Higher Modern Studies

The devolved settlement since 1999, and the arguments for and against extending or reducing Scotland's devolved powers.

The 2016 EU referendum result, voting patterns behind it, and the debate over different possible forms of Brexit.

How MPs, MSPs, committees, and the passage of a Bill let a parliament check and scrutinise its government.

How different voting systems used across UK elections affect representation, choice, fairness, and the likelihood of a coalition.

How social class, age, and traditional and social media each shape how people vote, and how their influence has changed.

The role pressure groups and the media play in a functioning democracy, and what makes some more influential than others.

The main reasons income and wealth inequality exist in the UK, and the separate reasons health inequalities persist.

How inequality affects specific groups in society, and the ongoing debate over how much the state should intervene to address it.

How government policies, past and present, have attempted to reduce inequality, and how their effectiveness is judged.

The core legal rights and responsibilities of UK citizens, and the main biological, psychological, and sociological theories of crime.

The personal impact of crime on those directly involved, and its wider social and economic impact on communities and government.

How fines, prison sentences, and community-based sentences differ, and how their success in reducing reoffending is judged.