Power, concepts, and context
Use concepts such as power, sovereignty, legitimacy, and interdependence to explain a political issue within its local, national, international, and global contexts.
IB ib-global-politics • SL
IB Global Politics SL
Use this IB Global Politics SL study guide to browse the syllabus topic structure, study materials, and practice resources.
Structured practice
IB Global Politics SL Question Bank
Jump straight into grouped unit practice without losing your place in the syllabus overview.
1 Power, Sovereignty and International Relations
1.1 Nature of Power
1.2 Operation of State Power in Global Politics
1.3 International Organisations and Non-State Actors
1.3.1 The United Nations (UN)
1.3.2 Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs)
1.3.3 Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
1.3.4 Multinational Corporations (MNCs) and Trade Unions
1.3.5 Social and Resistance Movements
1.3.6 Violent Protest Movements
1.3.7 Political Parties: Shaping Global and National Politics
1.3.8 Informal Forums
1.3.9 Legitimacy of Non-State Actors
1.4 Interactions in Global Politics
2 Human Rights
2.1 Nature and Evolution of Human Rights
2.2 Practice of Human Rights
2.3 Debates Surrounding Human Rights
3 Development
3.1 Contested Meanings of Development
3.2 Measuring Development
3.3 Factors Affecting Development
3.4 Pathways Towards Development
3.5 Debates Surrounding Development
4 Peace and Conflict
4.1 Contested Meanings
4.2 Types of Conflict
4.3 Justifications of Violence
4.4 Causes and Parties to Conflict
4.5 Evolution of Conflict
4.6 Conflict Resolution and Transformation
Overview
Course overview
How to study IB Global Politics SL
The current IB Global Politics SL course, first assessed in May 2026, connects the core theme of understanding power and global politics with rights and justice, development and sustainability, and peace and conflict. SL applies the shared concepts and content to contemporary political issues at different levels of analysis. The StudyIB topic catalogue below currently retains resources organised under the previous four-unit course; use relevant concepts and cases while mapping every resource to the current 2026 guide.
Evidence and diverse perspectives
Build arguments from precise case evidence and compare how actors, communities, institutions, and sources frame the same political issue.
Inquiry, evaluation, and action
Move from description to claims, counterclaims, implications, and justified judgement.
Assessment at a glance
For IB Global Politics SL first assessed in May 2026, Paper 1 is source-based, Paper 2 is an extended-response paper on the thematic studies, and the engagement project is internally assessed and externally moderated.
| Component | Format | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 1 hour 15 minutes; four compulsory source-based questions on the common core | 30% |
| Paper 2 | 1 hour 45 minutes; two essays covering thematic and cross-thematic questions | 40% |
| Engagement project | 25 hours; written report with engagement, research, stakeholder analysis, and reflection | 30% |
Sources: official IB Global Politics guide (first assessment 2026) and official IB Global Politics curriculum update.
Revision plan
- 1.Confirm that your examination session uses the first-assessment-2026 course and map each legacy StudyIB topic to the current core or thematic study.
- 2.Organise case files by political claim, concept, actor, evidence, counter-perspective, and limitation rather than by news chronology.
- 3.Practise Paper 1 by combining source analysis with contextual knowledge and Paper 2 by integrating evidence across thematic studies.
- 4.Develop the engagement project through planned activity, complementary research, stakeholder perspectives, analysis, and reflection.
Exam strategy
Let the command term and political concept shape the response. Use sources and cases as evidence for an argument, compare diverse perspectives explicitly, and qualify the final judgement by context and scale. In the engagement project, connect what you learned through engagement to research and course content rather than reporting activities only.
Practise IB Global Politics SL questionsFrequently asked questions
Which syllabus applies to IB Global Politics SL in 2026?
The current course was first taught in August 2024 and is first assessed in May 2026. Candidates sitting the May 2026 session or later should use the first-assessment-2026 guide and confirm their examination session with their school.
What does IB Global Politics SL cover from 2026?
SL studies the common core, understanding power and global politics, and three thematic studies: rights and justice, development and sustainability, and peace and conflict. Concepts, contexts, content, and inquiry are connected through contemporary political issues.
How is IB Global Politics SL assessed from 2026?
SL Paper 1 lasts one hour 15 minutes and contributes 30%; Paper 2 lasts one hour 45 minutes and contributes 40%; the engagement project contributes 30%.
What changed in the first-assessment-2026 Global Politics course?
The course is now organised around a common core and three interconnected thematic studies rather than the previous four-unit structure. Paper 2 includes thematic and cross-thematic questions; HL uses a new stimulus-based Paper 3, and the former HL oral extension has been removed.
Does the StudyIB Global Politics topic list use the 2026 syllabus structure?
The current StudyIB topic catalogue still contains resources organised under the earlier four-unit course and its named HL challenges. Many concepts and cases remain useful, but 2026 candidates should map each resource to the current core, thematic studies, or HL inquiries and use the official guide as the coverage checklist.