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The Politics Shed- A Free Text Book for all students of Politics.

The Politics A level Shed

The Politics Shed

Welcome to the Politics Shed
US Party structure & Organisation
The General Election 2024
Politics Podcast List
Contents
AQA Questions and Advice
AQAExplain and analyse three ways that the view of human nature is signific
Candidates and personal qualities US Elections
Media in US Politics
AQA 25 Mark essay Impact of the Judiciary 2022 Paper 1
Case Study Rishi Sunak
AP US Government and Politics
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
Unit 5: Political Participation
5.13 Changing Media
5.12 The Media
5.11 Campaign Finance
5.10 Modern Campaigns
5.9 Congressional Elections
5.8 Electing a President
5.7 Groups Influencing Policy Outcomes
The MAGA Movement
5.6 Interest Groups Influencing Policy Making
5.5 Third-Party Politics
5.4 How and Why Political Parties Change and Adapt
5.3 Political Parties
5.2 Voter Turnout
5.1 Voting Rights and Models of Voting Behavior
Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs
4.10 Ideology and Social Policy
School Vouchers
4.9 Ideology and Economic Policy
4.8 Ideology and Policy Making
4.7 Ideologies of Political Parties
4.6 Evaluating Public Opinion Data
4.5 Measuring Public Opinion
4.4 Influence of Political Events on Ideology
4.3 Changes in Ideology
4.2 Political Socialization
4.1 American Attitudes About Government and Politics
Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
3.13 Affirmative Action
3.12 Balancing Minority and Majority Rights
TOPIC 3.11 Government Responses to Social Movements
3.10 Social Movements and Equal Protection
Dr. Martin Luther King’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail
3.9 Amendments: Due Process and the Right to Privacy
3.8 Amendments: Due Process and the Rights of the Accused
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
3.7 Selective Incorporation
3.6 Amendments: Balancing Individual Freedom with Public Order and Safety
3.5 Second Amendment: Right to Bear Arms
McDonald v. City of Chicago
TOPIC 3.4 First Amendment: Freedom of the Press
New York Times Co. v. United States (1971
3.3 First Amendment: Freedom of Speech
Schenck v. United States (1919)
3.2 First Amendment: Freedom of Religion
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
3.1 The Bill of Rights
Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
2.15 Policy and the Branches of Government
2.14 Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable
2.13 Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority
TOPIC 2.13 Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority
2.12 The Bureaucracy
Issuing fines
Political Appointments US Civil Service
Case study: 'Drain the swamp'
civil service, and merit system
The federal bureaucracy
2.11 Checks on the Judicial Branch
2.10 The Court in Action
2.9 Legitimacy of the Judicial Branch
2.8 The Judicial Branch
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Federalist No. 78
Presidential Communication
Expansion of Presidential Power
Federalist No. 70
Twenty-Second Amendment,
Checks on the Presidency
Roles and Powers of the President
2.3 Congressional Behavior
Divided Government
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
Baker v. Carr (1962)
2.2 Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress
Number of chamber and debate rules that set the bar high for building major
Party leadership in Congress
2.1 Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives
Congress: formality of debate
Passing a federal budget, raising revenue, and coining money
The Constitution, including such principles as the separation of powers and
Federalism in Action
United States v Lopez
Same sex Marriage and Federalism
Constitutional Interpretations of Federalism
Relationship Between the States and Federal Government
Ratification of the U.S. Constitution
Principles of American Government
Federalist No. 51
McCulloch v Maryland
Government Power and Individual Rights
Brutus No 1
Types of Democracy
Federalist 10
1 Ideals of Democracy
Republicanism
popular sovereignty
Challenges of the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation
Constitutional Monarchy
Alternative Vote
House of Lords Scandals
How important are Votes of No Confidence?
