AQA A-level Politics Paper 2 - 5th June 2025 [Exam Chat]

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AQA A-Level Politics Paper 2: Comparative politics - government and politics of the USA (1918286) - Thursday 5th June 2025 [Exam Chat]
Welcome to the exam discussion thread for this exam.
Introduce yourself! Let others know what you're aiming for in your exams, what you are struggling with in your revision or anything else.
Wishing you all the best of luck. :yy:

General Information
Date/Time: Thursday 5th June 2025 PM
Length: 2h
Good luck!
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Reply 1

Mattalv

12

any predictions?

Reply 2

kaayb7

10

does anyone have any advice about how to structure the comparative essay?

Reply 3

liztruss

4

Original post

by Mattalv

any predictions?

Pressure groups and Federalism ( apart from extract for direct democracy last year) seems neglected, they also have not done cultural theory for a while. Campaign finances never came up explicitly and perhaps civil rights?. I would say supreme court might be a comparative. Elections due to the recent one i would bet on too

Reply 4

jtlangton

8

Original post

by kaayb7

does anyone have any advice about how to structure the comparative essay?

Main bodies x 3 = Point, Evidence for UK AND USA, Evidence against UK OR USA, Little analysis, Mini conc (Link back to Q). Intro = Start argument, introduce themes, hint at overall conclusion. Conclusion = Summary of arguments and your overall judgement. I hope this helps!

Reply 5

kaayb7

10

Original post

by jtlangton

Main bodies x 3 = Point, Evidence for UK AND USA, Evidence against UK OR USA, Little analysis, Mini conc (Link back to Q). Intro = Start argument, introduce themes, hint at overall conclusion. Conclusion = Summary of arguments and your overall judgement. I hope this helps!

Thank you so much!

Is the evidence against a separate paragraph? or do you put that in the same paragraph?

Reply 6

jtlangton

8

Original post

by kaayb7

Thank you so much!
Is the evidence against a separate paragraph? or do you put that in the same paragraph?

I just put for and against in same paragraph. If you have time you can do 4 paragraphs but imo I would rather have 3 great ones than 4 shorter/ more rushed ones :smile:

Reply 7

i.kxya

1

hi, has anyone got any tips for cultural theory? i really struggle with it

Reply 8

instructive-chip

5

Anyone for rational as well I find it so hard

Reply 9

Mattalv

12

Original post

by instructive-chip

Anyone for rational as well I find it so hard

Rational is kinda simple once u deep it. Why would someone do something?

If it’s about congress/parliament voting, as a person what motives would they have - self interest and career progression within parl (cus rationally they want a promo) or rationally voting in interest of constituents views in order to keep their job.

So for me it’s like putting yourself in their shoes and thinking how they may and for what reasons?

Reply 10

kaayb7

10

Original post

by jtlangton

I just put for and against in same paragraph. If you have time you can do 4 paragraphs but imo I would rather have 3 great ones than 4 shorter/ more rushed ones :smile:

thank you so much!

Reply 11

Mattalv

12

‘Civil rights campaigns have been more influential and effective in the USA than the UK.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement.

how on earth do you even begin to plan or answer this can someone help

Reply 12

jtlangton

8

Original post

by Mattalv

‘Civil rights campaigns have been more influential and effective in the USA than the UK.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement.
how on earth do you even begin to plan or answer this can someone help

That is a really bad one tbh. Only thing I can think of is early Civil Rights in the USA (Grass root activism?? Leaders such as MLK maybe) and in the UK maybe campaigns leading to the Equality Act 2010. I would not know how to structure it though

Reply 13

Mattalv

12

Original post

by jtlangton

That is a really bad one tbh. Only thing I can think of is early Civil Rights in the USA (Grass root activism?? Leaders such as MLK maybe) and in the UK maybe campaigns leading to the Equality Act 2010. I would not know how to structure it though

im so glad we have two questions to choose from cus im NOT doing that surely theres nothing worse 😭

Reply 14

TMKeel21

So for the comparative 9-markers you just do a normal structure except talk about both UK and US and how they link to the theory in each of the three points/paragraphs?

Reply 15

Mattalv

12

Original post

by TMKeel21

So for the comparative 9-markers you just do a normal structure except talk about both UK and US and how they link to the theory in each of the three points/paragraphs?

Yeah more or less. Open your essay with defining the theory though and what it entails

Reply 16

edgarr819

1

Original post

by Mattalv

‘Civil rights campaigns have been more influential and effective in the USA than the UK.’ Analyse and evaluate this statement.
how on earth do you even begin to plan or answer this can someone help

its actually not that bad - do civil rights campaigns for:

1.

race rights - talk about MLK, Brown v Board 1954, use of direct action for US and compare w/ how there isn't really an equivalent in the UK

2.

gay rights - talk about Obergefell v Hodges 2015 in USA and use of the USSC, compare w/ UK where legislative branch was used more to get Marriage Act 2013

3.

women's rights - really good para, can talk about abortion loads for USA (Roe v Wade 1973 and Dobbs v Jackson 2022 overturning it), talk about how in UK controversial issues like abortion already been solved eg w/ abortion act 1967 and now focuses on more niche issues eg. women's pensions in 2010s

4.

conclusion - say in the USA they are more influential due to use of the US Supreme Court and it's prominence in US politics, but maybe more effective in the UK? we legalised same sex marriage and abortion before US etc

Reply 17

edgarr819

1

Original post

by edgarr819

its actually not that bad - do civil rights campaigns for:

1.

race rights - talk about MLK, Brown v Board 1954, use of direct action for US and compare w/ how there isn't really an equivalent in the UK

2.

gay rights - talk about Obergefell v Hodges 2015 in USA and use of the USSC, compare w/ UK where legislative branch was used more to get Marriage Act 2013

3.

women's rights - really good para, can talk about abortion loads for USA (Roe v Wade 1973 and Dobbs v Jackson 2022 overturning it), talk about how in UK controversial issues like abortion already been solved eg w/ abortion act 1967 and now focuses on more niche issues eg. women's pensions in 2010s

4.

conclusion - say in the USA they are more influential due to use of the US Supreme Court and it's prominence in US politics, but maybe more effective in the UK? we legalised same sex marriage and abortion before US etc

u might also wanna talk about 2010 Equality Act in the UK for women's rights para

Reply 18

jtlangton

8

Does anyone have predictions??

Reply 19

sashamacmillen

2

Original post

by jtlangton

Does anyone have predictions??

Congress as either the extract or comparative option
Maybe voting behaviour/elections but there were 2 questions last year from that topic so idk
Constitution and Supreme Court both bound to come up either as 9 or 25, they were both absent last year.
Pressure groups also haven't been directly tested in the last 2 years and were missed out in paper 1

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