, how they got it, and how systems are structured (or rigged) to keep it.
  
  

• Unit 2 (Political Institutions): Presidents, parliaments, courts, and bureaucracies—every system has its own setup. This unit looks at how institutions function across countries and whether they actually deliver on what they promise.
  
  

• Unit 3 (Political Culture and Participation): What motivates people to engage with politics—or avoid it entirely? You'll study how culture, history, and beliefs shape political behavior, and how regimes encourage or suppress participation.
  
  

• Unit 4 (Political Organizations): From dominant parties to grassroots movements, political power is constantly up for grabs. This unit dives into elections, parties, and interest groups—and how they shape policy and representation.
  
  

• Unit 5 (Political and Economic Change): Countries don’t stay the same forever. You'll explore how states respond to revolutions, protests, globalization, and economic shifts—and what happens when they don’t adapt quickly enough.

• I used a "flipped classroom" model where students watch and take "Flip Notes" on a short video on YouTube the night before a lesson.  These Flip Notes replace the traditional lecture a teacher would deliver in class.

• The next day, you will use your Flip Notes to complete activities in class called Practicums. You will be asked to submit your Flip Notes and some designated screenshots from the Practicums for a grade periodically.  

• You will be asked to submit your Flip Notes and some designated screenshots from the Practicums for a grade periodically as your Action Reports. 

• Finally, you will be completing End of Lesson (EOL) Questions which pull together the main idea of each lesson.  I expect you complete the EOL after each lesson as a way of tying everything together while the information is fresh. 

• Throughout the course you will complete Summative Assessments in AP Classroom.  These assessments are designed to evaluate student learning while also honing skills for the AP Exam.

• AP Review : All students enrolled in AP U.S. Government and Politics and AP Comparative Government and Politics will participate in a structured AP Review beginning shortly after Spring Break. This review is designed to prepare students for success on the AP Exams and will include activities, practice questions, discussions, and content refreshers.

Students will receive a participation grade based on their engagement and effort throughout the review period. Students who are not taking the AP Exam will be assigned an alternative culminating project aligned with the course content and skills.

• 📝 Action Reports: Make up 40% of your course grade. These check your Flip Notes, Practicums, and End of Lesson Questions.

• - 🧪 Summative Assessments: Worth 50%, based on College Board standards.

• - 📂 Special Projects: Count for 10% of your grade and include the AP Review or alternative assignment.

• Notes: 

  • The Belleville West 10% grading scale will be used in this course. 

  • Grades are based on total points.  

  • The final semester grade is cumulative from the beginning of the semester

  • Extra credit is not available for Advanced Placement courses.

  • Scoring is subject to change.