Why Study Politics at A-Level?
Politics refers to the way people who live in groups, such as tribes, cities or countries, make plans about how to act. This activity may include making agreements about regulating resources, sharing power and allocating responsibilities. It can also involve deciding what should be done with the group’s money, land or other property. People who study politics are called political scientists, public affairs professionals or government experts. A degree in politics can lead to many career opportunities, including teaching, law enforcement and journalism.
The political system of a country determines the way its citizens are represented, taxed and given access to social programs. A country’s political system is usually a combination of local, regional and national government bodies, each with different levels of authority and influence over the citizens they serve. In the United States, the federal government looks after some areas of national policy, such as taxes and foreign affairs, while individual states have their own government structures to look after issues such as education and healthcare. Local governments can take on additional powers to cover areas that cannot be dealt with at the regional or national level.
A classic view of politics focuses on the distribution of power and resources and the struggle over those two elements in society. However, recent academic research has shown that it is as important to consider how political actors frame and narrate policy problems as it is to examine their distributional effects. This shift in emphasis has profound implications, as it means that it is more important to know how and why individuals think about the world around them than to be able to categorize their political beliefs into left or right.
In modern societies, political decisions are often made in the context of a system of rules and norms – some explicit, others implicit. These rules are created and enforced by the political process, which is a continuous process of interaction between individuals and institutions, including the media, civil society organisations and the state. In addition to formal legal and constitutional mechanisms, political processes are also shaped by informal practices such as lobbying or backroom deals.
Studying politics at A-level can help you gain a deeper understanding of the political institutions and systems that govern your country and others. It can also improve your analytical thinking and research skills, as well as developing your ability to debate and form an opinion.
Politics is an exciting and dynamic subject to study, enabling you to understand how our modern day societies function. Whether you are interested in globalisation, democracy, the role of the internet, terrorism or any other area of politics, it is a subject that can help you to see things from different perspectives and develop your capacity for judgment.
Politics refers to the way people who live in groups, such as tribes, cities or countries, make plans about how to act. This activity may include making agreements about regulating resources, sharing power and allocating responsibilities. It can also involve deciding what should be done with the group’s money, land or other property. People who study politics are called political scientists, public affairs professionals or government experts. A degree in politics can lead to many career opportunities, including teaching, law enforcement and journalism. The political system of a country determines the way its citizens are represented, taxed and given access to social programs. A country’s political system is usually a combination of local, regional and national government bodies, each with different levels of authority and influence over the citizens they serve. In the United States, the federal government looks after some areas of national policy, such as taxes and foreign affairs, while individual states have their own government structures to look after issues such as education and healthcare. Local governments can take on additional powers to cover areas that cannot be dealt with at the regional or national level. A classic view of politics focuses on the distribution of power and resources and the struggle over those two elements in society. However, recent academic research has shown that it is as important to consider how political actors frame and narrate policy problems as it is to examine their distributional effects. This shift in emphasis has profound implications, as it means that it is more important to know how and why individuals think about the world around them than to be able to categorize their political beliefs into left or right. In modern societies, political decisions are often made in the context of a system of rules and norms – some explicit, others implicit. These rules are created and enforced by the political process, which is a continuous process of interaction between individuals and institutions, including the media, civil society organisations and the state. In addition to formal legal and constitutional mechanisms, political processes are also shaped by informal practices such as lobbying or backroom deals. Studying politics at A-level can help you gain a deeper understanding of the political institutions and systems that govern your country and others. It can also improve your analytical thinking and research skills, as well as developing your ability to debate and form an opinion. Politics is an exciting and dynamic subject to study, enabling you to understand how our modern day societies function. Whether you are interested in globalisation, democracy, the role of the internet, terrorism or any other area of politics, it is a subject that can help you to see things from different perspectives and develop your capacity for judgment.