176 terms
Anarchism
The ideology that all forms of compulsory government and state authority are unnecessary and harmful, and that society c
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Anarchism
The first self-declared anarchist, famous for declaring 'property is theft,' who advocated mutualism — a system of volun
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Anarchism
The Russian anarcho-communist who argued that mutual aid — voluntary cooperation — is the natural basis of human society
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Anarchism
The Russian revolutionary anarchist who argued for the violent overthrow of the state and capitalism, opposing Marx's pr
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Anarchism
The individualist anarchist who rejected all authority — including morality, religion, and collective ideologies — argui
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Comparing UK and US Civil Rights
How individual rights are protected differently in the UK (through the HRA and ECHR) and US (through the Bill of Rights
Comparative Politics
Comparing UK and US Constitutions
A comparative analysis of the codified US Constitution and the uncodified UK constitution, evaluating their different ap
Comparative Politics
Comparing UK and US Elections and Parties
How the electoral systems, party structures, and campaign processes differ between the UK and US, and how these differen
Comparative Politics
Comparing UK and US Executives
How the UK Prime Minister and US President differ in their sources of power, relationship with the legislature, and cons
Comparative Politics
Comparing UK and US Judiciaries
How the UK Supreme Court and US Supreme Court differ in their powers, appointment processes, constitutional roles, and p
Comparative Politics
Comparing UK and US Pressure Groups
How interest groups operate differently in the UK and US political systems, reflecting different constitutional structur
Comparative Politics
Congress
The US legislature, composed of the House of Representatives (435 members) and the Senate (100 members), responsible for
US Government and Politics
Congress
The complex route a bill must follow to become law — through committees, floor votes in both chambers, conference commit
US Government and Politics
Congress
Specialised sub-groups of Congress that examine proposed legislation, investigate issues, and oversee executive agencies
US Government and Politics
Congress
A Senate procedure allowing unlimited debate on a bill, effectively requiring 60 votes (out of 100) to pass most legisla
US Government and Politics
Congress
The ways Congress monitors, investigates, and checks the power of the President and executive branch agencies.
US Government and Politics
Congress
The growing ideological divide between Democrats and Republicans in Congress, with fewer moderates and less bipartisan c
US Government and Politics
Conservatism
The foundational principles of conservatism: tradition, human imperfection, organic society, hierarchy and authority, pr
Core Political Ideologies
Conservatism
The paternalistic tradition within conservatism that accepts social reform and welfare provision to maintain social cohe
Core Political Ideologies
Conservatism
The combination of neo-liberal economics (free markets, privatisation, low taxes) and neo-conservative social values (tr
Core Political Ideologies
Conservatism
The founding father of conservative thought who championed tradition, organic society, gradual reform, and the dangers o
Core Political Ideologies
Conservatism
A 20th-century conservative thinker who argued for a sceptical, anti-ideological conservatism based on practical experie
Core Political Ideologies
Democracy
A system of government in which power is held by the people, either directly or through elected representatives who make
UK Political Participation
Democracy
A form of democracy where citizens themselves vote on policy decisions rather than delegating those decisions to elected
UK Political Participation
Democracy
A form of democracy where citizens elect representatives to make political decisions on their behalf, rather than voting
UK Political Participation
Democracy
The right to vote in elections, and the history of how that right has been gradually extended to include all adult citiz
UK Political Participation
Democracy
The various ways citizens engage with the political process, from voting and party membership to protests, campaigns, an
UK Political Participation
Democracy
The gap between how democracy should work in theory and how it works in practice, including low turnout, unelected insti
UK Political Participation
Democracy
The debate over reforms that could strengthen democracy, including electoral reform, Lords reform, votes at 16, digital
UK Political Participation
Devolution
The transfer of powers from the UK Parliament at Westminster to elected assemblies and governments in Scotland, Wales, a
The UK Constitution and Government
Devolution
Scotland's devolved legislature (Holyrood) and executive, with powers over areas including education, health, justice, a
The UK Constitution and Government
Devolution
Wales's devolved legislature (the Senedd) and executive, with more limited powers than Scotland, though these have been
The UK Constitution and Government
Devolution
Northern Ireland's devolved power-sharing institutions, created by the Good Friday Agreement to bring nationalists and u
The UK Constitution and Government
Devolution
The constitutional problem that English MPs have no separate English parliament, yet Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish
The UK Constitution and Government
Devolution
Assessing whether devolution has been successful in improving governance, representation, and stability, or whether it h
The UK Constitution and Government
Ecologism
The ideology that the natural environment has intrinsic value, that human activity is causing ecological crisis, and tha
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Ecologism
The Norwegian philosopher who founded deep ecology, arguing that nature has intrinsic value independent of its usefulnes
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Ecologism
The American thinker who argued that ecological crisis is caused by social hierarchy and capitalism — environmental dest
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Ecologism
The economist who argued in 'Small Is Beautiful' that the pursuit of unlimited economic growth is unsustainable, and tha
