AP Comparative Government Homework
Homework 55: Please bring in a check made out to Stuyvesant High School in the amount of $33 for The Economist.
-Due ASAP!
Homework 54: Tomorrow is the AP CompGov exams. Just relax and don't stress out too much. I do, however, advise clicking here (PDF) to check out the course description of the exam. Also listed are some sample multiple choice questions as well as some sample essay questions. (The sample exam questions for the AP Comparative Government starts on page 37).
Also here is a link to the a page with all the past years' free response questions.
Get some sleep and relax--and thanks for taking the test.
-Due Wednesday, May 20th.
Homework 53: Tomorrow is our last day of Mexico. Read this article from the New York Times on the growth of Mexican democracy.
-Due Tuesday, May 19th
Homework 52: Read Hauss, pp. 482-491 (up to "The Cabinet, Bureaucracy, and the Judiciary). Also check out this article from today's (Friday's) New York Times on the decline Mexican migration to the United States.
-Due Monday, May 18th
Homework 51: Read Hauss, pp. 478-482 (up to "The Cabinet, Bureaucracy, and the Judiciary). There is a big debate raging as to whether Mexico's recent bout of drug violence makes it a "failed state." This Wall Street Journal article from February argues that things are quite bad.
-Due Friday, May 15th
Homework 50: Read Hauss, pp. 473-478 (up to "The Other Parties"). Read some more articles from the Slate series. Check out (1) "Distant Neighbors," and (2) "What Turkey Can Teach Us."
-Due Thursday, May 14th.
Homework 49: Read Hauss, pp. 466-473. Also check out this article about the effect of Mexican migration on the towns of Mexico. Also, check out this article from the New York Times about the decline in remittances being sent back to Latin America.
-Due Wednesday, May 13th.
Homework 48: So Slate Magazine sponsored a series of articles about Mexico last month. Read these three: (1) "Meet the Narcos," on Mexican Drug gangs and their bad PR, (2) "Our Model Neighbor," on how Mexico is doing better than you might think and (3) "Calderón's War of Choice" on the Mexican government's war on drugs.
-Due Tuesday, May 12th.
Homework 47: We are moving on to Mexico. Read Hauss, pp. 463-466. Also, check out this article about Felipe Calderón, the relatively new president. Here is a piece in Slate accusing Calderón of using swine flu to consolidate his power.
-Due Monday, May 11th.
Homework 46: Please read this article from the New York Times about the reaction of Iranians in America to a possible invasion of Iran. Also check out this piece from the Middle East Economist Survey about the 2004 elections to the majlis.
-Due Friday, May 8th.
Homework 45: I want to talk about Iran's nuclear ambitions. Check out these three articles from the Economist (all from 2008).
-Due Thursday, May 7th
Homework 44: Check out this excerpt from Marjane Satrapi's great graphic novel Persepolis--a tale of her coming of age during the Iranian Revolution. Also, read this article from the March 19th Economist on the upcoming presidential election.
-Due Wednesday, May 5th
Homework 43: Read this article about Ebrahim Yazdi, a disillusioned revolutionary from 1979.
-Due Monday, May 2nd
Homework 42: This is a great website from the New York Times on Operation Ajax--the CIA sponsored coup that overthrew the democratically elected government of Mohammed Mossadegh. Also, did you know that Mossadegh was Time Magazine's 1951 Man of the Year? Here's the article (warning: the writing is very strange).
-Due Friday, May 1st
Homework 41: Finish the Economist survey on Iran.
-Due Thursday, April 30th
Homework 40: Check out the second part of the Iran survey.
-Due Wednesday, April 29th
Homework 39: We move on to Iran. Read this: the first part of an Economist survey from 2003. Things have changed a bit, but the structure of government remains the same. I also posted a series of articles about the "hijab wars" in Iran--what type of dress is acceptable? Here are two BBC pieces on the issue, and here is a New York Times article on the subject.
-Due Tuesday, April 28th
Homework 38: We are almost done with Nigeria. Read this, the first part of a 2000 Economist survey of Nigeria. Aside from the tone of hope surrounding Obasanjo's rise to power, most of the economic and social conditions are more or less the same today.
