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Politics & International Relations

Just think of all the things that will have an effect on you as you grow up. University fees, the cost of petrol, getting a job, tax and VAT, healthcare, buying a property; the list is endless (and don’t forget climate change, the fight against terrorism, trying to deal with global poverty, and all the other international issues you can think of). And all of them will be directly affected by decisions made by the UK government.

School Mock Election

Politics in the real world is about making choices in areas such as health, education, defence, the environment, justice, policing, foreign affairs – the list goes on. How do we want to approach these crucial issues and what do we want to achieve? And, crucially, what will it cost us?

This is what politics is for: to choose. Politics matters because it is our only way of resolving disagreements and reaching consensus. Politicians from different parties will argue they have the better solutions and we should vote for them, and we choose our government based upon what they offer.

A Level Politics won’t tell you who to support, or who should have your vote, as this is up to you to decide. However, what it will do is to make you think deeply about the issues that matter and understand what the parties stand for.

We will look at what is happening in the UK and the wider world. The more you investigate, the more digging beneath the surface you do, the more informed you will be. Use the resources identified below and they will start you on the path of being a successful A Level Politics student as well as becoming someone capable of thinking critically about what you read and hear. It is a subject for those who want to know about the world and, before you know it, your curiosity will take you to look deeper into the issues you care about. Welcome to Politics!