BWS Politics Resources

 

Recommended websites - UK Recommended websites -USA
AS resources A2 Resources
Topical links

Topical links

Downloadable files Downloadable files
UK Elections and Referendums US Elections
UK Political Parties US Political Parties

UK Pressure Groups

US Pressure Groups

UK Parliament

US Congress
UK Executive US Executive
UK Constitution US Constitution
UK Election Campaigns US Supreme Court
UK Voting Behaviour US Rights and Liberties
   
UK Justice System

Synoptic Constitutions

European Union Synoptic Political Parties and Pressure Groups
  Synoptic Legislatures
  Synoptic Executives
  Synoptic Elections
  Synoptic Rights and Liberties

 

The Economist is recommended reading for Politics students, especially A2 students as its American political coverage is so good. Their student subscription details are here

The Week is also a very good digest of UK and international news and comment - subscription details here

A2 students may also be interested in Time Magazine

 

UK Websites

Politics Review

BBC Democracy Live

UK Polling Report

BBC Parliament Blog: Mark D’Arcy

Guardian weekly Politics Podcast

BBC Radio Westminster Hour weekly political round-up

LSE Politics and Policy blog

Politics.co.uk

 

       

 

US Websites

BBC USA and Canada

MSNBC Politics

Fox News Politics

Washington Post

New York Times

US Political cartoons from The Cagle Post (updated daily)

Democracy in America: The Economist's USA blog - highly recommended

NPR Politics podcast - lively regular podcast on the US election - highly recommended

Crystal Ball - on the prospects for future elections

The Monkey Cage - political science commentary and analysis of current affairs, in the USA and around the world. Also good for those interested in International Relations.

CNN State of the Union- good weekly podcast

The New Yorker political news, including good weekly podcast

The White House

Huffington Post

 

AS resources

Topical links

Coalition and Constitution text version - ppt

Who's Who in the Cabinet

Latest UK polling

 

       

 

Downloadable files

AS Assessment sheet - pdf

AS Assessment sheet - word doc

 

       

 

UK Elections and Referendums

Election 2017 analysis from AJE

Election 2015 Spreadsheet and Exercise Instructions

Electoral System grid

Electoral Reform Society

Constitution Unit on a recent problem for AMS in Scotland

BBC survey of referendums in the UK

The Constitution Society: The EU referendum and some paradoxes of democratic legitimacy

House of Commons Library report on 2015 General Election

UCL Constitution unit video - Vernon Bogdanor on referendums in the UK

LSE blog on how the EU referendum should be worded

Deliberative Democracy - could it be used more in the UK?

Democratic Audit: Is direct democracy effective? – calls for more use of initiatives

The Case Against Elected Mayors

 

       

 

UK Political Parties

Article on Tory factions in 2017

Conservative Party

Labour Party

Liberal Democrat Party

Labour List – activist site

Conservative Home – influential blog

Lib Dem Voice - activist website

UK Independence Party

Green Party

SNP

Union Chief warned Labour £3 votes would cause mayhem

Tory given 3 ballot papers in Labour leadership poll

Article: The Cost of Clean Politics

Miliband takes control of Labour candidate selection

Union gives Labour £1.5m for election

Unions race to sign up members for Labour leadership battle

 

       

 

UK Pressure Groups

 

Unlock Democracy Amnesty
Greenpeace International Greenpeace UK
British Medical Association CBI
Stonewall Animal Liberation Front
National Anti-Vivisection Society ASPCA
Countryside Alliance RSPCA
Campaign to Protect Rural England NSPCC
Friends of the Earth TUC
Earth First Occupy London

 

Charities told to toe government line or lose funding

‘Expert’ fracking report written by activist

 

       

 

UK Parliament

UK Parliament

The Week in Parliament: BBC weekly report on events in Parliament

They Work for You – tools to follow Parliament and the work of individual MPs

BBC Parliament Blog: Mark D’Arcy

 

House of Commons
House of Lords
BBC Guide to the House of Commons Table of all Government defeats in the House of Lords

