This website is currently being updated to synchronize it with the newest IB Global Politics syllabus. Please be patient.
Update - Sept. 14, 2025: The Higher Level GPC page is now completely up to date!
All resources are available on TES and TpT.
What is IB Global Politics?
Global Politics is the newest addition to Group 3 of the IB Diploma Programme. It is a concept-based course. That means, you will focus a lot of your attention and study on ideas, such as power, legitimacy and sovereignty. You will do this by studying and becoming knowledgeable about a variety of case studies from around the world and hopefully be able to apply the key concepts of the course to your own lives.
What are the requirements for IB Global Politics?
Core Topics and Thematic Studies - All standard level and higher level students complete a study on the core topics as well as thematic studies. These will be assessed by two exam papers:
Unit 1: Understanding Power and Global Politics - Nature of hard and soft power as well as the actors and stakeholders in global politics. The systems and structures by which global politics operates is also studied. The concepts of sovereignty, legitimacy and interdependence are also considered.
Unit 2: Rights and Justice - Contested meanings of human rights; codification, protection and monitoring of human rights; Debates surrounding development, challenges of globalisation, inequality and sustainability. The role of actors and stakeholders in human rights.
Unit 3: Development and Sustainability - Contested meanings of development; Factors that may promote or inhibit development; Pathways towards development; Debates surrounding development, challenges of globalisation, inequality and sustainability. The role of actors and stakeholders in development and sustainability.
Unit 4: Peace and Conflict -Contested meanings of peace, conflict and violence; causes and parties to conflict; Evolution of conflict; Conflict resolution and post-conflict transformation. The role of stakeholders and actors in Peace and Conflict.
Engagement Project - each student must engage in some field work, combined with secondary research and provide a written account of their findings. This forms the internally assessed portion of the final IB result. HL students must also include a recommendation as to how the political issue could be handled. HL and SL students are assessed using a different rubric.
Global Political Challenges (HL only) - Higher Level students must do in-depth independent research on a variety of global political challenges drawn from a select list. Students will write answers to a given stimulus on the Exam Paper 3.
About me
OK, so Mr. Rogers isn't as famous as Mayor Quimby, but he also knows his politics! Unlike Mayor Quimby, Mr. Rogers is not from Springfield, he's from Canada.
He has taught internationally since 1996; working and living in Germany, Malaysia, Ecuador, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as well as his native Canada.
Mr. Rogers has been an IB teacher and examiner since 1998, with experience teaching IB History, ITGS and ToK as well as Global Politics.
Some Basic Resources
IB Notetaking Guide - a short booklet for IB students with tips and strategies about how to be good note takers; the key to being a successful IB student.
IB Global Politics Key Concepts - the chart supplied by the IB that contains all of the key concepts of the IB Global Politics course.
IB Global Politics Course Outline - the scheme of work we will be following here in our own class.
IB HL Global Politics Course Outline - the scheme of work we will be following here in our HL lessons.
IB Global Politics Paper 1 "Bible" - a good resource with tips for doing well on the IB Exam source-based Paper 1.
IB Global Politics Paper 2 "Bible" - a similar resource but focused on the IB Exam essay Paper 2.