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Luca's Purple Aster

A-Level Politics

lucagupta.com/politics

"I'm a  fighter, not a quitter"

Hello and welcome to this revision page on Luca's site for all other Mayfield Grammar School sixth formers studying A-Level Politics. This page has most of the content for the qualification in note format which has been gathered in class, from Wills library's books or from other sites on the internet. 

Key Terminology is in Green, Advanced Vocabulary is in Blue & Links and Important Stuff in Purple.

If any information on this page is incorrect please approach me in the common room or email me at 18GuptaL@mgsg.kent.sch.uk

About the A-Level

Here at Mayfield Grammar School, Edexcel is the selected exam board for A-Level Politics which requires pupils to study UK Politics, Uk Government & Comparative Politics and is examined in three papers taken in May and June.

The A-Level's Content:

• UK Politics and Core Political Ideas
• UK Government and Non-core Political Ideas

• Comparative Politics: US Politics and Government

Qualification Aims & Objectives

The aims and objectives of this qualification are to enable students to:
• develop knowledge and an informed understanding of contemporary political structures and issues in their historical context, both within the United Kingdom (UK) and globally
• develop a critical awareness of the changing nature of politics and the relationships between political ideas, institutions and processes
• develop knowledge and an informed understanding of the influences and interests which have an impact on decisions in government and politics
• develop knowledge and an informed understanding of the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups
• develop the ability to critically analyse, interpret and evaluate political information to form arguments and make judgements
• develop an interest in, and engagement with, contemporary politics.

Content

Here are all the content and their notecode. Click on your desired paper or topic that's listed below which will redirect you to all the lessons and notes written about the subject.

UK Politics and Core Political Ideas

  • A. Democracy and Participation 

  • B. Political Parties 

  • C. Electoral Systems 

  • D. Voting behaviour and the Media

  • E. Liberalism 

  • F. Conservatism 

  • G. Socialism

UK Government and Core Political Ideas

  • H. The Constitution

  • I. Parliament 

  • J. Prime Minister and Executive

  • K. Relations between the Branches

  • L. Feminism

Comparative Politics: US Politics and Government

  • M. The US Constitution and Federalism

  • N. US Congress

  • O. US Presidency 

  • P. US Supreme Court and US Civil Rights

  • Q. US Democracy and Participation

  • R. Comparative Theories

UK Politics and Core Political Ideas

There are two compulsory sections to this component: UK Politics and Core Political Ideas

UK Politics
This section explores the nature of politics and how people engage in the political process in the UK.
 
Students will investigate in detail how people and politics interact. They will explore the emergence and development of the UK’s democratic system and the similarities, differences, connections and parallels between direct and indirect democracy. They will focus on the role and scope of political parties that are so central to contemporary politics, including the significance of the manifestos they publish at election time and their relevance to the mandate of the resulting government.
 
This section allows students to understand the individual in the political process and their relationship with the state and their fellow citizens. Students will examine how electoral systems in the UK operate and how individuals and groups are influenced in their voting behaviour and political actions. This component will further examine the role of the media in contemporary politics. It will also give students an understanding of voting patterns and voting behaviour.
 
There are four content areas in UK Politics:
A. Democracy and Participation
B. Political Parties
C. Electoral Systems
D. Voting Behaviour and the Media

 
Core Political Ideas
This section allows students to explore the three traditional political ideas of conservatism, liberalism and socialism. Students will learn about the core ideas and principles and how they apply in practice to human nature, the state, society and the economy, the divisions within each idea and their key thinkers.
 
There are three content areas in Core Political Ideas:
E. Liberalism
F. Conservatism
G. Socialism


Skills
• Students must comprehend and interpret political information in relation to areas of UK politics and core political ideas.
• Students must fully understand, and critically analyse and evaluate areas of UK politics and core political ideas.
• Students must identify parallels, connections, similarities and differences between the content studied, providing a basis for comparing the UK with the USA and appreciating the UK’s position in global politics.
• Students must construct and communicate arguments and explanations with relevance, clarity and coherence, and draw reasoned conclusions about UK politics and core political ideas.
• Students must develop knowledge and understanding of key political concepts. The content supports these skills by presenting the main content for learning on the righthand side of the content tables.
• Students must use appropriate vocabulary. The content supports this skill by listing key terminology in each content area on the left-hand side of the content table. The lists are to support the teaching of the main content and help students to use appropriate vocabulary in assessment. Students should, therefore, familiarise themselves with the definitions of key terminology for each section.


