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Changes to the AP Comparative Government and Politics
Course in 2005-2006
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A new AP Comparative Government and Politics course will be introduced in the 2005-2006 academic year, and the first examination based on the new course will be in May 2006. The curriculum will be much closer to that offered in college and university introductory comparative politics courses since many of its topics speak to contemporary global political issues.
The new course will offer teachers an opportunity to provoke exciting conversations with their students about the compelling political and economic issues facing our world. It will offer the opportunity to challenge students to be more adept at thinking conceptually and to be more analytical -- precisely the skills that are most highly valued in post-secondary education. In addition, because of the several new issues covered in the revised Course Description, the course may also help meet world studies requirements. The decision to revise the existing course was made after surveys of college and university courses and consultation with prominent political scientists involved in the teaching of comparative politics. The move away from a country-by-country approach to one that uses country studies as illustrations of concepts and themes is the current trend in colleges and universities.
The major changes in the AP Comparative Government and Politics course include:
- a greater emphasis on conceptual and thematic analysis;
- a change in the country focus, moving to coverage of six core countries (Britain, China, Iran, Mexico, Nigeria, and Russia) albeit in slightly less factual depth; and
- a new emphasis on themes such as globalization, democratization, political change, public policy, and citizen-state relations.
Any significant revision of an AP course imposes a burden on AP teachers, who are already doing an excellent job of guiding the students through difficult subject matter. For this reason, the College Board will be offering many professional development opportunities and access to materials to help teachers in the development of the new AP Comparative Government and Politics course.
For regular updates and information regarding the coming changes to the AP Comparative Government and Politics course, please visit the AP Comparative Governement and Politics Course Home Page.
 AP Comparative Government and Politics Course Home Page
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