Global Politics

The world is changing rapidly. Power is moving away from traditional state actors to non-state actors, which is affecting states’ sovereignty. Cultural, economic and military interdependence are also influencing power. This raises questions of legitimacy in 21st century global politics.

We will explore and evaluate power in contemporary global politics.  We will examine how state and non-state actors operate and interact within political systems.  We will investigate and analyse contemporary political issues and challenges from various perspectives.

We hope to develop a lifelong commitment to active global citizenship.  Core topics lay the foundation for examining thematic studies.

Thematic studies present a specific focus for the study of global politics. Although taught as units, these provide connections across the syllabus to contribute to a deeper understanding of global politics.

Case studies at the end of each module bring core topics and thematic studies together to ensure an integrated approach using real world examples.

External Assessment

• Paper 1 (1 hour 15 minutes) – source-based paper that tests knowledge of core topics [20%]
• Paper 2 (1 hour 45 minutes) – extended response on the thematic studies [30%]
• Paper 3 (1 hour 30 minutes) – stimulus paper on global political challenges [30%]

Internal assessment

• Engagement project [20%]