Government & Politics

Key Stage 5

What can students do to develop their skills in this subject area?

• Attend additional revision sessions and crammers as and when they are offered.
• Ask teachers for information on competitions related to British Politics.
• Volunteer for work experience with an MP.
• Create a comprehensive revision guide for the unit of work that they are studying.
• Create a glossary of political vocabulary and terminology.
• Ask teachers for access to past exam papers/sample questions and answers.
• Create a study group with peers.
• Join the Debate Club.

What wider reading can be completed to support the curriculum?

• Students could read and critically evaluate the presentation of political issues within any national newspapers.
• Ask teaching staff if they have texts you can borrow related to any areas of the course you are particularly interested in, or philosophers that you enjoy.
• Students could read previous copies of election manifestoes.

The following texts may be of interest:

• The Republic – Plato.
• Politics - Aristotle.
• The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli.
• On Liberty - John Stuart Mill.
• Leviathan - Thomas Hobbes.
• The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.
• A Theory of Justice - John Rawls.
• Churchill - Roy Jenkins.
• The Social Contract - Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
• Any autobiographies of prominent British and American politicians.
• British Politics: A Very Short Introduction - Tony Wright.
• British Politics: A Beginner's Guide - Richard Grayson.
• American Politics: A Very Short Introduction - Richard Valelly.
• American Politics: A Beginner's Guide - Jon Roper.
• Political Philosophy: A Beginner's Guide for Students and Politicians - Adam Swift.
• An Introduction to Political Philosophy - Jonathan Wolff.
• Political Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction – David Miller.
• 30 Second Politics - Steven Taylor.
• 50 Political Ideas You Really Need to Know - Ben Dupre.

What websites could students visit to support the curriculum?

www.prechewedpolitics.co.uk
politics-blog.ashbournecollege.co.uk
www.labour.org.uk
www.conservatives.com
www.libdems.org.uk
www.politicsresources.net
www.democrats.org
www.gop.com
www.telegraph.co.uk/us-politics
www.npr.org/podcasts
www.philosophybasics.com
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes

Can television and film assist with supporting the curriculum?

Certain television programmes can be useful:

• Any British and American news programmes.
• Use BBC iPlayer to watch programmes and documentaries about British politics, American politics and political ideologies.
• Topical news programmes such as Have I Got News for You?
• The Daily Politics on BBC One.
• Victoria Derbyshire on BBC One.
• Question Time on BBC One.
• Yes Minister!
• The Thick of It.
• Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
• House of Cards.
• The West Wing.
• The Andrew Marr Show.

Watching films such as:

• Frost/Nixon.
• Milk.
• In The Loop.
• The Queen.
• Selma.
• Hitler: Rise of Evil.
• Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace.
• Good Bye Lenin!
• Mandela: The Long Walk To Freedom.
• American Sniper.

How can parents/carers help and what can be done at home?

• Discuss and debate current affairs, particularly issues related directly to issues of British and American politics, e.g. local election campaigns.
• Assist your son or daughter in visiting places of interest – such as their local political party offices or the Houses of Parliament.
• Encourage your son or daughter to engage in the political process at different levels, for example by investigating a political party or pressure group.
• Visit places connected to politics on different levels: local councils, the Palace of Westminster, regional assemblies and Parliaments.
• Research examples of governments that display clear ideological markers such as the USSR and Nazi Germany.
• Spend a day at the Magistrate's court.