Politics is an option that will appeal to those who want to understand more about the background to current affairs.
Teaching
At AS Level, we cover the main ways in which people participate in democracy, for example the electoral process, as well as introducing key political concepts like authoritarianism and liberalism. We also consider the main institutions involved in the political process, such as Parliament, the Cabinet and the judiciary. At A2 Level there are a range of topics which can be covered, from a comparison of the UK and US political systems, to topics like the role of race, environmentalism and globalisation.
A GCSE in History may be a useful background, but this isn’t essential; a genuine interest in modern society is.
Why Study at Clifton?
The advantage of Politics as a subject is the wealth of resources available; as well as departmental resources and a well-stocked section in the library, the daily news brings events relevant to this subject, and students should be willing to read a quality newspaper regularly to keep abreast of changes in the political world.
Politics teaches people how to think for themselves, how to argue persuasively and how to be critical in the use of information. It is therefore useful in any career that uses these skills, but may be particularly good preparation for a future career in law, journalism, publishing or business. It can be combined with subjects like Economics, Business Studies or History to add to a deeper understanding of the social sciences, or can be studied alongside very different subjects like Maths and the sciences to add breadth to your studies.
