Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Comparative Government

How countries govern themselves and why they differ: regimes and legitimacy, parliaments and presidents, federal and unitary states, courts, electoral systems and parties, then six country cases, the United Kingdom, Mexico, India, China, Russia and Iran, and the forces of economic change, democratization and globalization. You learn to compare like a political scientist, at your own pace, with a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
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Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Comparing political systems

    Distinguish state, nation, regime and government, classify regimes on the democratic-authoritarian spectrum, and compute and interpret comparative measures such as GDP per capita.

    • States, nations, regimes and governments
    • Democracies, authoritarian regimes and hybrids
    • How to compare: measures, cases and causes
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Constitutions and institutions

    Compare parliamentary, presidential and semi-presidential systems and federal and unitary states, and explain how courts and constitutionalism limit power.

    • Parliamentary, presidential and semi-presidential systems
    • Federal and unitary states
    • Constitutions, courts and the rule of law
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Elections, parties and participation

    Compute seat allocations under first past the post and proportional rules, and analyze how electoral systems shape party systems, coalitions and participation.

    • Electoral systems
    • Political parties and party systems
    • Civil society, interest groups and participation
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Democracies compared: the United Kingdom, Mexico and India

    Compare the institutions and recent political development of the United Kingdom, Mexico and India.

    • The United Kingdom: parliamentary sovereignty
    • Mexico: from dominant party to competitive democracy
    • India: the world's largest democracy
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Authoritarian and hybrid regimes: China, Russia and Iran

    Explain how China, Russia and Iran concentrate power and evaluate the sources of authoritarian resilience.

    • China: a one-party state
    • Russia: from transition to personalist rule
    • Iran: a theocratic republic
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Political economy, change and globalization

    Evaluate how development strategies, resource wealth, regime change and supranational governance shape political systems.

    • States and markets
    • Revolution, democratization and backsliding
    • Globalization and supranational governance
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 3 · Political parties and party systems

Worked example: building a coalition

  1. Example seats in a 100-seat parliament: Greens 12, Labor 34, Center 9, Liberals 20, Conservatives 25.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in comparative government: you can tell a state from a nation and a regime from a government, place a country on the spectrum from liberal democracy to one-party rule, compute and interpret GDP per capita and other measures, compare parliamentary, presidential and semi-presidential systems and federal and unitary states, allocate seats by first past the post and by the D'Hondt method, build a coalition, describe how the United Kingdom, Mexico, India, China, Russia and Iran are governed, and weigh explanations for development, regime change and the European Union's pooled sovereignty. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 taking or preparing for a comparative government, world government or AP Comparative Government and Politics course, Model United Nations and debate students, and homeschool families who want a complete course on political systems. It describes institutions and debates without endorsing any party, leader or ideology.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

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Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Constitute Project, the full texts of the world's constitutions, University of Texas at Austin: constituteproject.org
  2. UK Parliament, how Parliament works: parliament.uk
  3. Election Commission of India: eci.gov.in; Mexico's National Electoral Institute: ine.mx
  4. European Union, institutions and voting rules: european-union.europa.eu
  5. V-Dem Institute, Varieties of Democracy data: v-dem.net; Freedom House, Freedom in the World methodology: freedomhouse.org
  6. United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Index: hdr.undp.org

Comparative Government is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. Institutions and ratings change; the lessons give the year for details that may shift, and numbers marked as example numbers are for practice only. It does not replace a school course, is not affiliated with any exam program and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.