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Debating British Political History, 1906 to the Present

Module description

This module provides you with an opportunity to explore classic and emerging debates about British political history since 1906, engaging closely with ongoing research being conducted at Exeter. This was an era defined by the challenges which political parties faced in engaging with mass democracy, changing assumptions about the role of the state, and social changes which reshaped understandings about what the tasks of government should be. Through exploring key debates via a range of primary and secondary sources we will consider how and why the writing of British political histories has changed over time.

Module aims - intentions of the module

The module will encourage you to consider how new approaches to studying British political history have reshaped approaches to the subject in the past and continue to do so. Among the themes we will explore are the influence of the ‘new political history’ and the recent ‘social scientific turn’ in modern British history. We will consider how new histories of neoliberalism, the digitisation of archival records, and the reanalysis of archived social science data are reshaping understandings of post-1945 Britain. You will gain an understanding of the value of historical thinking for exploring public policy dilemmas such as those faced by civil servants. No prior knowledge is required.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Understand and evaluate the main themes and approaches in the history of modern British politics.
• 2. Possess detailed knowledge of the key historiographical and theoretical debates informing the study of modern British politics.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of key historical concepts and debates.
• 4. Research for yourself and present independent accounts and interpretations of different historical issues

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 5. Demonstrate a capacity for independent critical research, study and thought, including developing the ability to construct and defend a sustained argument using primary and secondary materials.
• 6. Work as an individual and with a tutor and peers in an independent, constructive and responsive way (e.g. lead a group discussion or task).

Syllabus plan

The exact syllabus may vary year to year but the module will examine topics such as:

• The decline of the Liberals and the rise of Labour
• The inter-war Conservative ‘hegemony’ and National Government
• The development of the post-war welfare state
• Political engagement and identity politics
• Britain’s changing relations with the EEC/ EU
• Thatcherism and Post-Thatcherism
• The uses of history in modern British policy-making

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment. 

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 50%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 50%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

• Laura Beers, Your Britain: Media and the Making of the Labour Party (Harvard, 2010)
• Lawrence Black, Redefining British Politics: Culture, Consumerism and Participation, 1954-70 (Palgrave, 2010)
• Lise Butler, Michael Young, Social Science, and the British Left 1945-70 (Oxford, 2020)
• Amy Edwards, Are We Rich Yet? The Rise of Mass Investment Culture in Contemporary Britain (Berkeley, 2022)
• E.H.H. Green, Ideologies of Conservatism (Oxford, 2002)
• Ben Jackson and Robert Saunders eds., Making Thatcher’s Britain (Cambridge, 2012)
• Richard Jobson, Nostalgia and the Post-War Labour Party (Manchester, 2018)
• Jon Lawrence, Me, Me, Me: The Search for Community in Post-War England (Oxford, 2019)
• Ross McKibbin, Parties and People: England 1914-1951 (Oxford, 2010)
• Robert Saunders, Yes to Europe! The 1975 Referendum and Seventies Britain (Cambridge, 2018)
• David Thackeray and Richard Toye, Age of Promises: Electoral Pledges in Twentieth Century Britain (Oxford, 2021)
• https://www.historyandpolicy.org/

Key words search

British history; Politics; Public policy; Government