Power and Democracy
| Module title | Power and Democracy |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC2120 |
| Academic year | 2021/2 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Andrew Schaap (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 12 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
Should democratic politics be limited to periodic competitive elections of parliamentary representatives? Or should it be expanded to include meaningful political participation by all in other areas of social life, such as the workplace? Is democracy just a matter of voting in order to determine the majority view based on pre-existing individual preferences? Or should it also include practices of deliberation in which citizens develop more informed opinions in light of relevant information and moral considerations? Is the ignorance of the average voter the main challenge for democracy today or the ignorance of political elites? By introducing you to the field of democratic theory, this module will equip you to reflect on the conceptual and normative issues contained in such pressing questions of democratic life today.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to encourage you to reflect on contemporary debates about democratic politics in light of two broad traditions of political thought: liberal and radical democracy. On the one hand, liberal democrats tend to view democracy simply as decision-making procedure: they want to limit democratic politics to appropriate political arenas and to direct it through appropriate channels. On the other hand, radical democrats tend to view democracy as a way of life: they want to expand democratic politics throughout social life and enhance the meaningfulness of participation available to citizens. You will reflect on how these traditions of democratic thought inform and influence how we think about a range of contested practices of political life today, such as populism and elitism, participation and representation, deliberation and dissent, and identity and difference.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. distinguish between liberal and radical theories of democracy;
- 2. evaluate political phenomena in terms of normative criteria of democratic theory.
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. assess the insightfulness of different interpretations of political texts and phenomena;
- 4. assimilate and analyse a range of sources in contemporary political theory.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. refine normative and conceptual arguments;
- 6. reflect on your own social position and political agency.
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:
- Citizenship
- The public sphere
- Electorate
- Elites
- Partisanship
- Populism
- Participation
- Representation
- Deliberation
- Dissent
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5 | 113.5 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour seminars |
| Guided Independent study | 48 | Reading and preparing for seminars |
| Guided Independent study | 65.5 | Completing assessment tasks |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group portfolio (3-6 students) | 1,500 words | 1-6 | Verbal comments from tutor and peer-review in class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written comments |
| Portfolio | 50 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Cohort feedback/completed marking template |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Portfolio | Portfolio (2,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Basic reading:
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
Ackerman, Bruce & James Fishkin (2002) ‘Deliberation Day’, The Journal of Political Philosophy 10 (2): 129-152.
Brennan, Jason (2011) ‘The Right to a Competent Electorate’, The Philosophical Quarterly 61 (245): 700-724.
Canovan, Margaret (1999) ‘Trust the People! Populism and the two Faces of Democracy’, Political Studies 47: 2-16.
Gilroy, Paul (2012) ‘‘My Britain is fuck all’: zombie multiculturalism and the race politics of citizenship’, Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power 19 (4): 380-397.
Green, Jeffrey (2010) The Eyes of the People: Democracy in an Age of Spectatorship. Oxford University Press, ch.1 & 2 (excerpts).
Medina, Jose (2012) ‘Active Ignorance, Epistemic Others, and Epistemic Friction’ in The Epistemology of Resistance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, ch.1.
Saward, Michael (2009) ‘Authorisation and Authenticity: Representation and the Unelected’, Journal of Political Philosophy 17 (1): 1-22.
White, Jonathan & Lea Ypi (forthcoming) ‘Political Parties’ in Jeffrey King and Richard Bellamy (eds) The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Woodley, Deva (2019) ‘Black Feminist Visions and the Politics of Healing in the Movement for Black Lives’ in Ay?e Gül Altýnay et al (eds) Women Mobilizing Memory. New York: Columbia University Press: 219-237.
Young¸ Iris Marion (2001) ‘Activist Challenges to Deliberative Democracy’, Political Theory 29 (5): 670-690.
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 5 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 18/12/2018 |
| Last revision date | 08/01/2021 |
