Specification points
Edexcel A-level Politics 9PL0
175 points in 4 topics, with Edexcel's codes and titles.
Grade boundaries·Edexcel command words
Codes and titles are read by a script from Edexcel's published specification and have not been checked by a person. What each point covers is in the specification itself: Edexcel’s specification.
1 UK Politics and Core Political Ideas
- 1.1 Democracy and participation
- 1.1.1 Current systems of representative democracy and direct democracy
- 1.1.2 A wider franchise and debates over suffrage
- 1.1.3 Pressure groups and other influences
- 1.1.4 Rights in context
- 1.2 Political parties
- 1.2.1 Political parties
- 1.2.2 Established political parties
- 1.2.3 Emerging and minor UK political parties
- 1.2.4 UK political parties in context
- 1.3 Electoral systems
- 1.3.1 Different electoral systems
- 1.3.2 Referendums and how they are used
- 1.3.3 Electoral system analysis
- 1.4 Voting behaviour and the media
- 1.4.1 Case studies of three key general elections
- 1.4.2 The influence of the media
- 1.CON Conservatism
- 1.CON.1 Conservatism: core ideas and principles
- 1.CON.2 Differing views and tensions within conservatism
- 1.CON.3 Conservative thinkers and their ideas
- 1.LIB Liberalism
- 1.LIB.1 Liberalism: core ideas and principles
- 1.LIB.2 Differing views and tensions within liberalism
- 1.LIB.3 Liberal thinkers and their ideas
- 1.SOC Socialism
- 1.SOC.1 Socialism: core ideas and principles
- 1.SOC.2 Differing views and tensions within socialism
- 1.SOC.3 Socialist thinkers and their ideas
2 UK Government and Non-core Political Ideas
- 2.1 The constitution
- 2.1.1 The nature and sources of the UK Constitution
- 2.1.2 How the constitution has changed since 1997
- 2.1.3 Devolved bodies in the UK and their impact
- 2.1.4 Debates on further reform
- 2.2 Parliament
- 2.2.1 Structure and role of the Commons and Lords
- 2.2.2 The comparative powers of the House of Commons and House of Lords
- 2.2.3 The legislative process
- 2.2.4 The ways in which Parliament interacts with the Executive
- 2.3 Prime Minister and Executive
- 2.3.1 The structure, role, and powers of the Executive
- 2.3.2 The concept of ministerial responsibility
- 2.3.3 The Prime Minister and the Cabinet
- 2.3.3.1 The power of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet
- 2.3.3.2 Prime Minister and Cabinet control of policy, with two case studies
- 2.4 Relations between the branches
- 2.4.1 The Supreme Court and the policy-making process
- 2.4.2 The relationship between the Executive and Parliament
- 2.4.3 The European Union and UK government
- 2.4.4 The location of sovereignty in the UK political system
- 2.ANA Anarchism
- 2.ANA.1 Anarchism: core ideas and principles
- 2.ANA.2 Different types of anarchism
- 2.ANA.3 Anarchist thinkers and their ideas
- 2.ECO Ecologism
- 2.ECO.1 Ecologism: core ideas and principles
- 2.ECO.2 Different types of ecologism
- 2.ECO.3 Ecologist thinkers and their ideas
- 2.FEM Feminism
- 2.FEM.1 Feminism: ideas and principles
- 2.FEM.2 Different types of feminism
- 2.FEM.3 Feminist thinkers and their ideas
- 2.MUL Multiculturalism
- 2.MUL.1 Multiculturalism: ideas and principles
- 2.MUL.2 Different types of multiculturalism
- 2.MUL.3 Multiculturalist thinkers and their ideas
- 2.NAT Nationalism
- 2.NAT.1 Nationalism: core ideas and principles
- 2.NAT.2 Different types of nationalism
- 2.NAT.3 Nationalist thinkers and their ideas
3 Comparative Politics
- 3A Government and Politics of the USA
- 3A.1 US Constitution and federalism
- 3A.1.1 The nature of the US Constitution
- 3A.1.2 Key features of the US Constitution
- 3A.1.3 The main characteristics of US federalism
- 3A.1.4 Interpretations and debates around the US Constitution and federalism
- 3A.2 US Congress
- 3A.2.1 The structure of Congress
- 3A.2.1.1 The distribution of powers within Congress
- 3A.2.2 The functions of Congress
- 3A.2.2.1 Representation
- 3A.2.2.2 Legislative
- 3A.2.2.3 Oversight
- 3A.2.3 Interpretations and debates around Congress
- 3A.3 US presidency
- 3A.3.1 Formal sources of presidential power
- 3A.3.2 Informal sources of presidential power
- 3A.3.3 The presidency
- 3A.3.3.1 Relationships between the presidency and the following institutions and why this varies