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Ecologism
The historian who argued that the scientific revolution created a mechanistic worldview that legitimised the domination
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Electoral Systems
The electoral system used for UK general elections where the candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins, re
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
A mixed electoral system combining FPTP constituency seats with proportional regional list seats, used for Scottish Parl
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
A proportional electoral system where voters rank candidates in order of preference in multi-member constituencies, used
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
An electoral system where voters indicate a first and second preference, used for London mayoral elections and some poli
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
A category of electoral systems designed to ensure that each party's share of seats closely matches its share of votes c
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
An analytical comparison of different electoral systems used in the UK, evaluating their effects on representation, gove
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
Popular votes on specific policy or constitutional questions, used in the UK for major decisions like EU membership, dev
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
The decline of the traditional link between social class and voting — where working-class voters supported Labour and mi
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
The weakening of voters' long-term attachment to a particular political party, leading to more volatile and unpredictabl
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
The theory that voters choose parties based on perceived competence and leadership quality on key issues (especially the
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
Additional factors that influence voting including age, gender, ethnicity, region, education, and issue-based voting on
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
Voting for a party that is not your first choice in order to prevent the party you least want from winning — a strategy
UK Political Participation
Electoral Systems
How newspapers, television, social media, and online platforms influence election campaigns, voter perceptions, and poli
UK Political Participation
Feminism
The ideology that seeks to establish political, economic, and social equality between the sexes, challenging patriarchy
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Feminism
The French existentialist philosopher who argued that 'one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman' — gender is sociall
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Feminism
The radical feminist who argued that patriarchy is a political system that operates through sexual politics — the power
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Feminism
The Black feminist thinker who argued that feminism must address the intersection of gender, race, and class oppression,
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Feminism
The socialist feminist who argued that women's oppression is rooted in both capitalism and patriarchy, and that feminism
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Liberalism
The foundational principles of liberalism: individualism, freedom, reason, equality of opportunity, tolerance, consent,
Core Political Ideologies
Liberalism
The original form of liberalism emphasising minimal government, negative freedom, laissez-faire economics, and natural r
Core Political Ideologies
Liberalism
A revised form of liberalism that supports government intervention to promote positive freedom, social justice, and equa
Core Political Ideologies
Liberalism
The foundational liberal thinker who argued for natural rights (life, liberty, property), government by consent, social
Core Political Ideologies
Liberalism
The 19th-century liberal who developed the harm principle (liberty should only be restricted to prevent harm to others),
Core Political Ideologies
Liberalism
The 20th-century philosopher who argued for social justice through the 'veil of ignorance' thought experiment, providing
Core Political Ideologies
Liberalism
An early liberal feminist who argued that women are rational beings deserving of the same education and rights as men, c
Core Political Ideologies
Multiculturalism
The ideology that cultural diversity is valuable, that different cultural groups should be recognised and respected with
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Multiculturalism
The Canadian philosopher who argued for a 'politics of recognition' — that cultural groups need public recognition and r
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Multiculturalism
The liberal multiculturalist who argued that cultural rights for minority groups are compatible with and required by lib
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Multiculturalism
The political theorist who argued for a dialogic model of multiculturalism where different cultural communities engage i
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Multiculturalism
The British sociologist who argues for a form of multiculturalism that addresses both cultural recognition and socioecon
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Nationalism
The ideology that humanity is naturally divided into nations, each with a distinct identity, and that the nation should
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Nationalism
The Enlightenment thinker whose ideas about popular sovereignty, the general will, and civic identity provided the intel
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Nationalism
The German romantic thinker who argued that each nation has a unique volksgeist (national spirit) expressed through its
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Nationalism
The Italian nationalist who championed liberal nationalism — arguing that every nation has the right to self-determinati
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Nationalism
The Jamaican-American activist who championed Black nationalism, pan-Africanism, and racial pride, arguing that Black pe
Non-Core Political Ideologies
Parliament
The elected chamber of Parliament
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
The unelected upper chamber of Parliament
