Key term
WJEC A-Level Government and Politics 603-1979-3
The British Constitution
Topic overviewThe nature of the constitution: uncodified, unitary and flexibleStatute law as a source of the constitutionCommon law and works of constitutional authorityConstitutional conventionsParliamentary sovereigntyThe rule of lawParliamentary government and constitutional monarchyConstitutional reform since 1997The debate on a codified constitutionThe UK, the European Union and BrexitThe UK, NATO and the United Nations
The Judiciary and the Supreme Court
Topic overviewThe constitutional role of the Supreme CourtThe Constitutional Reform Act 2005 and the creation of the CourtThe Supreme Court as the highest court of appealThe separation of powers in the UKJudicial independenceJudicial neutrality and the appointment of judgesJudicial review and the doctrine of ultra viresSupreme Court rulings on constitutional mattersA separate legal jurisdiction for Wales
The UK Executive
Topic overviewThe core executiveThe roles of the Prime MinisterThe powers and resources of the Prime MinisterThe royal prerogativeThe composition of the CabinetThe roles and functions of the CabinetCollective ministerial responsibilityIndividual ministerial responsibilityPrime ministerial government and its limitsThe civil service
Parliament and the Accountability of Government
Topic overviewThe composition of the House of CommonsThe House of Lords: composition and powersThe functions of ParliamentThe legislative processPrivate members' bills and delegated legislationSelect committeesQuestions, debates and confidence in the governmentBackbench MPs and peersThe role of the OppositionParliamentary privilegeParliamentary sovereignty in practiceExecutive dominance and where power lies
Government and the Senedd in Wales
Topic overviewThe First Minister of WalesThe Welsh Government and its CabinetCollective and individual ministerial responsibility in WalesThe powers and resources of the Welsh GovernmentThe origins and structure of the SeneddThe composition and election of the SeneddThe legislative competence of the SeneddThe legislative process in the SeneddPlenary and the business of the SeneddSenedd committeesMembers of the Senedd and the OppositionDebates over the effectiveness of the Senedd
Devolution and the United Kingdom
Topic overviewThe nature and forms of devolutionThe origins of devolution in the UKThe Scottish Parliament and Scottish GovernmentThe Northern Ireland Assembly and ExecutiveDevolution in EnglandAsymmetry in the devolution settlementThe West Lothian question and English votes for English lawsFunding devolution and the Barnett formulaDevolution, sovereignty and the unionDebates over the future of the union
Citizenship and Rights
Topic overviewThe meaning of citizenshipGlobal citizenshipFreedom, equality and active citizenshipThe rule of law and protection under the lawThe rights of minoritiesPositive discrimination and positive actionThe sources of rights in the UKEquality legislation on race and genderFreedom of expression, association and religionPrivacy, liberty and the right to a fair trialConflicts between rightsDebates over a British Bill of Rights
The Protection of Human Rights
Topic overviewThe courts and the protection of rightsJudicial review: grounds and remediesJudicial review in practiceThe Universal Declaration of Human RightsThe European Convention on Human RightsThe European Court of Human RightsThe Human Rights Act 1998The Human Rights Act in the courtsEnforcing equality lawOmbudsmen and commissionersPressure and campaigning for rightsDebates over the protection of rights in the UK
Democracy and Participation
Electoral Systems in the UK
Topic overviewThe functions of elections and the language of electoral systemsFirst Past the Post: how it worksFirst Past the Post: advantages and criticismsThe Additional Member System and Senedd electionsThe Single Transferable VoteParty list systemsThe supplementary vote and the alternative voteProportionality, fairness and effects on party systemsCoalition and minority governmentKey elections in WalesReferendums in Wales and the UK
Voting Behaviour in the UK
Topic overviewThe sociological model and social classParty identification and partisan dealignmentThe rational choice modelThe valence model and governing competenceAge, gender, ethnicity and educationRegion, nation and voting in WalesElection campaigns and party leadersThe media and voting behaviourTurnout, tactical voting and volatility
Political Parties in Wales and the UK
Topic overviewThe functions of political partiesThe Labour Party: origins and ideologyThe Conservative Party: origins and ideologyThe Liberal Democrats and the centre groundPlaid Cymru and the Welsh party systemSmaller and minor partiesParty organisation and the role of membersLeadership selection in the main partiesCandidate selection and representationManifestos, platforms and the mandateParty funding, cash for influence and reform
Pressure Groups and Social Movements
Topic overviewPressure groups and how they differ from partiesSectional and promotional groupsInsider and outsider groupsAccess points in Wales and the UKLobbying and direct contact with decision-makersDirect action and public campaigningUsing the media and new technologiesFactors in pressure group successPressure groups and the health of democracySocial movements: nature, membership and methodsThe women's movement and the environmental movement