How effective has parliamentary scrutiny been during the COVID-19 crisis?
Examine the ways in which the Supreme Courts in the USA and the UK differ i
Exam Papers
Paper 1 Questions 2019 -2024
Paper 1 Questions 2019-2023
Paper 3 USA Essay Questions
How to write essays
Unit 3 USA and Comparative Essays
Tufton Steet The UK's 'K' Street
June 2019
Mark Scheme 2019
Case Study Boris Johnson
Case Study Liz Truss
Reshuffle Sept 2021 Boris wields the axe
Site Map
'Congress has become the least powerful branch of government' Discuss
2016 US Elections results and significance
A wider Franchise- History of voting rights UK
current move to extend the franchise
Additional Member System
A gameable electoral system? The Additional Member System in Scotland
Advantages and Disadvantages
1975 Referendum UK
Untitled page
AV Referendum 2011
Referendum in N Ireland 1998
North East Regional Assembly Referendum 2004
The EU Referendum 2016
Advantages and Disadvantages of the Amendment Process
- The evolving House of Lords
Advantages and disadvantages of the electoral college
Issues in US Elections
Advice on A level Paper 2 Question 2 (30 marks)
- 2016 Election
Affirmative Action
Fisher v Texas (2013)
America the Failed State?
An evaluation of the Constitution- Is it a successful experiment?
Anthony Giddens
Anti Colonial Nationalism
Appointment of Members of the Supreme Court
Are midterm elections a referendum on the president?
2022 Midterm Elections
Are PMs becoming more presidential?
Are PMs becoming more presidential?
Are pressure groups becoming more significant?
social capital
corporatism
Are Pressure Groups good for democracy?
Insider and Outsider Pressure Groups
Case study: The National Trust
Case study Extinction Rebellion
Case study Act for the Act
Sock Puppet Pressure Groups
Are the constitutional reforms started in 1997 finished?
Are US Interest Groups good for democracy?
Limits and constraints on Interest Groups USA
Black Lives Matter
Arguments for and against a codified constitution
Case study Party-gate-A constitutional Crisis
The UKs Flexible Constituion has had its day. Bronwen Maddox FT
AS Question 2 Advice
Bipartisanship
Cabinet Committees
Campaign Finance
Case studies Major and Blair
Case study Bathroom Bills and ACLU
Case study gerrymandering
Case Study Gun Control
Case study John Major
Case study Marijuana
Case Study Mrs Thatcher
Thatcherism
Case Study Policy Group The League of Conservation Voters (LCV)
Case Study Policy Networks, professional lobbyists and politicians
Trumps First Term Selected highlights
Case Study Professional Group AFL-CIO
Case Study Social Policy
Case Study The Common Agricultural Policy
Case study The conservative agenda of the Roberts Court
Feminism
Feminism & Human Nature
Feminism and the State
Feminism and Society
Feminism and the Economy
The reserve army of labour
Is Barbie a feminist movie?
Significant Feminist Thinkers
bell hooks (1952– 2021)
Kate Millett (1934– )
Simone de Beauvoir (1908–1986)
Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935)
The Main Ideas of Feminism
Different types of feminism
Conflicts within Feminism
The History of Feminism
Intersectionality
Equality feminism and Difference feminism
The Personal is Political
Case study ME TOO
Patriarchy
sex and gender
Sheila Rowbotham
The History of Feminism
Case study Jones v. Mississippi
Case study The decline of Affirmative Action
New Yorker : The Rise and Fall of Affirmative Action
Case study The Nevada Caucus 2016
Case study The nominations of Alito and Garland
Case study The Republican Invisible Primary 2015
Case study The struggle over Brexit
Case Study Theresa May
Case Study Tony Blair
Case Study: Fisheries Policy
Case Study: Hitler's racialist theories
Case Study: The 2016 nominations Democrat and Republican
Cases studies of Pressure Groups
Can’t pay, won’t pay
Changes since 2015
Charles Maurras (1868-1952
Chauvinistic Nationalism
checks and balances
Trump v the Courts 2025
Noncompliance
Case study: Congress can limit the Supreme Court.
Citizens United v FEC 2010
Civic Nationalism
Civic v Cultural
Coalition Reforms 2010-15
Collective Responsibility
Committees in Congress 'The Engine room'
holds and unanimous consent in the senate
Common Law
Comparative Approaches UK and USA
Comparative Models,
Congress
- The powers of the House and Senate compared