ALSO: Here's a New Yorker article about a victim of a 419 scam. And here's a piece from the LA Times, written from Nigeria about the 419 scammers.
-Due Monday, April 27th.
Homework 37: Finishing up the Hauss reading. Also check out this excellent article from National Geographic magazine on the curse of oil. Click here to see videos that accompany the article. Click here for photos. Lastly, click here if you want to read the field notes of the author.
-Due Friday, April 24th.
Homework 36: We continue on with Hauss. Also, read this Economist article about the imposition of sharia law in northern Nigeria. If you are interested in people who scam Nigerian scammers, you can check out 419 Eater. If you are particularly interested in scam-baiting and its moral implications check out this episode of the NPR radio show "This American Life" (click on the button for "Full Episode" to hear).
-Due Thursday, April 23rd.
Homework 35: A bit more Hauss. Also, check out this multimedia slideshow from The Atlantic, which explores the religious divide in Nigeria, and has very interesting pictures to boot.
-Due Wednesday, April 22nd.
Homework 34: Another day, another Hauss excerpt. Also, please read these articles on corruption and Nigeria's 2007 elections. Also check out these articles on the impact of the economic crash on Nigeria's economy (as well as that of Lagos) from the March 12th Economist.
-Due Tuesday, April 21st.
Homework 33: Here's another excerpt from Hauss and another article from the Economist. Please read them.
-Due Monday , April 20th.
Homework 32: Please read this excerpt from Hauss and this article from the Economist. Also, is Nigeria the largest failed state on Earth? Read this Atlantic article which says that it is.
-Due Wednesday, April 8th.
Homework 31: We are beginning Nigeria. Hauss wrote the textbook before Nigeria was included in the AP, but there is a section on-line. Please read this excerpt. Also check out these articles about Nigeria's recently "elected" president Umaru Yar'Adua. Also, check out this ongoing photo-essay on Lagos--Nigeria's largest city--in Slate..
EXTRA BONUS ARTICLES:
A brutal exposé of Russia's demographic catastrophe.
Kidnapping boys in China--more demographic issues.
"The Frightening Fall of Russia's Richest Man" from Newsweek.
-Due Tuesday, April 7th.
Homework 30: We are going to finish our unit on the EU on Monday. Please read the second part of the 2004 Economist Survey on the European Union.
-Due Monday, April 6th
ALSO: I know I haven't given you back your first paper yet, but if all goes well then you should get it on Monday. Thus here we have:
MINI-PAPER 2: Both Russia and China seem to be heading into a period of economic reform under authoritarian leaders. What will the long-term impact of this be? Was China right to suppress its democracy movement in 1989, and will Russia get stronger now that it is more autocratic? Answer these questions and also be prepared to discuss any differences between the leadership of Russia and China today. The paper should be three pages in length--no more and no less.
-Paper Due on Monday, April 20th
Homework 29: We continue on into the EU. Check out this, the first part of a 2004 survey on the EU from the Economist. It's a bit out of date, but more or less okay on the facts. One thing worth mentioning: the EU Constitution mentioned in the survey was actually defeated by the voters of Europe since the time of the piece. Also, Romania and Bulgaria are now members.
ALSO: Is it possible that a rift is starting to develop between Putin and Medvedev?
-Due Friday, April 3rd.
Homework 28: We're going to begin our mini-unit on the European Union. From the EU website, check out this article on how the EU works, this one on ten historic steps, and this piece on the single currency. If you have time, check out the other EU at a glance articles from the column on the left of the page.
ALSO: Want to nuke your city? Have at it.
-Due Thursday, April 2nd.
Homework 27: Tomorrow is our last day on China. Please finish the China Survey from the May, 2006 Economist.
-Due Wednesday, April 1st.
Homework 26: Please start to read the China Survey from the May, 2006 Economist. It's a bit out of date, but still pretty good.
-Due Tuesday, March 31st.
Homework 25: What role should the outside world have in altering the actions of the Chinese government? Read this article which advocated boycotting last year's Beijing Olympics. Additionally, here's another article from James Fallows about the Great Firewall of China. Last but not least, here is an article from last year's New York Times on the Chinese view of Tibet--echoes of "Tibet Through Chinese Eyes."