- 3A.3.3.2 Limitations on presidential power and why this varies between presidents
- 3A.3.4 Interpretations and debates of the US presidency
- 3A.4 US Supreme Court and civil rights
- 3A.4.1 The nature and role of the Supreme Court
- 3A.4.2 The appointment process for the Supreme Court
- 3A.4.3 The Supreme Court and public policy
- 3A.4.4 The protection of civil liberties and rights in the US today
- 3A.4.5 Race and rights in contemporary US politics
- 3A.4.6 Interpretations and debates of the US Supreme Court and civil rights
- 3A.5 US democracy and participation
- 3A.5.1 Electoral systems in the USA
- 3A.5.1.1 Elections and their significance
- 3A.5.1.2 Campaign finance
- 3A.5.2 The key ideas and principles of the Democratic and Republican parties
- 3A.5.2.1 The distribution of power and changing significance of the parties
- 3A.5.2.2 Conflicts and tendencies within US parties
- 3A.5.2.3 Coalition of supporters for each party
- 3A.5.3 Interest groups in the USA
- 3A.5.4 Interpretations and debates of US democracy and participation
- 3A.6 Comparative approaches
- 3A.6.1 Rational, cultural and structural approaches
- 3A.6.2 Similarities and differences in the UK and USA
- 3A.6.2.1 Comparing UK and US constitutions
- 3A.6.2.2 Explaining UK–US similarities and differences in constitutions
- 3A.6.2.3 Comparing UK and US legislative branches
- 3A.6.2.4 Explaining UK–US similarities and differences in legislatures
- 3A.6.2.5 Comparing UK and US executive branches
- 3A.6.2.6 Explaining UK–US similarities and differences in executives
- 3A.6.2.7 Comparing UK and US Supreme Courts and civil rights
- 3A.6.2.8 Explaining UK–US similarities and differences in courts and rights
- 3A.6.2.9 Comparing UK and US democracy and participation
- 3A.6.2.10 Explaining UK–US similarities and differences in democracy and participation
- 3B Global Politics
- 3B.1 The state and globalisation
- 3B.1.1 The state
- 3B.1.1.1 Characteristics of a nation state and of national sovereignty
- 3B.1.2 Globalisation
- 3B.1.2.1 The process of globalisation
- 3B.1.2.2 Its impact on the state system
- 3B.1.3 Debates about the impact of globalisation including its advantages and disadvantages
- 3B.1.4 How far globalisation resolves contemporary issues
- 3B.2 Global governance: political and economic
- 3B.2.1 Political
- 3B.2.1.1 The United Nations (UN)
- 3B.2.1.2 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
- 3B.2.2 Economic
- 3B.2.2.1 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank
- 3B.2.2.2 The World Trade Organisation (WTO) and G7/G8 and G20
- 3B.2.2.3 Significance of how global economic governance deals with the issue of poverty
- 3B.2.3 How far global institutions resolve global issues
- 3B.2.3.2 Global civil society and non-state actors
- 3B.3 Global governance: human rights and environmental
- 3B.3.1 Human rights
- 3B.3.1.1 Origins and development of international law
- 3B.3.1.2 The key issues these institutions face in dealing with human rights
- 3B.3.2 Environmental
- 3B.3.2.1 The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
- 3B.3.3 How far global institutions resolve global issues
- 3B.3.3.1 Issues limiting international law
- 3B.3.3.2 Issues limiting global environmental governance
- 3B.3.3.3 Global civil society and non-state actors
- 3B.4 Power and developments
- 3B.4.1 Different types of power
- 3B.4.2 Classifying state power in global affairs
- 3B.4.3 Polarity
- 3B.4.4 Different systems of government
- 3B.4.5 Spread of liberal democracy and the rule of law
- 3B.4.6 How far changing state relationships resolve global issues
- 3B.5 Regionalism and the EU
- 3B.5.1 Regionalism
- 3B.5.1.1 The different forms
- 3B.5.1.2 Debates about and the reasons for and significance of regionalism
- 3B.5.2 Development of regional organisations, excluding the EU
- 3B.5.3 Factors and developments in European integration
- 3B.5.4 The EU as a global actor
- 3B.5.5 How far regionalism resolves global issues
- 3B.6 Comparative theories
- 3B.6.1 Main ideas of realism
- 3B.6.2 Main ideas of liberalism
- 3B.6.3 Realism and liberalism compared
- 3B.6.4 Main ideas of the anarchical society and society of states theory
- 3B.6.5 Realism and liberalism since 2000