PoliticsQ&A by dot point

Comparative approaches and the UK constitution: the purpose and methods of comparative politics, the nature of the UK's uncodified, unentrenched constitution, the sources and principles of the UK constitution, and how this provides the baseline for comparison with the USA or the Republic of Ireland.

A comparative study of the UK and the Republic of Ireland (Option B): comparing the two constitutions, the legislatures (Parliament and the Oireachtas), the executives (Prime Minister and Taoiseach, and the heads of state), the judiciaries, and the wider political process of elections, parties and referendums.

A comparative study of the UK and the USA (Option A): comparing the two constitutions, the legislatures (Parliament and Congress), the executives (Prime Minister and President), the judiciaries, and the wider political process of elections, parties and pressure groups.

Conservatism (Political Ideas, Option B): the core principles of conservatism (tradition, pragmatism, human imperfection, organic society, hierarchy and property), the differences between traditional conservatism and the New Right (neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism), and the conservative view of the state, society and the economy.

Elitism as a theory of power (Political Power, Option A): the elitist account of power concentrated in a ruling minority, classical elitism (Mosca, Pareto, Michels) and the iron law of oligarchy, the power-elite thesis, democratic elitism, and the main criticisms of elite theory.

Feminism as a theory of power (Political Power, Option A): the feminist account of power as patriarchy, the public/private divide and the claim that the personal is political, the liberal, radical, socialist and difference strands, and the main criticisms of feminism as a theory of power.

Liberalism (Political Ideas, Option B): the core principles of liberalism (the individual, freedom, reason, justice, toleration and the liberal state), the differences between classical and modern liberalism, and the liberal view of the state, society and the economy.

Marxism as a theory of power (Political Power, Option A): the Marxist account of power rooted in economic class and the ownership of the means of production, the state as an instrument of the ruling class, ideology and false consciousness, instrumentalist and structuralist variants, and the main criticisms of Marxism.

Nationalism (Political Ideas, Option B): the core ideas of nationalism (the nation, self-determination, national identity and patriotism), the main types (liberal, conservative, expansionist and anti-colonial nationalism), civic and ethnic conceptions of the nation, and the debate over nationalism's value.

Pluralism as a theory of power (Political Power, Option A): the pluralist account of the origin, nature and distribution of power, dispersed among competing groups with the state as a neutral arbiter, and the main criticisms of pluralism, including elite and Marxist objections and the elitist-pluralist response.

Socialism (Political Ideas, Option B): the core principles of socialism (community and cooperation, equality, social class, common ownership and collectivism), the differences between revolutionary socialism (Marxism), social democracy and the Third Way, and the socialist view of the state, society and the economy.

Northern Ireland political parties: the backgrounds, strategies and policies of the DUP, Sinn Fein, the UUP, the SDLP and the Alliance Party, their role in government, and how their fortunes and positions have changed since 1998.

The principles, content and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement (1998) and the changes made by subsequent agreements, including St Andrews (2006), Hillsborough (2010), Stormont House (2014), Fresh Start (2015) and New Decade, New Approach (2020).

The Northern Ireland Assembly: its composition and election by single transferable vote, its three main functions of representation, legislation and scrutiny, cross-community voting and the petition of concern, the committee system, and its independence from the Executive.

The Northern Ireland Executive: the Executive Office and the joint First Minister and deputy First Minister, the allocation of departments by the d'Hondt formula, the special appointment of the Justice Minister, mandatory coalition and the weakness of collective responsibility.

Elections and electoral systems in the UK: first-past-the-post and its effects, the main proportional and majoritarian alternatives used in the UK (STV, AMS, SV), the debate over electoral reform, and the use and impact of referendums.

Political parties in the UK: the functions parties perform, the ideas and internal divisions of the Conservative and Labour parties, the role of minor and third parties, party funding and the debate over reform, and the health of the UK party system.

Pressure groups in the UK: their functions and classifications (sectional and promotional, insider and outsider), the methods they use, the factors that determine their success, and whether they enhance or threaten democracy.

The UK Parliament: the composition and roles of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the legislative process, the functions of representation, legislation and scrutiny, the work of select committees, and the debate over Lords reform.

The UK Prime Minister, Cabinet and executive: the roles and powers of the Prime Minister, the prerogative powers, the Cabinet and collective responsibility, the factors shaping prime ministerial power, and the debate over prime ministerial versus cabinet government.