AP Comparative Government & Politics with Daniel Lazar

The Question 4 Breakdown Edition, Live from SLC

I sat down with esteemed AP CoGoPo teachers Ryan DeMarco and Anthony Peek just as we finished reading AP CoGoPo exams in Salt Lake City. Together we grapple with the drea

Talking Comparative with Dr. Ryan Daugherty

Dr. Ryan Daugherty is an AP CoGoPo Reader and a professor of political science at Butler University.  His students read:  Most of the dense Orvis and Drogus textbook t

Talking Comparative with Dr. Anne Marie Choup

Dr. Anne Marie Choup is a professor of political science and an AP CoGoPo Reader. Here is her CV. Her students read:  Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in

All Hail the Chief! Dr. Eduardo Magalhães III, Chief Reader of AP CoGoPo.

Eduardo Magalhães III is a Professor of Political Science at Simpson College and currently serves as the Chief Reader of the AP Comparative Government and Politics exam.

In Conversation with Hugh Williams of Human Rights Watch

I am joined by Hugh Williamson, Director of the Europe and Central Asia Division of Human Rights Watch. Check out... -Hugh's website and his writing for Human Rights Wa

Reflecting with the CoGoPo Class of 2023

A couple days after the AP CoGoPo exam and a couple weeks before graduation, I sat down with my students to reflect on GoGoPo. We explored the most valuable lessons they

Four Teachers Grapple with CoGoPo Concepts

I am joined by a virtual Mt. Rushmore of CoGoPo teachers: Ryan DeMarco, Lisa Dudgeon, Jane Highley, and Anthony Peek. They explore their favorite countries to teach and t

Four Teachers Reflect on Reading AP CoGoPo Exams in SLC

I sit down with four esteemed CoGoPo teachers--Ryan DeMarco, Lisa Dudgeon, Jane Highley, and Anthony Peek--who just finished reading AP CoGoPo exams in Salt Lake City. We

In Conversation with Karen Waples, Author of a Fresh New CoGoPo Textbook

Karen Waples is an educator, an AP Consultant, and a textbook author. We discuss her new textbook, Comparative Government and Politics: Stories of the World. Please supp

Calamity in the Caucuses: The Fight For Chechnya

In commemoration of Russia's 1994 New Year's Eve assault on Chechnya (28 years ago today), this episode explores the Chechen struggle for independence in the 1990's, how

Russian Political Culture & Participation: Apathetic Engagement Among the Keenly Disillusioned

Please support the CoGoPod here. I truly appreciate your support. Every little bit helps. Thank you! My notes for this talk are available here. Contact Daniel Lazar at

The Quandaries of Russia’s Anti-Revolutionary Revolution

This talk explores how and why Yeltsin and the rest of the world failed to see the revolutionary situation in which Russia found itself in the 1990's and how Putin capita

Is The House of Lords Broken and Can it be Fixed?

What does the upper house of Parliament do and what should be done about this esteemed, if sometimes anachronistic legislative body? Please support the CoGoPod here. I t

Structural-Functional Analysis of the British National Government

This talk seeks to summarize and sometimes analyze the functions of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in the UK. Please support the CoGoPod here. Your d

Structural Analysis: Thinking About Systems

Please support the CoGoPod here. Your donations are truly appreciated. Thank you! Here are the lecture notes. Contact Daniel Lazar at danielaaronlazar (at) gmail.com wi

Thinking About Political Culture

This short talk defines political culture then explores Almond's three levels of political culture before diving into cultural congruence and consensual vs. conflictual p

In Conversation with Vincent Okwechime, Formerly of Shell Oil Nigeria

Trained in law, Vincent Okwechime worked for Shell Oil Nigeria as a lawyer, manager of oil spill cleanup and compensation, head of security, and lastly as brand manager.

A Prelude to Studying Mexican Politics

This short talk offers considerations from which to launch scholarly pursuits of Mexican politics and discusses the many policy challenges that the Mexican regime faces.

In Conversation with Obi: Life in Port Hartcourt, Nigeria

The CoGoPod welcomes my pal Obi. Born in Texas, raised in Port Harcourt, and now, like me, an immigrant in Berlin, Obi and I dive into his Nigerian youth. This is the nar

The Curse of Black Gold: Power Politics in the Niger Delta

This talk explores the domestic and global reactions to the political, economic, and environmental impacts of oil in Nigeria. Please support the CoGoPod at Buy Me a Cof