Second Year Liberal Arts 2014/15
DPE Optional Modules
5SSPP201 – Political Economy: Approaches, Concepts and Issues (Core)
Module Convenor: Dr Christel Koop and Dr Alexandre Afonso
15 credits
Semester 1
This module introduces students to a number of approaches theorising the relationships between
politics, the state and markets. The module is divided into five parts, with each part focusing on one
theoretical approach. The module is designed to link classical approaches with contemporary
analyses. The themes the module will focus on are (1) Marxism and the role of classes (2) culture
and the economy, (3) the social embeddedness of markets, (4) methodological individualism and
public choice, and (5) the role of institutions. Within each part, we will start by looking at one major
work that has offered a major contribution to the approach (The Communist Manifesto by Marx and
Engels, Weber’s Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Polanyi’s Great Transformation, Olson’s
Logic of Collective Action, and North’s Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance)
We will focus on the main arguments of these books, their underlying assumptions, their
methodology, and their contribution to the approach. We will then continue by assessing recent
work applying these approaches to contemporary issues in political economy.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, students should be able to:
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Be able to identify the specific assumptions and characteristics of different approaches in
political economy
Be able to compare these different approaches and their ability to explain real-world
phenomena
Be able to use the theoretical tools acquired in the module to analyse and compare concrete
empirical cases.
Reading List (Indicative)
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Marx, K (1992). Capital: A Critique of Political Economy, London: Penguin
Schumpeter, J. A. (2012). Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. London: Routledge.
Schonfield, A. (1965). Modern capitalism: The changing balance of public and private power,
London (1965).
Olson, M. (1982). The Rise and decline of nations: Economic growth, stagflation, and social
rigidities. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Weber, M. (2002). The Protestant Ethic and the" Spirit" Of Capitalism. London: Penguin
Classics.
Granovetter, M. (1973). Getting A Job: A Study Of Contacts And Careers. Chicago: University
of Chicago Press.
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Polanyi, K. (2001). The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins Of Our
Time. London: Beacon Press.
5SSPP202 – Modern Political Thought
Module Convenor: Dr Adrian Blau
15 credits
Semester 1
This course probes the ideas of some of the finest political thinkers in history, e.g. Machiavelli,
Hobbes, Rousseau, and J.S. Mill. We will look at why they wrote what they wrote, what they meant,
how well their arguments work, and why they gave different answers to questions such as: How do
we know what is morally right? What does it mean to be truly free? Is democracy possible or
desirable? What is the role of religion in the modern state? What rights should we have? And should
citizens dedicate themselves to the state?
The course will particularly suit students who enjoy political theory and the history of political
thought.
Assessment
Students will be assessed on the basis of two essays; one essay of 2,500 words (45%) and one essay
of 3,000 words (55%).
Indicative Reading
We will probably look at five or six different thinkers and their principal works, including the
following:
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Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince; The Discourses.
Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract.
John Stuart Mill, On Liberty; Considerations on Representative Government.
There is no textbook for the module, but the best general secondary source is:
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Iain Hampsher-Monk, A History of Modern Political Thought: Major thinkers from Hobbes to
Marx (Oxford, 1992).
5SSPP205 – Political Change in Europe
Module Convenor: Dr Anna Gwiazda
15 credits
Semester 1
This course provides a distinct approach to political change and comparative politics. First, it focuses
on political change in Europe. European politics has changed considerably since the fall of the Berlin
Wall in 1989. It no longer makes sense to divide Europe into East and West when trying to examine
issues and patterns in European politics. Within one Europe, there are distinct political systems, yet
the institutions of politics share some fundamental similarities. Hence, the course begins with an
overview of the organizing principles of democracy, democratization in Southern and Eastern Europe
and the assessment of the quality of democracy in Europe. However, since political change can be
understood in different ways, we will adopt a broad understanding of political change and we will
examine issues such as: institutional change, party system change, electoral change, political change
resulting from Europeanization and political change resulting from the economic crisis. Second, this
course takes a comparative perspective rather than a country-by-country approach. Comparing
European countries across space and across time offers an opportunity to explore a variety of vital
issues and observe political change or stability. By examining a series of common issues in a
comparative context, the course aims to deepen the student’s understanding of the politics of
individual European states.
Assessment
Students will be assessed on the basis of one essay of 2,500 words (50%) and an examination (50%).
