AS/A2 Government & Politics

AS/A2 Government & Politics

Why study Government and Politics?
Politics will be a new subject to the majority of you and therefore you may see it as an opportunity to do something fresh and new, an enriching experience in itself. Studying Politics will enable you to understand how the political system works at local, national and European levels. Topics covered in the study of Politics include Electoral Systems, Parties and Pressure Groups, and at A2, the American political system. It is particularly important that you have an enquiring mind, a desire to learn about how the political system works and its impact on you, the citizen. You will be encouraged to develop your skills in critical and analytical thinking, note making, research, oral and presentation skills, all of which will be essential to you whether you decide to go into Higher Education or into a career after A Levels. We hope to give you the opportunity to attend lectures given by respected academics. We also hope to visit Parliament at the end of the Lower Sixth, where you will have a tour of the Palace of Westminster and attend the Commons and / or Lords for Question Time.

What will I study and how will it be assessed?
AS Level (EDEXCEL)
Unit 1 People and Politics
(25% of the A Level) Covers the central ideas of citizenship, democracy and participation. Assessed by an exam of one hour and 20 minutes, consisting of two structured questions from a choice of four. Unit 2 Governing the UK (25% of the A Level) Provides an introduction to the major institutions of UK government, examines their relationship with each other and their effectiveness. Assessed by an exam of one hour and 20 minutes, consisting of one structured stimulus based question from a choice of two, and one extended essay question from a choice of two.

A2 Level
Unit 3 Representative Processes in the USA
(25% of the A Level) Examines the representative processes of the US political system and considers their adequacy in terms of popular participation and full democracy. Assessed by an exam of one hour and 30 minutes. Students are required to answer three short questions from a choice of five and one essay question from a choice of three.

Unit 4 Governing the USA
(25% of the A Level) Examines the institutional framework of the US government and considers the interrelationship between its legislative, executive and judicial processes and the health of federalism. Assessed by an exam of one hour and 30 minutes. Students are required to answer three short questions from a choice of five and one essay question from a choice of three.

Does Politics link particularly well with other subjects?
Politics is one of those subjects that can be easily combined with either Arts or Science subjects.

Where might it lead me?
Students often write to us after they leave College to tell us how studying Politics has helped them to prepare for Higher Education and beyond.

Here is an extract from a letter from a former student:
The feedback I have received from university, from work experience in the City and now from potential employers is that Politics is a highly regarded A Level. It is considered a particularly good base for Law as it requires the same level of effort and commitment, the ability to think in a similar way and the ability to assimilate and organise information in order to build rational arguments, as well as to be critical and rational when dealing with either evidence or information.

Politics is particularly useful if you are considering a career in Law, Business/Retail Management, the Media or Civil Service. However the knowledge and skills which the study of Politics will give you, will be welcomed by any employer. Do not just consider the utility of the subject, you may simply be interested in learning about Politics and attracted by a new challenge.

Entry Requirement
There is no need to have taken Politics at GCSE in order to study it at AS/A2 Level, indeed very few of you will have had the opportunity to do so. However, you should have at least a Grade C in English. The course involves a great deal of reading, note taking and essay writing. An enquiring mind and a determination to work hard will also be useful. It is essential that you have a good grasp of current affairs in order to appreciate the wider impact of politics.