| Date | May 2019 | Marks available | 15 | Reference code | 19M.2.BP.TZ1.9 |
| Level | Both SL and HL | Paper | Paper 2 - first exams 2017 | Time zone | TZ1 |
| Command term | Compare and contrast | Question number | 9 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Topic 5: Early modern states (1450–1789)
Compare and contrast the political organization of two established states.
Markscheme
The question requires that candidates give an account of the similarities and differences between the political structures of two established states, referring to both throughout. The two states need not be from different regions but they may or may not have been contemporaneous with each other. Candidates may refer to the level of centralization of governance, bureaucratic hierarchies and their privileges, for example in the Russian Empire or the Ming administration. They may also compare and contrast the limits of power and the role of counsellors and regents, for example the relationship between Louis XIII and Richelieu in France or Sri Sudachan in the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Both similarities and differences must be clearly indicated but there does not need to be an equal number of each.
Examiners report
The question required candidates to give an account of the similarities and differences between the political structures of two established states.
