Politics

Politics is about power: how it is distributed and what people do with it. It is about analysing and debating the decisions made by governments and the role that citizens play in that decision making.

• Was it right to ask the British public if they wanted to leave the EU?
• Should our unelected Queen remain Head of State?
• Was the UK Government’s response to COVID legitimate?

This course begins by looking at the foundations of the UK Government. We will explore the historic power struggle between the monarchy and Parliament and identify who really holds the power in this country and what might happen if they become too powerful. This will be paired with a study of how democratic the UK really is. We will study ways UK citizens can participate in politics, the role of the media in elections, why people vote the way they do, and whether our political parties truly represent us.

We will then compare this to another democratic country, the USA. Who has more power: the Prime Minister or the President? How do the UK and US protect the civil rights of their citizens? Why did Donald Trump lose the 2020 election and is it fair that he is banned from Twitter?

The third aspect of this course looks at different political ideologies: Conservatism, Socialism, and Liberalism. We will explore the great political thinkers who have shaped each ideology and discuss why they have such different ideas about human nature, society, the role of the state, and the economy.

There is no requirement to have studied Politics before joining this course, however, an interest in current affairs and a willingness to embrace new ideas is essential! Politics works well alongside all A levels, especially History, English, Sociology, and Psychology and will open up many doors in higher education.