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
How Parliament checks the government's power
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
Parliamentary committees that investigate government departments
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
MPs acting on their own judgement, not just following voters
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
MPs following voters' wishes or their party's programme
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
MPs who are not government ministers or shadow ministers
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
How parties keep their MPs voting together
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
The main party not in government
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
Legal protections for what MPs say in Parliament
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
How laws are made in Parliament
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
Public votes on specific political issues
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
The Lords not blocking the government's manifesto promises
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
Different ideas about what it means to represent people
The UK Constitution and Government
Parliament
How Parliament relates to the executive and judiciary
The UK Constitution and Government
Political Parties
The roles parties play in democracy: representing different interests, selecting candidates, forming governments, provid
UK Political Participation
Political Parties
The UK's main centre-right party, traditionally associated with free markets, low taxation, strong defence, social order
UK Political Participation
Political Parties
The UK's main centre-left party, historically rooted in the trade union movement and associated with social justice, pub
UK Political Participation
Political Parties
Smaller parties including the Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, UKIP/Reform, and Plaid Cymru, and their impact on the poli
UK Political Participation
Political Parties
How political parties finance their activities — through membership fees, donations, state funding, and loans — and the
UK Political Participation
Political Parties
The debate about whether the UK has a two-party system (dominated by Conservatives and Labour) or has become a multi-par
UK Political Participation
Political Parties
The contrast between periods of broad agreement between major parties on key policies (consensus) and periods of sharp i
UK Political Participation
Political Parties
How parties make decisions internally — including leader selection, policy-making, and candidate selection — and debates
UK Political Participation
Pressure Groups
Organisations that seek to influence government policy and public opinion on specific issues without seeking to win elec
UK Political Participation
Pressure Groups
A classification based on whether pressure groups have close, regular access to government decision-makers (insiders) or
UK Political Participation
Pressure Groups
The different strategies groups use to achieve their goals, including lobbying, public campaigns, direct action, litigat
UK Political Participation
Pressure Groups
What determines whether a pressure group achieves its goals — including financial resources, membership size, expertise,
UK Political Participation
Pressure Groups
The debate about whether pressure groups enhance democracy (by increasing participation and representation) or undermine
UK Political Participation
Pressure Groups
Organisations that produce policy research to influence government thinking (think tanks) and professional advocates who
UK Political Participation
Socialism
The foundational principles of socialism: collectivism, common ownership, equality, social class, and the belief that co
Core Political Ideologies
Socialism
The revolutionary socialist thinker who argued that capitalism exploits workers, creates class conflict, and will inevit
Core Political Ideologies
Socialism
The evolutionary strands of socialism that seek to achieve greater equality through parliamentary democracy rather than
Core Political Ideologies
Socialism
A Labour revisionist thinker who argued that socialism should focus on equality of opportunity and welfare rather than p
Core Political Ideologies
Socialism
The sociologist whose 'Third Way' thinking shaped New Labour, arguing for a blend of market economics, social investment
Core Political Ideologies
The Core Executive
The network of institutions and people at the centre of UK government who control policy-making, including the PM, cabin
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
The head of the UK government who leads the executive, chairs cabinet, and exercises significant powers including patron
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
Latin for 'first among equals' — the traditional view that the PM is simply the most senior member of a cabinet of equal
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
The senior committee of approximately 20-25 government ministers who meet weekly to discuss policy, coordinate departmen
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
Smaller sub-groups of cabinet ministers that handle detailed policy work on specific areas, reporting back to the full c
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
The convention that ministers are personally accountable to Parliament for their own conduct and the work of their depar
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
The convention that all cabinet ministers must publicly support government policy, even if they privately disagree, or e
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
The broader principle that ministers must answer to Parliament for their decisions and actions, through questions, debat
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
The changing extent of PM dominance from the post-war period to the present, showing how different PMs have exercised po
The UK Constitution and Government
The Core Executive
The academic argument that the UK PM has become more like a president — dominating government personally, bypassing cabi
The UK Constitution and Government
The EU and the UK
The UK's relationship with the EU from joining in 1973 to Brexit in 2020, including the impact of EU membership on sover
UK Political Participation
The EU and the UK
The political, constitutional, economic, and social consequences of the UK's departure from the European Union.
