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Teacher Resource Bank
GCE Government and Politics (2150)
Unit Guidance:
• GOV4A The Government of the USA
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Government and Politics 2150 / Guidance and Resources for GOV4A / Version 1.0
GOV4A Guidance: The Government of the USA
This A2 unit has been designed to complement other units that form a complete
A Level in Government and Politics. The new specification enables candidates to
adopt a multi-route approach at A2. This means that as well as building on the
knowledge, understanding and evaluation of the concepts and institutions learned in
the AS units, candidates can develop their learning across different routes of the A2.
Many centres may opt to offer Unit GOV4A as an accompaniment to Unit GOV3A;
but it is possible for Unit GOV4A to be delivered with Units GOV3B or GOV3C.
There will be no explicitly synoptic questions set in the examination of this unit.
Rather, candidates will be expected to include relevant synoptic material as part of
their responses.
It is important for centres to recognise the need for candidates taking this course to
understand the context in which the government of the United States lies. Many will
clearly recognise the cultural context of the USA. This often provides a very
superficial picture of a much more complex society. Equally important is the
historical context. An awareness of the social, ethnic and religious diversity of the
United States is also vitally important if the politics and government of the country is
to be truly grasped. This may of course be covered in an implicit rather than an
explicit manner in the delivery of the course.
Candidates will benefit from an understanding of the broad context in their studies.
An understanding of the United States constitution, for example, requires awareness
of the political and other forces at work in America in the late 19th century. Similarly,
any real grasp of the way in which the United States Congress operates needs an
appreciation of social, ethnic and religious forces that may affect its composition.
When studying UK politics, awareness of such considerations are often taken for
granted.
A very important factor which will contribute to the success of candidates studying
this unit is an active interest in US current affairs. Those who rely on their textbooks
are unlikely to gain the highest grades as such books do not always contain the most
up to date material. It is important that candidates have some learning tool which
enhances their understanding of contemporary American politics. Candidates could
be asked to keep a political journal or diary in which they record important political
events. These entries could be cross-referenced against elements within the four
topics that form this unit. If time permits, news review lessons could be incorporated
into the course at periodic intervals.
The Constitutional Framework of US Government
This topic deals with the very foundations that underpin the entire United States
political system. Centres are required to address all aspects of the US constitution
when delivering this part of the course.
The principles which underlie the United States constitution are essential to any
understanding of how it has worked for over two centuries. In turn, this should
provide an awareness of the rationale behind these principles (such as, for example,
that of limited government). The specification identifies other key principles,
including the separation of powers and checks and balances. Candidates need to be
able to determine the extent to which these work in practice.
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Government and Politics 2150 / Guidance and Resources for GOV4A / Version 1.0
Another important aspect of this topic concerns the rights of US citizens. What does
the US constitution say about these rights? What is significant about the manner in
which these have been enumerated? Once again, it is necessary to draw some
practical conclusion about how effectively these rights have been promoted and
protected.
A further element that needs to be covered in this topic is the nature of federalism in
the United States. In particular, the nature of the states’ rights and how the relations
between the states and the federal government work in practice. Candidates should
be able to understand the extent of decentralisation in the US and evaluate the
extent to which this has changed in recent decades.
Candidates will be expected to be able to assess the role of the Supreme Court in
interpreting the US constitution (although there is a full examination of the work of the
Supreme Court in a later topic of this unit). The extent to which constitutional
interpretation is linked with the relative difficulties of amending the constitution should
also be addressed in this part of the course.
An examination of the above elements in this topic should enable candidates to draw
valid conclusions as to the character of the US constitution and the extent to which it
is flexible or rigid, for example. Moreover, the above points should enable
candidates to identify a number of synoptic issues; in particular offering a
comparative analysis based on the AS studies in Unit GOVP2.
The Legislative Branch of Government: US Congress
This topic examines one of the main branches of US government. Congress is the
subject of Article 1 of the US constitution which perhaps indicates the importance the
Founding Fathers attached to it. Congress is a logical starting point for the study of
the major American political institutions, although from an assessment perspective
there is no need to cover this political institution before any of the others on the
specification.
An important part of the study of this topic is an examination of the constitutional role
of the US Congress. Study of the US constitution also provides an introduction to the
composition and terms of office of members of the House of Representatives and the
Senate. Candidates will also be expected to understand the manner in which
members of both houses of Congress are elected (although this may have already
been covered in the study of Unit GOV3A).
Another key element of this topic is the ability to understand the main differences in
the functions of these two houses of Congress. Candidates should be able to make
an assessment of the significance of these functions and draw conclusions about the
relative importance of the House of Representatives and the Senate. As with all the
topics in this unit, the use of examples to illustrate the main points in arguments is
essential if candidates are to achieve high grades in the exam.
This topic also builds upon work that has been done in Unit GOV3A on political
parties. It is important that candidates are able to identify the main roles of political
parties in Congress and to examine party dynamics in both houses. As with the
other areas in this unit, a synoptic understanding of how this dynamic compares with
the UK Parliament will be valuable for those candidates wishing to achieve high
marks.
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Government and Politics 2150 / Guidance and Resources for GOV4A / Version 1.0
The roles and significance of the congressional committee system should also form
part of the teaching and learning of this topic. In particular, candidates should be
able to distinguish between the relative influence of the committees and their chairs
in both houses of Congress. Attention should also be given to the manner in which
this influence has changed over recent decades.
