‘I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians’. Studying Politics will develop your awareness of contemporary issues and understanding of the decisions that affect your life and those around you. It will allow you to consider how and why decisions are taken on a local, national, and international level. Politics also helps you develop critical, analytical, and oral skills and gives an insight into issues of power and influence, where these lie, and who has these in the UK and the wider world. In Year 1, students study British Politics looking at its key institutions, issues, and ideas. In Year 2, students study American Government and Politics. Students then focus on the ideas of Liberalism, Conservatism, Socialism, and either Nationalism or Anarchism.