Politics

Politics is the subject for you if you have an interest in how government works, want to know more about the competing ideas on how to run a country, and enjoy debate and discussion. You may have studied Politics at GCSE and enjoyed it, or you might be completely new to the subject; there is no requirement either way. This course gives you a chance to sharpen your critical mind, develop your writing skills and practise engaging in verbal discussion and debate. As such, it is a fast-paced and engaging subject which will equip you with a range of transferable skills going forward. It also gives you an opportunity that many individuals never get the chance to truly understand how politics works and to become engaged, empowered and active citizens going forward.

The three modules are as follows: UK Government and Politics (How powerful is our Prime Minister? How and why do we vote the way we do? What do the parties stand for? How does the judicial system protect and uphold our human rights? What are the big issues in UK politics today?); US Government and Politics (How powerful is the President? Are US political parties as important as they are in the UK? Who has power in the USA? What is the US Supreme Court and how has it protected human rights?); Political Ideas (Where did political theory come from? What is feminism? What is multiculturalism and do we have a multicultural society? Is ecologism the most important idea on the agenda? Is there an argument for anarchy?)

The three exams each focus on one of these modules and encompass a range of essay-style questions, requiring you to explain, analyse and evaluate.

5 grade 6s at GCSE. Grade 6 in GCSE Geography, History or Politics (if taken).

Politics equips you with a range of transferrable skills such as critical thinking, analysis and the ability to construct argument both verbally and in writing. As a result, it is considered a desirable subject by universities. Politics students go on to study subjects such as Politics, International Relations, Law, History, PPE (Politics, Philosophy and Economics) and many more. It is helpful for a variety of careers but especially in fields such as law, politics, journalism, teaching or publishing.