Curriculum Briefing: The Electoral System and Political Parties
Key stage 3 (ages 11-14) • Politics, Parliament & Government • Assemblies & fact sheets
The Electoral System and Political Parties
This guidance supports the national curriculum for Citizenship. The topic, the electoral system and political parties addresses the following teaching requirements in the programmes of study:
- the operation of Parliament, including voting and elections, and the role of political parties (KS3)
- Parliamentary democracy and the key elements of the constitution of the United Kingdom, including the power of government, the role of citizens and Parliament in holding those in power to account, and the different roles of the executive, legislature and judiciary and a free press (KS4)
- the different electoral systems used in and beyond the United Kingdom and actions citizens can take in democratic and electoral processes to influence decisions locally, nationally and beyond (KS4)
- other systems and forms of government, both democratic and non-democratic, beyond the United Kingdom (KS4).
