119th US Congress - Key Demographics and Trends. How representative is Congress? 30+ slide powerpoint covering the above. Includes a starter test and answers on related content. Source exercise - How representative does Congress look Theories of Representation - Resemblance Model and Mandate Model What is the 119th Congress The 119th Congress political party overview The 119th Congress and Gender x6 slides. Current and trends. Also look at LQBTQ+ representation The 119th Congress (and trends) and Race x6 slides The 119th Congress (and trends) and Religion x3 slides The 119th Congress (and trends) and age x4 The 119th Congress (and trends) and Education x2 slides The 119th Congress (and trends) and Occupation Is the US Congress Representative of the people? x3 slides Gerrymandering Conclusion source exercise

Congress and Finance. Power of the Purse. Student Notes with examples. Questions and answers.

US Congress - Functions - Student Notes - Questions and Answer Sheet - linked to assessment objectives

US Congress Structure as of 2025. Student Notes, with questions and answer sheet

The Bill of Rights. Student handout with summary. Considers significance, limitations and gives recent examples as evidence. Speciman essay response for self assessment.

Originalism V Living Constitution - Notes, Essay Plan and a few questions

Direct Democracy in USA - Initiatives / Referendums / Recall Elections. Inc. Qb - Source Analysis Question, Question Advice and Self Assessment Sheet. What is Direct Democracy? States in the USA that use Direct Democracy? Initiatives - What are they and how do they work Example Initiatives in california Initiatives – Good for Democracy - Points for and Against and Overall Conclusion Initiatives – Most recent examples from 2024 Election Referendums as Direct Democracy in the USA Referendums examples from 2024 election Differences between initiatives and referendums Recall Votes as Direct Democracy in the USA - What are they - How do they Work - Examples Question Analysis of 2024 AQA Paper 2 Section B Question on Initiatives. This includes advise on how to answer and a self assessment exercise of a full response.

Checks and Balances in the USA. Exam Question with response and assessment tool.

US Federalism. Overview Notes of each phase. Exam Questions and answers - Self Assessment Exercise Summary Sheet: Key Phases of Federalism in the USA Key Supreme Court Cases for each phase of Federalism and there significance Exam Questions Answers Self Assessment

US Constitution A Level Exam Questions with Mark Scheme - Self Assessment Activity. Also, set of notes and summary table looking at how effective the US Constitution is.

A 20 slide powerpoint looking at the US Presidential election process. Picks up with deciding on the VP and moves on to look at the role of th National Conventions. Based around the 2020 election. Aldo includes a starter test and answers. Plenty of activities. Visual recap of early stages of election campaign. Picking the VP - process Factors affecting the choice of VP The perfect VP - task Outline of the National Conventions and what they set out to achieve Selecting the candidate for President at the National Convention Delegates and voting in the 2020 National Conventions x2 Deciding the Party Platform - inc task Informal functions of the National Conventions Debate - arguments for and against National Conventions being important

Full PP lesson looking at debates surrounding the US Constitution in relation to the Founding Fathers. What did the Founding Fathers want to achieve from the Constitution? Has the US Constitution stood the test of time – Arguments AGAINST Has the US Constitution stood the test of time – Arguments FOR To what extent has the US Constitution been transformed beyond recognition of the wishes of the Founding Fathers? Arguments FOR and AGAINST

20 slide powerpoint presentation looking at the functions and powers of Congress. Also includes a starter test (and answers) as well as an illustration of how laws are passed. Powers of Congress - Cartoon analysis Overview of Congress - Functions and Powers x2 Represent - info slide Legislate - Info slide Oversight - x2 - Info slides The Constitution and Powers of Congress - info Exclusive and concurrent powers of the two chambers Powers of Congress - activity Elastic clause - info and activity Explanation of the significance of some of the powers of Congress More detail on concurrent powers - info slide Power of the purse How Congress checks the executive How Congress checks the Judicial branch Powers of Congress - cartoon - task.

40 slide powerpoint looking at the sources of direct authority of the US President and looking at the Imperial V Imperiled Presidency debate, Also includes a starter test and answers. What do we mean by Direct Authority and examples of it (overview) Executive Orders (info slide Executive orders - research task to discover latest order - Info provided upto end of Bidens term Number of Executive orders issued by recent Presidents (Inc. Biden) Obama Executive Orders cartoon analysis task Trump Executive Orders cartoon analysis task Statement signing - inc. link to video. List of recent Statements Signed Are statement signings legitimate - evidence Executive Agreements - What are they and research task Most recent examples of Executive Agreements Recess Appointments - Obama case specified. Inc. Link to video What factors can affect the power of a President? Is the President of the USA really that powerful? Introduction to theories on US Presidential power. What is an imperial President? What are the criteria. Imperial Presidency - Exam response mark scheme Examples of recent imperial Presidents - Nixon / Clinton / Bush / Obama / Trump / Biden Imperiled Presidency - Definition. Example of Carter ‘Bifurcated’ Presidency To what extent are the checks and balances on the President effective? Arguments for and against - 4 slides

