Government and Politics

Course summary

Politics is about how you are ruled and what part you can play in this system. It looks at the UK parliament and Prime Minister, its American equivalent, elections and voting behaviour as well as broader political ideologies including the increasingly topical ‘Nationalism’. Primarily in Year 2, we move across the Atlantic and study the workings of the American government. A broad look at the US Constitution, Congress, Presidency and Supreme Court will be complemented by work on the US electoral process as well as American political parties, pressure groups and civil rights. We will also be looking at the main political ideologies - liberalism, socialism and conservatism. There will be 3 examinations at the end of the Upper Sixth, lasting 2 hours each and testing what we have learned over the whole course (both years).