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Physical Education
POLITICS
Exam board – Edexcel, option 3A
What will I study?
There are 3 components: (i) UK Politics and Core Ideas (ii) UK Government (iii) Government and Politics of the USA
UK Politics
a) Democracy and participation - the differences between direct democracy and representative democracy b) Political parties - ideas and policies c) Electoral systems - the different systems in the UK and the case for and against referendums d) Elections - 2017 and two other years
UK Government
a) The constitution - nature, sources and significance of reforms, devolution and a codified constitution for the UK b) Parliament - the powers of the Commons and Lords, law making and the effectiveness of scrutiny of the government and backbench MPs and the opposition c) The Prime Minister and Cabinet - the power of the Prime Minister and the relationship with the cabinet; 3 Prime Ministers are studied in detail d) The Supreme Court - its power and influence; the impact of the EU on the UK; sovereignty; devolution and the Human Rights Act; Nationalism
Government and Politics of the USA
a) US Constitution – nature and principles; federalism b) Congress – powers of the House and Senate; how well it carries out its functions; impact of party and partisanship c) President – powers; checks on presidential power; are presidents imperial or imperilled? d) Supreme Court and civil rights – power; the appointment process; how the court exercises its power and its impact on public policy; protection of rights and its effect on civil rights e) Presidential elections – primaries and Electoral College; money in elections; the Democrat and Republican parties; tactics, influence and importance of pressure groups f) Comparison with the UK – considers the President and Prime Minister, who is more powerful and why?
Exam Board: Edexcel Assessment: 100% Written Examination (Divided into 3 papers) How is it assessed?
3 exams of 2 hours; in components 1 and 2 – essays and a source question as a stimulus to an evaluation of a political question; component 3 – short and long essays.
Where might I go next?
Students of A Level Politics have gone on to study a wide range of degrees including International Relations, Law, Economics, Business related and even Politics. It could also be useful for possible careers in politics, the civil service, local government, law, business administration, journalism, teaching or indeed any field where a basic knowledge of the activities of government is of assistance. It may also, however, be seen as an exciting course that tries to explain how Brexit and Trump can happen.
