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Component 1: UK Politics and Core Political Ideas

11 dot points across 11 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the core ideas of conservatism, and how do its traditions and thinkers differ?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Core Political Ideas answer on conservatism, covering pragmatism, tradition, human imperfection, organic society and paternalism, the tensions between traditional, one-nation and New Right conservatism, and the required thinkers Hobbes, Burke, Oakeshott, Rand and Nozick.
14 min answer →

How democratic is the UK, and is there a participation crisis that reform should address?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on democracy and participation, covering the features of representative and direct democracy, the widening of the franchise from the 1832 Great Reform Act to the 1969 Representation of the People Act, the participation crisis and democratic deficit, and the case for reform.
13 min answer →

How do the UK's electoral systems work, and should Westminster keep first-past-the-post?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on electoral systems, covering how first-past-the-post, the Additional Member System, the Single Transferable Vote and the Supplementary Vote work, their advantages and disadvantages, and a comparison of FPTP with the proportional systems used in the devolved bodies.
13 min answer →

How have the main UK parties developed, and is the UK now a multi-party system?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on established and minor parties, covering the origins, development and current policies of the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, the rise of minor parties, the move toward a multi-party system, and the factors that explain why parties succeed or fail.
13 min answer →

What are the core ideas of liberalism, and how do classical and modern liberals differ?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Core Political Ideas answer on liberalism, covering individualism, freedom, the state, rationalism, equality and liberal democracy, the tension between classical and modern liberalism, and the required thinkers Locke, Wollstonecraft, Mill, Rawls and Friedan.
14 min answer →

What functions do political parties perform, and is the current funding system a threat to democracy?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on political parties, covering the functions and features of parties in a representative democracy, how parties are currently funded through membership, donations and state funding, and the debates over whether the funding system should be reformed.
12 min answer →

How much influence do pressure groups and other organisations have, and how well are rights protected in the UK?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on pressure groups and rights, covering insider and outsider groups, the factors that explain success, think tanks, lobbyists and corporations, the milestones of UK rights from Magna Carta to the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010, and the work of civil liberties pressure groups.
13 min answer →

How have referendums been used in the UK, and why do different electoral systems produce different politics?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on referendums and electoral system analysis, covering how referendums have been used in the UK since 1997, the case for and against them in a representative democracy, and how different electoral systems affect the type of government, party representation and voter choice.
12 min answer →

How are rights protected in the UK, and how do individual and collective rights conflict?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on rights in context, covering the development of UK rights from Magna Carta to the Human Rights Act 1998 and Equality Act 2010, the tensions between individual and collective rights and between rights and security, the work of civil liberties pressure groups, and the debate over a codified bill of rights.
12 min answer →

What are the core ideas of socialism, and how do revolutionaries, social democrats and the Third Way differ?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Core Political Ideas answer on socialism, covering collectivism, common humanity, equality, social class and workers' control, the tensions between revolutionary socialism, social democracy and the Third Way, and the required thinkers Marx and Engels, Webb, Luxemburg, Crosland and Giddens.
14 min answer →

What explains how people vote, and how much does the media shape election outcomes?

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.
An Edexcel A-Level Politics Component 1 answer on voting behaviour and the media, covering case studies of three key general elections, the factors that explain outcomes including class and partisan dealignment, valence and demographic factors, and the role and impact of the media including opinion polls and bias.
13 min answer →