UNIT 6

Content outline  Key concepts Content explanation
Constitutions and
judiciaries

 		 constitutionalism
limited government
entrenchment
judicial reviews		 - the emphasis of this unit is upon the UK and US political systems, but students may make reference to other systems that have comparable or
contrasting features, no detailed knowledge of other systems is required.
- a knowledge of differences between the constitutions and constitutional structures of the UK and the USA, notably the implications of ‘written’ and ‘unwritten’ constitutions, and an ability to discuss the general role and performance of constitutions.
- a knowledge of the contrasting roles and political significance of the UK and US judiciaries.
Assemblies parliamentary
government
 		 scrutiny
political control
representation
legitimacy		 - a knowledge of the different constitutional and political frameworks within which Parliamentand Congress operate, of the factors that affect their relations with the
executive and their policy impact, and an ability to evaluate the general significance of assemblies.
Executives
 		 presidential
government
prime ministerial
government
cabinet government
bureaucracy
accountability
neutrality		 - a knowledge of the organisation of the political executive in the UK and the USA, of the distribution of power within the political executive, and of its relationship to other government bodies.
- a knowledge of the power and accountability of the bureaucracy in the UK and the USA, and an ability to evaluate the general significance of the executive branch of government
Elections and
political parties

 		 representative
democracy
electoral mandate
party system		 - a knowledge of the electoral arrangements and party systems found in the UK and the USA, and an awareness of the links between elections and parties.
- a knowledge of the ideological positions of UK and US parties and an ability to evaluate the general significance of elections and political parties in terms of representation and participation.
Pressure groups types of groups

 		 pluralism
corporatism		 - a knowledge of the role and significance of group politics in the UK and the USA and of the factors that affect the policy impact of particular groups and within different systems.
- an awareness of debates about the general relationship of pressure groups to democracy and political stability.
Territorial politics federalism

 		 devolution
local government		 - a knowledge of the territorial distribution of power in the UK and the USA, particularly the ability to discuss similarities and differences between devolution and federalism.
- a knowledge of the general factors influencing the territorial distribution of power within states and of the arguments for and against decentralisation.