LSE article: Political representation in Britain is becoming more diverse

Constitution Unit on the effectiveness of the House of Lords
Social representation: Parliamentary privilege report from the Sutton Trust Meg Russell: House of Lords Reform - pdf file
Social representation: Women in Parliament UCL Constitution Unit article - A Stronger Second Chamber? Assessing the Impact of House of Lords Reform in 1999 and the Lessons for Bicameralism
Social representation:  MPs' former occupations - have enough done "real jobs"? Cameron creates new peers - August 2015
Social representation: BME representation in the 2015 Parliament

 

Social representation: the Gayest Parliament in the World?  

Good article on how a hardworking backbench MP can make a difference over time

 
Legislation
Committees
Animated guide to the legislative process BBC blog post on House of Commons committees seeking greater powers over appointments
Constitution Unit: How parliament influences policy BBC on Cable's Offa appointment and Select Committee rejection
Constitution Unit: How often do Prime Ministers bow to the will of Parliament? Mark D'Arcy on weak Select Cttee powers
Example of Public Bill Committee impact

Select Committees - powerpoint show with narration

Select Committees - pdf version of slide

Example of ping pong

LSE blog on the higher profile of Committees since 2010 reforms

   

 

       

 

UK Executive

10 Downing Street

Article: a little chaterama with the chillaxed PM

 

 

       

 

UK Constitution

Principles of the Constitution notes - Word Document

UCL Constitution Unit

The Constitution Society

Unlock Democracy

Republic

Constitution Unit: What does ‘Brexit means Brexit’ mean (if anything)?

The Constitution Society: The EU referendum and some paradoxes of democratic legitimacy

LSE article on Executive Dominance in the Scottish Parliament

"Dude Where's My Constitution?" - The Coalition and Constitutional reform - pdf

Economist article on Impact of European Courts

Article on Scotland and UK Supreme Court

Former Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine on the Human Rights Act and European Law

 

       

 

UK Election Campaigns

Media presentation with narration

Media presentation text a pdf

 

Latest UK polling

UK Polling Report

UK 2015 Election analysis notes - pdf

LSE blog on the political leanings of UK newspapers

Interesting comparison of different pollsters' methodologies

Warning about misleading polling

By-Elections notes and data - pdf

 

       

 

UK Voting Behaviour

How2Vote online exercise

Voting Behaviour data spreadsheet - xls

LSE article on Dealignment

Earlham Sociology pages

UK economic indicators

House of Commons Library report on 2015 General Election

Economist article on regional voting

 

       

 

UK Justice System

UK Ministry of Justice

UK Supreme Court

Judiciary of England and Wales

Liberty

Article: Abolition of control orders gave killer his chance

Former Lord Chancellor Derry Irvine on the Human Rights Act and European Law

Liberty on the Government's counter-terrorism proposals

 

       

 

European Union

EU presentation with narration

European Union

European Parliament

European Commission

Council of the European Union

Centre for European Reform

European Movement

BBC Politics Europe – weekly round-up programme

 

       

 

A2 Resources

Topical links

2016 primaries presentation - full narrated version

2016 primaries presentation - pdf

Huffpost Presidetial Election polling

 

       

 

Downloadable files

A2 Assessment sheet - pdf  and Synoptic Assessment sheet - pdf

A2 Assessment sheet - word doc and Synoptic Assessment sheet - word doc

 

       

 

US Elections

Congressional elections presentation with narration

Text version of Congressional elections, for printing - pdf

Washington Post - Comparing Trump’s performance in open and closed contests, primaries and caucuses

Washington Post: How Hillary Clinton did it the second time around

Washington Post: The Clinton-Sanders primary-caucus divide

Monkey Cage: The news media’s role in Trump’s  rise

Ryan Lizza in New Yorker:  What We’ve Learned About Trump’s Supporters

On Voter ID laws - intended as a partisan method to discourage voting?