Paper 1
Written examination: 2 hours
33.3% of the qualification
84 marks


Assessment overview
Section A: Political Participation
One 30-mark question from a choice of two (each question uses a source) – students must complete one of these. Plus one 30-mark question from a choice of two – students must complete one of these.

Section B: Core Political Ideas
One 24-mark question from a choice of two.

A. Democracy and Participation

A1 | Current Systems of Representative Democracy and Direct Democracy

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A2 | A Wider Franchise and Debates Over Suffrage

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A3 | Pressure Groups & Other Influences

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A4 | Rights in Context

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B. Political Parties

B1 | Political Parties

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B2 | Established Political Parties

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B3 | Emerging and Minor UK Policital Parties

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B4 | UK Political Parties in Context

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C. Electoral Systems

C1 | Different Electoral Systems

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C2 | Referendums and How They're Used

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C3 | Electoral Systems Analysis

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D. Voting Behaviour and the Media

D1 | A Case Study: a General Election in the Period 1945-1992

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D2 | A Case Study: the 1997 General Election

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D3 | A Case Study: a General Election in the Period 1997-2019

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D4 | The Influence of the Media

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E. Conservatism

E1 | Conservatism's Core Ideas and Principles: Pragatism

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E2 | Conservatism's Core Ideas and Principles: Tradition

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E3 | Conservatism's Core Ideas and Principles: Human Imperfection

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E4 | Conservatism's Core Ideas and Principles: Organic Society/State

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E5 | Conservatism's Core Ideas and Principles: Paternalism

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E6 | Conservatism's Core Ideas and Principles: Libertarinism

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E7 | Differing Views and Tensions within Conservatism: Traditional Conservative

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E8 | Differing Views and Tensions within Conservatism: One-Nation Conservative

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E9 | Differing Views and Tensions within Conservatism: the New Right

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E10 | Conservative Thinkers and their Ideas: Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679)

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E11 | Conservative Thinkers and their Ideas: Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

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E12 | Conservative Thinkers and their Ideas: Michael Oakeshott (1901-1990)

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E13 | Conservative Thinkers and their Ideas: Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

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E14 | Conservative Thinkers and their Ideas: Robert Nozick (1938-2002)

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F. Liberalism

F1 | Liberalism's Core Ideas and Principles: Individualism

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F2 | Liberalism's Core Ideas and Principles: Freedom/Liberty

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F3 | Liberalism's Core Ideas and Principles: the State

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F4 | Liberalism's Core Ideas and Principles: Rationalism

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F5 | Liberalism's Core Ideas and Principles: Equality/Social Justice

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F6 | Liberalism's Core Ideas and Principles: Liberal Democracy

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F7 | Differing Views and Tensions within Liberalism: Classical Liberalism

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F8 | Differing Views and Tensions within Liberalism: Modern Liberalism

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F9 | Liberal Thinkers and their Ideas: John Locke (1632-1704)

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F10 | Liberal Thinkers and their Ideas: Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797)

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F11 | Liberal Thinkers and their Ideas: John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

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F12 | Liberal Thinkers and their Ideas: John Rawls (1921-2002)

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F13 | Liberal Thinkers and their Ideas: Betty Friedan (1921-2006)

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G. Socialism

G1 | Socialism's Core Ideas and Principles: Collectivism

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G2 | Socialism's Core Ideas and Principles: Common Humanity

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G3 | Socialism's Core Ideas and Principles: Equality

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G4 | Socialism's Core Ideas and Principles: Social Class

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G5 | Socialism's Core Ideas and Principles: Workers' Control

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G6 | Differing Views and Tensions within Socialism: Revolutionary Socialism

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G7 | Differing Views and Tensions within Socialism: Social Democracy

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G8 | Differing Views and Tensions within Socialism: the Third Way

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G9 | Socialist Thinkers and their Ideas: Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Friedrich Engels (1820-1895)

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G10 | Socialist Thinkers and their Ideas: Beatrice Webb (1858-1943)

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G11 | Socialist Thinkers and their Ideas: Rosa Luxemburg (1871-1919)

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G12 | Socialist Thinkers and their Ideas: Anthony Crosland (1918-1977)

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G13 | Socialist Thinkers and their Ideas: Anthony Giddens (1938-present)

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UK Government and Non-Core Political Ideas

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There are two sections within this component, UK Government and Political Ideas. Students study UK Government and one political idea from a choice of five from the Political Ideas section.

