VCE | GLOBAL POLITICS

Global Politics is the study of contemporary power, conflict and cooperation that draws upon real-time, real-world case studies that continually adapt to a changing world. Students investigate contemporary issues of conflict, political stability, and change within Australia, the Indo-Pacific region and globally.

YEAR 11 (VCE Politics)

UNIT 1 - Politics, power and political actors

Students are introduced to the ideas, institutions and processes that underpin the legitimacy of the Australian system of government. They will undertake a major investigation into a contemporary, contested political issue in Australia with a view to assessing the significance of the use of power by different actors to pursue their interests.

Students then focus on the most influential global political actors and discuss the challenge presented to state sovereignty by institutes of global governance, regional groupings and non-state actors. Finally, students evaluate actors' use of power in pursuing their interests with regards to a specific global contemporary issue.

UNIT 2 - Democracy: stability and change

Students explore how political culture, institutions and processes promote, enhance and also undermine democratic principles in Australia. This is conducted through the investigation of issues such as integrity, trust and accountability in government and politics; media ownership, media bias and disinformation; and, Australia’s First Nations peoples: voice, treaty, truth.

Students then investigate the legitimacy, spread, and effectiveness of democracy globally. Students explore the interests and perspectives of global actors who seek to promote, or undermine democratic principles. Students analyse the significance of global challenges to democracy including populism, and sovereignty and the national interest.

Students consider how national and global political actors respond to current issues and crises such as national political reform, climate change, violent conflicts, human rights, sustainability and development, inequality and global economic instability.

YEAR 12 (VCE Global Politics)

UNIT 3 - Global Actors

Students investigate the key global players in twenty-first century global politics. Along with national governments, they evaluate the effectiveness of global institutions such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and the International Criminal Court. The influence of non-state actors, including Human Rights Watch and Islamic State, is also explored.

Students undertake an in-depth examination of the concepts of national interest and power through a study of the extraordinary rise of China, and the way that it uses power to achieve its objectives.

UNIT 4 - Global Challenges

Students investigate key global challenges facing the international community in the twenty-first century. They examine and analyse the debates surrounding two ethical issues: migration, with a focus on refugees and asylum seekers, and arms control, with a focus on nuclear weapons non-proliferation.

Students also explore the causes of two global crises – climate change and the armed conflict in Ukraine – and consider the key aspects of these crises, as well as the varying effectiveness of responses by global actors, and the challenges to solving them.