UK Political Participation
The EU and the UK
The key EU bodies — the Commission, Council of Ministers, European Parliament, and European Court of Justice — and how d
UK Political Participation
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
A written-down constitution
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
A constitution not written in one single document
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Laws made by Parliament
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Law made by judges through court decisions
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Unwritten political customs and practices
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Expert writings that explain the constitution
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Powers held by the Crown but exercised by ministers
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Everyone is equal before the law
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Parliament is the supreme legal authority
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Rights held by people individually and as a group
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Historic documents that established key rights
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Laws that limited the House of Lords' power
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Major changes to how the UK is governed since 1997
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the UK's constitutional system
The UK Constitution and Government
The Nature and Sources of the UK Constitution
The law that brought European human rights into UK courts
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
The highest court in the UK, established in 2009, which hears appeals on points of law of the greatest public importance
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
The principle that judges must be free from political pressure and influence so they can make decisions based solely on
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
The principle that judges must decide cases without personal bias or favouring any party, basing decisions purely on the
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
The constitutional principle that the three branches of government — legislature, executive, and judiciary — should be i
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
A legal term meaning 'beyond the powers' — used when a public body or minister acts outside the legal authority granted
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
The process by which courts examine whether decisions made by public bodies and ministers are lawful, fair, and reasonab
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
The relationship between the courts and Parliament, including tensions over judicial activism and parliamentary sovereig
The UK Constitution and Government
The Supreme Court and Judicial Review
How the ECHR, incorporated into UK law through the Human Rights Act 1998, has empowered courts to protect individual rig
The UK Constitution and Government
The US Constitution
The supreme law of the United States, written in 1787, which establishes the structure of government, separates powers b
US Government and Politics
The US Constitution
The deliberately difficult procedure for changing the US Constitution, requiring supermajority support in Congress and a
US Government and Politics
The US Constitution
The first ten amendments to the US Constitution, ratified in 1791, guaranteeing fundamental individual liberties includi
US Government and Politics
The US Constitution
The constitutional principle that power is divided between three independent branches of government — Congress, the Pres
US Government and Politics
The US Constitution
The constitutional division of power between the federal (national) government and the 50 state governments, each with t
US Government and Politics
The US Constitution
The debate between those who believe the Constitution should be interpreted according to its original meaning (originali
US Government and Politics
The US Constitution
The ongoing relevance and contested nature of the 18th-century Constitution in addressing 21st-century political, social
US Government and Politics
The US Presidency
The formal constitutional powers of the President, including commander-in-chief, chief executive, chief diplomat, and th
US Government and Politics
The US Presidency
Directives issued by the President to federal agencies that have the force of law, used to implement policy without cong
US Government and Politics
The US Presidency
The argument that presidential power has expanded far beyond the Framers' intent, particularly in foreign policy and nat
US Government and Politics
The US Presidency
How the President and Congress work together and against each other, including the dynamics of unified government, divid
US Government and Politics
The US Presidency
The Vice President's constitutional role and the President's cabinet of department heads who advise on policy and manage
US Government and Politics
The US Presidency
The political, institutional, and personal factors that determine how much power a President can actually exercise — fro
US Government and Politics
The US Supreme Court
The highest court in the United States, with the power of judicial review to declare laws and executive actions unconsti
US Government and Politics
The US Supreme Court
How Supreme Court Justices are nominated by the President, scrutinised by the Senate Judiciary Committee, and confirmed
US Government and Politics
The US Supreme Court
Why the Supreme Court matters politically — its role in shaping policy, protecting or restricting rights, and acting as
US Government and Politics
The US Supreme Court
The debate about whether the Supreme Court should actively interpret the Constitution to address modern issues (activism
US Government and Politics
US Civil Rights and Liberties
The distinction between civil liberties (freedoms from government interference, protected by the Bill of Rights) and civ
US Government and Politics
US Civil Rights and Liberties
The social and political movement of the 1950s-1960s that fought to end racial segregation and discrimination, achieving
US Government and Politics
US Civil Rights and Liberties
Policies designed to increase representation of historically disadvantaged groups (particularly racial minorities) in ed
US Government and Politics
US Civil Rights and Liberties
The ongoing debate about the extent of racial equality in the US, including policing, voting rights, economic inequality
US Government and Politics
US Elections
The system used to elect the US President, where voters in each state choose electors who then formally cast votes for t
US Government and Politics
US Elections
The process of selecting the US President, including primary elections, caucuses, national conventions, the general elec
US Government and Politics
US Elections
How US election campaigns are funded, including the role of individual donations, PACs, Super PACs, and the ongoing deba
US Government and Politics
US Elections
Elections to the House of Representatives (every 2 years) and Senate (every 6 years, staggered), including the significa
US Government and Politics
US Elections
The use of ballot initiatives, referendums, and recall elections at the state level, allowing citizens to make or repeal
US Government and Politics
US Political Parties
The two major US parties — the Democrats (centre-left, progressive coalition) and Republicans (centre-right, conservativ
US Government and Politics
US Political Parties
Why the US has only two major parties, the barriers facing third parties, and the implications for voter choice and poli
US Government and Politics
US Political Parties
The major ideological groupings within each US party — from moderate to progressive Democrats, and from traditional cons
US Government and Politics
US Pressure Groups
Interest groups in the US that seek to influence government policy through lobbying, campaign contributions, litigation,
US Government and Politics
US Pressure Groups
The close relationships between congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups that create mutually b
US Government and Politics