A*-achieving Politics Paper 3 (US Government and politics) essay plans Edexcel
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Course
US Government and Politics
Institution
PEARSON (PEARSON)
I created and used these extensive essay plans (with-up to-date until June 2024 examples) throughout my year 13 A Level Course and achieved a high-level A* (77/84 in paper 1, 75/84 in paper 2, 78/84 in paper 3). They cut right to the core of the structure and mark schemes that Edexcel A Level Polit...
–All the questions are here sorted into each spec point, and cover all questions unless they
throw a proper curveball. Questions in bold have a plan written for them, if there are any not in
bold that means no plan was made for them but the question is still possible (though this is rare
that I haven’t answered all of them).
–All examples are highlighted in yellow. Some paragraphs have multiple examples just because
its good to have as much knowledge as you can. Some essays require multiple examples in
each point (e.g. Do conservative and labour parties agree more than they disagree) but for most
essays you just need to do one example for the “On the one hand” point, and another for the
“however, it is a stronger argument” point.
–All plans are structured with three themes (if there are more that is because the question lends
itself to having a large choice of factors, such as reforms to democracy) and on the left side is
almost always the ‘on the one hand’ weaker argument which you then counteract with the right
side stronger argument. Each theme for each plan is clearly labelled at the top of each box.
Some plans have introduction boxes, some do not, this is because some essays, in order to
score higher, require some kind of criteria that you set out in the intro and link back to, which
would often be put in these introduction boxes.
Topic 1: US Constitution and Federalism
- Evaluate the view that the constitution is fit for purpose
- Evaluate the view that the constitution enhances democracy in the US
- Evaluate the view that the amendment process is fit for purpose
- Evaluate the view that the checks and balances of the US Constitution have
proved effective
- Evaluate the view that federalism remains significant in the US today
Topic 2: Congress
- Evaluate the view that Congress is effective in its functions
- Evaluate the view that Congress is effective in its legislative function
- Evaluate the view that Congress is effective in its oversight function
- Evaluate the view that Congress is effective in its representative function
- Evaluate the view that constituents, parties, caucuses and interest groups are
influential in determining the way in which members of congress vote
- Evaluate the view that parties exert too much control in Congress
- Evaluate the view that the senate is more powerful than the House
Topic 3: The US Presidency
- Evaluate the view that the US Presidency is imperial, rather than imperilled
, - Evaluate the view that the cabinet and Executive Office of the President play a
significant role
- Evaluate the view that the president can nominate Supreme Court
- Evaluate the view that the president dominates domestic policy (vetoes,
legislation in policy, direct action)
- Evaluate the view that the Executive is the most powerful branch of Government
- Evaluate the view that the checks on the Executive have proved successful
- Evaluate the view that the President's power is the power to persuade
- Evaluate the view that President`s since 1993 have achieved their aims
- Evaluate the view that the president is able to pursue any foreign policy aims they
like
- Evaluate the view that the President is accountable to Congress
Topic 4: SCOTUS
- Evaluate the view that SCOTUS is independent and neutral (4.1)
- Evaluate the view that the appointment process for SCOTUS is fit for purpose (4.2)
- Evaluate the view that SCOTUS have improved racial equality in the US (4.5)
- Evaluate the view that SCOTUS is political rather than judicial (4.6)
- Evaluate the view that the living constitution approach of SCOTUS is superior to
originalism (4.6)
- Evaluate the view that SCOTUS are effective in upholding constitutional rights
(4.6)
- Evaluate the view that SCOTUS is an imperial judiciary OR Evaluate the view that
SCOTUS is too powerful (4.6)
- Evaluate the view that SCOTUS are the most powerful branch of government
- Evaluate the view that SCOTUS fulfils its functions
Topic 5: Democracy and Participation
- Evaluate the extent to which the process of selecting presidential candidates is
deeply flawed
- Evaluate the extent to which presidential primaries are important
- Evaluate the extent to which the Electoral College is an outdated institution
- Evaluate the extent to which incumbency conveys an unfair advantage in both
congressional and presidential elections
- Evaluate the view that invisible primaries play a significant role in the primary
process
- Evaluate the view that campaign finance is the most significant factor in
determining the outcome of congressional elections.
- Evaluate the extent to which campaign finance regulation has been effective
- Evaluate the extent to which political parties are still important
- Evaluate the extent to which there is agreement on the key ideas and principles
between the Democratic and Republican parties
, - Evaluate the extent to which the main divisions within the Democratic Party are
significant
- Evaluate the extent to which the main divisions within the Republican Party are
significant (in all three of these highlighted plans, examples are not up to date
enough, use the new textbook instead)
- Evaluate the extent to which race was most significant influence on voting
behaviour in recent elections
- Evaluate the extent to which pressure groups damage the democratic process in
US politics
- Evaluate the view that pressure groups influence the three branches of
government
Topic 6: Comparative 12 markers
THE CONSTITUTION
Evaluate the view that the Constitution is fit for purpose
In the advent of British tyrannical rule, the Founding Fathers created a constitution that was power averse in its
nature. It created three branches of government, and codified a strong institution of separation of powers to
ensure the end of limited government, as espoused by the radical thought of the Enlightenment era. Therefore,
to consider whether the Constitution is fit for purpose, it must protect individual liberty from tyranny of the
branches of government, Given this, it will be argued to a compelling degree that the Constitution is unfit for
purpose and unable to protect the liberties of the American people, discussing the features of the amendment
process, federalism and vagueness.