UK Government

Politics is ultimately about people, but most political decisions are made by a branch of government whose roles and powers are determined by a set of rules: the constitution.

This component is fundamental to understanding the nature of UK government, since it enables students to understand where, how and by whom political decisions are made. The component also gives students a base of comparison to other political systems.

The component introduces students to the set of rules governing politics in the UK, the UK constitution, which is different in nature from most of the rest of the world. It further introduces students to the specific roles and powers of the different major branches of the government – legislative, executive, and judiciary – as well as the relationships and balance of power between them, and considers where sovereignty now lies within this system.

Students will explore the following key themes: the relative powers of the different branches of UK government; the extent to which the constitution has changed in recent years; the desirability of further change; and the current location of sovereignty within the UK political system.

 
There are four content areas in UK Government:

H. The Constitution
I. Parliament
J. The Prime Minister and Executive
K. Relations between the Branches

 
Non-Core Political Ideas

This section allows students to explore one of five additional political ideas. Students will learn about the core ideas and principles and how they apply in practice to human nature, the state, society and the economy, the divisions within each idea and their key thinkers.
 

The five non-core political ideas to choose from are:
L. Anarchism
L. Ecologism
L. Feminism
L. Multiculturalism
L. Nationalism


Skills
• Students must comprehend and interpret political information in relation to areas of UK government and one non-core political idea.
• Students must fully understand, and critically analyse and evaluate areas of UK government and one non-core political idea.
• Students must identify parallels, connections, similarities and differences between the content studied, providing a basis for comparing the UK with the USA and appreciating the UK’s position in global politics.
• Students must construct and communicate arguments and explanations with relevance, clarity and coherence and draw reasoned conclusions about the UK government and one non-core political idea.
• Students must develop knowledge and understanding of key political concepts. The content supports these skills by presenting the main content for learning on the right-hand side of the content tables.
• Students must use appropriate vocabulary. The content supports this skill by listing key terminology in each content area on the left-hand side of the content tables. The lists are to support the teaching of the main content and help students to use appropriate vocabulary in assessment. Students should, therefore, familiarise themselves with the definitions of key terminology for each section.


Paper 2
Written examination: 2 hours
33.3% of the qualification
84 marks


Assessment overview
Section A: UK Government
One 30-mark question from a choice of two (each question uses a source) – students must complete one of these. Plus one 30-mark question from a choice of two – students must complete one of these.

Section B: Non-Core Political Ideas
One 24-mark question from a choice of two.

H. The Constitution

H1 | The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution

  • What’s a Constitution
    • A constitution comprises the laws, rules and practices by which a state is governed 

    • A constitution allows the setting out of formal relationships between different branches of government

    • A constitution could also outline certain rights of citizens 

      • This is also known as a bill of rights 

  • Codified and Uncodified Constitution 

    • A codified constitution

      • It’s simply a constitution which is entirely written down in one place

      • For example: the US Consitution is a single document created in 1787 and consisting of 27 Amendments 

        • It’s easier to access and find the US Constitution as it’s all in one single document 

    • Features of a codified constitution

      • If a nation has a codified constitution, that constitution exists as a higher body of law

      • It cannot be simply amended like normal laws passed by the legislature 

      • As it can’t be amended (as easily), we’d refer to the laws in a codified constitution as ‘entrenched’

    • The advantages of a codified constitution

      • If a constitution can only be changed by some sort of special procedure (as the constitution is entrenched), it allows the country’s courts to strike down any laws that aren’t in line with the constitution (deemed as unconstitutional) 

        • For example, if the US Congress wants to impose a law that Americans believe is unconstitutional as it contradicts/isn’t in line with the Constitution, then the US Supreme Court will strike it down in the form of judicial review as unconstitutional (this gives the courts of states with codified constitution a lot of power)

      • A codified constitution allows for greater protection of civil liberties and human rights

        • The first 10 amendments of the US Constitution is known as the ‘Bill of Rights’ which sets out the various rights US citizens have  

        • With this, it’s a lot easier to claim your rights have been breached and to get something done about it

      • When a situation of complex constitutional law arises, a written constitution would be able to outline the process to take

        • If a complex political issue came about, the constitution would be easier to look at and decide what’s to be done as it’s written in one place 

        • For example: as the British Constitution is uncodified (so it’s forever changing as time goes on), complex political issues like Brexit are harder to deal with and resolve as there's no way of looking at a single and simple document to see what to do