Lecture Schedule
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Week 1: Introduction to ‘Political change in Europe’
Week 2: Regime change and democratization
Week 3: Democracy and patterns of democracy in Europe
Week 4: Democratic quality and democratic crisis in Europe
Week 5: Institutions and institutional change
Week 6: Political parties and cleavage structures
Week 7: Reading Week
Week 8: Elections and electoral change
Week 9: The European Union and political change
Week 10: European Parliament elections and political change
Week 11: Political representation, participation and accountability in Europe
Week 12: Political change in Europe: review
5SSPP206 – Research Methods for Politics (Compulsory for BA pathway)
Module Convenor: Dr Rod Dacombe
15 credits
Semester 1
This module aims to provide a practical introduction to research methods and their application, with
a view to equipping students with the basic knowledge necessary to cope with the requirements of
research projects at an undergraduate level. Building on the material covered throughout Year 1,
the module provides an introduction to research design as well as quantitative and qualitative
techniques, and the core concepts of research quality. Throughout, the emphasis is on enabling
students to appreciate the practicalities of the research process and so participants will be expected
to carry out regular assignments to reinforce the knowledge and skills they acquire.
In the first part of the term we will be looking at qualitative techniques. Students will be encouraged
to think about the practical application of qualitative research methods and the advantages they can
bring to live research questions, as well as understanding the fundamentals of the techniques
themselves. To this end, each lecture provides an introduction to a key aspect of research design,
with the accompanying seminar giving students the chance to critique an example of published
research, which will be used to reinforce their knowledge.
The second part of the module will focus on quantitative research, providing a basic introduction to
the kinds of techniques which quantitative researchers employ, and the issues they consider. At
various points in the term, students will be invited to reflect on the synergies and distinctions
between these two approaches to research methodology.
Students taking this module will be assessed on one coursework essay (50%), which deals with the
first part of the module and one unseen written exam (50%), which deals with the rest of the
material.
Last year’s class schedule:
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Week 1: Designing qualitative research
Week 2: Interview data
Week 3: Archival Research, Secondary Data and Official Statistics
Week 4: Analysing and presenting qualitative data
Week 5: Mixed methods research
Week 6: Descriptive statistics
Week 7: Probability
Week 8: Correlation and the Central Limit Theorem
Week 9: Inference
Week 10: Multivariate regression
Week 11: Consolidation and review
5SSPP209 – Political Theory of Capitalism
Module Convenor: Dr Adam Tebble
Prerequisites: any level 4 Philosophy module
15 credits
Semester 2
Overview & Educational Aims
This module is designed as an in-depth study of the work of key thinkers in the history of political
thought, arranged around the theme of the nature and justification of private property rights and
free markets. Specifically, the educational aims are to:
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Provide students with knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to these debates such as John
Locke, Bernard de Mandeville, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Friedrich Hayek and John Rawls.
Enable students to place the contributions of these thinkers within the broader context of the
ubiquitous problems of politics and in particular the challenge of justifying private property
rights and free markets.
Provide students with the skills required for engagement with and critical analysis of original
works and secondary source material in political theory/philosophy.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module students will be able to:
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Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to debates about the
feasibility and desirability of private property rights and free markets.
Show an understanding of the underlying presuppositions and assumptions informing
philosophical debate about capitalism, private property rights and markets.
Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse and evaluate key original texts and secondary source
material in political theory/philosophy.
Lecture Outline
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Lecture 1 - Locke on the state of nature
Lecture 2 - Locke on private property
Lecture 3 - Mandeville on private vice and public benefit
Lecture 4 - Smith on the invisible hand and the division of labour
Lecture 5 - Marx on historical materialism
Lecture 6 - Marx on capitalism, exploitation and alienation
Lecture 7 - Hayek on the knowledge problem and economic liberty
Lecture 8 - Hayek on spontaneous order and social justice
Lecture 9 - Rawls on the original position and the veil of ignorance
Lecture 10 - Rawls's principles of justice
5SSPP215 – Ethics, Economics and Environmental Protection
Module Convenor: Professor Mark Pennington
15 credits
Semester 2
This module aims to equip students with the capacity to think critically about ethical and economic
approaches to environmental protection issues and the relationship between the two. It will
examine human rights, eco-centric, utilitarian and economic perspectives both at the theoretical
level and in the practical context of policy arguments over the appropriate role of regulatory,
community-centred, and market-based forms of environmental decision-making.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to:
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Show knowledge of the major ethical traditions in contemporary environmental thought and
their contribution to debates concerning the relationship between human beings and the
natural world
Understand the way in which economists approach questions of environmental decision
making including the concepts of collective/public goods, common pool resources, market
failure, and government failure
Appreciate the potential relationships and tensions between ethical and economic
approaches to environmental protection issues
Critically evaluate a range of economic and democratic ‘policy tools’ for environmental
management
Teaching Arrangements
The module will be taught via a combination of 12 one hour lectures and 11 one hour seminars.
Assessment
Students will be assessed on the basis of one coursework essay (50% of the total) and one unseen
examination (50% of the total).
5SSPP226 - Globalisation and International Trade
Module Convener: James Scott
15 credits
Semester 2
This module examines one of the defining features of the global economy over the last few decades,
namely globalisation. It examines how the current era of globalisation emerged, alongside its
implications for a variety of issue areas such as monetary governance and labour conditions. In
addition, the module explores a key aspect of globalisation in considerable detail, namely trade. It
examines the key theories of trade in a critical manner, before critically examining the institutional
structure in which trade is undertaken through a detailed look at core aspects of the World Trade
Organisation.
