Government & Politics

25 Yearsof inspiringindividuals

1987-2012

Government & Politics• Anexcitingsubjectwhichrelatestocurrentissuesinthemedia

• Buildsyourpoliticalknowledgeanddevelopsyourcriticalevaluationskills

• AnnualtripstoLondonandtheUSAplusvisitsfromguestspeakers

• Catersforalllearningstyleswithup-to-dateteachingmethodsandresources

• Excellentsupportincludingregulartutorials

• ThestudyofpoliticsisveryusefulforanumberofcareersandisawellestablishedsubjectattheUK’smostprestigiousuniversities

25 Yearsof inspiringindividuals

1987-2012

AS/A2 Level2013 Entry

David’s PerspectiveCarmelisafantasticcollegeformanyreasonsbutoneofthefinestisthatitgivesroomforstudentstogrowandtodeveloptheirownopinionsonissueswhichsurroundtheirchosensubjectswhile,ofcourse,havingexcellentteaching.IparticularlyenjoystudyingPoliticsasitgivesoneanewwindowthroughwhichtoseeandunderstandtheworkingsofournation,howitisrun,andevenhowwemightrunitbetter.IalsoenjoystudyingthissubjectasIamfascinatedbypoliticsandthechangethatcanbebroughtbyagroupofdeterminedindividualswiththesupportofthepeople.Thissubjecthasalsofuelledmydesiretogointopoliticsandgivenmethetoolstobeabletoseethestrengthsandweaknessesofgovernmentandbeabletoseehowtobringchangeandreformtothisgreatcountry.

David BoultonChristianFellowshipSchool

Studying: Philosophy,Politics,Economics,History

Meet the TutorsMike McLoughlin MAHeadofDepartmentandAQAExaminerforGovernmentandPolitics

Exam Board AQA

AS/A2 Government and Politics

What will I study?

YouwillstudythefollowingmodulesatASLevel:

Unit 1 - People, Politics and Participation (Sept - Dec)Thisincludesthefollowingfourareasofstudy:PoliticalParticipationandVotingBehaviour;ElectoralSystems;PoliticalParties;PressureGroupsandProtestMovements.

Unit 2 - Governing Modern Britain (Jan - May)ThisUnitincludesthefollowingfourareasofstudy:TheBritishConstitution;Parliament;TheCoreExecutive(Government);Multi-levelGovernance(includingDevolutionandtheEuropeanUnion).

Inyear1(Lower6th)thefocusisverymuchontheUKandourpoliticalsystem,butwewillalsodosomeworkonpoliticalphilosophyandtheoriginsofWesternliberaldemocracytoo.Studentsarealsointroducedtopoliticsinthewiderpoliticalandsocialcontext,withinwhichweexploretheeffectofsocialclass,gender,ethnicityetconthepoliticalsystem.

Thebuildingofbasicpoliticalknowledgeisthemainobjectiveofthisyear,andwewillalsomakeastartonacquiringimportantcriticalevaluationskillstoo.EuropeandthedevelopmentoftheEuropeanUnionisalsogivensomeattentiontooastheUKisan

importantmemberofthispoliticalinstitution.

AtA2Level(Upper6th),youwillprogresstothefollowingunits:

Unit 3a – The Politics of the USAThefourareasofstudyinclude:TheUSElectoralProcessandDirectDemocracy;PoliticalParties;VotingBehaviour;PressureGroups.

Unit 4a – The Government of the USAInthisunitthefourareasare:TheConstitutionalFrameworkofUSGovernment;TheLegislativeBranchofGovernment-USCongress;TheExecutiveBranchofGovernment-TheOfficeofPresident;TheJudicialBranchofGovernment-TheSupremeCourt.

Inyear2(Upper6th)theemphasisisstillonacquiringpoliticalknowledge,butequalemphasisisnowdevotedtothedevelopmentofmoresophisticatedcriticalevaluationskills.Ourstudieswillhaveamoreinternationalflavour,withobviousemphasisontheUSAandour“specialrelationship”withthem.WealsoexplorethesynopticrelationshipbetweentheUSandUKformsofgovernment.

