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Party Politics, Voters and Elections in Britain

Module description

Elections and political parties sit at the heart of our democracy. They shape public debate and are pivotal to the decisions we take about which issues should be prioritised and how to solve social problems. At the same time, British party politics and the relationships between them and their voters are changing – making elections less predictable and making room for insurgents to challenge the parties that have dominated the political system.

This module will equip you with the knowledge, conceptual tools and skills to observe, analyse and explain electoral politics in Britain. You will learn about the British party system and how it is changing, theories and tools (such as polling) used to explain voter behaviour and party campaigns, the electoral systems used in the UK, and local party politics and campaigns in Cornwall. You will also have the chance to use polling data to analyse recent elections and current affairs, and make predictions about future elections and party fortunes.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module will introduce students to the study of party politics, voter behaviour and election outcomes in British politics. It will develop your knowledge of the functions and operations of key institutions central to British democracy, and of the theories that help explain the priorities and behaviours of voters and the nature of Britain’s public debate. You will also be equipped with the knowledge, conceptual and theoretical tools, and analytical skills to observe, analyse and explain the behaviour of political parties, the preferences and behaviour of voters, and the outcomes of elections and referendums. Finally, this module will introduce you to the study of local politics with a specific focus on the party system and voter behaviour in Cornwall.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

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

• 1. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the role and functions of political parties and elections in British democracy.
• 2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the theories, conceptual tools and data used to study and explain voter behaviour
• 3. Critically evaluate debates, arguments and evidence regarding events and outcomes in British party/electoral politics

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

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

• 4. Critically evaluate data, theories and concepts underpinning academic arguments
• 5. Independently gather, evaluate and utilise data, arguments and concepts from academic and grey literatures
• 6. Use academic theories and debates to evaluate and inform public debate

ILO: Personal and key skills

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

• 7. Develop and articulate an argument based on independent research and critical evaluation
• 8. Communicate arguments, data, theories and concepts both verbally and in writing
• 9. Work independently and with peers to achieve goals

Syllabus plan

While precise content will vary from year to year, the teaching activity will include lectures and seminar activities based on the following topics:

• Introduction to the study of party politics
• Ideology, leadership & electoral context of major parties
• Rise of insurgent parties & independents
• Party identification & partisanship
• Electoral shocks and realignment
• Turnout and voter registration
• Electoral systems
• Study of voter behaviour
• Local politics

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 40%) 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 40%.

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Clark, A. (2018) Political Parties in the UK, Second Edition. London: Palgrave

Cowley, P., Ford, R.A. (Eds) (2019) Sex, Lies and Politics: The Secret Influences that Drive our Political Choices, London: BiteBack publishing

Cowley, P., Ford, R.A. (Eds) (2014) Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box: 50 things you need to know about British elections, London: BiteBack publishing

Cowley, P., Ford, R.A. (Eds) (2016) Sex, Lies and the Ballot Box: Another 50 things you need to know about British elections, London: BiteBack publishing

Sobolewska, M., Ford, R. (2020) Brexitland: Identity, Diversity and the Reshaping of British Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Kolpinskaya, E., Fox, S. (2021) Religion and Euroscepticism in Brexit Britain, London: Routledge

Denver, D.T., Johns, R. (2022) Elections and Voters in Britain, 5th Edition. London: Palgrave

Fieldhouse, E., Green, J., Evans, G., Mellon, J., Prosser, C., Schmitt, H., Van der Eijk, C. (2020) Electoral Shocks: The Volatile Voter in a Turbulent World, Oxford: Oxford University Press

Fisher, J., Fieldhouse, E., Franklin, M.N., Gibson, R., Cantijoch, M., Wlezien, C. (Eds) (2017) The Routledge Handbook of Elections, Voting Behaviour and Public Opinion, London: Routledge

Bale, T. (2016) The Conservative Party: From Thatcher to Cameron, Second Edition, London: Polity Press

Key words search

Political participation, political socialisation, generations, life cycle, political engagement