The Party System in Congress
The Speaker
Case study the removal of Kevin McCarthy
Comparison: Parliament & Congress
Three major challenges legislatures face in the 21st century: executive dom
Congressional Committees 'The engine room'
House Rules Committee
Congressional Elections
Conservatism
Conservative Nationalism
Washington Post- Putinism
Constitution
constitution is flexible
Conventions
Criticisms of the Constitution
Culturalism
Current systems of representative and direct democracy
- Should voting be made compulsory
Functions of democracy
Is Democracy in danger?
Problems with Democracy
DC v Heller 2008
Developments in devolution
Case study The Gender Recognition Bill and Devolution
The Sewel Convention
Devolution
The Impact of Devolution
Has devolution been a success?
Devolution
Devolution in England
The West Lothian Question
Devolution in N Ireland
Devolution in Scotland
Devolution in Wales
Different types of Nationalism
direct democracy
direct democracy
Direct Democracy USA
US states vote to protect reproductive rights
Dual Presidency Theory
Elections,Parties and Pressure Groups
Case Study US Election 2020
TV Debates
National Party Conventions
Comparison: Parties UK & USA
Comparison: Pressure Groups UK & USA
Comparison: Elections UK & USA
Why Biden won Atlantic Magazine
Primaries and Caucuses
Case study 2020 Primaries & Caucuses
Electoral Reform
Essay plan: 'Evaluate the view that the constituion no longer does the job for which it was intended' (30 marks)
European Courts
Evaluate the view :
Evaluate the view :That the US Constitution is anti democratic
Evaluate the view that the US is no longer a federal state'
EVEL English Votes for English Laws
Example AS Question on the Constitution
Example Vincent Viola and Scott Pruitt appointments
Executive Orders
Expansionist Nationalism
Factors affecting voting in Congress
The Bill of Rights
Factors which influence a PM's relationship with the Cabinet
Factortame
Federalism
Filibuster
Fixed term Parliaments
Formal sources of presidential power in the US Constitution
Unitary Executive Theory
Freedom of Information Act
Garcia
Gender,Age,Ethnicity and Region
General Election 2019
Gerrymandering
Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872)
Governing the UK
Anarchism
Anarchist thinkers and their ideas
Max Stirner (1806-1856)
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865)
Mikhail Bakunin (1814-1876)
Peter Kropotkin (1842-1921)
Emma Goldman (1869-1940)
Different types of anarchism
Collectivist anarchism
Case Study: Christiania Anarchist Commune
INDIVIDUALIST ANARCHISM
Anarchism: core ideas and principles
Anarchism : & Society
Anarchism: Rejection of organised religion
Anachism: Direct Action
Mutualism
Anarchism & Human Nature
Anarchism: Utopianism
Anarchism: Economic Freedom
Anarchy is Order
Anarchism: Liberty
Anarchism: Power & Authority
Proudhon
Bakunin
Rejection of the Government State
Grover Norquist's Tax Payer Protection
Gun control
Has it become harder for the government to control Parliament?
House and Senate size and elections
House of Commons Reform
Parliamentary Standards
Owen Patterson
Case Study:
House of Lords Reform
Hereditary Peers
How effectively have recent presidents achieved their aims?
The American Rescue Plan
How elections work in the USA
How important is the pick for Vice President
The main characteristics of American election campaigns
Elections and the Constitution
How flexible is the US Constitution?
The Necessary and Proper Clause
How important are minor parties
How laws are made in the UK -The legislative process
How the Constitution has changed
How the Constitution was written
How the EU works
How well does Parliament fulfill its functions?
Scandals
Back Bench Business Committee
Human Rights Act
Impact of the Lords
Case study The Rwanda Bill
Case study The Internal Market Bill
Case study The Illegal Immigration Bill
Case study The Crime and Sentencing Bill 2022
Inclusive v Exclusive
Incumbency
Individual Ministerial Responsibility
Ian Duncan Smith
The Crichel Down Affair 1954
Informal sources of presidential power and their use
Initiation of Legislation
Integral Nationalism
Interest Groups in the USA
social movements & Protest movements
A TYPOLOGY OF INTEREST GROUPS USA
COLLECTIVE ACTION AND FREE RIDING US Interest Groups
Internationalism
