Curriculum Leader: Mr S Allen
A Level Teachers: Mr S Allen, Mrs K Richbell
and Mrs R Simms
Examining board: Edexcel
Coursework content: This is an examination based course
Form of examination: At AS – two 80 minutes
examinations
At A2 – two 90 minute
examinations
Should I choose this subject?
Has multiculturalism failed? Is the war on terror justified? Is the Prime Minister above the law? Should the House of Lords be reformed? How can government better engage with community leaders (and should they do this)? Who will win the race to be President of the USA? Why have the Americans got a written Constitution when Britain has not? Which is the more democratic country, Britain or the USA?
Have your say on the topics of the day!
If you are interested in the debates and issues surrounding modern governments today, then this subject is for you. Politics is not just about Westminster and Washington, it is about us all and the decisions that affect society. By studying Government and Politics you will develop knowledge and understanding of the structures of power and authority within the UK and the USA and how these compare to other democracies.
Previous knowledge is not required to study Government and Politics. If you have taken GCSE History, many themes and theories will be familiar to you, although you do not have to have studied history to do Government and Politics.
You will be expected to keep up to date with current affairs, which means watching the news, Question Time, The Politics Show and reading quality newspapers.
What is it about?
At AS the focus is on British politics, the modules studied will be: People and Politics, which looks at the connections between the government and its people; and Governing the UK, which looks at how Britain is governed, as well as considering areas of possible change to Britain’s institutions.
At A2, the focus is on Politics in the United States, looking at Government (the Constitution, President, Congress and the Supreme Court) and Representation (elections, political parties and pressure groups) There will be a particular focus on race and US politics eg affirmative action programmes).
How will it be studied?
Teaching methods are varied, including discussion, seminar style (where students sometimes lead the lesson) and investigations which help to develop research skills.
How will Government and Politics be useful in the future?
As Government and Politics requires you to critically evaluate information and arguments, it acts as a bridge between the humanities and social sciences so could be useful for any degree course. Politics graduates go into a variety of professions including law, various types of business, economics, the media as well as politics. The transferable skills that you learn are as important as the content. This means the skills you develop, such as research, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, synthesis and literacy amongst others. These are the skills that employers are looking for.