Politics
Level 3
Qualification: A Level
Duration: 2 years
What will I study?
You will be studying the workings of politics and government in both the UK and the USA. You will learn about the origins and ideas associated with different political ideologies and the ways in which they have been put into practice. You will assess source material and produce extended written answers that evaluate the strengths of different arguments and reach supported judgements.
Component 1: UK Politics and Core Political Ideas UK Politics The unit begins with examining democracy and political participation, debates around who should be able to vote, pressure groups and rights. You will then go onto study this history and policies of the major political parties, electoral systems, voting behaviour, and the influence of the media. You will also study the ideologies of conservatism, liberalism and socialism, exploring their origins, key thinkers, internal divisions, and their views on human nature, the state, the economy and society.
Component 2: UK Government and Nationalism You will study the constitution, Parliament, the Prime Minister and Executive, the Supreme Court, and the interactions between the different branches of government. You will examine where power is located in the UK system, and in addition to looking at key debates and theories, will study a range of recent examples. You will also study nationalism, exploring its origins, key thinkers, internal divisions, and its views on human nature, the state, the economy and society.
Component 3: In this unit you will study the US constitution, federalism, structure and functions of Congress, the role and powers of the President, and the role and nature of the Supreme Court. You will also investigate civil rights and race relations, the key ideas and policies of the Democrat and Republican Parties, and the electoral systems in America. You will also compare the British and American systems, making use of comparative theories.
Study Visits
A number of day or half-day visits to be confirmed, including visits to Local Universities
Cost
Key textbook- £30
Assessment
3 two hour exams
Component 1: UK Politics; Core Political Ideas: Conservatism, Liberalism, Socialism
Component 2: UK Government; Political Ideas: nationalism
Component 3: USA Government; Comparison USA and UK
Entry Criteria
Grade 5 in either English Language or Literature (must have at least a 4 in English Language).
Useful Supporting Courses
A level History, A Level Philosophy, A Level Economics, A Level Sociology, A Level English
Careers:
Law, Management, Journalism, Government, Civil Service and Police.
Culture Vulture
Check out our Culture Vulture link to see what takes your interest.
Flying start
Click the link and have a go at our 10-week learning plan to get you off to the best start.
Course Overview
Follow the link to see an introduction to the course, identifying what you will study with us in the first few months and what you might already know.
A Level Politics Course Overview