§-Politics syllabus
VIC · VCAA← Politics
Politics syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the VIC Politics syllabus, with a focused answer for each. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions and links to related points.
Unit 3: Global actors
Module overview →How has China risen as a power in the Asia-Pacific, what national interests drive it, and how effectively does it use its instruments of power?
China as a rising power in the Asia-Pacific, its national interests and the instruments of power it uses, and an evaluation of its growing regional influence
What instruments of foreign policy do states use to pursue their national interests, and how do they choose between diplomacy, economic tools and force?
the instruments of foreign policy used by states to pursue national interests, including diplomacy, trade and economic measures, and military force, and how states select between them
Who are the key global actors and what aims, roles and power do they bring to contemporary global politics?
the key global actors of contemporary global politics (states, intergovernmental organisations, transnational corporations and non-state actors) and their aims, roles and power
What are national interests, how are they categorised, and how do states pursue them in contemporary global politics?
the meaning of national interests, including security, economic prosperity and the pursuit of values, and how states define and pursue them
What are non-government organisations, what aims, roles and power do they hold, and how effectively do they influence states and other global actors?
the aims, roles and power of non-government organisations as key non-state actors, and an evaluation of their influence in contemporary global politics
Who are the major actors in the Asia-Pacific, what national interests drive them, and how do their pursuits of power create cooperation and conflict?
the national interests of major Asia-Pacific actors and the ways their pursuit of power leads to cooperation, competition and conflict in the region
What is a state, why is sovereignty central to it, and how is state sovereignty challenged in contemporary global politics?
the concept of the state, the characteristics of statehood and the meaning and significance of sovereignty for states in contemporary global politics
What is the United Nations, what are its purposes and principal organs, and how effective is it as a global actor in contemporary global politics?
the role, purposes and principal organs of the United Nations as a key intergovernmental organisation, and an evaluation of its effectiveness in contemporary global politics
What national interests drive the United States in the Asia-Pacific, what instruments of power does it use, and how effectively does it sustain its regional position against a rising China?
the United States as an established power in the Asia-Pacific, its national interests and instruments of power, and an evaluation of its ability to maintain its regional position
What are transnational corporations, what aims, roles and power do they hold, and how far do they rival states as global actors?
the aims, roles and power of transnational corporations as key global actors, and an evaluation of their influence relative to states
What are the different types of power that global actors use, and how effective is each as an instrument for pursuing national interests?
the different types of power used by global actors, including military, economic, diplomatic and cultural (hard, soft and smart) power, and their effectiveness
Unit 4: Global challenges
Module overview →What causes armed conflict and terrorism as global crises, and how do global actors respond to them?
the global crisis of armed conflict and terrorism, its causes and consequences, and the responses of global actors to managing and resolving it
Why is arms control a global ethical issue, what principled positions do actors take on it, and how effective are the responses?
the global ethical issue of arms control, the competing principles at stake, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of responses to controlling weapons
Why are global crises so difficult to resolve, what obstacles block effective responses, and how do these challenges shape any judgement of effectiveness?
the challenges to achieving effective resolution of global crises, including state sovereignty, great-power rivalry, the limits of international law and collective action problems
What is development, why is the best path to it contested, and how effective are global responses to the challenge of underdevelopment?
the global ethical issue of development, the debate over how it should be measured and pursued, and the effectiveness of responses by global actors
How can a single global crisis case study be analysed for its causes, consequences and the effectiveness of global actors' responses?
a case study of one contemporary global crisis, analysing its causes and consequences and evaluating the effectiveness of responses by global actors
What are human rights, why is their universality debated, and how effectively does the international community protect them?
the global ethical issue of human rights, the debate over universality versus cultural relativism and state sovereignty, and the effectiveness of responses
Why is the mass movement of people a global ethical issue, and how do obligations to refugees collide with state sovereignty and border control?
the global ethical issue of the movement of people, the debate between humanitarian obligation and state sovereignty, and the effectiveness of responses
What are the realist and cosmopolitan perspectives, how do they shape positions on global ethical issues, and why does the contrast matter for evaluating responses?
the realist and cosmopolitan perspectives that underpin debates over global ethical issues, and how they shape the positions actors take and the responses they support
What makes terrorism a distinct global crisis, why is it so hard to resolve, and how effective are counter-terrorism responses?
the global crisis of terrorism, its causes and consequences, the challenges of asymmetric warfare, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of counter-terrorism responses