Interpretations & debates of the US Supreme Court & civil rights
Power of federal agencies Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentle
Case Study US supreme court in ‘crisis of legitimacy
United States vs Nixon
Texas vs Johnston (1989)
Supreme Court to rule if Trump can run for president
Bush v Gore
What are the chances of reforming the Supreme Court?
Shadow Dockets
Interpretations and Debates
How Representative is the US Congress ?
Represention and governance Discussion
Republican partisanship
Interpretations and debates around the US Constitution and federalism
Polarisation is dividing America State by State
Interpretations and debates of the US Presidency
Has Trump changed the Presidency?
Theories of Presidetial Power
The Impossible Presidency
The Imperilled Presidency
The Post Modern Presidency
Interpretations and debates of US democracy and participation
- How important are minor parties
- Two Party Dominance USA
Iron Triangles
Is Congress the broken Branch?
House votes to censure and remove Gosar from committees over violent video
Scandals Congress since 2010
Is the constitution too rigid?
Is the Presidency Imperial or Imperilled?
A short history of the Imperial Presidency (with examples)
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
John Hart Chapter on the Presidency
Judicial Activism
Judicial Independence
- Johann Gottfried von Herder (1744-1803)
When is Judicial independence threatened?
Judicial Independence
Judicial Neutrality
Judicial Restraint
Judicial Review
Judicial Review
The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022
The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022
Judicial Review
Key ideas and principles of the Democratic and Republican parties.
Values of the Republicans and Democrats
Party Factions USA
Key ideas of nationalism
Nationalism & The Economy
Nationalism: The State & Society
Nationalism & Human Nature
Kilmuir Rules
Labour Reforms 1997-2010
Labour Reforms 1997-2010
Legacy of Racism
Legislation
Legislation How laws are made
Legislative Committees (the committee stage)
Legislative Committees (the committee stage)
Legitimacy
Liberal Nationalism
Liberalism :Check List for Edexel Unit 1
Liberty
Limitations on the power of PMs
limited government
limited government
Lobbying the House
Geoffrey Cox
Lobbying the Senate
Lobbying the Senate
Lobbyists
Case study: Elon Musk
Lobbyists
mandate
mandate
Marcus Garvey (1887-1940)
Means available to the President
Mid -Term Elections
Ministerial questions and Prime Minister's Questions
Nation State
Nationalism
Recent Developments in Nationalism
Primordialism
Nationalism in Depth
Nationalism in History
Nationalist Thinkers
The Clash of Civilisations
Nations
Nations
State & Minority Nationalism
New Federalism Explained
New York Times Article Nuclear Arms Deal
NFIB v Sebelius 2012
noblesse oblige
Norton's Typology of legislatures
Obergefell v Hodges 2015
On Nation Conservatism
Originalism
Oversight
Power of the Purse
The January 6th Committee
PACs and Super PACs
Parliament
Parliament
Parliament's ability to remove governments
Parliament's effectiveness at Scrutiny
Parliament's influence over legislation
Parliamentary Committees
Select Committees and Civil Servants
Parliamentary Sovereignty
Parochialism
Participation, Elections, Pressure Groups and Rights :Edexcel
Parties Unit 1 Edexcel
Partisanship
Party Decline and Party Renewal
Party Decline and Party Renewal
McCutcheon v FEC
Brock Reforms
Party Discipline and Elective Dictatorship
Party realignment and dealignment
Personal learning checklists- created by John Gibbs
Personal qualities of US Presidents
Peter Hennessy
Philip Norton
PM and Executive
PM Government or Cabinet Government
Politics Review Article Robert Singh
Pork Barrel
Power without Persuasion: Ways around Congress
precedents
Prerogative Powers
Pressure groups and participation
Types of Pressure Groups
How pressure groups exert influence
Case study: Tobacco lobbying and Rishi Sunak
Prime Minister and Executive
Case study David Cameron
Case Study Tony Blair
Prime Minister’s Questions
privilege
Progressive v Reactionary
Questions to Ministers
Race and Rights in Contemporary US Politics
Heart of Atlanta Motel, Inc. v. United States
Racialism
Rational v Irrational
Recruitment and training of ministers
Referendums and how they are used