Amendment process Amendment process
- Some argue that the Constitution is fit for purpose as - Despite this, whilst this clearly achieves limited
its tough amendment process serves as evidence that government the stronger argument is that this
it protects the individual from tyranny of the federal argument is fundamentally flawed, for it looks the
government, embodying a check and balance on pervasive culture partisanship in the United States,
Congress` ability to change what rights the citizens of which renders constitutional amendment nearly
the United States are entitled to. impossible, meaning key rights which were not
enshrined by the Founding Fathers cannot be ensured.
- Ronald Reagan famously remarked that “we the
people tell the Government what to do, it does not tell - For example, perhaps the most controversial
us”, and demonstrates that the Constitution is prospect of constitutional amendment is some form of
inherently power averse, and seeks to place clear gun regulation, to combat the ever growing issue of
constraints on the federal government's involvement gun violence in America, which is undermining the
in the freedoms of the American people, and a tough most important liberty of all, the right to life. There has
amendment process clearly allows this. been a clear rise in mass shootings, with 604 in 2023,
underscoring the reality that some form of amendment
- This is because in the Constitution, it is enshrined in is needed to introduce regulation in the US.
Article 1 that Congress requires a supermajority in
both houses, and ratification from ¾ of state - Given the hyper-partisanship and polarisation which
, legislatures to change the constitution. This means is so pervasive in American democracy today, such an
that any amendment to the Constitution must be the amendment is virtually impossible, despite being called
product of strong bi-partisanship, and therefore a for by individuals such as Governor Gavin Newsom,
clear need to change the rule of law, which does not who proposed gun regulation as a formal “28th
merely derive from political differences. amendment”.
–For example, the amendment process has allowed - The archaic view that Americans have an inherent
the Constitution to evolve to advance the rights of right to “bear arms” as suggested by the second
minorities in the country. For example, the fifteenth amendment has led to the frustration of individual
amendment to the constitution extended equal voting states in their attempts to introduce gun regulation. In
rights to black people, and this is frequently cited as 2022, in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc.
SCOTUS deliberate over the constitutionality of v. Bruen, the court ruled that New York’s handgun law
certain state or Congressional laws. For instance, in was unconstitutional. with the difficult amendment
Allen v Milligan 2023, the Court struck down process meaning states are unable to introduce gun
Alabama's congressional map which was found to regulations, to protect the lives of American citizens.
violate the Voting Rights Act 1965, and hence the
equalities afforded by the fifteenth amendment
Federalism Federalism
- On one hand, the constitution is fit for purpose as its - However, the stronger argument is that the
feature of federalism establishes clear constraints to constitution is not fit for purpose as federalism has
inhibit the growth of federal government, enabling clearly failed to inhibit the growth of federal
government, with the partisan federal government
states to protect individual liberty and rights from
leading to encroachment on state autonomy.
executive overreach.
–Congress itself is sovereign over constitutional and
- 10th Amendment of the constitution, to secure state budgeting issues, supervening state legislatures. This
authority over matters “not specifically given to the means that issues of regional identities are often
federal government.” undermined by party lines.
- US Federalism has transitioned from Marble cake - Whilst New Federalism promised to “roll back”
federalism, which constituted a complex fusion powers to individual states, this in reality has not
between the authority of the federal government and happened, and the federal government continues to
state responsibility, to New federalism, called for by encroach on powers which are meant to be reserved
President Nixon, to `roll back` powers taken by the for states.
Federal Government, in the aftermath of the Great
Depression to individual states. –During Covid, although governors issued their own
decrees, the true physical manifestation of political
- In the times of today, this has manifested in the representation – the distribution of taxpayers’ money –
constitutional integrity of individual states, and has was controlled by the federal government. For
defended states from the arbitrary power of federal example, the CARES Act 2020 saw the federal
government, with states able to conduct individual government pledge a $2.2 trillion economic relief
and catered responses to pressing issues.
package, attempting to combat both public health and
- COVID-19 tested the resolve of the constitutional the economic impacts of the virus, demonstrating the
doctrine of federalism, and it ostensibly remained overreach of the federal government in the national
intact, with elected governors coordinating their own crises.
responses independent of the federal government
and President Trump, preventing tyranny and
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