ACCAC
CCEA
QCA

GCE ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY (AS) AND ADVANCED (A) LEVEL SPECIFICATIONS

SUBJECT CRITERIA FOR GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

1. Introduction

1.1 AS and A level subject criteria set out the knowledge, understanding, skills and assessment objectives common to all AS and A level specifications in a given subject. They provide the framework within which the awarding body creates the detail of the specification.

Subject criteria are intended to:

• help ensure consistent and comparable standards in the same subject across the awarding bodies;

• define the relationship between the AS and A level specifications, with the AS as a subset of the A level;

• ensure that the rigour of A level is maintained;

• help higher education institutions and employers know what has been studied and assessed.

• Any specification which contains significant elements of the subject Government and Politics must be consistent with the relevant parts of these subject criteria.

2. Aims

2.1 AS and A level specifications in Government and Politics should encourage students to:

• 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 of Government and Politics and of the rights and responsibilities of individuals in order to encourage participation by candidates within their society.

3. Specification Content

3.1 AS level specifications in Government and Politics should:

• build on the knowledge, understanding and skills established at GCSE, but also accommodate the needs of students who may not have studied Government and Politics at this level;

• include, where appropriate, reference to current political debates about issues specified in the criteria;

• take into account the need to develop knowledge and understanding within the context of the political system of the UK, including its local, national and European Union (EU) dimensions, and include some comparisons with other political systems;

• encourage students to develop their capacity for critical thinking, to see relationships between different aspects of the subject and to perceive their field of study in a broader perspective;

• enable students to acquire and communicate effectively knowledge and understanding of Government and Politics.

Knowledge and Understanding

3.2 AS or A level specifications should require students to address the following issues within the areas of study listed:

• the essential characteristics and inter-relationships of the legislature, the executive and the judiciary;

• the adequacy of existing political arrangements for ensuring representative democracy and full participation;

• the rights and responsibilities of the individual;

• ideologies, theories and traditions.

Although students should cover all the above issues, it is not expected that they will cover each area of study in equal breadth or depth, or that specifications should adopt the structure implied above.

3.3 In addition, A level specifications should require students to extend their knowledge and understanding beyond the context of the political system of the United Kingdom in at least one of the following areas:

• the politics and government of another state;

• comparative politics;

• international politics;

• political ideologies or political thought;

• political systems of the European Union.

Skills

3.4 AS or A level specifications should require students to:

• comprehend, synthesise and interpret political information in a variety of forms, for example, written, oral, visual and numerical sources;
• analyse and evaluate:

1. political institutions, processes and behaviour;
2. political arguments and explanations;
3. the relationship between institutions, processes, behaviour and values, ideologies, concepts;

• identify parallels, connections, similarities and differences between aspects of the political systems studied;

• select and organise relevant material to construct arguments and explanations leading to reasoned conclusions;

• communicate arguments and explanations with relevance, clarity and coherence, using vocabulary appropriate to the study of Government and Politics.

4. Key Skills

4.1 AS and A level specifications in Government and Politics should provide opportunities for developing and generating evidence for assessing the Key Skills listed below. Where appropriate, these opportunities should be directly cross-referenced, at specified level(s), to the criteria listed in Part B of the key skills specifications.

• Communication;

• Information Technology;

• Application of Number;

• Improving Own Learning and Performance;

• Working with Others;

• Problem Solving.

5. Assessment Objectives

5.1 The assessment objectives for AS and A level are the same.

All candidates must be required to meet the following assessment objectives. The assessment objectives are to be weighted in all specifications as indicated.

Assessment Objectives		Weighting
A01	recall, select and deploy their knowledge of Government and Politics accurately showing understanding of relevant political concepts and theories;	40-50%
A02	analyse and evaluate political information, arguments and explanations, and identify parallels, connections, similarities and differences between aspects of the political systems studied;	30-40%
A03	communicate arguments and explanations in a clear and structured manner, making use of a range of relevant evidence and appropriate political vocabulary.	10-20%

Within a specification covering both AS and A level, assessment objective 2 should have a higher weighting at A level than at AS.

The assessment objectives apply to the whole specification.

