Library Briefing Papers

A Level and Highers exam specification links

This document details how the following Library Briefing Papers linkto Government and Politics exam specifications for AS and A Level and Highers, for exam boards AQA, Edexcel, OCR, SQA and CCEA.

AQA GCE Government and Politics

Briefing paper / Content links
Political disengagement in the UK / Unit 1 GOVP1
Participation and Voting Behaviour
  • The nature of participation in the political process.
  • A knowledge of different forms of political involvement: who participates and how in terms of gender, class, ethnicity, age and region.
  • Reasons for non-participation.
Unit 3A GOV3A
Voting Behaviour
  • Comparisons with UK voting behaviour to illustrate arguments.

Voting systems in the UK / Unit 1 GOVP1
Electoral Systems
  • The role of elections in a democracy.
  • Strengths and weaknesses of electoral systems used in the UK.
Unit 3A GOV3A
The Electoral Process and Direct Democracy
  • Comparisons with the UK electoral process to illustrate arguments.

Select Committees: evidence and witnesses / Unit 2 GOVP2
Parliament
  • The composition and main roles andfunctions of Parliament: representation, legislation, scrutiny.
  • The roles of the House of Commons andHouse of Lords in scrutinising legislation and holding the government to account.

Devolution to local government in England / Unit 2 GOVP2
Multi-level governance
  • The main powers of elected localgovernment, the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly.
  • Relations between the WestminsterParliament and elected local and devolved government.
  • Debates on the nature and extent ofdevolved power.

Edexcel GCE Government and Politics

Briefing paper / Content links
Political disengagement in the UK / Unit 1
Democracy and Political Participation
  • Democracy in the UK — a knowledge and understanding ofthe main features of democracy in the UK; an awareness of both the strengths of the UK democratic system and why it has been criticised, including reasons for and the extent of the ‘participation/legitimacy crisis’ in UK politics.
  • Enhancing democracy — a knowledge and understanding of reforms of the UK democratic system that would extend participation and strengthen accountability, such as the wider use of referendums, lowering the voting age, compulsoryvoting and digital democracy and an assessment of theirimplications and possible benefits.

Voting systems in the UK / Unit 1
Elections
  • Elections and democracy — a knowledge and understandingof how and why elections promote democracy, and of the limitations of this democratic role.
  • Elections in the UK — a knowledge and understanding of the workings of the voting systems used for elections to the House of Commons, to devolved bodies and local authorities, and to the European Parliament, and an awareness of theirimplications for party representation and government.
  • Debating electoral systems — a knowledge and understandingof the advantages and disadvantages of the UK electoral systems and, in particular, of the benefits or otherwise of changing the Westminster electoral system.

Select Committees: evidence and witnesses / Unit 2
Parliament
  • Role of Parliament — a knowledge and understanding ofthe composition, role and powers of the House of Commonsand the House of Lords, and an awareness of the functionsof Parliament and how effectively it discharges them.

Devolution to local government in England / Unit 1
Elections
  • Elections in the UK — a knowledge and understanding ofthe workings of the voting systems used for elections to the House of Commons, to devolved bodies and local authorities, and to the European Parliament, and an awareness of their implications for party representation and government.
Democracy and Political Participation
  • Democracy in the UK — a knowledge and understanding ofthe main features of democracy in the UK; an awareness of both the strengths of the UK democratic system and why it has been criticised, including reasons for and the extent of the ‘participation/legitimacy crisis’ in UK politics; how far the UK system conforms to liberal democratic principles; and the implications of developments such as devolution and EU membership.
Unit 2
The Constitution
  • Sovereignty and the constitution — a knowledge andunderstanding of debates about the location of sovereignty within the UK constitutional system, particularly in relation to the significance of European Union membership and devolution.

OCR GCE Government and Politics

Briefing paper / Content links
Political disengagement in the UK / AS Unit F851
Voting behaviour in the UK
  • Factors associated with voting behaviour - for example, long-term: class, age, sex, ethnicity, region, party identification; short-term: issues, recent and future performance, party principles, party leadership, party image, mass media, campaign.
  • Models of voting behaviour - for example, social structures model; party identification model; rational choice model; dominant ideology model; voting context model.
  • Trends in voting behaviour - for example, party support; turnout and abstention; tactical voting; protest voting.
  • Key developments relating to voting behaviour.

Voting systems in the UK / AS Unit F851
Electoral systems and referenda
  • Functions - purpose of elections and referenda.
  • Electoral systems - plurality systems; majority systems; proportional systems; hybrid systems.
  • Electoral systems in the UK – European; parliamentary; regional; local.
  • Elections, referenda and the democratic process – contribution to the democratic process; criticisms.
  • Key developments relating to electoral systems and referenda.
UK parliamentary elections
  • The mechanics of general elections - including: why and how elections are called; who can stand and who can vote; how candidates are selected; voting and winning.

Select Committees: evidence and witnesses / AS Unit F852
The legislature (mandatory)
  • Legislatures - definition; role and functions; powers.
  • The Commons and the Lords - role; membership; legislative, scrutiny and representative functions.
  • The organisation of Parliament - role of the Speaker; select and standing committees; debates; questions; role of the executive.

Devolution to local government in England / A2 Unit F856
The state, nation, sovereignty and globalisation in practice
  • The impact of devolution and regionalism in the UK and EU.

SQA Higher Politics Course

Briefing paper / Content links
Political disengagement in the UK / Politics: Political Parties and Elections (Higher) Unit
  • Theories of voting behaviour: Rational choice, Dominant ideology, Sociological theory, Party identification.
  • The impact of political campaign management strategies.

Voting systems in the UK / Politics: Political Parties and Elections (Higher) Unit
  • Theories of voting behaviour: Rational choice, Dominant ideology, Sociological theory, Party identification.

Select Committees: evidence and witnesses / Politics: Political Systems Unit
  • The key functions of the legislative branch, comparing two of the following: The UK Parliament, The Scottish Parliament, The US Congress, The European Parliament.

Devolution to local government in England / Politics: Political Systems Unit
  • The key functions of the legislative branch, comparing two of the following: The UK Parliament, The Scottish Parliament, The US Congress, The European Parliament.

CCEA GCE Government and Politics

Briefing paper / Content links
Select Committees: evidence and witnesses / Unit AS 2
The British political process
Students should be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of relevant political concepts (for example, cabinet government, prime ministerial versus presidential power, ministerial and collective responsibility, parliamentary sovereignty, scrutiny, representation, judicial independence).
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the operation of the executive, legislature and judiciary.
The inter-relationships of the executive, legislature and judiciary
Students should be able to:
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the inter-relationships of the executive, legislature and judiciary.
Unit A2 1 Option A: The United Kingdom and the United States of America
Legislatures
Students should be able to:
  • Build on and apply their understanding of democracy, representation and scrutiny developed within the AS units and demonstrate understanding of the concept of accountability.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the legislative, scrutiny and representative processes of Congress and Parliament.
  • Evaluate the relative effectiveness of the two legislatures in performing their legislative, representative and scrutiny functions.
Unit A2 Option B: The United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland
Constitution
Students should be able to:
  • Build on and apply their understanding of democracy developed within the AS units and demonstrate understanding of concepts such as continuity and change, accountability, limited government, individual rights and judicial review.
Legislatures
Students should be able to:
  • Build on and apply their understanding of democracy, representation and scrutiny developed within the AS units and demonstrate understanding of the concept of accountability.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the legislative, scrutiny and representative processes of the Oireachtas and Parliament.
  • Evaluate the relative effectiveness of the two legislatures in performing their legislative, representative and scrutiny functions.