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Politics shapes the world in which we live. An understanding of politics, and the institutions
that accompany it, provides you with an understanding of how the world works or in some cases
doesn't work. It is for these reasons that I have grown to love, live and breathe politics.
From the age of 9, I have voraciously read political books, including the biographies of all
recent Prime Ministers. Two books notably stimulating to me are JS Mill "On Liberty" and
Douglas Carswell's "The end of politics and the birth of iDemocracy".
Both books deal with the freedom of the individual, something about which I am passionate. I
have really enjoyed studying the Government and Politics A Level which has extended my
interest beyond the daily drama of political events. I initially thought that the era of
History that the A Level course covers would not be to my liking. However, these fears were
ill founded; in fact the course has sparked an interest in different stages of history, the
Crusades and the Norman Conquest. Studying History reminds me constantly of the parallels
between what is happening now and what happened in the past. From a political viewpoint, to
study the Crusades was helpful because of what is happening in those regions today.
Understanding the way that England was governed at the beginning of the Norman Era was
particularly interesting as I could compare the early stages of law and order with today's
versions. The governing style of Louis XIV is another historical topic which I am studying
that links very closely to my passion for politics.
To move to the even more specialized manner of a university degree is something for which I
cannot wait and I relish the chance to learn about the big issues behind the political debates
that in conjunction with history form the world, whether this is the very concept of democracy
or whether it is issues of security that dominate our lives. The English A Level Course has
allowed me to...