How will I be assessed?

Youwillsittwoexamsperyear–oneinJanuaryandoneinthesummer.Inbothyearstheexamsareoneandahalfhoursdurationeachandhaveequalweighting.

Youwillbemarkedregularlyonmostlywrittenassignmentsandgivenaprogressgradewithwhichyouwillbeabletomonitoryourself.Thiswillbereviewedonaregularbasisbetweenyouandyourtutor.Asanindividualstudentyouareonlyjudgedagainstyourindividualminimumexpectedgrade(MEG)andthisdeterminesyourrateofprogressonthecourse.

What will this course prepare me for?

TheAScoursewillprepareyouforcontinuedstudytoA2Levelandfromthisleveltouniversitydegreestudyandvariouspossiblecareerpathwaysthereafter.ThestudyofpoliticsisveryusefulforanumberofcareersandisawellestablishedsubjectatourmostprestigiousuniversitiesintheUK.

A visit from Lord Storey

Faye’s PerspectiveIloveallthenewpeopleI’vemetatCarmelCollege.GovernmentandPoliticsisveryinterestingwhenhearingeveryone’sviewsoncurrentissues.WehaveguestspeakerstovisitusandtripstoLondon(Parliament)andotherplaces.Politicshasopenedmyeyestoeverythinggoingonaroundusandhowpoliticsaffectseverythingineverydaylife.WhenIleaveCarmelIwanttostudyPoliticsandModernHistoryatuniversityasthatismypassion.

Faye SharpeBrychallHighSchool

Studying: History,Politics,Law,EnglishLiterature

How will I be taught?

Theteachingandlearningthatoccursintheclassroom(andfullattendanceisanabsolutenecessitytogainmaximumadvantage)isverywide-rangingandconsistsofPowerPointpresentations,handouts,examquestionpractice,groupquizzes,watchingrelevantDVDs,studentpresentations,theanalysisofqualitynewspaperstories,internetsiteusageandresearchactivities,discussionanddebates,andtextbookbasedactivities.

Studentswillalsobeissuedwithatextbookforhomestudyandhomeworkpurposes.

InadditionyouwillhaveallofthefacilitiesavailabletoyouinourLibrary,whichincludesadditionaltextbooks,useofcomputersforpoliticswebsites,politicaljournals,DVDs,andqualitynewspapers.

Indeedthenatureofthistopicissuchthat‘compulsory’viewingof

selectedTVprogrammesaboutpoliticsisanabsolutenecessitytokeepabreastofcontemporarypoliticalissues,forexample‘SundayPolitics’onBBC1.

Therewillalsobeplentyofopportunitytoresearchyourownparticularpoliticalinterestsandissues,andtopresentyourfindingstotheclassinitiatingdiscussionanddebatetoo!

Fridaylunchtimesaredevotedtothedepartment’sweeklydebates,aschosenbythestudents.

TheannualtriptoLondoninthefirstyearisagreatopportunityforyoutovisitParliamentandtheUSEmbassy.AswealsostudyUSPolitics,inthesecondyearthereisthepossibilityofatriptoWashingtonDCandotherEastCoastcities.

The 2010 USA visit took in Boston, New York, Washington and Philadelphia

What is the department like?

Government&PoliticsworksverycloselywithallSocialSciencesdepartments.Wehaveaccesstocomputersandallroomsareequippedwithmulti-mediaprojectorsandinteractivewhiteboards.Coursetextbooksarecomplementedbyourowncollegelibraryandtheirnumerouspoliticstextstoo.Thedepartmenthasaninnovativeanddynamicapproach,whichwillpromotethepursuitofexcellenceinalloftheteachingandlearningelementsofthecourse.Thedepartmentalsoactivelyattemptstocaterforalllearningstyleswithup-to-dateteachingmethodsandresources.

