The first look at a new course

This school year, AP Comparative Government and Politics, a class that has not been offered since 2010, is being taught by Mr. Murphy.
The class studies Iran, China, Russia, Nigeria, Mexico, Great Britain and the European Union. It may seem like a boring or work-filled class at first glance, but in the first week it has proven to be an interesting and relatively fun course. Murphy promised for a relaxed year, as it is his first time teaching it. However, that doesn’t mean it won’t require work and effort like any other AP course.
The summer work appeared daunting at first, and it did take a bit of effort in finding reliable articles and building a base knowledge of the current events in each country. Unlike other history classes offered, this one focuses more on the most recent situations and political aspects of the countries. The knowledge found then had to be analyzed and the countries had to be compared using some of the techniques mentioned in the first two chapters of the book. Though it seems tedious, since no one likes to actually read the textbook, it was not as difficult as one would imagine and did not take long to complete.
The first week, as in many classes, went rather slowly and did not entail too much work. It has consisted so far of taking two online quizzes - one to get a general idea of previous knowledge of politics, and the other to get an idea of where you fall on the political spectrum. (You can find links to both quizzes below if you are interested in finding out where you lie or how much you know.) Murphy has also had the class distinguish three politicians the class found good and bad, as well as linking quotes to political leaders students read about during the summer. The first week was basically an introduction to the class, as first weeks tend to be. However, Murphy has promised papers, quizzes, and tests to come and gave us an outline of the schedule for the year so that we can prepare for the AP test in May.
If you are looking for an interesting class, are willing to do a fair bit of work, and are hoping for a chance to earn college credit, AP Government and Politics is the course for you.