Government and Politics

Course summary

The 21st century is characterised by rapid global change and increasing interconnectedness. Pupils leaving Wellington now enter an even more globalised education and job market. This course studies how our globalised world functions. We study the key political questions. How is power exercised in today’s globalised world and what is the nature of today’s world order? How do we manage peace and conflict? How is development best achieved and sustained? How are human rights best upheld and crimes against humanity prevented or punished? This course is at the heart of an IB education – pupils learn about how the world around them is managed, how nations work together and clash with each other, how development and human rights can improve the world around us and what it means to be a global citizen. The course includes a mix of political theory and contemporary case studies. The teaching focuses on developments in the last 10 years, but historical context is also considered.