AS Government and Politics

AS Government and Politics
Level: AS/A2

Awarding Body: EDEXCEL AS (8067) A2 (9067 ROUTE C)

Course Content:
The course explores the contemporary political systems in the UK and the USA.

AS

Unit 1: People and Politics - How democratic is the political system in the UK? How are our representatives elected and how we can influence them?

Unit 2: Governing the UK - The roles of the major institutions in the UK including Parliament, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. The Judiciary is also studied as well as their role in protecting civil liberties.

A2

Unit 3C: Representation in the USA - elections, parties, pressure groups and the role of race and ethnicity in US politics.

Unit 4C: Governing the USA - Presidency, Supreme Court, Congress, Constitution and federal system.

Other Interests in Politics

If you are interested in an area of politics that is not taught on the course, such as international relations; the department will support your research through workshops.

Teaching Learning Methods:
Induction material helps the student understand the skills demanded of AS and A2 and allows transition to be made from GCSE to a higher level of study. There is an emphasis on skills acquisition to enable students to research, write notes and essays, understand and use data and develop good revision and examination techniques.

Whole class teaching, individual and group work takes place. Discussion plays an important part in developing critical faculties and there is an opportunity for students to present their ideas in formal presentations to colleagues. Use of IT is encouraged, particularly of the Internet for research and keeping up to date with current affairs.

Workshops in the politics rooms provide the opportunity for individual study and consultation with staff to improve work. Resources from newspapers and the politics association are available.

Assessment:
AS

UNIT 1 (6491) - Written Exam - 1hr 20m - 25% (AS) - 25% (A2)
UNIT 2 (6492) - Written Exam - 1hr 20m - 25% (AS) - 25% (A2)

A2

UNIT 3C (6493) - Written Exam - 1hr 30m - 25%
UNIT 4C (6494) - Written Exam - 1hr 30m - 25%

Students must be prepared to engage in individual research, using the Internet, newspapers and the library. This will enable a student to complete assignments and play a full part in class discussion and group work. Students who enjoy posing and answering questions and analysing problems will benefit from the course. A commitment to read the newspapers and watch the news and documentaries is essential as high grades are only awarded to students who keep abreast of political events. All skills necessary to pass the exam will be taught. However, the ability to write well is a distinct advantage.

Cost:
None. Textbooks are provided, and the library is an excellent resource. All learning resources are on Moodle, which can be accessed from home and College via the internet.

Progression:
Most students of politics do not end up as MPs! Universities believe politics to be an excellent foundation for a law degree and most politics graduates enter accountancy, banking, insurance, PR, human resources and a variety of business related occupations. It is a popular subject for journalists and politics degrees are regarded highly by the media, particularly the BBC. Administration, notably local government and the civil service, is also a recognised progression route. Politics AS/A2 informs universities and employers that you possess high level skills, which make you flexible and intellectually capable of being trained in a multitude of disciplines. If you do not know what you wish to do in the future, then politics will keep your options open and can be combined with almost any other subjects, including science. The content of politics complements rather than overlaps with the content of history AS and A2 but the skills involved are very similar thus making the two subjects a very good combination for the student and in the eyes of universities and employers.