The political world – certainly the UK and the US, at least – is confusing to many teenagers. In order to think clearly about the seeming chaos of our political environment it is essential that we help our boys to think critically and clearly. In all that we do at A-level, we want to stretch the boys – and help them to think and write with clarity. And we want to encourage the capacity to move beyond partisan beliefs towards the study of what we could call ‘political science’. After two years, the boys may not have changed their views – but they will hold views that are based on evidence and that can be articulated with the intellectual rigour that marks out the work of a budding undergraduate. The A-level has three components – which necessarily link together – and they are: • The Government and Politics of the United Kingdom • The Government and Politics of the United States and Comparative Politics • Political Ideologies