Subject: Politics

Examination Board: Edexcel

Controlled Assessment: 0%

Examination: 100%

Specific entry requirements: Grade 6 in GCSE English Language or English Literature and a grade 6 in a GCSE humanities subject, such as Citizenship, History, Geography, RE or Sociology.

What will you study?

In Year 12 you will learn about the various systems, processes and groups that make up government in Britain. You will scrutinise the forms of participation available to British citizens and be able to demonstrate arguments on differing sides of the debate as to the quality of democracy British citizens experience and the extent to which it is protected from corrupting influences. You will also study the core ideologies of Liberalism, Conservatism and Socialism that guide the actions of the main political parties within this system, as well as studying Feminism, as a political ideology that has implications for all of these core ideologies.

In Year 13 you will gain the same insight into the US political system and the ways in which it both reflects and impacts US society. You will also learn some of the historical reasons for the development of the US government and its political culture in order to be able to explain the similarities and differences between it and the UK in terms of the structures, individual motivations and cultures that cause these. 

What Super Curricular opportunities are there linked to this subject?

• Visits to the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

What can this course lead to?

• Due to its analytical and argumentative nature, studying politics at A level is highly compatible with a wide range of university courses including: Politics, International Relations, History, Law, English, Philosophy, Sociology.