UOL29 Government and Politics A Level (Standard or Fast Track)

Government and Politics A Level | NCC Home Learning

Politics shapes our lives – what we can do, the type of society we live in, the chances we have to succeed. This course is for people who want to understand more about how politics and government actually work.

Course Description

Government and Politics A Level

Do you need an A Level within 12 months to get into University?

We offer a range of A Levels where we guarantee to prioritise the marking of your coursework so you are fully ready to take your exams in January and June of each year.

WE DO NOT CHARGE EXTRA FOR THIS SERVICE.

An Advanced Level in Government and Politics is a perfect qualification for those wishing to acquire knowledge and understanding of the subject to enable them to study at a higher level at university.

This specification is designed to encourage candidates to:

• develop their critical thinking skills and the ability to interpret, evaluate and comment
• 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

On this course you will study four units:

AS Level

Unit 1: GOVP1 People, Politics and Participation
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

Unit 2: GOVP2 Governing Modern Britain
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

A2 Level

Unit 3: GOV3A - The Politics of the USA
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

Unit 4: GOV4A - The Government of the USA
Written examination: 1 hour 30 minutes

For further details visit:

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/humanities/gov_politics_overview.php

Course Content

AS Level

Unit 1 People, Politics and Participation

• Participation and voting behaviour
• Electoral systems
• Political parties
• Pressure groups and protest movements

Unit 2 Governing Modern Britain

• The British constitution
• Parliament
• The core executive
• Multi-level governance

Unit 3 The Politics of the USA

• The electoral process and direct democracy
• Political parties
• Voting behaviour
• Pressure groups

Unit 4 The Government of the USA

• The constitutional framework of US government
• The legislative branch of government: US Congress
• The executive branch of government
• The judicial branch of government: the supreme court

Recommended Reading

British Politics in Focus, Roy Bentley et al, 2004.

American Politics and Society, David McKay, 2005.

The European Union and British Politics, Andrew Geddes, 2003.

AS +A2 = A level in Government and Politics. Both AS and A2 level courses and examinations must be successfully completed to gain a full A level.

Previous Knowledge Required

Basic English reading and writing skills are required.

Support

• The course comes to you as a proper paper-based pack, not as an electronic password
• You will get full tutor support via email
• You will receive feedback on your assignments from our experienced tutors
• You will be given guidance through the Study Guide on the nuts and bolts of studying and submitting assignments
• Postal assignments cannot be accepted without prior permission from the tutor
• You must have access to email in order to contact your tutor.

Assessment

The course contains a number of assignments which your tutor will mark and give you valuable feedback on. We call these Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs). You need only send the TMAs to your tutor for comment, not the self-assessment exercises which are also part of the course to help you gauge your progress.

Exams are taken at an AQA centre and we can provide an extensive list of centres for you within the course pack.

Our A Levels come with tutor support for 18 months.

You will have access to a tutor via our student portal who will mark your work and guide you through the course to help you be ready for your examinations. In addition you will be supplied with a comprehensive Study Guide which will help you through the study and assessment process.

Modules

• AS Level
• Unit 1: GOVP1 – People, Politics and Participation
• Unit 2: GOVP2 – Governing Modern Britain
• A2 Level
• Unit 3: GOV3A the Politics of the USA
• Unit 4: GOV4A the Government of the USA

Awarding Organisation

AQA (The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance) has a leading reputation for promoting education for the public benefit and draws on long experience of setting and marking public exams such as GCSEs, A-levels and other qualifications. AQA is the largest of the three English exam boards, awarding 49% of full course GCSEs and 42% of A-levels nationally. In total, students take over 3.5 million exams with them each year.

For more information about Awarding Organisations click here