As a political science professor, I have taught this subject matter for several years in a variety of classes. In most of my classes, I included a section very similar to this course, in which we discussed current events using the concepts and analytical tools of the class itself. I have several years experience steering classroom discussions in a way that avoids confrontation while maintaining open discussion. This class is not about deciding "which side is right". It is about, instead, using current events to illustrate the basic concepts and theories of comparative politics. 

All political science concepts can be found in Patrick O'Neill's The Essentials of Comparative Politics. This is a popular introductory textbook widely and cheaply available online.

Current events will be introduced to students via mainstream media sources to include the following: wire services such as AP and Reuters; traditional large circulation newspapers, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, The Times of London, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal; and the online versions of traditional television news networks, like CNN and the BBC.