Government and Politics
Course summary
Government & Politics is about understanding how the world is governed. Students will investigate in detail how people and politics interact. They will explore the emergence and development of the UK’s democratic system and the similarities, differences, connections and parallels between direct and indirect democracy. They will focus on the role and scope of political parties that are so central to contemporary politics, including the significance of the manifestos they publish at election time and their relevance to the mandate of the resulting government. Students will also learn about core political ideas and how they apply in practice to human nature, the state, society and the economy as well as the divisions within each idea and their key thinkers. Additionally students will study the different approaches to global politics, learning how the UN and other international government organisations operate. This will include discussion of important issues such as terrorism, nuclear weapons and the changing nature of war.
Entry Requirements
Checked against your grades — every rule traces to the school's published source.
| Requirement | Rule | You |
|---|---|---|
GCSE qualifications | 6 gcse qualifications at grade 5.0 or above | — |
Mathematics | Grade 5 in Mathematics | — |
English Language | Grade 5 in English Language | — |
English Language | Grade 6 in English Language | — |
Religious Studies Alternative route | Grade 6 in Religious Studies (if taken) | — |
History Alternative route | Grade 6 in History (if taken) | — |
Geography Alternative route | Grade 6 in Geography (if taken) | — |
Citizenship Studies Alternative route | Grade 6 in Citizenship Studies (if taken) | — |
As published by the school
6 GCSEs at grade 6+ including a grade 6 in English Language and Mathematics. In addition, all courses have specific GCSE entry requirements which are stated in the course description for each subject.
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Assessment
Component 1: UK Politics (Written exam – 33.3%) Topics covered: Democracy and participation; Political parties; Electoral systems; Voting behaviour and the media. Students will also learn about core political ideas covering conservatism, liberalism and socialism. Component 2: UK Government and Optional Political Ideas (Written exam – 33.3%) There are four content areas: The Constitution; Parliament; Prime Minister and executive; Relationships between the branches. Students will also learn about one of the five optional ideas; Ecologism; Feminism; Multiculturalism; Nationalism; Anarchism. Component 3: UK Government and Optional Political Ideas (Written exam – 33.3%) Topics covered: Theories of global politics; Sovereignty and globalisation; Global governance – political and economic; Global governance – human rights and environmental; Power and developments; Regionalism and the European Union.
About School
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