The learning outcomes of this module are to develop:
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a sound understanding of the significance of global interconnectedness and its impact on
international economics and politics;
an detailed understanding of the theoretical and methodological concepts related to the
study of globalisation and international trade;
a detailed knowledge of formative periods in the development of international economic
governance;
an ability to analyse current issues in globalisation and international trade in a critical and
academic way.
Teaching Arrangements
There will be a weekly one-hour lecture and one-hour seminar.
Weekly Lecture Plan
Last years’ lecture plan will form the basis of the module, though some changes may be made.
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Module Introduction and Defining Globalisation
Conceptual Approaches – liberalism, realism, Marxism
The Rise of Finance
Multinational Companies and Labour
Liberal Trade Theory, comparative advantage and the gains from trade
Industrialisation and protectionism
From GATT to WTO: The institutions of global trade governance
Trade and agriculture
Trade and Intellectual Property Rights
Globalisation and transnational social movements
Assessment
The module will be assessed through one coursework essay (45%), an unseen examination (45%) and
attendance and participation (10%).
Indicative Reading
No textbook is ideal for this module since it covers two different topics, but the following are useful.
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O’Brien and Williams, (2013). Global Political Economy: Evolution and Dynamics, (Palgrave:
Basingstoke and New York).
Scholte, (2005). Globalization: A Critical Introduction.
Clive George. (2010).The Truth About Trade (Zed Books).
5SSPP227 – Game Theory and Strategic Decision Making
Module Convenor: Dr Paul Lewis
15 credits
Semester 2
Overview
The module focuses on a theoretical approach that has fundamentally changed economics and
political science over the past 20 years, namely game theory.
Game Theory
Studies strategic interaction between economic agents (i.e., situations where the outcome of your
actions depends on what your rival chooses to do, and vice versa, and where both of you know that
to be the case).
Examples of the type of situation that will be analysed include: prisoners' dilemma; arms races; the
provision of public goods; competition between political parties; and the management of
environmental resources.
Teaching
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1 hour lecture each week
1 tutorial every week (based on past exam questions and designed to develop your
knowledge of, and ability to use, game theory)
Assessment
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Tutorial participation (10% of the total marks)
3-hour written examination (90% of the marks)
Key Readings
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Dixit, A.K. and S. Skeath (2004). Games of Strategy. London: W.W Norton.
Schelling, T.C. (2010). 'Game Theory: A Practitioner's Approach.' Economics and Philosophy,
26: 27-46.
5SSPP230 – European Union: Power, Politics and Economics
Module Convenor: Dr Scott James
15 credits
Semester 1
The module provides an introduction to the politics and economics of European integration. It draws
upon theories of international relations, political economy and governance to assess the origins of
the European project and the politics of market integration after 1945. We analyse the EU’s evolving
institutional framework by charting the constitution-building process and mapping the distribution
of executive, legislative, administrative and judicial functions over time. The module then explores
the expansion of EU power and legal competence in key policy fields over the past two decades. It
begins by considering the history and theory of economic and monetary union, as well as the causes
and consequences of the Eurozone crisis. The module also explains the rapid development of the EU
as an internal and external security actor in the post-Cold War era through cooperation in asylum
and immigration policy, and foreign and defence policy. It ends by reflecting on the scale and pace of
the EU enlargement process and the wider political implications of the EU’s democratic deficit.
Lecture Plan
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European Unity in the Post-War Era
From Economic to Political Integration
Explaining the EU: Theories of Integration
The EU Political System
Single Market and Competition
Economic and Monetary Union
Redistributive Europe
Justice and Home Affairs Policy
Foreign, Security and Defence Policy
Enlargement and the Near Abroad
Democratic Deficit
Teaching: 1 hour lecture/week and 1 hour seminar/week
Assessment: 2 hour exam (50%) and 2,500 word essay (50%)
Key Readings
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Stephen George, Ian Bache and Simon Bulmer, Politics in the European Union (Oxford
University Press, 3rd edition, 2011)
John Peterson and Michael Shackleton, The Institutions of the European Union (Oxford
University Press, 3rd edition, 2012)
Simon Hix and Bjorn Hoyland, The Political System of the European Union (3rd edition,
Basingstoke: Palgrave, 2011)
Antje Wiener and Thomas Diez, European Integration Theory (Oxford University Press, 2nd
Edition, 2009)
Andrew Moravcsik, The Choice for Europe. Social Purpose and State Power from Messina to
Maastricht (Routledge, 1998)
Wayne Sandholtz and Alec Stone Sweet, European Integration and Supranational
Governance (Oxford University Press, 1998)