6. Scheme of Assessment

Internal Assessment

6.1 A level specifications in Government and Politics may have a maximum internal assessment weighting of 20%.

Synoptic Assessment

6.2 All specifications should include a minimum of 20% synoptic assessment. All synoptic assessment units should be taken at the end of the course and be externally assessed. Synoptic assessment in Government and Politics will draw on all three assessment objectives and be defined in the context of Government and Politics as follows:

• The drawing together of knowledge, understanding and skills learned in different parts of the A level course. It involves the explicit assessment of understanding of the connections between the areas of study included in sections 3.2 and 3.4 above.

Examples of synoptic assessment tasks might include:

• a unit of assessment consisting of, or containing, a stimulus question based on a prose passage, or two or more shorter prose passages and/or numerical data making connections between different parts of the course to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of aspects of the course;
• an internal assessment proposal drawing together knowledge, understanding and skills from different parts of the course to demonstrate an in-depth understanding of aspects of the course;
• a unit of assessment consisting of, or containing, an essay title focusing on an understanding of connections between parts of the course and providing an opportunity for an extended piece of writing demonstrating depth of knowledge of aspects of the course.

Key Skills Assessment

6.3 The Key Skill of Communication must contribute to the assessment of Government and Politics at AS and A level as stated in paragraph 13 of the Advanced Subsidiary and Advanced level qualification-specific criteria.

The requirements for all AS and A level specifications to assess candidates' quality of written communication will be met through assessment objective 3.

7. Grade Descriptions

7.1 The following grade descriptions indicate the level of attainment characteristic of the given grade at A level. They give a general indication of the required learning outcomes at each specified grade. The descriptions should be interpreted in relation to the content outlined in the specification; they are not designed to define that content. The grade awarded will depend in practice upon the extent to which the candidate has met the assessment objectives overall. Shortcomings in some aspects of the examination may be balanced by better performances in others.

7.2 GRADE A

Candidates demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of political institutions and processes and the relationships between them producing answers which fully address the requirements of the question and demonstrating excellent contextual awareness. They produce answers which include detailed and comprehensive interpretations or explanations and provide accurate evidence and up to date examples to substantiate and illustrate points made.

Candidates confidently apply a wide range of well developed concepts and theories, using appropriate political vocabulary, to analyse and synthesise political information and to construct cogent and coherent arguments and explanations.

Candidates provide analyses which display a sophisticated awareness of differing viewpoints and a clear recognition of issues. Parallels and connections are identified together with well developed comparisons. There is a clear and full evaluation of political institutions, processes, behaviour, arguments or explanations.

Candidates communicate arguments, explanations and conclusions with clarity and produce answers with a clear sense of direction culminating in a conclusion which flows from the discussion.

7.3 GRADE C

Candidates demonstrate sound knowledge of political institutions and processes and the relationships between them producing answers with a clear attempt at addressing the requirements of the question and demonstrating sound contextual awareness. They produce answers which include developed and effective interpretations or explanations and provide clear evidence backed up by good examples to illustrate points made.

Candidates apply a range of developed concepts and theories, using political vocabulary to analyse and synthesise political information and to construct clear arguments and explanations.

Candidates provide analyses which display an awareness of differing viewpoints and a recognition of issues. There is a clear recognition of parallels and connections together with some comparisons. There is good evaluation of political institutions, processes, behaviour, arguments or explanations.

Candidates communicate arguments, explanations and conclusions well and produce answers with a conclusion clearly linked to the preceding discussion.

7.4 GRADE E

Candidates demonstrate an outline knowledge of political institutions and processes and some relationships between them producing answers with a limited attempt at addressing the requirements of the question. They may demonstrate contextual awareness covering part of the question. They produce answers which include a partial but reasonably effective attempt at interpretation or explanation with some not very detailed examples to illustrate points.

Candidates use a limited range of concepts and theories to consider political information and begin to construct arguments and explanations.

Candidates offer limited analysis which shows some awareness of differing viewpoints. There is a recognition of basic parallels and connections together with limited comparisons. There is a simple attempt to evaluate political institutions, processes, behaviour, arguments or explanations.

Candidates communicate arguments and conclusions adequately with straight forward narrative and/or explanation. A conclusion may be offered but its relationship to the preceding discussion may be modest or implicit.