What do I need to know or be able to do before taking this course? It is more important that you should have a lively and enquiring mind, an interest in politics and current affairs, a desire to explore new ideas and an ability to communicate your ideas effectively. What will I learn on this course? • how the British system government works and how it compares to the systems in the USA • how Britain changed during the Thatcher years and the Blair years • how the Blair government changed the constitution • how the media, including social media, affects the political process • an understanding of the way a parliamentary democracy works and to analyse how democratic the British system is proving to be • The impact of Brexit on every element of British politics • how to develop the skills to argue a case logically and clearly What kind of student is this course suitable for? This course will appeal to those students who • enjoy debating current affairs and politics generally • have a keen appreciation of the need to participate in the decision-making process • like doing a subject that affects their everyday lives • like doing a subject that offers the opportunity to progress to a career in politics, journalism, business, law • want to keep their options open - Politics can be a useful choice for a wide range of careers and can be combined with a wide range of social science and humanities subjects How can I develop my full range of skills by doing this course? As well as covering advanced level study of Government and Politics, this course will enable you to develop some key skills, which will be essential to you whatever you go on to do afterwards. The key skills you can develop during this course are • communication • presentation including to audiences and to virtual stakeholders. • harnessing information technology to share ideas • problem solving • working with others • improving own learning and performance What could I go on to do at the end of my course? Students with Advanced Level Government and Politics have access to a wide range of possible career and higher education opportunities. You learn and use a variety of transferable skills throughout the course. These include collecting and analysing information and evaluating different political ideas and systems. Your written communication skills will develop greatly as will your ability to question information given to you. These skills are in great demand and are recognised by employers, universities and colleges as being of great value. Government and Politics combines well with a range of social science and humanities subjects to lead to University courses in such areas as business, economics, law, media, philosophy and, of course, politics. Students who choose not to go on to higher studies will have well developed transferable skills that will allow them to explore a wide range of employment opportunities.