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Politics

Department staff

Introduction

Politics is an exciting subject. If offers students special attractions. It is a subject you digest with your breakfast. Each morning its complex canvas unfolds with the daily papers and broadcast news; by evening new details have been painted in and the scene subtly, sometimes dramatically changed. It is much more than simply a study of the Prime Minister and the House of Commons. Politics is unpredictable, dynamic, it affects us, it is about us. In one sense the canvas is us: a projection of ourselves and our aspirations, a measure of our ability to live together. Politics is arguably one of the most important focuses of study on the human condition.

Content

Whenever two or more people exist together, there is a political element. We all know that there are international, national, city, school and family politics, and we talk about someone being ‘a political animal’. However, many appear to think that, for instance, British politics is ‘to do with the Prime Minister and the House of Commons’. Actually the subject of politics is one of the oldest subjects ever studied, simply because it has always been around us.

Specification

Politics will be offered at Norwich School as an AS and at A2. The examining board is AQA. This course consists of four themes:

·        representation

·        decision making

·        power

·        political ideas

It outlines the major political institutions, processes, relationships, ideologies, values and concepts to be studied at local, national and European levels. The main focus of the course is on the UK at AS and at A2, the USA (although all students are required to undertake some comparative study of aspects of other political systems in order to ensure an understanding of the distinctive feature of UK government and politics). Concepts such as power, authority, freedom, democracy, representation, equality, toleration, class, accountability, rights, responsibilities and citizenship, processes such as political initiation and implementation and tradition such as liberalism, conservatism, social reform and Marxism are relevant to many sections of the subject content and students should be familiar with them and their application. Students are expected to inform themselves of contemporary political events, issues and developments in the political system by using newspapers, weekly news journals and news and current affairs programmes and relating the information they gain from these sources to the framework they acquire in their formal studies. It is particularly important that the students should illustrate their work with examples from such sources as well as with examples from text books or other study materials.

Examination

The Advanced level examination is in two parts:

·        AS 50% of the total award (or as a final qualification, allowing candidates to broaden their studies in the sixth form);

·        A2 50% of the total award.

·        Each exam is 1 ½ hours in length 

Most AS and A2 courses will be modular. The AS will comprise two teaching and learning units and the A2 will comprise a further two teaching and learning units. Each teaching and learning unit will normally be assessed through an associated assessment unit. For example:

·        Unit 1 (AS) People, Politics and Participation    

·        Unit 2 (AS) Governing Modern Britain

·        Unit 3 (A2) The Politics of the US

·        Unit 4 (A2) The Government of the US

In all units there will be a need to discuss the relevant political system, showing an appreciation of the nature of politics and political ideas. Throughout the course the study of political institutions is fundamental, but it is pursued in conjunction with political processes.

Beyond A level

Politics is one of the Social Services and can be fruitfully studied with Economics or other Arts-based subjects, such as English, History, Classical Civilisation or Religious Studies. However, some students have found that it is a good partner for those who are more science-orientated but have no great desire or need to de a third science.

Trips Policy

In line with school policy and dependent on the quality and availability of lectures suitable to the AQA syllabus. Recent trips include Washington and New York in the run up to the presidential elections of 2008.

A2 Results 2008

 A         B         C         %A     %A/B   %A/B/C

 7          6          5             39          72          100

 AS Results 2008

A         B         C         D         E         %A     %A/B   %A/B/C     

16        10                    1          1           53%      93%      93%