Government & Politics

Government & Politics, to give the course its full title, is one of the country’s fastest growing courses at A–level. It complements History and Economics very well and is also an excellent choice for those considering university courses in other subjects such as Law, and Social Studies.

The AS course comprises two modules on British Government and Politics:

• People, Politics and Participation

The nature of participation in the political process and voting behaviour; the nature of representation and the role of elections; the role of political parties; the importance of pressure groups and pressure group behaviour.

• Governing Modern Britain

The British constitution and the judiciary; parliament and its relationships with government; the prime minister, the cabinet system and the civil service; main features of local, devolved and EU government.

The A2 course introduces students to American Politics and comprises a further two modules:

• The Politics of the USA

US Electoral Process and Direct Democracy; Political Parties; Voting Behaviour; and Pressure Groups.

• The Government of the USA

The Constitutional Framework of US Government; US Congress; the Presidency and Federal Bureaucracy; and the Supreme Court.

There is no course work. Politics has always proved a popular subject and results have always been consistently high with around a third of each A2 group going on to study the subject at university either on its own or as part of a combined honours programme.

We also try to arrange a number of visits each year: an annual student conference in Westminster; a visit to the European Union in Brussels; and, less frequently, a trip to New York and Washington.