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The Government and Politics course is a relatively new and vibrant course within the Hymers curriculum. We follow the AQA examination board and concentrate our studies on the Government and Politics of Britain at AS Level and the Politics of the USA at A2 Level. The content covered throughout the two year course is as follows;

AS Level

Unit 1: People, Politics and Participation

Topic list

• Participation & Voting Behaviour
• Electoral Systems
• Political Parties
• Pressure Groups & Protest Movements

 

 Unit 2: Governing Modern Britain

Topic list 

• The British Constitution
• Parliament
• The Core Executive
• Multi-level Governance

 

A2 Level

 

Unit 3: The Politics of the USA

Topic list
 

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

 

Unit 4: The Government of the USA

Topic list 

• Constitutional Framework
• The Legislative Branch
• The Executive Branch
• The Judicial Branch

 

This specification is designed to encourage students to:

 

• develop a critical awareness of the nature of politics and the relationship between political ideas, institutions and processes;
• acquire knowledge and understanding of the structures of authority and power within the political system of the United Kingdom, and how these may differ from those of other political systems;
• acquire knowledge and informed understanding of the rights and responsibilities of the individual;
• develop an interest in and engagement with contemporary politics.

 

This board also leaves room for our own development of the curriculum.

Our students are very keen debaters and we encourage a variety of different views to inform lively discussions in the classroom. Textbooks are obviously used to gain an in-depth knowledge and understanding of relevant content, theories and concepts. However, we find interaction within the political process to be of great importance also. Therefore, we invite many political guests to the school for seminars, lectures and Question Times throughout the year. We also visit other important institutions to extend students insight into the world of politics. The use of media and technology is also obviously vital in our learning and teaching of current and world affairs, and we make full use of information technology. Many issues studied also encourage us to link up with other departments such as Economics and History which can be mutually rewarding.

We believe that once students see a clear purpose for Politics as a subject this will heighten their interest and enthusiasm and ensure future generations of politically aware individuals. We feel it is important to bring ‘real politics’ to our students’ doorstep to further knowledge and understanding and encourage future and informed political participation.