    • An uncodified constitution 

      • Instead, the constitution isn’t entirely written down in one place

      • For example: the UK doesn’t have a single document that could be called ‘the Constitution’

    • Features of an uncodified constitution

      • If a nation has an uncodified constitution, it means that there are no higher laws

      • Here in the UK, we don’t have any entrenched laws or fundamental laws as a results 

    • The advantages of an uncodified constitution

      • The nature of our uncodified constitution allows it to be shaped and changed quickly to address political and legal developments in society

        • We therefore refer to uncodified constitutions as organic as they develop and are moulded by the society around it

      • It also allows the Judiciary to be apolitical (so no political influence)

        • A problem in the US is that their Judiciary is political so their Justices swing on either side of the debate which could be argued as a reason for slower growth in society as it’s harder to pass constitutional laws as the Judges express their political views strongly 

        • While in the UK as it’s uncodified, the constitution can be shaped to current society a lot more quickly

        • For example: the USA’s Second Amendment of the ‘Right to Bear Arms’ is difficult to change, it’s caused current society to hold a right more fitting of the 18th and 19th Centuries & is harder to remove as their Judiciary is political and those with Republican (more right-wing) views will object to suggestions of changing that amendment as it’s written in a codified constitution

      • Confusion of the definitions

        • Many misinterpret the definitions, believing codified constitutions are written down in one place while uncodified constitutions aren’t, which is possible but not entirely true

        • Parts of the UK Constitution are written down, it’s just they’re not written down in one single document which we’d call our constitution like in the United States

    • The Commonwealth Constitution 

      • Britain has had a codified constitution at one point

      • Although the current UK Constitution isn’t codified, it is the view that the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland (1653-1659) did have a written constitution following the First and Second English Civil Wars (1642-1649)

      • In 1653, the ‘Instrument of Government’ was drafted by Major-General John Lambert

        • This provided that the supreme legislative authority of the Commonwealth resided with the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell

        • This can be said to have been a codified constitution as it exhibited the properties of one

  • The Nature of ‘Constitutional Rights’ in the UK

    • There’s some disagreement as to whether it’s worth labelling some rights as ‘constitutional rights’ in order to stress their importance

      • Some people believe that referring to some laws as a ‘constitutional right’ gives it a higher plinth to stand on compared to all other legislation and rights that are given which some people don’t agree with

      • However, Lord Steyn has remarked that to classify a right as constitutional strengthens its value in that the court is realistically always required to protect it

        • For example: when a case is brought to a court, if you say a right is constitutional, it allows the judges to protect that right no matter what

  • The Sources of the UK Constitution

    • The UK Constitution is uncodified as thus isn’t written in one place but rather comprised of a number of sources

      • Statute law​

      • Common law

      • Constitutional conventions

      • Authoritative works

      • European Union Law

    • Statute law

      • From the 16th Century, it became increasingly established that Parliament would be the supreme lawmaker

      • Statute law consists of all the pieces of legislation passed by Parliament

        • Some statutes are seen as more ‘constitutional’ than others but in the UK we don’t have constitutional laws like the US as some people disagree with stressing more importance of some laws than others

      • The laws seen as more constitutional are:

        • The Bill of Rights Act (1688)

        • The European Communities Act (1972)

        • The Human Rights Act (1998)

        • The Constitutional Reform Act (2005)

      • Those laws seen as more ‘constitutional’ are technically of equal importance in making up the British Constitution as any other law like traffic laws

      • Acts of Parliament that raise constitutional questions are the ones that therefore shape and form part of the constitution

      • There’s some debate about certain statutes being ‘constitutional’ not just merely by them raising constitutional questions

        • The court case of ‘Thoburn v Sunderland City Council’ (2002) was concerned with the interaction of EU law and an Act of Parliament. It references the European Communities Act as the idea of ‘constitutional’ which was described as meaning a statute the courts wouldn’t override by other statutes unless the very clear language is used; this backs up the idea some Acts of Parliament are seen as ‘constitutional’ 

    • Common law

      • The common law is a body of law which is developed by judges on a case-by-case basis

      • It claims legitimacy as the embodiment of the values of the community given shape by precedent 

        • By setting a precedent, similar cases in the future can use old cases as an example of what decisions were taken in order to shape your decision of a current or future case

      • Historically, the common law predates Parliament which has been developed for 1000s of years and has roots in Ancient Roman Jurisprudence 

        • The common law has been developing the the UK for 1000s of years

        • British law has aspects of Roman law so our common law has millenniums’ worth of precedent-building upon itself 

