Politics and Citizenship

Exam Board: AQA

Have you ever wondered who really exercises power in the UK and the world? Can ordinary people really influence the government or effect change in the world?

Citizenship teaches students how government and democracy work in the UK as well as globally. It asks key question about the rights and responsibilities of citizens and governments; justice; the environment; and the economy at local and global levels.

Students who study Citizenship will participate in an active citizenship campaign seeking to affect change in an area of their choosing. They will develop understanding and skills in order to participate in responsible actions to address citizenship issues aimed at improving society and positively contributing to democracy and public life, as individuals and in collaboration with others.

If you choose to study Citizenship you’ll be tackling some of the most important questions which are essential to our understanding of the world today.

The study of Citizenship will help you develop not just answers to these questions but also your general powers of analysis and evaluation – Citizenship GCSE is fundamental to studying Politics at A-Level and beyond.

How I will be assessed?

100% of your GCSE is assessed by two exams, taken at the end of the year.

Paper 1 firstly asks questions relating to the students’ own citizenship action campaigns; Taking citizenship action and Commenting on others’ actions in relation to Power and influence. The second section of the paper covers Politics and Participation.

Paper 2 covers Life in Modern Britain and Rights and Responsibilities.

Both exams are 1 hour and 45 minutes in length and worth 80 marks.

Additional Information:

Important things to note if you choose this course:

There will be an educational visit to the UK Parliament in Westminster (if the pandemic allows), where you will take part in a workshop and have a tour of the estate, as well as having the opportunity to question your local MP. If this is not possible then a virtual workshop will be arranged.

Homework and assessment support classes will run throughout the year.

You will be given lots of practice with exam skills.

You’ll have a full set of resources, including a course textbook to help you revise and prepare for the exams.

What is the course content?

Life in Modern Britain:

• What are the principles and values that underpin British society?
• What do we mean by identity?
• What is the role of the media and the free press?
• What is the UK's role in key international organisations?
• How can citizens make their voice heard and make a difference in society?

Rights and responsibilities:

• What laws does a society require and why?
• What are a citizen's rights and responsibilities within the legal system?
• How has the law developed over time, and how does the law protect the citizen and deal with criminals?
• What are the universal human rights and how do we protect them?
• How do citizens play a part to bring about change in the legal system?

Politics and Participation:

• Where does political power reside in the UK and how is it controlled?
• What are the powers of local and devolved government and how can citizens participate?
• Where does political power reside: with the citizen, parliament or government?
• How do others govern themselves?
• How can citizens try to bring about political change?

Active Citizenship:

• Citizenship action – the actions of others
• The investigation: taking citizenship action:
  • Stage 1: Deciding the question or issue
  • Stage 2: Carrying out the initial research
  • Stage 3: Planning the action
  • Stage 4: Taking the action
  • Stage 5: Assessing the impact of the action
  • Stage 6: Evaluating the whole process

What will I study?

Politics is a popular A-Level at Morpeth that sees students learn about the UK, the USA and the political ideologies that underpin these two systems. With a strong focus on extended writing skills in assessments and debate, students are helped to develop a range of other skills such as oracy, critical thinking and evaluation. In terms of content, students study:

• UK Politics – Democracy and Participation | Political Parties | Electoral Systems | Voting Behaviour and the Media
• UK Government – The Constitution | Parliament | The Prime Minister and the Executive | Relationships Between the Branches of Government
• Political Ideas – Liberalism | Conservatism | Socialism | Nationalism
• US Politics – Democracy and Participation | The Constitution | Congress | The Presidency | The Supreme Court | Civil Rights
• Comparative Politics - Comparative unit looking at the similarities and differences the systems in the UK and the US

How will I be assessed?

Students are assessed at the end of the two years with 3 exam papers:

• Paper 1 - UK Politics and Core Ideologies
  • 30 mark source essay
  • 30 mark non-source essay
  • 24 mark ideologies question
     

Paper 2 - UK Government and Optional Ideologies

• 30 mark source essay
• 30 mark non-source essay
• 24 mark ideologies question
   
• Paper 3 - Comparative Politics: The USA
  • 2 x 12 mark questions
  • 2 x 30 mark non-source essays

Extra Curricular:

There is a huge commitment to extracurricular at Morpeth and the department pushes all students to go beyond just their studies. Some of the opportunities on offer are listed below:

• A range of trips to institutions of political significance such as Parliament and the Supreme Court
• Visiting speakers such as member of the House of Lords and our local MP
• Attending conferences such as the US Congress to Campus at the British Library
• Wide range of additional reading with a well-stocked politics library
• Subscriptions to political resources such as Politics Review
• Weekly wider reading bulletin with a competitive news quiz
• Politics Club coming in 2022

Click here for the Politics and Citizenship Assessment Plan