Unit information: Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction in 2024/25

Unit name	Comparative Government and Politics: An Introduction
Unit code	POLI11103
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24)
Unit director	Professor. Wickham-Jones
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

This unit introduces students to the comparative study of politics and government. We will examine different variants of democratic arrangements: the "Westminster" model, the presidential approach, and the consensual version. We will assess the strengths and weaknesses of each model as well as the manner in which they have been adopted and developed. We will appraise some of the core aspects of democracy: the format and impact of electoral systems, the role and nature of political parties, and the character of civil society. Finally we will consider the current crises experienced by so many apparently democratic systems.

Aims:

• to introduce students to key theories and concepts used in the study of comparative politics.

• to introduce students to the key literature on comparative politics.

• to introduce students to the outline of core political institutions.

• to develop a critical approach to understanding political institutions.

Your learning on this unit

By the end of this unit students will:

1. have read and understood some of the key literature on comparative politics
2. have demonstrated familiarity with key ideas used in the literature on comparative politics
3. be able to compare the political experiences of different countries
4. be able to write an essay that frames an explanation of political outcomes
5. have a working knowledge of key institutions of government
6. have a working knowledge of politics in the country cases

How you will learn

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars

How you will be assessed

1 x 1500 word essay (25%)

1 x 2500 word essay (75%)

Both essays will assess learning outcomes 1-6 as described above.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. POLI11103).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.