      • However, there’s tension between the common law view

        • Judges such as Edward Coke (1552-1634) and William Blackstone (1723-1780) championed common law

        • The modern political notion is that power is vested in Parliament

        • So older generations of judges argue that common law is a more supreme and powerful part of the Constitution than statute laws while modern politics has developed the idea that Parliament is the sovereign law-making part of government and therefore believe statutes are more important in the constitution

    • Constitutional conventions

      • Conventions are rules are principles that aren’t legally binding but are accepted practices

      • Conventions are only biding by virtue of their acceptance of those in power

      • Important constitutional conventions mainly deal with the relationships between the 3 branches of government 

        • The Executive

        • The Legislature

        • The Judiciary 

      • The main conventions 

        • The monarch ensures the vestigial prerogative powers are normally exercised only in accordance with advice from ministers  

        • ‘Cabinet Collective Responsibility’ was created through a chain of convections which states that the Cabinet must show a united front in policy decisions 

          • You can’t have a Cabinet in which some ministers disagree with the policies

          • If you’re a minister who disagrees with the policy, you can either talk positively about it publicly or resign 

        • The ‘Salisbury Convection’ requires that the House of Lords shouldn’t oppose a measure sent to it by the House of Commons which was promised by the government in its election manifesto

    • Authoritative Works

      • There are a number of established political texts that are seen as part of the constitution

      • These texts don’t possess any legal authority but they do have ‘persuasive authority’ as they can offer guides to political decisions made

        • For example: A. V. Dicey’s ‘An Introduction to the Study of Law of the Constitution’ (1885) is a body of text that can be used as a guide to understanding and developing the British Constitution

    • European Union Law 

      • The UK became part of the EEC (European Economic Community) in 1973 and therefore there were treaties that established the EU

      • Before officially leaving the EU in 2020, we didn’t know if the UK would obtain a deal

        • A no-deal Britain would’ve led to changes in the UK Constitution since those treaties passed in the UK’s time in the European Union would no longer be binding, nor would the decisions from the Court of Justice

        • If Britain had a deal, some European laws would be binding in the UK still which would affect Britain’s Constitution

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H2 | How the Constitution has Changed Since 1997

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H3 | The Role and Powers of Devolved Bodies in the UK & the Impact of this Devolution on the UK

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H4 | Debates on Further Reform

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I. Parliament

I1 | The Structure and Role of the House of Commons and House of Lords

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I2 | The Comparative Powers of the House of Commons and House of Lords

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I3 | The Legislative Process

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I4 | The Ways in Which Parliament Interacts with the Executive

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J. The Prime Minsiter and Executive

J1 | The Structure, Role and Powers of the Executive

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J2 | The Concept of Ministerial Responsibility

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J3 | The Power of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

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J4 | The Powers of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to Dictate Events and Determine Policy

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K. Relations between the Branches

K1 | The Supreme Court and its Interactions with and Influence over the Legislative and Policy-Making Processes

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K2 | The Relationship between the Executive and Parliament

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K3 | The Aims, Role and Impact of the European Union (EU) on the UK Government

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K4 | The Location of Sovereignty in the UK Political System

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L. Feminism

L1 | Feminsim's Ideas and Principles: Sex and Gender

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L2 | Feminsim's Ideas and Principles: Patriachy

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L3 | Feminsim's Ideas and Principles: the Personal is Political

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L4 | Feminsim's Ideas and Principles: Equality Feminism and Difference Feminsim

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L5 | Feminsim's Ideas and Principles: Intersectionality

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L6 | Different Types of Feminism: Liberal Feminism

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L7 | Different Types of Feminism: Socialist Feminism

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L8 | Different Types of Feminism: Radical Feminism

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L9 | Different Types of Feminism: Post-Modern Feminism

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L10 | Feminist Thinkers and their Ideas: Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935)

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L11 | Feminist Thinkers and their Ideas: Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)

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L12 | Feminist Thinkers and their Ideas: Kate Millett (1934-present)

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L13 | Feminist Thinkers and their Ideas: Shelia Rowbotham (1943-present)

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L14 | Feminist Thinkers and their Ideas: bell hooks (1952-present)

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Comparative Politics: US Politics and Government

There are two optional sections within this component, Government and Politics of the USA and Global Politics. Students must study one of these.

Government and Politics of the USA

The USA has been considered by some to be a ‘beacon of democracy’. As a world power, understanding the nature of US democracy, and the debates surrounding it, is crucial given the considerable impact that the USA has on UK, European and global politics.

