Government and Politics

Course summary

To explain how politicians in the UK and USA attempt to gain power and exercise it. It looks at political parties, the role of the Prime Minister and US president, how the House of Commons and House of Lords works, what the US Congress does, the role of the Supreme Court, what devolution is, the role of the media and how elections work. Also studying 4 political viewpoints - liberalism, conservatism, socialism and ecologism. It will furnish you with a range of viewpoints and considerations so you can come to your own conclusions about how power is wielded in the UK and America. It should make you more open-minded but also enable you to draw your own conclusions about the great political questions of the day. If you are fascinated by the way decisions are made, who makes them and the thinking behind them, then this subject will interest you. Studying Government and Politics will provide a greater insight into political beliefs central to an understanding of the modern world. This course allows you to study contemporary politics and develop a strong understanding of the factors shaping both the British and American systems. Government and Politics will enable students to develop a wide range of skills including the ability to comprehend, synthesise and interpret political information; analyse and evaluate political knowledge; identify connections, similarities and differences between the areas studied; select relevant material and construct and communicate arguments clearly and coherently using appropriate political vocabulary. Students will develop a broad knowledge and understanding of the British political system, concentrating on People, Politics and Participation as well as Governing Modern Britain, US Politics and ideologies.