-Due Friday, March 27th
Homework 24: Please read this article by James Fallows, an American reporter for The Atlantic who has moved himself and his wife to China. It's pretty wacky, but also interesting. And if you're interested, here is his blog.
-Due Thursday, March 26th
Homework 23: I've assigned another article by Peter Hessler. This one paints a picture of medical care and rural life in China today. Also, check out this article from the 2007 New York Times about nascent property rights.
-Due Wednesday, March 25th
Homework 22: Read Comparative Politics by Charles Hauss, pp. 303-314. Also read this article from The Economist about the lack of Chinese dissidence in the post-Tiananmen Square Massacre era.
-Due Tuesday, March 24th
Homework 21: Peter Hessler was a Peace Corps volunteer to China who ended up living there and writing about his experiences for The New Yorker. Please read "Boomtown Girl"-- a fascinating look at the changes sweeping through China through the eyes of one worker. Also, check out this Hessler piece about the Chinese view of Tibet. It's from 1999, but is still very accurate.
-Due Monday, March 23rd
Homework 20: We are beginning China! Read Comparative Politics by Charles Hauss, pp. 290-297 (up to "Factionalism"). Also look at China's Way Forward, an article from this month's Atlantic Magazine written by James Fallows--an American journalist living in Beijing.
Also: An illustration of Putin's popularity--the video for the song "He Must Be Like Putin" (Такого как Путин)--in English! Hilarious viewing.
-Due Friday, March 20th
Homework 19: Check out this piece in yesterday's NYTimes about the jockeying to become the mayor of Sochi--host city of the 2014 Winter Olympics.
-Due Thursday, March 19th
Homework 18: Read Comparative Politics by Charles Hauss, pp. 283-287.
-Due Wednesday, March 18th
Homework 17: Read Comparative Politics by Charles Hauss, pp. 272-278. Note that United Russia is the only really powerful party in the Duma today, and it is totally controlled by Putin. Here's a piece from the Heritage Foundation--a conservative leaning think tank on the 2008 transition of power.
-Due Tuesday, March 17th
Homework 16: Check out the second part of the 2004 Economist survey on Russia and Putin.
-Due Monday, March 16th
Homework 15: Please read this, the first part of the Economist's 2004 survey of Russia and Vladimir Putin. Out of date, but interesting nonetheless.
-Due Friday, March 13th
Homework 14: Check out this somewhat long but interesting article about Putin's Russia from the London Review of Books Also, read Hauss pp. 264-272.
ALSO: Does Vladimir Putin look like Dobby the House Elf?
Discussion Question: Does Russia need leaders like Putin?
-Due Thursday, March 12th
Homework 13: Read Comparative Politics by Charles Hauss, pp. 259-264. Read this article from 2004 about a possible impending AIDS crisis in Russia.
Discussion Question: Does the story about AIDS offer a useful message for analyzing Russia?
-Due Wednesday, March 11th
Homework 12: Read Comparative Politics by Charles Hauss, pp. 254-259 (up to "Stalin, Terror, and the Modernization of the Soviet Union"). Read this article that was in the February 16th, 2006 Economist.
ALSO: Should Britain become the 51st state? This columnist from a the Independent (a British newspaper) thinks so. Check it out.
-Due Tuesday, March 10th
Homework 11: What will be the legacy of Tony Blair and New Labour? Here is a balanced article from Newsweek International, and here is a more negative assessment from the left-leaning Manchester Guardian.
Also, if you're interested in the details on on some of the ASBOs handed out, click here for Asbowatch VII, and note that there are links to Asbowatches I-VI.
-Due Monday, March 9th
ALSO:
MINI-PAPER 1: In 3-5 pages, decide which form of government is superior--that of the United States or that of Great Britain. A word of caution: It's okay to say that US Government works best for the US and British government for the Brits, but if this is your choice, be sure to elaborate... Couldn't the US be a unitary state? Why not let the British regions be autonomous? You get the idea.
-Mini Paper Due Monday, March 16th
Homework 10:Please read these two articles from the Economist on Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and personal liberties. Also check out this piece from last year's Slate.com by bomb-thrower Christopher Hitchens.
