Government and Politics

Course summary

The course requires students to think critically about a range of perspectives and approaches to politics in order to understand the challenges of the changing world, and to become active global citizens. Students address political concepts such as power, equality, sustainability and peace. They will engage with local, national and global dimensions of political activity. The course engages students in grounding abstract political concepts in real-world examples. The course includes Core Topics: Power, Sovereignty and International Relations; Human Rights; Development; and Peace and Conflict. Higher Level students also study an extension element that addresses Global Political Challenges. The aims of the Global Politics course at Standard Level and Higher Level are to enable students to: understand key political concepts and contemporary political issues in a range of contexts; develop an understanding of the local, national, international and global dimensions of political activity; understand, appreciate and critically engage with a variety of perspectives and approaches in global politics; appreciate the complex and interconnected nature of many political issues and develop the capacity to interpret competing and contestable claims regarding those issues.