Power and Democracy
| Module title | Power and Democracy |
|---|---|
| Module code | POC2120 |
| Academic year | 2020/1 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Andrew Schaap (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| 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. 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:
- Hatred of Democracy
- Elitism
- Populism
- Representation
- Participation
- Deliberation
- Dissent
- Identity
- Difference
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 | 11 x 2 hour weekly seminars |
| Guided Independent study | 48 | Reading and preparation for seminars |
| Guided Independent study | 80 | Preparation and completion of assessment tasks |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay plan | 2 pages | 1-6 | Verbal comments from tutor and peer-review in class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 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 |
| Exam | 50 | 1hr 30mins | 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 (2000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Exam | Exam (1hr 30mins) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Indicative learning resources - 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.
Joseph Schumpeter (1943) Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. London: Allen & Unwin, ch.20-22.
Margaret Canovan (1999) ‘Trust the People! Populism and the two Faces of Democracy’, Political Studies 47: 2-16.
Jeffrey Green (2010) The Eyes of the People: Democracy in an Age of Spectatorship. Oxford University Press, ch.1 & 2 (excerpts).
Michael Saward (2009) ‘Authorisation and Authenticity: Representation and the Unelected’, Journal of Political Philosophy 17(1): 1-22.
Bruce Ackerman & James Fishkin (2002) ‘Deliberation Day’, The Journal of Political Philosophy 10(2): 129-152.
Iris Marion Young (2001) ‘Activist Challenges to Deliberative Democracy’, Political Theory 29(5): 670-690.
Bernard Yack (2001) ‘Popular Sovereignty and Nationalism’, Political Theory 29(4): 517-536.
Jose Medina (2012) ‘Active Ignorance, Epistemic Others, and Epistemic Friction’ in The Epistemology of Resistance. Oxford: Oxford University Press, ch.1.
| 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 | 12/12/2019 |
