Politics
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Curriculum Details
The study of Politics and Government at Eltham College breaks into three parts:
- The nature of democracy and participatory politics (Unit 1)
- The institutions and procedures of government in the United Kingdom (Unit 2)
- Political Ideologies in the United Kingdom (Units 3 & 4)
In this the Department follows the Edexcel Government & Politics Course (8GP01 and 9GP01 http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce08/gov/Pages/default.aspx). Units 1 & 2 are taught over Terms 1, 2 and 3 of the Sixth Form course with the AS sat towards the end of Term 3 in June. In most cases students would enjoy the benefits of two teachers over this period, exposing them to different political perspectives as well as different teaching styles. Unit 3 follows in Term 4 with an exam early in Term 5 (January). The remaining unit is taught over terms 5 and 6. Invariably, formal teaching tends to finish towards the end of Term 5 leaving ample time for revision and review.
AS
- Unit 1 - People & Politics
- Why are political participation and democracy important
- Key concepts:
- Government - state power - authority - legitimacy - citizenship - rights & obligations
- Devolution - federalism - nationalism - regionalism - local democracy
- Key concepts:
- Do elections guarantee democracy?
- Key concepts:
- Representation - proportional representation - electoral mandate - referendums
- The case for electoral reform
- Experience of alternative voting systems in the UK
- Key concepts:
- What is the role of political parties?
- Key concepts:
- Political parties
- Consensus - adversarial politics - liberalism - conservatism - socialism
- Key concepts:
- How important are pressure groups?
- Key concepts:
- Pressure groups - sectional & promotional groups - insider & outsider pressure groups - pluralism
- Key concepts:
- Why are political participation and democracy important
- Unit 2 - Governing the UK
- What is the nature of the UK constitution?
- Key concepts:
- Constitution - types of constitutional government - parliamentary sovereignty
- Constitutional reform - parliamentary reform - pluralism
- Key concepts:
- What is the role and significance of Parliament?
- Key concepts:
- Parliamentary government - presidential government - fusion & separation of powers - representative government
- Key concepts:
- Who has power within the executive?
- Key concepts:
- Cabinet government - prime ministerial government - accountability - ministerial responsibility - civil service neutrality - open government
- Key concepts:
- Do judges deliver justice and defend freedom?
- Key concepts:
- Judicial independence - judicial neutrality - civil liberty
- Key concepts:
- What is the nature of the UK constitution?
A2 Exam (Route B)
- Unit 3 - Extended Themes in Ideological Analysis
- Liberalism
- Key concepts:
- Human nature - individualism - freedom - justice - equality - democracy - rights - toleration
- Key concepts:
- Conservatism
- Key concepts:
- Tradition - organic society - hierarchy - authority - libertarianism
- Key concepts:
- Socialism
- Key concepts:
- Co-operation - fraternity - collectivism - social equality - social justice
- Key concepts:
- Anarchism
- Key concepts:
- Autonomy - utopianism - mutualism - egoism
- Key concepts:
- Liberalism
- Unit 4 - Extended Themes in Ideological Analysis
- What is the nature of the nationalism?
- Nationalism:
- Nation - race - patriotism - self-determination - internationalism
- Nationalism in the UK
- Nationalism:
- Feminism
- Key concepts:
- Sex/gender - patriarchy - public & private divide - essentialism
- Key concepts:
- Multiculturalism
- Key concepts:
- communitarianism - post-colonialism - identity politics - minority rights - toleration - diversity - pluralism - cosmopolitanism
- Key concepts:
- Ecologism
- Key concepts:
- ecology - 'hard/soft' ecology - deep/shallow ecology - environmentalism - holism - sustainability - industrialism - social ecology - anthropocentrism
- Key concepts:
- What is the nature of the nationalism?