Finally,thedepartmentwillencourageahealthysenseofhumourinitsworktoo,withtheoddtouchofsatire! Students had a guided tour of the Houses

of Parliament during their trip to London

How successful are Carmel’s Government and Politics students?

A* - B A* - C Overall Pass Rate

2010 AS 35% 55% 98% A2 63% 83% 100%

2011 AS 32% 46% 100% A2 52% 76% 100%

2012 AS 3% 30% 85% A2 44% 56% 100%

What support will I receive?

Therewillbetheopportunitytobookregularsupport/extensiontutorials,withemailbackupandregularcommunicationwithyourtutor.Youwillalsobeencouragedtoactivelydevelopandcontributetothedevelopmentofcoursematerialsandresources.

TherewillalsoberelevantDVDsforyoutowatchonyourownorwithfellowstudentsaspartofyourwiderstudyandresearchcommitments.

Youwillbeguidedtorelevantwebsitesandencouragedtodiscoveradditionalonestoo!Theinformationandmaterialsonpoliticscontinuestogrowatanamazingrate.

What are the entry requirements for AS Government and Politics?

YouwillneedGCSEgradeBinEnglishLanguage(gradeCwillbeconsiderediftherearesufficientplaces)plusaGCSEgradeBinoneotheressaybasedsubject.

What other opportunities will the study of Government and Politics offer me?

Weinvitevisitingspeakersintotheclassroomtotalkwithstudents.ThesevisitorsincludeLocal MP Dave Watts,EuropeanMPs,Officersfromthelocalcouncil,andevenex-GovernmentMinister,AndyBurnhamwhovisitedusrecently.Inaddition,thereisanannualtriptoLondonincludingaguidedtour of Parliament.ThereisalsoatriptotheUSAtovisitWashington DC, Philadelphia and New York City,whichfitsinreallywellwiththesecondyearandthestudyofUSpolitics.The2010tripwasextendedtoincludeBoston.

Inaddition,therearelocaltripstotheSlavery MuseuminLiverpool,andtorelevantlecturesatthePhilharmonic Hall and Edge Hill University.AspartoftheEnrichment Programme,studentscangetinvolvedintheMock United Nations General Assembly(MUNGA)whichtakesplaceatLiverpoolTownHalleveryNovember.

Finally,studentsarealsoencouragedtotakeaninterestinCarmel’sStudentCouncilbody,whichiselectedonanannualbasisandworksonbehalfofallthestudentsatCarmel.

Tori’s PerspectiveAsaLabourPartyactivistinLiverpool,studyingGovernmentandPoliticswasnotaharddecisiontomake!PoliticsatCarmelprovidesmorethanjustwhatyouneedtopassyourASLevels.Mike,thetutorencourageslively(verylively!)andhonestdebate,providingreallygoodchallengesforhisstudentsandmakespoliticsenjoyableandrelevant.Ifyoulikeagooddebate,thenPoliticsisdefinitelyforyou!StudyingatCarmelencouragesyoungadultstothinkforthemselveswithintheethosandprinciplesofthecollege.IhavemetlotsofinterestingpeopleatCarmelwhichhasbroadenedmyhorizons,understandingofothers’viewsandhascertainlycontributedtomydeterminationtosupportequalityanddiversityacrossthestudentpopulation.Carmelstudentsareencouragedtoworkhardandsucceedintheirchosensubjectsviaasupportiveteachingstaff.AfterleavingCarmel,IintendtostudyPoliticsandPhilosophybutI’mnotsurewhereyet!

Tori Rigby StJohnBoscoArtsCollege

Studying: GovernmentandPolitics,PhilosophyandReligion,Economics,History

More InformationYoucanfindfurtherinformationontheAQAExamBoardwebsite:www.aqa.org.uk

Anotherusefulresource:www.bbc.co.uk/politics

Outside the White House, Washington DC