GCE AS/AGovernment and Politics (5151, 6151)
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For administrative materials and information such as Basedata, Timetables, including the Interboard online timetable, and Candidate Record Forms, please visit the Administration section of the AQA Website.
This specification is being withdrawn: see the new GCE implementation timetable.
- the last AS exams are in summer 2009, which provide the opportunity for linear or re-sit candidates to complete their assessments
- the last A2 exams are in summer 2009.
For dates of the last re-sits, see the JCQ notice Withdrawal of Curriculum 2000 Specifications.
This specification is being replaced by Government and Politics for first teaching from September 2008.
Candidates for AS units in January 2009 and subsequent exams must follow the new specification.
Examinations Update Issue 29
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 29 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the links above. Otherwise, the links will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Revision of the AS Government and Politics Unit GOV3: January 2007 onwards
Following requests from centres, a new slimmed-down GOV3 (Features of a Representative Democracy) will be offered for examination from January 2007. The revised content of unit GOV3 is in section 12 of the specification. To coincide with the start of the Autumn term, a letter from AQA has been sent to all teachers of AQA GCE Government and Politics to explain the changes.
The aims of the revision to Unit GOV3 were:
- to reduce content
- to make the content more coherent (ie more direct linkages between topics)
- to provide more guidance to candidates and centres.
The main features of the revisions are:
- no new material is added
- more accessible/popular areas have been retained, eg Parliament, Europe, Prime Minister and Cabinet, Ministers and Civil Servants
- some material has been removed, eg
- local government and regional assemblies (except in relation to parliamentary sovereignty)
- quasi-government
- redress of citizen's grievances through the Citizen's Charter and the PCA (Ombudsman)
- role of government departments and Next Steps Agencies
- clearer guidance is given in places (not more content), eg
- Parliament
- the House of Commons and the House of Lords
- representation
- scrutiny and accountability
- legislative process
- composition
- reform and modernisation
- Parliamentary sovereignty
- implications for EU, devolved institutions and local government
- The Prime Minister and the Cabinet system
- roles, powers and resources of the Prime Minister
- roles and functions of the Cabinet
- the Cabinet Office and Cabinet committees
- Prime Minister/Cabinet relations.
- Parliament
Since no new material is added to GOV3, centres are advised to devote as much attention as in the past to those parts of the specification that have been retained.
With regard to the bullet point headed Parliamentary Sovereignty, centres will need to explain the concepts of ‘parliamentary sovereignty’ and ‘devolution’ and also that the powers (and indeed the very existence) of local and devolved government are determined by Parliament.
Also, that Parliament can remove or amend such powers at any time, although political constraints may exist in practice. Similarly, the implications for parliamentary sovereignty of the EU, both in theory and practice, will need to be covered. As questions about local and devolved government will relate only to the implications of such bodies for parliamentary sovereignty, detailed coverage of the role, powers, composition and structure etc of local government and devolved institutions will not be required. With the EU, however, the composition and powers of the European Parliament, Council of Ministers and the European Council, and the Commission will also need to be examined in order to meet the requirements of the second bullet point in Section 12.1.
Examinations Update Issue 26
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 26 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the links above. Otherwise, the links will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Examinations Update Issue 24
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 24 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
Your browser may enable you to go directly to the subject heading within the document via the links above. Otherwise, the links will take you to the beginning of the Subject Information section, where you can find your subject in alphabetical order.
Examinations Update Issue 23
Check the latest information relating to:
in the Subject Information section of the Examinations Update Issue 23 in PDF format or read/download the complete document.
AQA's publishing policy for specifications.
Network Groups
Would you like to make contact with other teachers of Government and Politics at schools and colleges in your locality?
AQA has developed a series of network groups to enable teachers to share ideas relating to course delivery and resources. If you would like to join one of these groups, please email your name, job title and school address to gov-andpol@aqa.org.uk.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Information about Examination Officers' conferences, meetings for teachers and meetings introducing new qualifications and subjects happening now and in the near future.