Practice Comparative FRQs

This advice from former AP Comparative Chief Reader Ken Wedding:

"The key to 'doing what you're asked to do' in the AP FRQs is to pay attention to the verbs. I think it's the natural tendency when we're confronted with exam questions to focus on the nouns, i.e. what the question is about. But doing what you're asked to do with those topics is vital for success."

There are three kinds of FRQs on the AP exam:

1. Short Answer Concept questions (#1-5)
2. Concept Analysis questions (#6)
3. Country Concept questions (#7-8)

In the five weeks before the exam, I'll offer 15 Short Answer Concept questions, five Concept Analysis questions, and 10 Country Concept questions for practice.

When you look at the blog archive, you'll find 45 FRQs from 2008 and 27 from 2009 that you can also use for practice. Some of them are out of date, but you should recognize that and avoid them or update them so they are appropriate for 2010. You can also find FRQs from past AP exams at the College Board site (see "Worthwhile Links" at left)

You can submit an answer for any of the FRQs using the "Questions" e-mail link at the What You Need to Know web site. (Look in the lower, right-hand section of that page.)

If you submit the earliest best answer, I'll post your answer (without your name) here a week after the question was posted.

Here's Question No. 1 (It's a Short Answer Concept question):

Define political accountability. Describe a primary way the regime in the UK ensures accountability. Describe a primary way the regime in Mexico ensures accountability. (3 points)

---

(See pp. 35 and 54-58 in What You Need to Know.)

Here's Question No. 2 (It's a Conceptual Analysis question.):

a. Define state capacity.
b. Compare the limitations on the state capacity of Russia with the limitations of the state capacity of Nigeria. Which state has more capacity?
c. Describe two of the primary reasons why the state you identified with greater capacity has greater capacity. (5 point question)


(See pp. 36, 65-68, and 104-109 in What You Need to Know.)

Here's Question No. 3 (It's a Short-Answer Concepts question.):

What is the distinction between power and authority?
What is one reason you know that the Iranian president has more power than the Iranian Supreme Leader or that the Supreme Leader has more power than the president?
What is an illustration of the difference between the authority each of them has? (3 points)

(See pp. 35, 40 and 144-147 in What You Need to Know.)


Everyday Ken Wedding will post practice FRQs at the Studying Comparative blog.