Reforms since 2015
Relations Between the Branches
Relations between the branches
Representation
split-ticket voting
Representation
Representative Democracy
Revision Summary Party Factions and Policies
Immigration USA
Health Care USA
The Tea Party
Debt and deficit
Revolving-door syndrome
Revolving Door UK
Case study Revolving door UK Greensill and David Cameron
Riley v California 2014
Rules Committee
Scrutiny and Oversight
Secondary Legislation
Secondary Legislation
Self Determination
Separation of powers
Shelby v Holder 2013
Should England have a Parliament
Should the Constitution still be reformed?
The Rise and Fall of British Democracy
Should the voting age be reduced to 16?
Similarities and differences
Single European Act and the Four Freedoms
site link
Socialism Edexcel
Stare Decisis
Statute law
Strengths a weaknesses of the nominating process
Strengths and weaknesses of the nominating process
Strict and loose constructionalism
Sufferagists and Sufferagettes
Supreme Court Appointments Process
the 11 Day Rule
The advantages and disadvantages of Representative Democracy
The advantages and disadvantages of the nominating process
The Amendment Process
The Amendment Process
The Appointment process for the Supreme Court
Case study Jackson, Ketanji Brown 2022
The bully pulpit
The Cabinet
The Cabinet and the Prime Minister
The changing cabinet
The Case for Reform
The consequences of federalism
The Constitution since 1997
The Core Executive Model
The Customs Union
The Development of the EU
The Election of 2010
The Electoral College
The electoral college favours white voters
The electoral mandate
The enumerated powers
The EU and member states: power over some key policy areas
The EU and the UK
The impact of the EU on the fundamental principles of the UK constitution a
The evolution of federalism
The Executive Office of the President
The Executive Office of the President
The Executive Office of the President
The factors governing the prime minister's selection of ministers
The Five main Sources
Relations between the UK and devolved governments
The appointment of the prime minister by the monarch
The Functions of Congress:
Subpoena of Steve Bannon
The Functions of Elections-
The Functions of Parliament
Debates in Parliament
The growth and development of the Presidency
Case Study: Why did Trump win in 2024?
Women did not rescue Kamala's campaign
The impact of social media
Kamala was the wrong candidate to beat Trump
Vice Presidents dont do well in elections for the Presidency
Let's not forget misogyny and racism
Trump appealed to men.
Minorities moved towards Trump
Immigration
'It's the economy, stupid!'
Take Trump seriously but not literally.
The MAGA Cult
Joe Rogan
The imapct of social media.
The Culture War
Income inequality
The decline in social mobility
Trump and the rise of populism
Trump is the result of a loss of confidence in democracy
Trump is the result of a constitutional Crisis
democracy and why we shouldn’t be surprised.
The History and development of Rights in the UK
Equality Act 2010
The history of voting rights
The Human Rights Act
The impact of the EU on the UK
The implied powers
The implied powers
The importance of presidential debates
The influence of interest groups on democracy
The influence of the Supreme Court on the Executive and Parliament
Case Study: Shamima Begum (2021)
Case Study: AM (Zimbabwe) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (202
Case Study:Joanna Cherry/Gina Miller case 2019
Is the UK Supreme Court too political?
Case study Miller v Sec of State for Exiting the EU 2016
The Instutuional Predensdency: Vice Presidency,Cabinet and Executive office.
The Invisible Primary
The Labour Party
Labour Party factions
Clause IV
Post Thatcher Consensus
The Living Constitution
The Localism Act 2011
The location of sovereignty in the UK
The location of sovereignty in the UK
The Main Characteristics of US federalism
Moore v Harper
Power Point Federalism
The nature and role of the Supreme Court
Dissenting Opinions are letters to the future
The nature of the US Constitution
The New Right
The politics of federalism
The powers and organisation of the Executive
The Ministerial Code
Patronage
The powers of the Lords and Commons compared
The Presidency
The principles of the US Constitution - their effectiveness today
