PoliticsQ&A by dot point

Core Political Ideas (Conservatism): the core ideas and principles (pragmatism, tradition, human imperfection, organic society, paternalism, libertarianism), the tensions between traditional, one-nation and New Right conservatism, and the required thinkers.

Component 1.1 to 1.2: representative and direct democracy, the widening of the franchise and debates over suffrage, the participation crisis and the case for reform.

Component 3.1: the features, advantages and disadvantages of FPTP, AMS, STV and SV, and the comparison of first-past-the-post with a proportional system used in a devolved body.

Component 2.2 to 2.4: the origins and ideas of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, minor parties, the development of a multi-party system and the factors that explain party success or failure.

Core Political Ideas (Liberalism): the core ideas (individualism, freedom, the state, rationalism, equality and social justice, liberal democracy), the tension between classical and modern liberalism, and the required thinkers.

Component 2.1: the functions and features of political parties in the UK's representative democracy, how parties are funded and the debates over the consequences of the current funding system.

Component 1.3 to 1.4: how pressure groups and other collective organisations (think tanks, lobbyists, corporations) exert influence, and rights in context from Magna Carta to the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010.

Component 3.2 to 3.3: how referendums have been used since 1997 and the case for and against them, and the analysis of why different electoral systems are used and their impact on government, party representation and voter choice.

Component 1.4: the development of rights from Magna Carta to the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010, the tensions within the UK's rights-based culture, and the work of civil liberties pressure groups.

Core Political Ideas (Socialism): the core ideas (collectivism, common humanity, equality, social class, workers' control), the tensions between revolutionary socialism, social democracy and the Third Way, and the required thinkers.

Component 4.1 to 4.2: case studies of three key general elections, the factors explaining their outcomes (class, partisanship, age, gender, ethnicity, region, valence), and the role and impact of the media.

Component 1.2 to 1.4: how the constitution has changed since 1997 under Labour, the Coalition and later governments, the role and impact of devolution, and the debates on further reform.

Non-core Political Ideas (Feminism), areas 2 to 3: the different types of feminism (liberal, socialist, radical, post-modern) and the required feminist thinkers and their ideas.

Non-core Political Ideas (Feminism), area 1: the core ideas of feminism (sex and gender, patriarchy, the personal is political, equality and difference feminism, intersectionality) and how they apply to human nature, the state, society and the economy.

Component 3.2 to 3.3: individual and collective ministerial responsibility, the factors governing the PM's selection of ministers and the balance of power between PM and Cabinet, illustrated by one pre-1997 and one post-1997 Prime Minister.

Component 2.1 to 2.4: the structure and role of the Commons and Lords, their comparative powers, the legislative process, and how Parliament interacts with and scrutinises the executive.

Component 4.2 to 4.3: the relationship between the executive and Parliament, the effectiveness of each in holding or dominating the other, and the aims, role and impact of the European Union on UK government.

Component 1.1: the nature of the UK constitution (unentrenched, uncodified, unitary), the twin pillars of parliamentary sovereignty and the rule of law, the five main sources, and the debate over codification.

Component 3.1: the structure of the executive (PM, Cabinet, junior ministers and departments), its main roles (proposing legislation and a budget, making policy), and its main powers including the royal prerogative and secondary legislation.

Component 4.1 and 4.4: the role, composition and operating principles of the Supreme Court and its influence over the executive and Parliament, and the location of sovereignty in the UK political system.

Component 3A.6.1: the three comparative theoretical approaches (rational, cultural and structural) and the different ways they explain similarities and differences between the government and politics of the UK and USA.

Component 3A.6.9 to 6.10: comparing and debating UK and US democracy and participation (party systems, internal party unity, party policy profiles, campaign finance and pressure groups), and how rational, cultural and structural approaches account for the differences.

Component 3A.6.2 to 6.8: comparing and debating the UK and US constitutions, legislatures, executives and judiciaries, and how rational, cultural and structural approaches account for the similarities and differences.

Component 3A.1: the nature of the US Constitution (vagueness, codification, entrenchment), its key features (federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, bipartisanship, limited government), the amendment process and the federalism debate.

Component 3A.3: the formal and informal sources of presidential power, the relationships with Congress and the Supreme Court, the limitations on the president, and the debate over the imperial presidency, with reference to presidents since 1992.

Component 3A.4: the nature, role and independence of the US Supreme Court, judicial review, the appointment process, judicial activism and restraint, and the protection of civil liberties and race and rights in contemporary US politics.

Component 3A.4.4 to 4.6: the protection of civil liberties and rights through the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Supreme Court rulings, race and rights in contemporary US politics, and the debates over their effectiveness.

Component 3A.2: the bicameral structure and powers of Congress, its functions of representation, legislation and oversight, the significance of incumbency, and the debates over its effectiveness.

Component 3A.5: US electoral systems and presidential elections, campaign finance, the Democratic and Republican parties and their coalitions, interest groups and PACs, and the debates over US democracy and participation.