Eric Holder's defence of voting rights (v good on the civil rights context of current controversies)

 

Primaries
General Election Campaign
Kevin Drum explains the Invisible Primary FT VIDEO on Obama 2012 campaign
Frontloading - website on the primary process Crystal Ball article on the role of the US Vice-President and the electoral calculations involved in their selection
Excellent comparison of the 2012 invisible primary campaign to previous ones Conventions notes
Primaries and caucuses notes - pdf Monkey Cage: How political conventions affect the horse race
Monkey Cage on unrepresentative caucuses 2012 General Election presentation - pdf
Invisible Primary: Endorsements CNN on the importance of the "ground game" to the campaigns
Academic article on the Incumbency advantage in primary elections - h/t Callum Sommerton NY Times: Were Obama's early ads really a game changer? (h/t Henry)
2012 presentation with graphs showing GOP primary results and delegate totals -pdf

 

Monkey Cage on the surprising parity of the 2012 ground games
Congressional Elections
Electoral College
Congressional elections - pdf Interesting article found by Cal defending the Electoral College
Article on gerrymandering Crystal Ball article critical of Electoral College reform proposals
Redistricting reform Article on how the Electoral College currently favours Democrats
Voting Behaviour
Washington Post Wonkblog: Gerrymandering is not what’s wrong with American politics Democracy in America on economy and models re US election results
  US Voting Behaviour discussed
Money

Exit polls data 1992-2012, with graph of changing ethnic mix of US electorate

Economist: Elections & money New research on age and voting in 2012
New York Times campaign finance comparison

How race and religion have polarized American voters

The New Yorker on money in US politics

 

Third Parties in US Elections

NY Times on the Money Race at the start of the 20th century Third parties in US Politics notes - pdf
On the huge cost but limited impact of TV ads in the 2012 election campaign Third parties in the 2012 election

NY Times: McCutcheon vs FEC and campaign finance in America

US General Election and third parties presentation - pdf

V Good analysis of changing US campaign finance laws

The New Yorker: Ryan Lizza on Gary Johnson’s third party candidacy
Can anything be done about Money in Politics? Monkey Cage: The U.S. has more third-party candidates than it’s seen in a century. Why?
   
   

     

2012 & 2008 Elections

CNN 2012 election results pages

2012 General Election presentation - pdf

Real Clear Politics: 21 reasons for Obama's victory and Romney's defeat

2008 primaries presentation - pdf

 

       

 

US Political Parties

WaPo on GOP Civil War

GOP race starts in lavish haunts of rich donors

Article: Iowa's influence is now beyond a joke

G.O.P. Fears Infighting Will Take a Toll

Have Democrats Pulled Too Far Left?

West Virginia Democrat refuses to endorse Hillary Clinton

Washington Post article on divergence between Red and Blue states

MonkeyCage article: The GOP and the Fiscal Cliff Vote

Economist: Are the Republicans mad?

Economist: One of the last moderate Republicans quits

Historic Partisanship scores

NY Times - Room for Debate: The Democrats Know This Script Well

NY Times - Republicans are more united than divided

Article arguing that the Republican party is an incoherent coalition, united only by hatred of Obama

Economist article: Political parties in decline?

Washington Post article on divergence between Red and Blue states

The Right aims big guns at RINO "traitors"

NY Times: Political endangered species

NY Times:  Immigration poses threat to Republican unity

 

       

 

US Pressure Groups

Can anything be done about Money in Politics?

Monkey Cage: Which kinds of campaign donations lead to more polarized legislatures?

GOP race starts in lavish haunts of rich donors

Article on recent e.g. of the revolving door from government to business

Another example of the revolving door - h/t Simon Grant

New Statesman article - Has the Israel Lobby lost its mojo?

