Political issues
Source: IB Global politics subject guide
"In DP global politics, a political issue is any situation or matter that deals with how power is distributed and how it operates within social organization. This can be extended to the different ways people think about and engage with matters that affect their lives, their communities and the wider world. Political issues are researched in university social science departments and think tanks. They fill the agendas of politicians and policymakers. They occupy the minds of executives in global corporations and local social entrepreneurs. They affect how people participate in and resist change. They are discussed in social media, mass media and over coffee. They inspire oratory and art. They are deeply rooted in history and culture. In short, political issues are an ongoing, ever-present part of our daily lives.
Political issues can be explored at various levels. Take climate change as an example.
At the global level, student inquiry could focus on the degree to which the UN’s limited ability to enforce legally binding agreements on its member states inhibits progress towards climate action.
At the regional level, inquiry could centre on the fact that many developing countries have already experienced the impact of climate change, and explore how this affects their positions in international climate negotiations.
At the national level, the focus could be on the impact of a typhoon on disaster prevention decisions and policies, as taken by the central government of a multi-island nation state.
At the local level, students could delve into the typhoon’s effect on a small island (part of the same nation state) and how this increased local people’s dependency on outside assistance, and the local society’s resulting power dynamics.
At the group or individual level, students could investigate the mechanisms and the degree to which migrant workers and emigrants are able to help support their families and relatives in a post-disaster community.
So, for students, defining an interesting contemporary political issue in the wider, real-world situation they are studying is often an early and key step in making progress with their understanding of global politics. This is particularly important to facilitate the connections between the core topics and thematic studies, to determine an appropriate reflective focus for the internal assessment (IA) engagement project, and for HL students to conduct their extended inquiries into the global political challenges."