Elections, Public Opinion and Parties in Britain
| Module title | Elections, Public Opinion and Parties in Britain |
|---|---|
| Module code | POL3302 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Hannah Bunting (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 30 |
|---|
Module description
British politics continues to take unprecedented twists and turns. Once a stable model of democracy, recent developments have called this stability into question. Majoritarian elections have produced a coalition government, in devolved nations the proportional elections have produced majority governments. Public opinion is polarised, volatile and indecisive. The number of political parties has grown. This module examines both cutting-edge and established research to understand contemporary developments in Britain’s political system.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module will equip you with a comprehensive understanding of contemporary debates and evidence on several aspects of Britain’s elections, public opinion and political parties. The module will consider not only the national level but also devolved nations and local government and you will have the opportunity to apply quantitative and/or qualitative data to interrogate developments in British politics.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate a critical understanding of elections, public opinion and political parties in Britain
- 2. Identify and critique key developments in the British political system with reference to historical and contemporary evidence
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Deploy a range of social research methods commonly used in the discipline of politics
- 4. Use logic and reasoning to create and evaluate complex arguments
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Construct rigorous arguments through clear and concise writing
- 6. Conduct research using a wide variety of sources
Syllabus plan
The topics that are expected to be covered include:
- The mechanics of elections in Britain
- Parties and partisanship
- Polling and the exit poll
- Electoral competitiveness
- Gender, class and representation
- Trust in politicians and political processes
- Campaigning
- Political communication and the media
- Referenda and electoral reform
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 | 22 | 11 sessions of lecture and seminar of 2 hours each |
| Guided Independent Study | 128 | Including readings, seminar preparation and research for assessments |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay plan | 400 words | 1-6 | Written and oral |
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 | 100 | 3,500 words | 1-6 | Written |
| 0 |
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 (3,500 words) | Essay (3,500 words) | 1-6 | Referral/Deferral period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Sobolewska, M. and Ford, R., 2020. Brexitland. Cambridge University Press.
- Curtice, J., Fisher, S., Kuha, J. and Mellon, J., 2017. Surprise, surprise!(again) The 2017 British general election exit poll. Significance, 14(4), pp.26-29.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages
- Alia Middleton (2023) Turnout, government performance and localism in contemporary by-elections, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, DOI: 10.1080/17457289.2023.2169446
- Paul Webb & Tim Bale (2023) Shopping for a better deal? Party switching among grassroots members in Britain, Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 33:2, 247-257, DOI: 10.1080/17457289.2021.1941062
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 6 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 13/02/24 |
| Last revision date | 13/02/24 |