The Capitol’s Spinning Door Accelerates - NYTimes

Article: The NRA's Star May Be On The Wane

NY Times: Who’s Financing the ‘Super PACs’ - Graphic

NY Times: Cancer Group Halts Financing to Planned Parenthood

The Outcome Of The Internet’s Blackout Against SOPA/PIPA | MoveOn.Org

Monkey Cage article: How Pressure Groups misrepresent the groups they purport to speak for

New York Times on the limits to campaign finance laws

NY Times: SuperPACS and lobbying

NY Times: Buying the Vote on GMOs

NY Times: American Trade Unions' effort to counter Republican groups

NY Times: Mitt Romney assures NRA of support

NY Times: GOP SuperPAC weighs hardline attack on Obama

Economist on Campaign Finance

NY Times: Political Dividends - on the finance industry as a pressure group

Economist: Corporate Lobbying - on the Chamber of Commerce

       

 

US Congress

Insecure Majorities presentation with narration

Insecure Majorities as pdf for printing

Obamacare presentation with narration

Obamacare presentation text as pdf for printing

Indiana University’s Centre on Congress

Congressional Institute

The Hill – covering Congress

Open Congress

GOP takes control of both houses of Congress in 2012

 

Parties & Partisanship in Congress

Problems of party leadership in the Senate

Pew Research: Congress and rising partisanship

Party line votes with graph to 2014

Partisanship scores for the 112th Congress

Partisanship scores for the 113th Congress

CQ Roll Call analysis of partisan voting in the 112th Congress

Role of parties in Congress - Powerpoint running as a pdf file

Wonkblog on how the Obama Administration is trying three different ways to get its agenda through Congress

 

Is Congress Broken?

Why Congress can't get anything done

Wonkblog: Why we shouldn't worry about Gridlock

Why Congress might be more productive - and less polarized - than you think

BBC Viewpoints - different perspectives on whether American politics is broken

Ornstein and Mann article in Washington Post blaming GOP for gridlock and failure in Congress 

  & Economist blog post discussing Ornstein and Mann's article, with synoptic take on the effectiveness of legislatures

Brookings Podcast: The Filibuster with Sarah Binder

Brookings Democracy Dashboard

Brookings: How to measure a dysfunctional, gridlocked Congress

 

House of Representatives
Senate
House of Representatives US Senate

 

Senate rejection of Balanced Budget amendment
 

 

Representation issues
Social Representation issues

Monkey Cage article on the impact of constituent contact on Congressional decision making

Social representation in the 114th Congress

Monkey Cage article on the responsiveness of legislators to constituent opinion

Social representation graphic of 112th Congress

Monkey Cage article on legislators' misperceptions of their constituents' opinions

Committees

 

 
Legislation
Appointments Process

Library of Congress resources on legislation and government

Appointment and ratification example

Obamacare presentation text as pdf for printing

Fox News on recess appointments

Washington Times on decline of Conference Committee stage

Court Decision reducing Presidential ability to make Recess Appointments
PBS: Congress passed some big bills in 2015 Filibuster of judicial nominee in Senate
Bipartisan ethanol vote in Senate

Filibuster of Presidential appointment in Senate

New Yorker: 4 Reasons the Gun-Control Bills Failed The Hill on reform of the confirmation process in the Senate
Monkey Cage: Public Opinion and the Senate Gun-Control Vote NY Times: Obama lags on filling vacancies in the Judiciary
Wall St Journal on the resurgence of Earmarks NY Times: Politics and Vetting leave key US posts long unfilled
Boston Globe story on the the continuing use of earmarks

NY Times: Obama's Treasury Nominee weathers a wave of questioning

  NY Times: The Fight over Susan Rice

 

       

 

US Executive

The White House

Who is Mike Pence?

West Wing turmoil over President Trump’s response to Charlottesville race clashes

Kelly and Tillerson picking up the pieces amid West Wing chaos

‘Mad Dog’ Mattis is willing to contradict his master’s voice

WaPo:  Obama's Second Term Cabinet To Have Bigger Policy Role

Bloomberg: Why Doesn't Obama Use His Cabinet More?

