Politics
Why choose A-level Politics?
Politics impacts on us all every day and studying Politics allows us to be able to see how the world around us is being shaped. Politics combines well with other subjects such as History, English, Economics, Geography, Psychology and Business Studies.
Politics is viewed by universities and employers alike as an academically rigorous subject which shows an interest in and awareness of current issues. Students have done a range of degree courses and then moved into areas such as: Law, Accountancy, Administration, Civil Service, Health Service, Police, Teaching, Politics, Media, Journalism and Medicine.
To study Politics, it is expected that you will already have an interest in current affairs and this will be utilised throughout the course.
Students will develop a wide range of skills throughout their course of study, including the ability to comprehend, synthesise and interpret political information; identify connections and analyse political knowledge; as well as construct and communicate arguments clearly and coherently.
There are opportunities to visit the UK Parliament, local and regional assemblies as well as attend politics lectures and debates when they occur.
What topics would I study?
Politics A-level is split into three sections.
The first section of the course is an in depth look at UK government and politics. This explores eight specific topics:
- Democracy and participation in the United Kingdom – Is UK democracy in crisis?
- Political parties – How different are the Labour and Conservative parties?
- Electoral systems – Is it time to reform the voting system in the UK?
- Voting behaviour – What impact does the media have on elections?
- The UK constitution – Is it time to have a written constitution?
- Parliament – Should the House of Lords be abolished?
- Prime Minister and the executive – How powerful is the Prime Minister?
- The Supreme Court and the impact that the EU has had on the UK – Has the Supreme Court gained power in recent years?
The second section of the course is a study of political ideology and the impact that they have had on our politics. There are three core ideologies that you would study and one optional ideology. You would study liberalism, conservatism, socialism and we would then choose from various options such as feminism, nationalism, multiculturalism and environmentalism. The main focus of this unit would be to investigate the main beliefs of each ideology and the differing beliefs of five key thinkers.
The final section studied would be a focus on the politics of the USA. This would be a comparative unit whereby you would compare and contrast the political systems of the UK and the US. For example, you may compare and contrast the power of the President of the US and the Prime Minister of the UK. Despite the talk of Presidents such as Trump and Biden, are they really that powerful?
A-level Politics is a linear course. There are three exams in Upper Sixth. There isn’t any coursework. For more information speak to Mr Leng.