Government & Politics

Teacher: Mr A Gaston

Assess the reasons why the Ulster Unionist Party has lost so much support since 1998?

“The Prime Minister cannot afford to ignore the wishes of backbench M.P.s” – Discuss.

What are the problems facing a pressure group that uses violence as a means of achieving its objectives?

If you have some curiosity about the answers to these questions, a willingness to learn, and an interest in current affairs, then Government and Politics might be the subject for you.

The GCE Government and Politics course is designed to provide an introduction to a wide range of up to date topics in the Government and Politics of the modern world. It provides a good foundation for a range of courses in higher education and opens the way to an extensive range of career opportunities. Those who have studied Government and Politics at C.A.I. in the past have progressed to careers in law, journalism, TV presenting, the armed forces, the civil service etc.

The subject should help students develop the Key Skills of numeracy, literacy and I.C.T., together with those of research, information management and presentation, critical evaluation and independent study.

The GCE course which we will follow will include 3 modules leading to an AS level qualification at the end of the lower sixth year and 3 further modules leading to the award of a full A level at the end of upper sixth.

In Lower Sixth We Study:

  • The Government and Politics of Northern Ireland
  • The Government in the United Kingdom, looking at the powers of the Prime Minister and the cabinet, the working of Parliament and the role of the Judiciary.
  • Political Behaviour, which includes topics such as electoral systems and pressure groups.

In Upper Sixth We Will Study:

  • The Government and Politics of the United States of America – especially the Constitution and the Supreme Court.
  • A comparative study of the Government and Politics of the United Kingdom and United States, with particular reference to the President and the Prime Minister, the U.K. Parliament and the U.S. Congress.
  • Political Power in which we look at how political power is exercised and controlled across a range of different political systems.

One of the most interesting aspects of the Government and Politics course is the fact that it is fully up to date and provides an opportunity to follow current events through newspapers, radio, television and the internet as well as through textbooks.