WaPo: Why Clinton picked Kaine to be her running mate

Time:  Donald Trump chooses Mike Pence as his running mate

New York Times: Many of Obama's advisers moving on

New York Times: The other power in the West Wing

Opinion Piece: Obama Isn't Finished Yet

Opinion Piece: Obama is a truly great president

Obama seeks War Power from Congress

US Escalating a secret war in Afghanistan

Inconvenient Truths in Afghanistan

Obama Urges Global United Front Against Extremist Groups

Obama Enlists 9 Allies to Help in the Battle Against ISIS

America’s hawks ride a mood swing that could send troops against Isis

Obama Ready to Authorize Airstrikes on ISIS in Syria

Airstrikes by U.S. and Allies Hit ISIS Targets in Syria

Obama loses defence chief in rift over Syria

Obama Makes His Case on Iran Nuclear Deal

Ukraine reports Russian invasion

USA and Israel fall out over "Two-state solution"

Loretta Lynch nominated for Attourney-General

DEA chief steps down amidst scandal - h/t Simon Grant

Obama uses his veto power

Senate fails to override Obama's Keystone veto

House Rejects Trade Measure, Rebuffing Obama's Dramatic Appeal

V.A. Chief Resigns in Face of Furor on Delayed Care

Obama Weighing Delay in Action on Immigration

After Election, Obama Vows to Work With, and Without, Congress

G.O.P. Is Divided as Budget Bills Start Piling Up

NY Times: The Limits of Executive Power

TOP READ - Times article on Obama's use of Executive power to bypass Congress

TOP READ - Ran Lizza on Obama's Executive decision making

Economist:: Can presidential appeals to the American public break Washington gridlock?

Economist on Obama's second inauguration - Coalition vs Tribe

Economist on the problems of choosing a Presidential running-mate

Vodcast: Professor Bruce Ackerman on Presidential power

Economist article on Obama’s use of executive orders

Obama’s use of pardons

Senate delays in confirming Obama's Cabinet appointments

Obama recess appointments

Supreme Court strikes down recess appointment power

Good article on the role of the Vice-President: argues that Biden has been unusually influential

NY Times on Presidents and Foreign Affairs

 

       

 

US Constitution

Constitution Center - v good for interactive text of constitution with commentary

Constitution.net - interesting articles on constitutional interpretation

Rockefeller Institute presentation - good on federalism under the Obama Administration (first few slides and the conclusions on p18 are key)

Lafayette paper on contemporary federalism - p10 & p11 especially useful on the role of the Supreme Court

For the people who really, really want to know what Marbury vs Madison was about

Article on recent balanced budget amendment attempt

The Hill on the balanced budget amendment

 

       

 

US Supreme Court

Supreme Court presentation with narration

Supreme Court text version, for printing - pdf

US Supreme Court

Oyez – covering the US Supreme Court

Connell Law site providing summaries of recent Supreme Court cases

Compromise at a divided Supreme Court

Analysis of Supreme Court rulings: activism or restraint?

New York Times: Supreme Court Term, Striking Unity on Major Cases

Article on Judicial Activism and Restraint

An outcry of liberal anguish from Jeffrey Toobin in the New Yorker about activist conservative judges

New York Times on Chief Justice John Roberts

Jeffrey Toobin New Yorker article on how Citizens United was decided by the Roberts Court

New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin on Supreme Court nominees

 

NY Times: Obama Lags on Filling Seats in the Judiciary

 

Kagan Supreme Court appointment exercise - pdf

Article on the Supreme Court and business

Supreme Court reform plan

Supreme Court approval rating

Monkey Cage article: How much is the Supreme Court influenced by public opinion?

