Wales Β· WJECSyllabus
Politics syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Wales Politicssyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Government and Politics of the USA (A2 Unit 4)
Module overview β- How is Congress structured, what powers does it hold, and how effective is it?Congress: the structure and powers of the House of Representatives and the Senate, the legislative process, the committee system, and how effectively Congress legislates and checks the President.13 min answer β
- How does the US Constitution distribute and limit power, and how has federalism changed?The US Constitution and federalism: the principles of the Constitution, the separation of powers and checks and balances, the amendment process, and the development of federalism.13 min answer β
- What powers does the President hold, and what determines how powerful a president is?The presidency: the formal and informal powers of the President, the cabinet and EXOP, the limits on presidential power, and debates about the strength of the office.13 min answer β
- How powerful is the US Supreme Court, and how has it shaped civil rights?The Supreme Court and civil rights: the role and power of the Court, judicial review, the appointment process, judicial activism and restraint, and the Court's impact on civil rights.13 min answer β
- How do US elections work, and what roles do parties and pressure groups play?US elections, parties and pressure groups: the presidential election process, the two-party system, the ideas of the Democrats and Republicans, and the role and influence of pressure groups.13 min answer β
Government in Wales and the UK (AS Unit 1)
Module overview β- How is Wales governed under devolution, and how has the settlement developed?Devolution and the government of Wales: the creation and development of the Senedd, its powers, the Welsh Government, and the strengths and limits of the devolution settlement.13 min answer β
- How does the UK Parliament make law and hold the government to account, and how effective is it?Parliament: the composition and functions of the House of Commons and House of Lords, the legislative process, and how effectively Parliament scrutinises the executive.13 min answer β
- How does the judiciary protect rights and check government power in the UK?The judiciary and civil liberties: the role and independence of the Supreme Court, judicial review, the Human Rights Act, and how effectively the judiciary protects rights and checks the executive.13 min answer β
- What are the nature, sources and principles of the UK constitution, and should it be reformed?The UK constitution: its nature as uncodified and unentrenched, its sources, the doctrines of parliamentary sovereignty and the rule of law, and debates about reform.13 min answer β
- Where does power lie within the UK executive, and is the Prime Minister too powerful?The UK executive: the Prime Minister, Cabinet and core executive, the powers of the Prime Minister, collective and individual ministerial responsibility, and debates about prime ministerial power.13 min answer β
Living and Participating in a Democracy (AS Unit 2)
Module overview β- What forms does democracy take in the UK, and is there a participation crisis?Democracy and participation: direct and representative democracy, the features of UK democracy, the forms of political participation, and debates about a participation crisis and reform.13 min answer β
- How do the UK's electoral systems work, and which produces the fairest outcomes?Elections and electoral systems: the functions of elections, first-past-the-post and the proportional and mixed systems used in the UK, and debates about which system is fairest.13 min answer β
- What do political parties do, and how healthy is the UK party system?Political parties: their functions, the main UK and Welsh parties and their ideas, the nature of the party system, and debates about party funding and party decline.12 min answer β
- How do pressure groups try to influence politics, and what makes them succeed?Pressure groups: their types and methods, the factors that determine their influence, and debates about whether they strengthen or distort democracy.12 min answer β
- What explains how people vote, and how much do the media shape elections?Voting behaviour and the media: long-term and short-term factors that influence how people vote, the decline of class voting, and the role and influence of the media in elections.12 min answer β
Political Concepts and Theories (A2 Unit 3)
Module overview β- What are the core ideas of conservatism, and how do its traditional and New Right strands differ?Conservatism: its core ideas of tradition, human imperfection, pragmatism, organic society and property, and the differences between traditional conservatism and the New Right.13 min answer β
- What do the key political concepts of power, authority, legitimacy and sovereignty mean, and how do they relate?Key political concepts: power, authority, legitimacy and sovereignty, their meaning and types, and how they relate to rights, equality and the state.13 min answer β
- What are the core ideas of liberalism, and how do its classical and modern strands differ?Liberalism: its core ideas of the individual, freedom, the state, rationalism and equality, and the differences between classical and modern liberalism.13 min answer β
- What are the core ideas of nationalism, and how do its different types vary?Nationalism: its core ideas of the nation, self-determination, identity and sovereignty, and the differences between liberal, conservative, expansionist and anti-colonial nationalism.13 min answer β
- What are the core ideas of socialism, and how do its revolutionary and reformist strands differ?Socialism: its core ideas of community, cooperation, equality, social class and common ownership, and the differences between revolutionary socialism, social democracy and the third way.13 min answer β