AP Comparative Government and Politics
The following learning targets represent the major concepts studied and assessed in this course.
Unit 1: Political Systems, Regimes, and Governments
- I can describe the characteristics of different types of political systems and regimes.
- I can explain the differences between democratic and authoritarian systems.
- I can analyze how power and authority are distributed within political systems.
- I can compare political institutions across different countries.
Unit 2: Political Institutions
- I can describe the structure and functions of executive, legislative, and judicial institutions in different countries.
- I can analyze how institutional arrangements affect policy making.
- I can compare the roles of bureaucracies in different political systems.
Unit 3: Political Culture and Participation
- I can explain how political culture influences political behavior.
- I can analyze factors that affect political participation.
- I can compare participation patterns across different countries.
Unit 4: Political and Economic Development
- I can explain how economic development affects political stability and policy.
- I can analyze the relationship between political institutions and economic performance.
- I can compare development strategies used by different countries.
Unit 5: Public Policy
- I can describe how public policy is created and implemented in different political systems.
- I can analyze how political institutions, interest groups, and public opinion influence policy outcomes.
- I can compare policy approaches across countries.