22 slide powerpoint lesson looking at Amending the US Constitution. Includes a starter test (and answrs) 2 information sheets covering the 27 Amendments and a list of proposed Amendments. Also contains worksheet with information and tasks What is an amendment - info slide Article 5 - task Video link to how to amend the US Constitution Visual representation of how to amend the US Constitution Differing methods for amending the Constitution - venn diagram task Cartoon analysis - task Why did the FF make the process for amending the Constitution so difficult? Also includes a link to a video. List of the 27 Amendments Limits and restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court on the amendment process. Ways in which the Constitution can be amended - Societal Change Ways in which the Constitution can be amended - Judicial Review Reasons why the Constitution has been amended so rarely Examples of recent attempts to alter the Constitution Cartoon analysis - task Advantages of the Amendment system Disadvantages of the Amendment system Learning Objective slide check.

Powerpoint lesson looking at the Power of the Purse - US Congress - How a budget is passed. Also includes a handout illustrating how federal budget is passed. What is the power of the purse - inc. link to video Steps in the Federal Budget Process - Overview - Info slide Overview diagram x2 Stage 1 - President presents Budget Proposal to Congress (description of how the Budget Request is formed) What did Biden ask for at his budget for 2024 - Info slide and video link Senate and House Budget Resolutions - The process and what actually is a Budget Resolution. Example of resolution given for 2025 budget included. Task - Comparing Biden’s Budget Request with the House Budget Resolution. Stage 3 - Appropriation Committees. What are they and what do they do. Stage 4 - Conference Committee Stage 5 - President signs What is a shutdown…When have there been shutdowns (infographic) and how was the last one in December 2022 avoided Focus on what happened in the shutdown of January 2018 (the last shutdown) - Inc link to video. Video has an attached question sheet and answers.

US Supreme Court and the protection of Rights / Bill of Rights. Exam Question and Task Full lesson

Powerpoint looking at the structure and functions of Congress. Includes a starter test (and answers) + a workshett for one of the activities How was Congress established - Connecticut Compromise How was Congress established - Analysis of Article 1 How was Congress established - election compromise Pictures of Capitol Hill x2 Make up of Senate 118th & 119th Senate map of the USA 118th & 119th Make up of House 118th & 119th House map of the USA 118th and 119th Make up of House - Constitutional analysis Make up of Senate - Constitutional analysis Make up of Congress - task Test x2 - with 2 slides of answers Learning check slide

Ideological division within US Parties - Republican and Democratic factions A History of Factions? Factions of Republicans Factions in Democratic Party Intraparty Factions - Overview Social Conservative Republicans and the Christian Right Social Conservative Republicans and the House Freedom Caucus Fiscal Conservative Republicans The origin of Fiscal Conservative Republicans and the TEA PARTY Moderate / Social Liberal Republicans Progressive / Liberal Democrats Progressive / Liberal Democrats – The Congressional Progressive Caucus Centrist Democrats Conservative Democrats and the Blue Dog Coalition EXAM QUESTION EXAM QUESTION – INDICATIVE CONTENT

Learning Intention: To understand what the two main parties stand for via their contemporary policies. To judge the degree of ideological polarisation of the two main political parties What is a Political Party Could the Democrats and Republicans be thought of as ideologically based in the 1950’s/60’s? x2 Are Democrats Liberals and are Republicans Conservatives? Umbrella Parties? x2 Range of Republicans Range of Democrats Consensus to Conflict? Southern Strategy as a factor in bringing about Polarisation x3 Ideological Parties? Increasing Political Polarisation Causes of Political Polarisation x2 Ideological American Politics - source activity x2 Ideological Polarisation - info and source activities Evidence of Political Polarisation. Red America and Blue America Ideological Parties in the Modern Era? Ideological Parties – Overview of Republican Beliefs Ideological Parties – Overview of Democratic Party Beliefs Polarisation of America - Typical voter profile Evidence of Political Polarisation x5 - source activities Exam Question Self Assessment Indicative Content

20 slide power point covering the 5 political party systems in the USA from the creation of the first political parties to the current political parties. What is a Political Party and who are the main parties in the USA? Overview of history US Political Parties (main two) Inc, video link 1st Political System - The First Political Parties – The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. Inc video link. X2 slides 2nd Party System 1828 - 1854  2nd Political System 1828 - 1854 - The Democrats and the Whigs x2 slides 3rd Political System 1854 - 1896 - The Republicans and Democrats - map work 3rd Political System 1854 - 1896 - The Republicans and Democrats 4th Political System 1896 - 1932 - The Republicans and Democrats 5th Political System 1932 - 1960 - The Republicans and Democrats x2. Inc video link 6th Political System 1960’s – to present? - The Republicans and Democrats x5 slides…looking at incrased polarisation List of Republican and Democrat Presidents