That difficult post AS period

They say breaking up is hard to do, but when it comes to the post AS period it’s the bit before the summer break that’s the problem. Here’s my plan

Many AS Politics students will have their heads buried in books, revising for the second helping of their exams. But this writer’s thoughts have turned to what we might do when they return.

We follow the Edexcel US route and with it being an election year I toyed with the idea of spending a couple of weeks looking at the electoral process. Next year’s A2 papers will almost inevitably carry questions on the 2008 outcome so the difficult post AS period could be productively used getting a foundation laid on this topic.

But detailed academic analysis explaining the outcome won’t be available until some time after the autumn contest and for this reason we will probably have to revisit the topic later in the course so things might get a bit jumbled if we start with elections then have to come back and finish later.

Instead we are going to focus on race relations. This is a much smaller topic and it should be possible to cover most of the main arguments regarding race in America in the lessons we have available before the summer break. It is also a topic that might appeal to those intent on dropping the subject post AS but who are duty bound to attend the lessons, because it is unlike anything covered in the AS element and offers a fascinating insight into the contrast between what America proclaims to be and the experience of a large minority of its population. By the end of the mini-course students will be expected to prepare material for a debate on whether the American Dream is a reality for minorities in the USA. No essay writing, and no coursework planning here!

So are we to abandon coverage of the US elections completely? It would be a shame not to take advantage of the opportunity to introduce the topic briefly at a time when there is going to be so much attention on American Politics. Study of the elections gives students an insight into not just the elections topic, but also parties, pressure groups, Congress, the presidency—and if we have a repeat of 2000, possibly the Supreme Court as well!

At the moment I am putting together a suggested reading list that students can refer to should they want form a deeper understanding of electoral process, and the issues that may well determine who wins. Hopefully this might encourage students to access the same sources or sites as part of their wider reading.

Today, for example, there is an excellent primer on the importance of swing states in the Economist

There is also a good Lexington piece on how third party candidate might spoil McCain’s chances—it also goes under a heading which bears a curious resemblance to one used on this blog

Following a brief outline of the election process in class, students will be issued with the list but there will be no compulsion to read them. There might be an incentive, however, since we will have a class quiz on the elections to kick of A2 teaching in September. Points, of course, mean prizes!

Any comments by teachers on their ideas for post AS teaching welcomed here.