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My Learning Journey

STUDENT:

TUTORGROUP:

SUBJECT:

Edexcel GCE A2 Government &Politics

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This year I will be studying

UNIT OF WORK TOPICUNIT 3 Key Themes inPolitical AnalysisTopic B:IntroducingPoliticalIdeologies

September -January

Liberalism1. Individualism2. Freedom3. Justice4. Rationalism5. Equality6. Liberal Democracy7. Constitutionalism8. ConsentConservatism1. Tradition2. Organic Society3. Hierarchy4. Authority5. Property

6. Paternalism7. Libertarianism8. Authoritarianism9. Neo-liberalism10. Neo-conservatism

Socialism1. co-operation2. fraternity3. collectivism4. social equality5. communism6. social democracy7. social justice8. third wayAnarchism1. autonomy2. utopianism3. mutualism4. egoism5. anarcho-communism

6. anarcho-capitalism7. anarcho-syndicalism

UNIT 4 ExtendedThemes inPolitical AnalysisTopic C:

Governing theUSA

January - May

The ConstitutionA.Separation of powersB.Checks and balancesC.Constitutional rightsCongress

RepresentationGovernment gridlock

C. The committeesystem of Congress

PresidencyA. presidential systemB. imperial presidencyC. Executive Office of the

President (EXOP)

D. CabinetE. Federal BureaucracyF. new federalismSupreme CourtA. Judicial reviewB. Judicialindependence

C. Due process

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My exam/coursework will look likeUNIT 3 Key Themes inPolitical AnalysisTopic B:Introducing PoliticalIdeologies

JANUARY EXAM

Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutesThis paper is worth 50% of your overall A2 grade.(25% of your GCE grade)

There are two parts

1. You are required to answer three shortanswer questions from a choice of five(15 marks each).

2. Then you required to answer one essayquestion from a choice of three (45marks).

UNIT 4 Extended Themes inPolitical AnalysisTopic C:Governing the USA

MAY EXAM

Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutesThis paper is worth 50% of your overall A2 grade.(25% of your GCE grade)

There are two parts

A. You are required to answer three short

answer questions from a choice of five(15 marks each).

B. Then you required to answer one essayquestion from a choice of three (45 marks).

I will be assessed on

My AS qualification is made up of

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Marks into Grades

UNIT 3 UNIT 4 TOTAL A2 GRADEMARKS GRADE MARKS GRADE MARKS GRADE90 100 A* 90 100 A* 180 200 A*80 89 A 80 100 A 160 180 A70 79 B 70 79 B 140 159 B

60 69 C 60 69 C 120 139 C50 59 D 50 59 D 100 119 D40 - 49 E 40 - 49 E 80 99 E0 39 U 0 39 U 0 79 U

My exam dates are

EXAMINATION DATES:UNIT 3 Key Themes inPolitical Analysis

You will sit the People in politics exam inJanuary.Dates are TBA by the examination board. Any re-sits we be sat in the May/June. Dates are TBA by

the examination board.UNIT 4 Extended Themes inPolitical Analysis

You will sit the Governing in the UK exam in theSummer Term, usually in May/June. Dates are TBAby the examination board.

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Exemplar

ExamQuestions& Answers

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Unit 3B- Example QuestionQuestion 2-On what grounds have liberals defended constitutionalism? (15)

This question was both popular and generally answered well. A key descriminator was theextent to which constitutionalism was understood, with some less successful candidatesmerely defining a codified constitution. On the other hand, successful candidates were oftenable to convey a clear understanding of constitutionalism, but also recognised that it

encompasses the idea of both establishing external checks on government and notintroducing internal checks through fragmenting power among a number of bodies orinstitutions. The extent to which candidates were able to explain a specifically liberalconcern about government power, especially concentrated government power, was anotherimportant discriminator.

Typical features of a level 2 response were as follows:

Awareness of nature of constitutionalism, probably demonstrated by a knowledge ofconstitutional devices, such as written constitutions, the separation of power, parliamentarygovernment etc.

Some awareness of the corrupting nature and its implications for constitutionalismTypical features of a level 3 response were as follows:

Clear, and probably explicit, understanding of the nature of constitutionalism, with anawareness of both its legal and institutional forms.

Sound explanation of specifically liberal concerns about the corrupting nature of powerand the implications of unchecked government power.