Introductory description

This is a module about politics and power in the United Kingdom. It has perhaps never been more important, or exciting, to deepen our understanding of politics in the UK. Recent years have seen an upheaval in the major political parties, a major financial crisis and the deployment of austerity policies, an increased use in referendums to address major constitutional questions, and revived protest politics on both the left and the right. This module takes a systematic approach to understand all of these changes, combining both historical and comparative lenses to illuminate contemporary UK politics.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Week 1: Introduction: Module Information, and What is the Westminster System?
Week 2: Consensus or Decline: The Post War Settlement
Week 3: Crisis, What Crisis?
Week 4: Week 4 Thatcher and Thatcherism
Week 5: New Labour
Week 6: Reading Week
Week 7: Crashes, Coalitions, and Conservative Governments
Week 8: Brexit means...?
Week 9: Devolution and the State of the Union
Week 10: Race and Class in UK Politics
Week 11: Gender and Sexuality in UK Politics
Week 12: Voters and Elections in UK Politics
Week 13: Parties and Party Systems
Week 14: The Core Executive in UK Politics
Week 15: Parliament and The Policy Process
Week 16: Reading Week
Week 17: Avenues of Influence – Pressure Groups, The Media and Lobbying
Week 18: Globalisation, Europe and the United Kingdom
Week 19: Austerity and Inequality in the United Kingdom
Week 20: Debates in UK Foreign Policy

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate familiarity with the constitutional apparatus of UK politics
• Show an awareness of rival interpretations of the current state of politics in the UK
• Show an ability to examine the politics of the UK within a comparative context
• Show an awareness of the most important political constraints affecting the conduct of UK government in a range of policy sectors
• Show an appreciation of the extent to which UK politics are affected by external economic and political constraints
• Show an understanding of the role played by gender, class and race in the shaping of politics of the UK

Indicative reading list

Core Textbooks

British politics
Book by Simon Griffiths; Robert Leach; Robert Leach 2018

Politics UK
Book by Bill Jones; Philip Norton; Oliver Daddow 2018

Developments in British politics 10
Book edited by Richard Heffernan; Colin Hay; Meg Russell; Philip Cowley 2016

Politics and Governance in the UK
Book by Michael Moran 2015

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

TBC

Transferable skills

Communication skills, including both written and oral presentation skills
Lateral thinking skills
Skills in the distillation and application of complex information and ideas
Critical thinking
Analytical skills
Independent research skills
Problem solving
Time management
Information Technology
Skills in academic practice
Awareness of, and sensitivity to, diversity
Decision making