What Will I Study?
UK and USA Political systems. Who has power and why. Develop an understanding people, power and ideas and the impact they have on society.
Component 1: UK Politics
This component focuses on political participation in the UK.
Topics you will study include democracy and participation, rights in the UK, political parties, UK elections and voting behaviour and the media.
You will also learn about the Core Political Ideas of Liberalism, Socialism and Conservatism.
The 2-hour examination is at the end of the two-year course, and is worth 33% of your overall A-Level.
Component 2: UK Government
This component focuses on how the UK is governed.
Topics you will study include the UK Constitution, Parliament, the Executive, devolution and the European Union, as well as relationships between the different parts of the UK government.
You will also learn about another Political Idea: Feminism.
The 2-hour examination is at the end of the two-year course, and is worth 33% of your overall A-Level.
Component 3: Comparative Politics
This component focuses on studying the Government and Politics of the USA, and requires students to directly compare politics in the USA to politics in the UK.
The topics you will study include US elections, pressure groups, civil liberties and race relations, political parties, the US Constitution, Congress, the Presidency and the Supreme Court.
The 2-hour examination is at the end of the two-year course, and is worth 33% of your overall A-Level.
Additional Information
Advanced GCE in Government and Politics will give you adaptable skills which will enable you to understand and assess ideas and arguments, and to construct and communicate clear answers to problems based on well validated evidence.
With a GCE in Government and Politics, you can progress to higher education courses such as honours degrees in politics, international politics/relations and political science as well as to degrees in related subjects such as history, geography, law, philosophy, economics and social policy.
The study of politics can lead to a variety of careers within areas such as journalism and broadcasting, management, publishing, local government, public policy and policy research, interest groups, local government and the voluntary sector, as well as within politics itself.
If you have ever wondered: What will Keir Starmer and the new Labour change? Could Donald Trump be re-elected President of the USA? Do those in power represent us? Do politicians act in our best interests? Could we do more to combat climate change? If you want to know more about why society is the way it is, who makes decisions and how you can change it - then Politics is the subject for you.
"The Ultimate hidden truth of the world is that it is something we make. And could just as easily make differently" (David Graeber)
Please be prepared to read newspapers, watch the news and access numerous political-orientated websites to help you keep up-to-date with the current political system.