The Legal Regulation of Civil Society
| Module title | The Legal Regulation of Civil Society |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL2108 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Professor Nicole Bolleyer (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
Module description
The legal regulation of civil society organizations tends be contentious in long-lived democracies, often portrayed as an illegitimate intrusion in a sphere that ought to be “private” and “autonomous”. The reality, however, is that civil society organizations operate in a ‘sea of law’ (Edelman and Suchman 1997) ranging from charity and tax law, over lobbying regulations to campaign and third party regulation. This module will introduce you to the comparative, cross-national analysis of legal regulation adopted by long-lived democracies affecting the formation, the operation and the dissolution of central types of civil society organizations such as political parties, interest groups, charities and non-profits.
Prerequisites: Introduction to Comparative Politics (POL1029) OR Introduction to Public Policy (POL1044).
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module has three main goals: first, to introduce you to the diversity of legal regulation currently applicable to central civil society organizations such as political parties, interest groups, charities and non-profits in long-lived democracies. Second, to familiarizes you with the analytical tools to systematically compare, analyze and evaluate different types of legal regulation that long-lived democracies apply to civil society organizations. Third, to introduce you to the analysis of factors (e.g. the influence of legal family, democratic history or welfare state traditions) (dis)incentivizing different democracies to adopte a constraining or permissive approach in different areas of civil society regulation.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Understand the different ways civil society organizations are legally regulated in long-lived democracies
- 2. Recognize the drivers for different modes of legal regulation in different country settings and evaluate critically the different types of regulation applicable to civil society organizations
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Think critically, analyse debates and present coherent arguments on civil society regulation in politics, comparative law and sociology
- 4. Apply theories in comparative politics and public policy to real-life developments in different country settings
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Effectively communicate (orally and/or in writing) complex topics in a coherent and well structured manner
- 6. Conduct independent research and exercise critical reasoning in weighing academic arguments
- 7. Demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- How to systematically analyze legal regulation of civil society organizations cross-nationally and over time.
- Patterns of civil society regulation applicable to organizations such as political parties, interest groups and charities in long-lived democracies.
- Drivers of civil society regulation in long-lived democracies.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 128 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and teaching activity | 22 | Weekly 2 hour seminars over 11 weeks |
| Guided Independent study | 78 | Reading and seminar preparation |
| Guided Independent study | 50 | Course work preparation and writing |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay outline | 500 words | 1-6 | Written and oral |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 40 | 20 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class presentation (in groups) | 20 | 30 minutes | 1-6 | Peer-feedback moderated by convenor and written feedback by convenor |
| Essay | 40 | 1200 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Examination | 40 | 1 hour | 1-7 | Written |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class presentation (in groups) | Detailed presentation outline (up to 3 pages) and viva (20 minutes) | 1-6 | Term 3 |
| Essay | Essay (1200 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Examination | Examination (1 hour) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Biezen I van (2012) Constitutionalizing Party Democracy: The Constitutive Codification of Political Parties in Post-War Europe, British Journal of Political Science 42(1): 187-212.
Bolleyer, N (2018) The State and Civil Society: Regulating Interest Groups, Parties, and Public Benefit Organizations in Contemporary Democracies, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Edelman LB and Suchman MC (1997) The Legal Environments of Organizations, Annual Review of Sociology 23: 479-515.
Garton J (2009) The Regulation of Organised Civil Society. London: Hart Publishing.
Holman C and Luneburg W (2012) Lobbying and Transparency: A Comparative Analysis of Regulatory Reform, Interest Groups and Advocacy 1 (1): 75-104.
O’Halloran K (2011) The Politics of Charity. London: Routledge.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | Introduction to Comparative Politics (POL1029) OR Introduction to Public Policy (POL1044) |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 14/01/2019 |
| Last revision date | 14/01/2019 |