Pick a story and a Prezi

Go to the BBC news China webpage, pick a story and answer the following questions, this time all in one post.  Also, read a story someone else picked and reply to their post.
1.  What story did you pick and why did it stand out to you among all of the stories?
2.  How does your story illustrate the nature of one party rule in China?

Also, here is a link to the Prezi on authoritarianism and totalitarianism, and the following Prezi on communist and post-communist regimes.

The Arab Spring or Fall?

As we transition from studying advanced democracy in Unit 1 to studying authoritarian regimes, along with communist and post-communist transitions in Unit 2, I want to start by looking at major transitions that have transpired over the last few years in the Middle East.  The Middle East has undergone massive political upheaval over the last few years, attempting to transition from authoritarian rule to democracy.  When the Arab Spring started, there was a sense of optimism from the Western world and in the minds of the people starting these revolutions, that finally democracy would gain a foothold in many authoritarian regimes.  Obviously, the road to democracy is not as smooth as many people hoped it would be.  I want you to watch this TED talk by Wadah Khanfar and answer the following questions (remember to use the same format as before, "1 question-1 post" with the # displayed before it) keeping in mind what we know now about the difficulty of such transitions:

1.  Do you feel that Khanfar was too optimistic in his expectations for the outcome of the Arab Spring?  Why or why not?
2.  He focuses much on the youth of these countries as a driving force because they embrace universal values.  How has that played out over the last couple of years?  Do you feel that the youth in these countries have the same role they did when he made this talk (February 2011)?  Why or why not?
3.  What kind of role should the regional media (e.g. Al-Jahzeera) play in the Arab Spring?  Should they be active promoters of these regime changes or should they simply be a purveyor and distributor of information regarding these (attempted) transitions?
4.  There is a focus on the non-violent aspect of these regime changes.  Knowing now that some of these regime changes have turned violent, do you still think it is worth the loss for these people to bring democracy?  Why or why not?
5.  Compare the paths of Tunisia (an optimistic example), Syria (civil war scenario), and Egypt (very difficult and drawn out process with recent military influence).  What do you think was the most important distinction between these three countries that are all a big part of the larger movement of the Arab Spring?  Why did they take such seemingly different paths?

There's no party like a UK party cuz a UK party has tea?

Aah, the United Kingdom.  Known for tea time, the Royal family, rainy weather, Guinness, Premier League football, nationalized healthcare, and accents we wish we had.  Sherlock Holmes, Andy Murray, Austin Powers, Monty Python, The Beatles and William Wallace all have called the UK their home.  Our cousins across the pond have a bit of a different political system than us, and they like it that way.  We like to claim democracy as our own invention, when, in fact, democracy and local self governance have been traditions for centuries in the UK (not without their fair share of stumbles along the way).  We know the road to democracy is not a straight line, and the UK is an enduring example of overcoming historical and national problems to achieve, and now maintain, what we call an advanced democracy.  For the purposes of this course, the UK is the place we can go to see democracy in action, or is it inaction?

I have posted three articles to illustrate some of the current social, economic, and political debates raging in Parliament right now, more specifically, in the House of Commons.  I want you to read all three articles and answer the following questions, then respond to another of your classmates answers as well, disagreeing, agreeing, or raising another question.  I want these posts to take on a life of their own (don't simply respond "I agree with you" I want some real critical thinking displayed here, you're supposed to be some of the best young minds in the nation, prove it) and as always, only constructive criticism!  Opinions should be backed up with facts and logic.  Any nastiness will not be tolerated.  Nobody likes trolls, especially the British kind!  

A few more things that will apply to all future blog assignments. You must be logged in.  No anonymous posting or you don't get credit.  Also, post your answers with the number of the question you are answering leading the post to expedite and focus any responses. (e.g." #1. The article on tax breaks illustrated...")  Do not post answers to all 4 questions in one post.  In the end you should post 4 times, with each post starting with the corresponding question number.  If you do not understand, email me.

1.  Which of the three articles did the best job of highlighting some of the policy differences between the political parties in the UK?  What were some of those policy differences?

2.  Which issue (social, economic, political) should be a priority for these British lawmakers?  Why?

3.  What is the most interesting thing that you learned about the UK while reading these articles?  What would you like to learn more about?

4.  Does the fact that the BBC is a state-owned media outlet diminish the reliability of it's reporting?  Why or why not?  Would you generalize your answer to include all publicly owned media outlets or does context matter?  Explain.

Democracy and advanced democracy lecture

Here is a link to my Prezi on democracy and advanced democracy.  It is relatively minimal but is a good review tool after we do a couple debates in class.  Any questions or comments about democracy or advanced democracy welcomed and encouraged below!

Where do you stand ideologically?

Go to this website to take the ideology test (click on the "Take the test" link on the left).  When you finish, answer the following questions and discuss with members of your group:

1.  Did you get the answer you expected?  Why or why not?

2. Did you feel that the test accurately characterized your political ideology? Why or why not?

3. Look at the historical figures you match up with.  Was this a surprise?  Is there anyone that has a seemingly similar ideology that you do not want to be associated with?

4.  Do you think if you took this test in five years the results might be different?  Why or why not?

Krisis in Kiev

"Dear subscriber, you are registered as a participant in a mass disturbance."

What would you do if you received that text message in the midst of a protest in your countries capital?  Well, many people in Ukraine had to answer that question yesterday.  Read this article from the independent for more info on the text and read this NPR article about the increasing intensity of the protests.
Ukraine is currently going through a major political upheaval.  Protesters from the pro-Europe west of the country are calling for the current President Victor Yanukovych to step down after he broke his promise to to be pro-EU.  This is specifically about Ukraine's relationship with the EU and Russia, but it is also a more broad protest against corruption in the bloated Ukrainian government.  Here is the latest article from BBC reporting on the situation.

A couple questions to consider about how it relates to some of the concepts and countries in this course.

1.  Is the Ukranian regime a democratic or authoritarian?  If the President was democratically elected, should he be able to pursue his own policy goals until his term is up?
2.  How does this relate to the different methods used by Putin to quell protests? Look at these political cartoons for more info.
3.  Who is in the wrong here?  The Ukrainian protesters for vowing to intensify the protest (with the assumption that violence is the next step)?  Or the President for breaking his promise and passing laws to stop the protests?

Comments welcomed below

Welcome to Spring 2014 COGOPO!

Welcome to Spring 2014 AP Comparative Government and Politics!  You will be using this blog as a launching point for many in class discussions about democracy, authoritarianism, political legitimacy, authority, political culture and many other topics.  The first assignment we will do is to familiarize you with the countries of study and the main storylines of 2013.  After you pick your country of expertise answer the following questions in your group for a brief presentation at the end of the class.  Sort of a State of the (insert country here).

1.  What are THE three major story lines of 2013 in your country?
2.  Why do you think these three story lines are important?  Why did you pick 'em?
3.  What, if anything, does the nature of these stories have to do with the history of your country?
4.  Do these story lines only have an impact on your country? Or do they have a more regional or international political impact?  Why is that?