The Supreme Court as referee
Gridlock
Vagueness and silence in the Constitution
Case study Funding for Ukraine
Trump v Vance (2020)
The protection of Civil Liberties and Rights in the USA today
Roe V Wade
Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt
Shelby County v Holder
Plessy v Ferguson
The relationship between Parliament and the Government?
Theories of Parliamentary Power
The relationship between the Government and Parliament
The relationship between the Government and Parliament
The relationship between the presidency and Congress
The relationship between the president and the Supreme Court
Guns in the USA
Supreme Court Won’t Extend Wisconsin’s Deadline for Mailed Ballots
The role and significance of the opposition
The Role of Backbench MPs
The role of campaign finance
The role of incumbency
The Role of Select Committees
. Evaluate the view that select committees are the most effective way for
Humble Address
Case Study: Test and Trace
The role of the Supreme Court UK
Can asylum seekers be sent to Rwanda
The Rule of Law
The Salisbury Convention
The Scotland Act 2016
The structure and organisation of Parliament Commons and Lords.
How to become an MP
The structure of Congress:
The structure of the Constitution
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court and Public Policy
Ghost Guns United States v. Rahimi
Fischer v. United States
Trump cases 2024
Trump v USA
Case study Trump & the Supreme Court
Gun Control
Immigration
Health
National Federation of Independent Business v Sebelius
Marriage
United States v Windsor (2013)
Abortion
Oklahoma Executes Prisoner After Supreme Court Overturns Stay
Miranda v Arizona 1966.
Brown v The Board of Education
The Supreme Court decision on the Article 50 Case
The Supreme Court influence and power
The timeline story of Brexit
The UK Constitution
The UK: 'A distinctive Constitution'
Union State
The UK Constitution
The UK Constitution and its sources
The UK Courts System
The US Cabinet
The Veto
Theories of Representation
There is no agreed definition of Parliament's functions
Think Tanks
Tony Blair Prime Minister or President The Guardian 2005
Traditional Conservatism
treaties
UK Political Parties The main three
Ultra Vires
unanimity and qualified majority voting
Unentrenched / Uncodified
Unit 1 AS & A level : check lists of essential knowledge for Edexcel
Unit 2 AS & A level
Unit 3 A level Only USA & Comparative
Unit 3 Comparative USA (Year 13)
Unitary
US Constitution and Federalism
Comparison: UK and US Constitutions
US Presidency
Case study OBAMA
Too Big to Fail: The Bank Bail out
The Impeachment of Trump
The Pardon Power
Comparison: PM & President
US Supreme Court and Civil Rights
Case Study: The American Federalist Society and the Supreme Court
Comparison: Civil Rights UK & USA
Natural Rights
Comparison USA & UK Supreme Court
USA Congress
USA Constitution
USA Democracy & Participation
USA Supreme Court
USA The Presidency
Vice Presidency
Vice President: Tie Breaking Vote
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?
President Pro Tempore
Voting Behaviour
Voting Behaviour :Edexcel
Voting behaviour,turnout and gerrymandering
Registration Procedures
What are Ministerial and Collective Responsibility?
Site logo image Level 5 Response – Evaluate the view that IMR and CMR are
What should be done to reform the system
E Petitions
Recall of MPs Act 2015
Who runs foreign policy, the president or Congress?
Whole Woman's Health v Hellerstedt 2016
Why and to what extent have the Judiciary and the government come into conflict in recent years?
Wider Reading New York Times on Originalism
Wider Reading: Why did Trump win 2016 by Anthony Bennett
Works of Authority
Year 13 Nationalism

The Politics Shed

Democracy and Participation

Democracy and Participation

Current systems of representative and direct democracy

A wider Franchise- History of voting rights UK.

Pressure groups and participation .

Rights and Participation.

Key Terms you should know

The Crisis of Democracy
Legitimacy
The function of elections
Democracy
direct democracy
Representative democracy
Pluralist democracy
democratic deficit
Functions of democracy
Problems with Democracy
Participation crisis
Franchise/Suffrage
civil liberties
Human Rights
Think Tanks
Lobbyists

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