In addition to possessing knowledge about the powers and roles of Congress,
candidates should be able to make an assessment of these powers and roles and
analyse the effectiveness in carrying out these powers. For example, when
discussing the representative role of Senators and Representatives and the social
composition of Congress, it is important for candidates to assess the extent to which
this role is carried out effectively.
Another important aspect of this topic is the examination of the relationship between
Congress and the executive and judicial branches. Candidates should be aware of
the constitutional checks and balances that exist between the main branches of
government. Of course, there should be evaluation which examines both sides of
any particular proposition being made. These need to be applied using examples
that will illustrate particular arguments.
As with the other topics in this unit, there is scope for synoptic assessment in the
study of the US Congress. Candidates have the opportunity to introduce
comparative analysis, drawing upon knowledge, understanding and evaluation from
the study of the UK Parliament during the AS course (GOVP2). In addition, topics
and themes covered in Unit GOV3A can be developed further here.
The Executive Branch of Government
The executive branch is another central institution of the US political system and, as
with the previous topic, a useful starting point of study is an examination of what the
constitution says about the role of the President of the United States. Candidates
should be able to critically evaluate how these roles work in practice.
In addition, the roles of the President need to be examined with particular emphasis
on the formal and informal powers that are exercised by this office. The powers of
the US presidency should also be explained, analysed and illustrated both in terms of
the domestic and foreign policy agendas. In addition, candidates should be able to
evaluate the extent to which these powers have altered over time.
Another important aspect of this topic is an examination of the nature and limitations
of presidential power. Once again these may be formal limitations of power as
enumerated in the US constitution or informal constraints dictated by the political
considerations of a particular time.
A number of key theories surrounding the US presidency have developed in recent
decades (such as the imperial presidency/imperilled presidency debate). Candidates
should be fully aware of such theories and be able to demonstrate particular
arguments on both sides of such debates and provide relevant examples to illustrate
the points being made.
As with the previous topic, it is important to be able to assess the relationships that
the President has with other branches of the US constitution. Once again, examples
are of great importance here, particularly in terms of reinforcing arguments about the
changing nature of the office of the presidency.
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Government and Politics 2150 / Guidance and Resources for GOV4A / Version 1.0
Any study of the US presidency requires comparisons to be made between US
presidents over time to evaluate the extent to which there are developing trends or,
alternatively, ebbs and flows of political power. In this sense it may be useful for
candidates to undertake themed case studies to enhance their own understanding
and evaluation of this topic.
The title of this topic should be enough to make clear that it requires more than
examination of the presidency. The executive branch needs to be examined and
evaluated in its broader terms to include the Cabinet and the Executive Office of the
President. There is also a need for candidates to examine the role of the federal
bureaucracy and the federal agencies.
Synoptic assessment is also a feature of this topic. Candidates will have the
opportunity to introduce comparative analysis, drawing upon knowledge,
understanding and evaluation from the study of the UK core executive during the AS
course (GOVP2). In addition, it will be possible to develop themes and ideas that
have been studied in Unit GOV3A.
The Judicial Branch of Government: The Supreme Court
This topic deals with another very important US political institution. As with the other
topics on the main political institutions in this unit, a good starting point is the relevant
section of the US constitution (in this case, Article III). Candidates should be able to
make conclusions about the extent to which the constitutional theory works in
practice.
Although there will be no questions asked on the history of the Supreme Court, it
may be appropriate for centres to cover some brief historical references to the early
days of the Court, when important principles and practices were established. This
will be useful, for example, when discussing the issue of judicial review.
The specification also requires centres to examine the selection and appointment
process of Supreme Court justices. Candidates should be able to examine the
theory and practice of this process while also recognising the controversies
surrounding it. As with other topics, the use of examples is essential for candidates
wishing to gain good marks. Contemporary references to recent appointments to the
Supreme Court bench will demonstrate that candidates are keeping abreast with
current political events in the US.
Another important element to this topic is an understanding of some of the key
theories and concepts associated with it. In this sense, candidates should be familiar
with theories such as judicial activism and judicial restraint. Candidates should be
able to identify relevant cases that have been brought before the Supreme Court and
the landmark judgements that it has made.
Given its constitutional position, the political significance of the Supreme Court
should be examined. This is especially appropriate when discussing issues such as
judicial activism and restraint, or strict and loose constructionism. It will be helpful to
compare and contrast the workings of the Supreme Court under different Chief
Justices.
The issue of citizens’ rights is a very important aspect of this topic. Candidates
should be able to assess the extent to which the Supreme Court defends and
protects these rights. Significant cases that have been brought before the Supreme
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Teacher Resource Bank / GCE Government and Politics 2150 / Guidance and Resources for GOV4A / Version 1.0
Court should be discussed and candidates made aware of more recent judgements
which will demonstrate their grasp of contemporary issues.
As with the previous topics in this unit, candidates should be able to address the
relationships that exist between the Supreme Court and the other branches of US
government. In particular, there should be an awareness of trends that may have
developed over time when making these assessments.
Finally, there is scope for synoptic assessment in this topic. Candidates have the
opportunity to introduce comparative analysis, drawing upon knowledge,
understanding and evaluation from the study of the UK judiciary in the topic on the
British Constitution during the AS course (GOVP2).
Suggested resources
Anthony J Bennett. US Government and Politics (3rd edition). Philip Allan Updates
2009.
David McKay. American Politics and Society (7th edition). Wiley 2009.
US government and politics online resources. Nelson Thornes publishing.
http://www.nelsonthornes.com
Duncan Watts. Understanding American Government and Politics (2nd edition).
Manchester University Press 2006.
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