Students will explore the US Constitution and the arguments surrounding this guiding document of US democracy. In learning about the key institutions of government in the USA and analysing the manner in which they achieve this power and exercise it over their citizens, students will judge ultimately whether ‘liberty and justice for all’ have been achieved in the USA. Students will be expected to highlight the debates on the nature of democracy in the USA and evaluate the extent to which it remains an issue.

The impact of the US government on the world beyond its borders is increasingly a feature of international politics. Students will begin to engage with this interaction by comparing and contrasting politics and institutions in the US with those in the UK. This will develop a wider understanding of politics as a discipline, underpinned by the theoretical concepts of comparative politics.

 
There are six content areas in the Politics and Government of the USA:

M. The US Constitution and Federalism
N. US Congress
O. The US Presidency
P. The US Supreme Court and US Civil Rights
Q. US Democracy and Participation
R. Comparative Theories

 
Skills

• Students must comprehend and interpret political information in relation to areas of US politics.
• Students must fully understand and critically analyse and evaluate areas of US politics.
• Students must identify parallels, connections, similarities and differences between the content studied, providing a basis for comparing the UK with the US.
• Students must construct and communicate arguments and explanations with relevance, clarity and coherence and draw reasoned conclusions about US politics.
• Students must develop knowledge and understanding of key political concepts. The content supports these skills by presenting the main content for learning on the righthand side of the content tables.
• Students must use appropriate vocabulary. The content supports this skill by listing key terminology in each content area. The lists are to support the teaching of the main content and help students to use appropriate vocabulary in assessment. Students should, therefore, familiarise themselves with the definitions of key terminology for each section.


Paper 3
Written examination: 2 hours
33.3% of the qualification
84 marks


Assessment overview
Section A
One 12-mark question from a choice of two.

Section B
One compulsory 12-mark question focused on comparative theories.

Section C
Two 30-mark questions from a choice of three.

M. The Constitution and Federalism

M1 | The Nature of the US Constitution

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M2 | The Key Features of the US Constitution & their Effectiveness Today

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M3 | The Main Characteristics of US Federalism

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M4 | Interpretations and Debates Around the US Constitution and Federalism

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N. US Congress

N1 | The Structure of Congress

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N2 | The Distribution of Powers within Congress

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N3 | The Functions of Congress: Representation

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N4 | The Functions of Congress: Legislative

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N5 | The Functions of Congress: Oversight

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N6 | Interpretations and Debates Around Congress

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O. The US Presidency

O1 | Formal Sources of Presidential Power as Outlined in the US Constitution and their Use

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O2 | Informal Sources of Presidential Power and their Use

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O3 | The Varying Relationships between the Presidency and Congress & the Presidency and the Supreme Court

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O4 | Limitations on Presidential Power and Why this Varies between Presidents

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O5 | Interpretations and Debates of the US Presidency

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P. The US Supreme Court and Civil Rights

P1 | The Nature and Role of the Supreme Court

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P2 | The Appointment Process for the Supreme Court

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P3 | The Supreme Court and Public Policy

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P4 | The Protection of Civil Liberties and Rights in the US Today

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P5 | Race and Rights in Contemporary US Politics

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P6 | Interpretations and Debates of the US Supreme Court and Civil Rights

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Q. US Democracy and Participation

Q1 | US Electoral Systems: Presidential Elections and their Significance

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Q2 | US Electoral Systems: Campaign Finance

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Q3 | The Distribution of Power and Changing Significance of the Democratic and Republican Parties

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Q4 | The Current Conflicts and Tendencies & the Changing Power and Influence that Exist within the Parties

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Q5 | Coalition of Supporters for Each Party

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Q6 | Interest Groups in the USA – their Significance, Resources, Tactics and Debates about their Impact on Democracy

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Q7 | Interpretations and Debates of US Democracy and Participation

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R. Comparative Theories

R1 | A Rational Theoretical Approach

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R2 | A Cultural Theoretical Approach

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R3 | A Structural Theoretical Approach

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R4 | Comparing and Debating the UK and US Constitutions

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R5 | Comparing and Debating the UK and US Legislative Branches

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R6 | Comparing and Debating the UK and US Executive Branches

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R7 | Comparing and Debating the UK and US Supreme Courts and Civil Rights

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R8 | Comparing and Debating the UK and US Democracy and Participation

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Luca's Purple Aster

Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend

lucagupta.com/politics

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