Parliamentary Studies
Module title | Parliamentary Studies |
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Module code | POC2151 |
Academic year | 2024/5 |
Credits | 15 |
Module staff | Dr Ekaterina Kolpinskaya (Lecturer) |
Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
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Duration: Weeks | 10 |
Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
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Module description
The Parliamentary Studies module – co-delivered with the UK Parliament and supported by the Parliamentary Outreach Trust – enables you to examine the workings of the UK Parliament and the legislative processes in the context of the British party system and political culture, and the broader system of inter-parliamentary relations between the UK’s legislatures.
This module is suitable for non-specialist students interested in British politics. It does not have pre-requisites nor assumes prior knowledge and skills in this subject area. It is, however, specifically focused on the UK Parliament, and would not be the best fit for those on interdisciplinary pathways.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to foster your understanding of the logic and facets of Parliament – from the structure, functions and internal working of parliamentary bodies to inter-parliamentary relations between the UK Parliament and devolved legislatures.
In addition to the institutional set-up, it aims to examine parliamentary politics by focusing on behaviours and legislative roles of parliamentarians, as well as their relationships with constituents, political parties and the British public using lectures and seminars, as well as interactive activities, guest talks and a field trip to Parliament.
Finally, it aims to build your confidence and proficiency in the use of parliamentary language and writing styles, thus enabling you to write for political practitioners in the future. This is enabled by researching for and writing a submission of evidence based on the terms of reference for an ongoing or past parliamentary committee inquiry.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Show understanding of debates regarding (1) the relationship between the executive and Parliament; (2) modernisation and reform of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, (3) the legislative process, and (3) the relationships of Parliament with devolved legislatures of the UK
- 2. Identify, explain and discuss the roles of Members of the House of Commons and Lords and the dynamics and effectiveness of parliamentary scrutiny and of parliamentary accountability
- 3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the main theoretical and methodological approaches to legislative studies, and issues shaping development of the UK Parliament
- 4. Select and present in a coherent way, orally and in writing, empirical and theoretical arguments relevant to the study of Parliament
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Collect, synthesise and analyse evidence, as well as present it in a coherent way in response to both academic and practitioner inquiries
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Select, critically engage with and manage relevant learning resources and information and to develop own, evidence-based arguments
- 7. Communicate effectively and accurately, orally and in writing, to academic and political practitioner (i.e. parliamentary) audiences
Syllabus plan
While the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover the following topics:
- Theoretical and historical perspectives on the UK Parliament
- Modernisation of the House of Commons since 1997
- Reform of the House of Lords
- Passing primary and secondary/delegated legislation through Parliament
- Parliamentary Committees at work
- Parliament and devolution
- Legislative roles and parliamentary behaviour
- Parliamentary representation and accountability
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
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29 | 121 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
Category | Hours of study time | Description |
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Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | 10 x 1-hour interactive lectures |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | 10 x 1-hour seminar dicussions and interactive activities |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 2 | 1 x 2-hour assessment support clinic |
Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 7 | Field trip to Parliament, including guest talks, observation of parliamentary activities and participation in discussions |
Guided independent Study | 40 | Completing readings assigned for the module on a weekly basis |
Guided independent study | 8 | Preparation for formative assignment. Preparing a detailed outline of the submission to the Select Committee inquiry |
Guided independent Study | 38 | Preparation of assignment 1 (submission to the Select Committee inquiry). Conducting research, synthetising evidence, designing recommendations for the government and writing up |
Guided independent study | 30 | Preparation the exam, including revising readings, lecture and seminar materials |
Guided independent study | 5 | Receiving and reflecting on feedback |
Formative assessment
Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Outline of the submission of evidence to a parliamentary committee inquiry | 500 words | 1-7 | Written |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
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60 | 40 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
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Submission of evidence to a parliamentary committee inquiry | 60 | 1,700 words | 1-7 | Written |
Time-limited, multiple choice/short answer exam | 40 | 1 hour | 1-7 | Written |
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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 |
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Submission of evidence to a parliamentary committee inquiry | Submission of evidence to a parliamentary committee inquiry (1,700 words) | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral Period |
Time-limited, multiple choice/short answer exam | Time-limited, multiple choice/short answer exam (1 hour) | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral Period |
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 40%) you will be required to redo the assessment(s) as defined above. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Leston-Bandeira, C. and Thompson, L. (eds.) 2018. Exploring Parliament. Oxford University Press.
- Crewe, E. (2015). The House of Commons: An anthropology of MPs at work. Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Thompson, L. (2015). Making British law: committees in action. Springer.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
It is important to keep up-to-date with Westminster politics through the media and regularly updated academic and policy research resources. Students are recommended to:
Follow the Parliamentary Studies list, I have collated for the module on Twitter [link]
Listen to radio programmes – Today; Radio 4 News; Westminster Hour; The Week in Westminster (all can be accessed via BBC iPlayer) – and podcasts such as:
- Hansard Society’s Parliament Matters
- The House of Commons Library Podcast
- The House of Lords podcast
- The Constitution Unit podcast
- Inside Briefing with Institute for Government
- UK in a Changing Europe podcast
Watch television news and political programmes – Newsnight; Channel 4 News; The Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme; Question Time; Daily Politics (all can be accessed via BBC iPlayer)
Follow useful non-Parliament organisations (watch for updates, events and publications):
- http://www.theyworkforyou.com– documents MPs’ activities
- http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk– provides extensive analysis of all things Parliament
- https://quizminster.digiminster.com/ - training quiz on members of Parliament
- http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit - academic analyses on constitutional issues
- http://www.studyofparliament.org.uk– the Study of Parliament Group
- http://www.histparl.ac.uk– History of Parliament Trust
- http://www.ipu.org/english/home.htm - Inter-Parliamentary Union
- http://www.cpahq.org/cpahq/mem/default.aspx - Commonwealth Parliamentary Union
- https://psaparliaments.org/ - PSA Specialist Group on Parliaments
- http://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk– the Institute for Government
- http://www.wfd.org– Westminster Foundation for Democracy
Credit value | 15 |
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Module ECTS | 7.5 |
NQF level (module) | 5 |
Available as distance learning? | No |
Origin date | 30/01/2024 |