Government and Politics

Course summary

In the first year of the A-Level, you will study the UK government and political participation in the UK. To understand the workings of the UK government, your study will include the UK constitution, parliament, and the role of the prime minister and cabinet. In the second half of the first year, you will analyze and evaluate the concept of democracy and participation in the UK through an investigation into pressure groups, electoral systems, voting behavior, and political parties. In the second year, you will take a comparative approach, analyzing the similarities and differences between the government and politics of the USA and the UK. You will also study four key political ideologies that have had a huge influence on both history and political systems around the world: liberalism, conservativism, socialism, and anarchism. The course employs a variety of learning approaches, these will include: lecturer teaching; discussions and debates; activities and investigations; regular exam-style writing practice; watching and listening to relevant programmes and news footage; reading articles and reports; and watching parliament live. There is a field trip each year to either the Scottish Parliament or Westminster.