A2 Government and Politics

Government and Politics
You do not need to have studied Government and Politics at GCSE in order to take an AS or Advanced GCE course in the subject. It is more important that you have a lively and enquiring mind, an interest in politics and current affairs, a desire to explore new ideas and an ability to communicate your ideas effectively.

The aim of the course is to broaden and develop an awareness of political ideas, concepts and institutions. The vast majority of students studying Politics have no previous experience of the subject. The teaching programme and course syllabus take this into account.

What Will I learn on this Course?

• How to develop a critical awareness of the nature of politics and the relationship between political ideas, institutions and processes;
• What the structures of authority and power are within the political system of the United Kingdom, and how these may differ from those of other political systems;
• What the rights and responsibilities of individuals are
• How to develop personal effectiveness through a critical awareness of political events and issues, an empathetic understanding of the main political viewpoints and the skills required to argue a case with relevance and coherence;
• An understanding of the theories, motives and values that underpin political processes and governmental decision-making and the role of institutions in resolving conflicts.

Course Content and Method of Assessment

AS

Unit 1 - People and Politics
This unit introduces the study of politics by looking at the key channels of communication between the Government and the people.
Issues raised include: What is democracy? How does democracy differ from dictatorship? Do elections guarantee democracy? How important are pressure groups? How can political participation be encouraged?
Assessment - written examination consisting of 2 structured questions out of a choice of 4.

Unit 2 - Governing the UK
This unit provides an introduction to the major institutions of UK government, examines their relationship with one another and considers their effectiveness.
Issues raised include: What is the role and significance of Parliament? How powerful is the Prime Minister? Do judges deliver justice and defend freedom?
Assessment - written examination consisting of one stimulus question out of a choice of 2 and one extended question out of a choice of 2.

A2

In the A2 course students study political ideologies. This ranges from mainstream ideologies such as Socialism and Liberalism to other ideologies such as Anarchism and Feminism which have developed out of, or emerged in opposition to, the mainstream ideologies.
The A2 also involves looking at different views on aspects such as national identity and multiculturalism.
Assessment - 2 written examinations, each requiring 3 short answers and 1 essay.

After the Course?

Politics contains elements of History, Sociology, Economics, Law and Philosophy and is thus a good preparation for a wide range of courses in higher education. Politics can be studied as a single subject or in combination with another subject, e.g. History, Economics, Law or a Modern Language. Career-wise, the occupations of students studying Politics are much the same as those studying any Arts subject. Most go into business and industry or the public sector. The media, publishing and journalism are also important areas of employment for students of politics.

Subject Combination

Courses at Barton Peveril that complement Government and Politics include; Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, Modern History, Law and Communications Studies.
There is, however, no reason why students cannot include Government and Politics in a more diverse combination courses.

Entry Requirements

Although no previous knowledge of the subject is required it is assumed that, in addition to the entry requirement of at least 5 GCSE passes at grade C or above including at least a C in English, students will have an interest in the subject.