This course combines the two complementary fields of history and government in a joint honours programme, with around half of the programme in each field. It will provide you with insight into the interaction between political ideas and institutions, and historical developments. You will learn political concepts and theories, will compare political phenomena in a variety of cultures and countries, and answer broad theoretical questions about the political world. You will learn to analyse complex evidence from a variety of sources, to develop your analytical powers and to present your findings effectively. Government, or the study of politics, involves analysis of the ways in which individuals and groups define and interpret political issues and seek to shape government decisions. It encompasses a broad spectrum of activities relating to public affairs, from elections and bureaucracies to wars and terrorism. History is a wide ranging and challenging subject to study. It seeks to understand the past and to make sense of the present, adding an important dimension to the understanding of many aspects of human society. Politics graduates have a range of skills and can fit into a variety of positions in modern life. Our former students have followed careers in business and banking, in law, in central and local government, in teaching and research, in public and university administration, and in journalism and television.