New Yorker article on Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The New Yorker on McCutcheon vs FEC

Possible War Powers Act lawsuit (h/t Julia Greenwood, our Canada correspondent)

 

       

 

US Rights and Liberties

ACLU - American Civil Liberties Union

NRA – National Rifle Association

1st Amendment Center

Changing Culture Wars: Drug and Abortion Rights

NSA Bulk Phone Records Program Ruled Unlawful

Supreme Court Allows Use of Execution Drug

Supreme Court Ruling Makes Same-Sex Marriage a Right Nationwide

Edward Snowden write: The World Says No to Surveillance

U.S. Surveillance in Place Since 9/11 Is Sharply Limited

Limiting Rights: Imposing Religion on Workers

Supreme Court Hobby Lobby Ruling

Birth Control Order Deepens Divide Among Justices

Compromise at a divided Supreme Court

Supreme Court Says Phones Can’t Be Searched Without a Warrant

Gay Marriage Arguments Divide Justices

White House and Republicans Clash Over C.I.A. Torture Report

In Debate Over Patriot Act, Lawmakers Weigh Risks vs. Liberty

New York Times profile of Lakhdar Boumediene

New Yorker review essay on Lawrence vs Texas - v good on pressure group involvement in a key gay rights case

Article: Obama's abysmal record on civil liberties

New Yorker on Gun Laws and the Constitution

The 9/11 Trial: Justice Delayed

Drone Strikes: How a U.S. Citizen Came to Be in America’s Cross Hairs

NY Times: To kill an American

Obama's turn in Bush's bind

Visions of drones swarming US skies hit bipartisan nerve

Military Tribunals: A Failed Experiment?

Forbes magazine on Affirmative Action case at the Supreme Court (h/t Patrick Ba-Tin)

NY Times: Obama speech to Planned Parenthood attacks recent attempts to curb access to abortion

NY Times: New laws ban most abortions in North Dakota

NY Times: Mississippi's only abortion clinic at risk

NY Times: Police using phone tracking as a routine tool

NY Times: article on the Supreme Court politics behind decisions to hear the gay marriage cases

NY Times: Boy Scouts Lift Ban on Gay Members

NY Times: Online Privacy and the Petraus Case

NY Times: Anti-Muslim Police Training

NY Times: Arizona's Barrier to the Right to Vote

NY Times: Supreme Court to hear Voting Rights Case

NY Times Op-Ed: Rewrite the Second Amendment

 

       

 

Synoptic Constitutions

"Dude Where's My Constitution?" - The Coalition and Constitutional reform

Synoptic Constitutions 2015 - pdf file

BBC Democracy Live on a British Bill of Rights

Monkey Cage article arguing USA shouldn't move towards a Parliamentary system

New Zealand constitution 1

New Zealand constitution 2

Former NZ Prime Minister argues for a written constitution

Israeli constitution 1

Israeli constitution 2

Independent on Sunday article on codifying the UK constitution

Open Democracy satire on the UK constitution

Conservative Home article on codification

2011 Paper for the House of Commons Political and Constitutional Reform Committee

American Prospect on the weakness of a Presidential system

& Response from Economist blog

Good article on the influence of the US Constitution on the world and how later constitutions compare

Article looking at comparing separation/ fusion of powers in a number of countries

Economist on European Constitution

Julia Greenwood's guide to Canadian Government & Politics

 

       

 

Synoptic Political Parties and Pressure Groups

Comparison of Anti-Austerity parties in Greece and Spain

Can Political parties be saved from extinction?

Monkey Cage comparing polarisation in different political systems

Monkey Cage on the changing Canadian party system

 

       

 

Synoptic Legislatures


UCL Constitution Unit article- Synoptic Elected second chambers

Ornstein and Mann article in Washington Post blaming GOP for gridlock and failure in Congress

Economist blog post discussing Ornstein and Mann's article, with synoptic take on the effectiveness of legislatures

Synoptic Legislatures Booklet - pdf file

       

 

Synoptic Executives

Vladimir Putin returns to the Presidency in Russia

 

       

 

Synoptic Elections

Synoptic Elections Booklet - pdf

Article on how FPTP systems disenfranchise voters

Democratic Audit article looking at the most effective campaign methods

Britain's first Prime Ministerial Primary

 

       

 

Synoptic Rights and Liberties

US Gun rights compared to other countries

Liberty on control orders


BBC Democracy Live on a British Bill of Rights

Gay couple in Mexican surrogacy stand-off

Charlie Hebdo, Before the Massacre