Discussion Question: Given the popularity of ASBOs, can we really trust the unwritten constitution to protect British civil liberties?
-Due Thursday, March 5th
Homework 9 (note: many people missed this HW due to it not being on the stuy.edu site): Once a week, members of Parliament can grill the Prime Minister and ask him any question they wish.
Check out an example of Prime Minister's Questions from February 27th of last year. Behind Gordon Brown to his left (our right) is Alistair Campbell (the Chancellor of the Exchequer) and next to Campbell is Jaqui Smith, the Home Secretary (a position somewhat analogous to Attorney General in the USA). Brown is being questioned by David Cameron--the hot new Tory leader. Also note the needling by Nick Clegg, head of the Liberal Democratic Party. Note: when members stand after a point, it means that they are trying to get the attention of the Speaker to ask a question. It can be very helpful to follow along by reading the transcript which has pictures of the members asking questions and identifies which party they are from, and this can be found here. Also note that all of the comments of the Prime Minister are always directed towards the Speaker. The Speaker calls for order (frequently) and also calls on members to ask questions.
If you want a good taste of how Tony Blair handled things on the floor when he was Prime Minister, check out the February 7, 2007 Question Time--the first nine minutes or so are a bit slow, but then it really heats up. Here's the transcript.
Please note that you will need Windows Media Player to see these files. If this format doesn't work for you, or you want to see more, the page where these questions are hosted can be found here.
-NOW Due Wednesday, March 4th
Homework 8: Please read pp. 82-87 in Charles Hauss's Comparative Politics. Note--this is probably the most important section on Britain. Also check out this article from today's (February 26) New York Times on Tory leader David Cameron.
Discussion Question: So... what do you think of the British political system?
-Due Friday, February 27th
No Homework Tonight: I'm going to try to catch up to the reading tomorrow. BUT here is an interesting and excellent video about the current financial crisis. Not required, but recommended!
Homework 7: Please read pp. 78-82 (in the older edition the pagination may be diffrent--just read up to "The British State") in Charles Hauss's Comparative Politics. Also, take a look at this page--an exploration of all British elections from the end of WWII to 1997. Bear in mind that in Britain, the Tories are blue and Labour is red. Here you can see why the Tories have typically been called "The Natural Party of Government." Of course that status has been put in serious jeopardy by Tony Blair and "New" Labour.
Discussion Question: Would Britain be a better nation if it were a multiparty democracy?
-Due Wednesday, February 25th
The Course Schedule up to the AP: Is now online. Check it out.
Homework 6: Please read pp. 70-78 in Charles Hauss's Comparative Politics up to "The Liberal Democrats."
Discussion Question: Do you think that the Union will survive? Should it? Or would it be better if there were an independent Scotland, Wales, etc?
-Due Tuesday, February 24th
Homework 5: Please read pp. 62-70 in Charles Hauss's Comparative Politics. (Or, for those with earlier editions from the start of the Britain section up to the section entitled "British Political Culture."
Discussion Question: Does Britain's collectivist consensus provide a model of how democratic systems "should be"? Why or why not?
-Due Friday, February 13th (or Monday, February 23rd if I am not in school)
Homework 4: We are starting to talk about the Industrialized Democracies. Check out this document by the State Department, entitled "What is Democracy?"
Discussion Question: What do you think of the definitions in the document? Do you agree with the State Department? Also: is every country capable of sustaining a healthy democracy?
-Due Wednesday, February 11th
Homework 3: Finish the Comparative Politics reading by Charles Hauss which can be found here.
Discussion Question: What do you think about Hauss? What about the template he uses?
-Due Tuesday, February 10th
Homework 2: Read Comparative Politics by Charles Hauss in PDF form here. Actually, it's better to read the PDF since it's more up to date. Also, read this Thomas Friedman article from October, 2001. Finally, check out this piece by Fareed Zakaria.
Discussion Question (a question to think about--no written work need be completed): Why do so many people in so many countries hate the United States?
-Due Monday, February 9th
Homework 1: Today in class, we spoke about whether or not humans naturally form governments. What do you think? Would we be better off without government? Or does government represent humanity's highest accomplishment? What are the structural factors underlying government? Think about these issues for class discussion tomorrow.
-Due Friday, February 6th