A Level Government and Politics
As a student of Government & Politics will learn about, and engage in, political debates and study how decisions are made within the British, US and international frameworks.
Students take three modules across the Sixth Form.
There is a trip to the UK Parliament and you will be encouraged to attend masterclasses; the department has also run trips to Brussels and Washington DC.
Year 12
In Year 12 Students learn the following;
Component 1: UK Politics (9PLO/01) – 33% of qualification
1) Political Participation
a. Democracy and Participation
b. Political Parties
c. Electoral Systems
d. Voting Behaviour and the Media
2) Core Political Ideas
a. Liberalism
b. Conservatism
c. Socialism
Component 2: UK Government (9PLO/02) – 33% of qualification
1) UK Government
a. The Constitution
b. Parliament
c. Prime Minister and the Executive
d. Relationships Between Branches
2) Non-core Political Ideas
a. Anarchism
b. Feminism
Year 13
Component 3: Global Politics (9PLO/3B) – 33% of qualification
1) Global Politics
a. Sovereignty and Globalisation
b. Global Governance: Political and Economic
c. Global Governance: Human Rights and Environmental
d. Power and Development
e. Regionalism and The European Union
f. Comparative theories of International Relations
Overview
The course will allow you to develop a critical awareness of current affairs and political knowledge. It is a well-respected and influential academic course, valuable not only as a qualification, but as part of a wider education. No prior study of Politics is required, though you should have an interest in, and opinions on, current affairs.
Students who have recently studied Government & Politics have been successful in gaining places on degree courses such as Politics, History, PPE and Law at universities such as Cambridge, Kings College London and Bristol. Government & Politics is studied alongside a variety of other A-Level courses including History, Sociology, Economics and English.
