Examination Board: AQA
What Will I learn?
The A-level politics course consists of three areas: UK government and politics, US government and politics with a comparison of the two, and finally political ideologies.
For both the UK and US section of the course, we will look to understand the structures and pitfalls of both political systems, whilst undergoing a continuous comparison of the two. Included in this we will look at the structure and impact of key pieces of legislation, the structure and role of UK Parliament/ US House of Representative and Senate, key political roles and figures and also the development of democratic rights throughout the 20th century to the modern day.
Further, we will look at key post-war elections in the US and UK, looking at how these were won and lost and how this impacts politics today. In addition to this, it is understood that you will have contemporary understandings of political structures and events, meaning there will be an ongoing focus on what is happening in the news in the current day.
For the ideologies section of the course, we will look at the political philosophies that underpin our political movements and parties. These will include:
- Liberalism
- Conservativism
- Socialism
- Anarchism
We will then look to apply these to current political trends.
How Am I Assessed?
You will have three examined units, each consisting of 2 hours at the end of the course. In each exam there will be the following:
- Three 9-mark knowledge-based questions.
- A 25-mark source-based question.
- A 25-mark essay which evaluates a political statement.
What Career Options Do I Have?
Politics is a subject which is highly valued in many careers and by many universities because it helps you to develop a range of skills such as analysis, evaluation, critical reasoning and both oral and written communication. Careers that link directly to politics include:
- Political assistant
- Government social research officer
- Policy officer
- Political risk analyst
- Public affairs consultant
- Civil Service Fast Streamer
Skills highly relevant to a politics A-level include:
- Teacher or lecturer
- Journalist
- Public relations officer
- Human resources officer
- Local government officer
- Marketing executive.