Government and Politics

Course summary

The study of Politics will change your understanding of the UK forever. You will learn about the fantastic benefits of the UK democracy – but also become aware of the deep flaws that penetrate the heart of government. You will keep up to date with the news and find out about policy issues that affect everyday life. You will become entrenched in the daily battle of political individuals at Westminster, Stormont, Cardiff, and Edinburgh and also learn about controversial political figures of the past like Thatcher, Wilson, Heath, and Cameron. We will debate how democratic our political system is and find out about its strengths and weaknesses. You will become the kind of young adult who knows what is going on in the world and formulates strong opinions on the individuals and political parties who impact our lives. You will find out what it means to be conservative, liberal, or socialist and discover where you fit on the broad political spectrum that makes up the UK. For all this and more – choose politics! First-year students develop knowledge and understanding of the British political system: Part 1: UK Politics. This includes in-depth studies of Referendums; MPs and their parties; Competing ideologies in the UK and their histories; How we elect our governments and what the alternates should be; Pressure groups and whether our democratic system is being undermined by big business, voting behaviours and the media. Part 2: UK Government. This includes learning about the inner workings of Parliament; The history of the UK constitution... and the problem with us not having a written one; the role of the Prime Minister and their Cabinet. In the second year, you will study Global Comparative Politics. This looks at how politics works on a global scale, and how this is changing as a result of new technology and globalization.