Government and Politics
Staff: Mr Kerr
Resources:
Located in Mother Teresa House the subject is able to make use of a wide range of written material and has access to various electronic resources. The quarterly journal Politics Review is also available for student use.
Aims
Government and Politics aims to provide students with a balanced education in politics and to encourage interest in and enthusiasm for the study of the subject and will enable students to develop an insight into political beliefs central to an understanding of the modern world.
Government and Politics provides students with the opportunity to develop:
- a broad knowledge and understanding of the political system of the UK, including the local and European Union (EU) dimensions and the USA
- their capacity for critical thinking, to see relationships between different aspects of government and politics and to perceive their field of study in a broader perspective, including some comparisons with other political systems
- knowledge and understanding of relevant political concepts and processes.
- a range of skills including the comprehension, synthesis and interpretation of political information in a variety of forms and the ability to select and organise relevant material to construct arguments and explanations leading to reasoned conclusions
- their powers of analysis and evaluation of political institutions, processes and behaviour; political arguments and explanations; the relationship between institutions, processes, ideologies, concepts, behaviour and values
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Curriculum
The subject is offered at AS/A Level. The Edexcel examination board specification in Advanced GCE Government and Politics is followed
At AS students study:
- How people participate in the political process
- the role of elections and referendums in the UK political system
- the role of political parties in a democracy, their ideologies, theories and traditions
- how pressure groups and protest movements operate
- the adequacy of existing political arrangements for ensuring representative democracy and participation
- the nature of the British Constitution
- the role and significance of Parliament
- the power of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Civil Service
- the role of judges and how they protect rights
- the essential characteristics and inter-relationships of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary
- current political debates.
At A2 students extend their knowledge and understanding of the political system of the United Kingdom. W also go beyond the context of the United Kingdom by studying the politics and government of another state: the United States of America.
Students study four key UK political issues:
- The Economy: what are the different approaches to managing the economy? How has economic policy affected politics?
- The Welfare State: what policies for social security, education, health care and housing have been followed?
- Law and Order: how has public policy towards crime, police powers and punishment developed?
- The Environment: what are the policies towards climate change, pollution and natural resources?
Students study the key aspects of governing the USA:
- The Constitution: what are the principles of the US Constitution, powers and rights?
- Congress: how does Congress function and what is its relationship to the Presidency?
- Presidency: how does the presidential system operate? What are the role and powers of the President?
- Supreme Court: what is the composition of the Court. What is the political significance of the Supreme Court?