Liberalism
Topic overviewOrigins of liberal ideasHuman nature, reason and progressIndividualism, liberty and natural rightsToleration, pluralism and justiceThe social contract and the liberal stateConstitutionalism, the rule of law and liberal democracyNegative and positive freedomClassical liberalism and laissez-faire economicsModern liberalism and the enabling stateThe New Right and libertarian views of the marketEquality of opportunity and equality of outcomeLiberalism and Welsh political parties and movementsLiberal ideas in global politics
Conservatism
Topic overviewOrigins of conservative ideasHuman imperfection, pragmatism and traditionOrganic society, hierarchy and natural inequalityAuthority, order and propertyTraditional and one-nation conservatismAuthoritarian conservatismMoral conservatism, the family and the churchThe New Right: neo-liberalism and neo-conservatismConservative debates on immigration and integrationConservative debates on minority rights and welfareEconomic conservatism, the market and state interventionConservatism and Welsh political parties and movementsConservative ideas in global politics
Socialism and Communism
Topic overviewOrigins of socialist ideasHuman nature, community and cooperationClass, class conflict and the proletariatEquality and social justiceMarxism and historical materialismCommunism in theory and in practiceRevolutionary and parliamentary roads to socialismSocial democracy, revisionism and the Third WayDemocratic socialism and ethical socialismSocialist views of capitalismPublic ownership and the means of productionCollectivism and the redistribution of wealthSocialism and the Welsh labour movementSocialist ideas in global politics
Nationalism
Topic overviewOrigins of nationalist ideasDefining the nation and the nation stateNational consciousness and the role of historyLanguage, culture and national symbolsNational sovereignty and self-determinationCivic nationalismEthno-cultural nationalismLiberal nationalismConservative nationalismChauvinism, xenophobia and expansionist nationalismPolitical nationalism, citizenship and the stateSeparatism, secession and anti-colonial nationalismNationalism and Welsh political parties and movementsNationalist ideas in global politics
The US Constitution and Federalism
Topic overviewThe Declaration of Independence and the founding principlesWriting the Constitution and its compromisesSeparation of powers and checks and balancesThe amendment processEnumerated, implied and reserved powersTheories of federalismThe changing balance of federal and state powerFiscal federalism and federal grantsFederalism before the Supreme CourtDebates about the Constitution
Rights and Liberties in the USA
Topic overviewThe Bill of Rights: origins and importanceThe First Amendment: speech, press and assemblyThe First Amendment: religionThe Second Amendment and gun ownershipRights of the accused and due processThe death penalty and the Eighth AmendmentPrivacy and the ConstitutionThe Fourteenth Amendment and incorporationCivil rights and the struggle for racial equalityAffirmative action and contemporary equality debates
The US Congress
The US Presidency
Topic overviewThe constitutional office of PresidentThe powers of the PresidentThe President as chief executiveThe President and legislationThe President, foreign policy and the armed forcesExecutive orders and unilateral actionThe CabinetThe Executive Office of the PresidentConstraints on presidential powerThe imperial presidency debate
The US Supreme Court
Topic overviewThe constitutional role of the Supreme CourtJudicial review and Marbury v MadisonJurisdiction and how a case reaches the CourtNomination and appointment of justicesTenure and proposals for reformJudicial activism and judicial restraintOriginalism and the living ConstitutionPrecedent and legal reasoningThe Court and the protection of rightsThe political significance of the Court and its composition
US Elections and Voting Behaviour
Topic overviewThe invisible primaryPrimaries and caucusesThe national nominating conventionsThe ticket and the general election campaignThe electoral collegeCongressional and midterm electionsMoney in US electionsPACs, super-PACs and campaign finance lawThe media and social media in campaignsLong-term determinants of voting behaviourShort-term factors, swing states and independents
Political Parties in the USA
Topic overviewThe American political spectrumThe Democratic partyThe Republican partyFactions in the Republican partyFactions in the Democratic partyParty organisation and candidate-centred campaignsWhy two parties dominateThird parties and independent candidatesRealignment, decline and polarisation
Political Parties in the USA
- 9 subtopics
- 27 things to know
- A2 Unit 4
What Political Parties in the USA covers
Political Parties in the USA is examined in A2 Unit 4, Government and politics of the USA — participation and democracy. It covers the American political spectrum, the Democratic party, the Republican party, factions in the Republican party, factions in the Democratic party, party organisation and candidate-centred campaigns, why two parties dominate, third parties and independent candidates and realignment, decline and polarisation.
