Government and Politics

A Level Politics

Politics is a subject which draws a great deal upon the developments of the present and recent past and is being constantly updated. We make good use of a variety of textbooks and sources available to us, but also rely on the use of TV, radio, social media and the press. The course is designed to encourage analysis and criticism and therefore active discussion is promoted to develop an understanding of what has been read, seen and heard. There is opportunity for individual research of various kinds and work is presented in a variety of ways including talks from MP's, presentations and of course essay writing.

The following link will take you to the Arden History and Politics Home Page for all teaching and learning resources. The site is hosted by Google Suite for Education, hence you will need to use a pupil school email and password to access this area.  https://sites.google.com/arden.solihull.sch.uk/historygovernmentpolitics/home

We follow the Edexcel (9GP01) specification and more details can be found at: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-a-levels/politics-2017.html

Why study Politics?

  • The opportunity for debate, discussion and argument – politics is exciting because of disagreements between different ideas.
  • To gain and understanding the world around you – how your society works.
  • The chance to develop your own ideas – no ‘rights’ or ‘wrongs’ in politics, only competing viewpoints.
  • Politics can lead the way into many different routes in careers and further study.

 

What is covered? 

 

Unit 1: UK Politics ( Component code: 9PL0/01)

Section A: Political Participation

  • Democracy and Participation – understanding how people get involved in politics in the UK.
  • Political Parties – investigating how the main political parties have developed and changed over time.
  • Electoral Systems – exploring different methods of voting and analysing their effectiveness.
  • Voting Behaviour and the Media – understanding what factors influence people when they vote.

Section B: Core Political Ideas

  • Conservatism
  • Liberalism
  • Socialism

Written examination: 2 hours

33.5% of the qualification

 

Unit 2: UK Government (Component code: 9PL0/02)

Section A: UK Government

  • The Constitution – understanding the rules and conventions that control British politics.
  • Parliament – evaluating the functions and effectiveness of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
  • Prime Minister and Executive – investigating the role of the PM and assessing the power of the executive.
  • Relationships between the branches – exploring how different sections of government interact with one another.

Section B: Political Ideas

  • Anarchism

Written examination: 2 hours

33.5% of the qualification

 

Unit 3: Comparative Politics- Global Politics (Component code: 9PL0/3B)

A detailed investigation into the nature of global politics, exploring the role of different world actors and the global issues they manage.

  • Theories of Global Politics
  • Sovereignty and Globalisation
  • Global Governance: Political and Economic
  • Global Governance: Human Rights and Environmental
  • Power and Developments
  • Regionalism and the European Union

Written examination: 2 hours

33.5% of the qualification