This course is a one semester course and is worth half a credit toward the Social Studies part of one's high school diploma, but this course is not a required course. This course is typically taken by eleventh and twelfth graders. This course is for able students desiring a freshman college level course in comparative government. Students use college level textbooks and engage in seminars, simulations, discussions, and debates. The course is both a survey of the various forms of government found throughout the world and an in-depth study of specific governments and approaches to politics.
Students begin by examining the concept of public authority and the sources of political power.
They analyze the relationship between state and society and between citizen and the state. Students compare the structure of governmental institutions in different countries and learn how each structure affects society in general and individuals in particular. Emphasis is given throughout the course to the concept of political change and the different methods used to effect such change.