Introduction to American Government classes can benefit from the addition of examples from comparative politics. Presenting students with examples of other democratic systems encourages them to confront the costs and benefits of choices made in the American context. Dealing with these "cognitive conflict" tasks facilitates higher level learning on the part of students. Examples of topics that can be presented comparatively are outlined, and experimental evidence is presented demonstrating that a comparative approach to teaching American Government can lead to improved student learning. (Contains 4 tables and 4 notes.)