The 9 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- The American political spectrumWord liberal, moderate in American politics and libertarianism in the American context.Open →
- The Democratic partyFour positions typically associated with the Democratic party, democratic position on taxation and democratic position on gun policy.Open →
- The Republican partyFour positions typically associated with the Republican party, republican position on the size of the federal government and republican position on gun policy.Open →
- Factions in the Republican partyReligious Right, tea Party movement and freedom Caucus.Open →
- Factions in the Democratic partyNew Democrats, two policy questions that divide progressives from centrists and tension between the party's professional and working-class supporters.Open →
- Party organisation and candidate-centred campaignsTwo national party committees called, candidate-centred campaign and congressional campaign committees.Open →
- Why two parties dominateDuverger's law, mechanical effect of the electoral system on third parties and psychological effect on voters.Open →
- Third parties and independent candidatesThree third parties that have contested American elections, ideological third party and single-issue party.Open →
- Realignment, decline and polarisationCritical or realigning election, two elections commonly identified as realigning and secular realignment.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
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Explain why a new national party does not break through in the United States.
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Name four positions typically associated with the Democratic party.
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Name four positions typically associated with the Republican party.
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What is the Religious Right?
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Who are progressive Democrats?
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What are the two national party committees called?
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Name three third parties that have contested American elections.
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What is a critical or realigning election?
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Why is the American use of liberal confusing to a British student?
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What is the Democratic position on taxation?
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What is the Republican position on gun policy?
Numbers
What was the Tea Party movement?
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Which congressional grouping organises the party's left?
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What is a candidate-centred campaign?
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What is Duverger's law?
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What is an ideological third party?
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Name two elections commonly identified as realigning.
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What does conservative mean in American usage?
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What is the Democratic position on gun policy?
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Which social groups form the core of the Republican coalition?
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What triggered the Tea Party's emergence?
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What were the New Democrats?
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Why are American campaigns candidate-centred?
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Explain the mechanical effect of the electoral system on third parties.
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What is a single-issue party?
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What realignment did 1932 produce?
Take Political Parties in the USA further
The same content, four other ways.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What does the word liberal mean in American political usage?
Model answer
It describes the centre-left: support for an active federal role in the economy, social insurance and the expansion of civil rights.
- 2
Why is the American use of liberal confusing to a British student?
Model answer
In the classical and European sense liberalism means limited government and free markets, which in America is closer to what is called conservative or libertarian.
- 3
What does conservative mean in American usage?
Model answer
Support for limited federal government, lower taxes, free markets, a strong defence and traditional social values.
- 4
What is a moderate in American politics?
Model answer
A voter or politician whose positions fall between the two parties' typical positions, or who is liberal on some issues and conservative on others.
- 5
What is libertarianism in the American context?
Model answer
A position combining minimal government in the economy with minimal government in personal life, so it is economically conservative and socially liberal.
- 6
What is populism as the term is used in American politics?
Model answer
An appeal contrasting ordinary people with a self-serving elite, which can attach to either the left or the right.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Political Parties in the USA revision questions
- What does Political Parties in the USA cover in WJEC A-Level Government and Politics?
- 9 subtopics: the american political spectrum, the democratic party, the republican party, factions in the republican party, factions in the democratic party, party organisation and candidate-centred campaigns, why two parties dominate, third parties and independent candidates and realignment, decline and polarisation. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Political Parties in the USA organised?
- By the WJEC 603-1979-3 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
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