A Level Government and Politics

A Level Politics is an exciting new area of study for students at Bishop Laney. If you are interested in current affairs, the news, and the current political landscape then you are already halfway there! Politics in modern society is constantly changing, with discussions and debates between political parties evolving by the day.

You may also be interested in the skills Politics gives you. If you enjoy debate, discussion and constructive arguing then this course will allow you to develop those skills. You might also be someone who likes looking deeper into statements, testing facts and noticing discrepancies. Many students will come into A-level politics without any previous learning or knowledge of the subject, but clear expression, the ability to be precise, provide clarity alongside a willingness to listen and discuss will be essential skills within Government and Politics.

You will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of different governing, including a vastly different democratic system to ours here in the UK. You will analyse and evaluate new debates and discussions in an ever evolving and changing political landscape of the 21st century.

In doing this, you will understand and be reflective of government styles, political statements and the core concepts of political design. You will study carefully what is in the news and form your own views on modern political issues that are shaping our society today. You will use these views to articulate and express a considered and rational argument of your own, to put forward precisely and carefully selected evidence to support your claims.

There is some focus on the significant historical documents that have shaped our political systems. You will use these to analyse the nature and sources of our constitution, often with a focus on areas where individual and collective rights are either questioned or in conflict. You will study how policy is made, the relationship between the cabinet and the Prime Minister or President and the accountability of these within the modern world.

A Level Politics will be partly delivered by a focus on what is in the news and any new policies, constitutional changes and debates within our society. Lively, relevant and controversial at times, some of our study will be dictated by what has happened just that week. You will engage with a depth and breadth of different topics that revolve around two of the biggest democratic countries in the world, the UK and the USA. We gauge closely into the three traditional ideologies of liberalism, conservatism and socialism noticing how they impact our modern social climate.

Politics is split into three papers, with their own clear objectives.

Paper 1: Government and Politics of the UK. This is a 2 hour exam which focuses solely on the making of UK politics.

Paper 2: Government and Politics of the USA. This is a 2 hour exam which focuses on the very different build up of political powers within the USA and how this came to be

Paper 3: Political Ideas. This 2 hour paper looks at the three core ideologies of liberalism, conservatism and socialism alongside one of five of the other ideologies for example nationalism or feminism.

At least 5 GCSE Grades 9 – 4 to include Maths; and Grade 5 or above in all English subjects entered.

A level Politics is very highly regarded for its intellectual breadth and depth, and is one of the subjects recommended by top universities. Students may go on to further study subjects such as Politics, PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) or other Humanities based subjects. What is useful about Politics is that, in modern society, most jobs will require debate, discussion and an understanding of the current climate for your business or area of expertise. You could go on to work in political think tanks, the civil service, journalism, business, finance, local government, or for a political party if you were to concentrate on the Politics itself.