Political Parties and Elections
- Module Code:
- 153400158
- Credits:
- 15
- FHEQ Level:
- 5
- Year of study:
- Year 2
- Taught in:
- Term 2
This module introduces electoral and party politics in modern democracies. It will involve the discussion of a wide range of theoretical approaches to the study of parties and elections and assess their applicability to non-western cases.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the module
On successful completion of this module a student will be able to:
- Understand the functioning of democratic parties
- Analyse how parties compete for votes
- Understand the effect of different electoral systems
- Test a range of political theories on parties and elections
Workload
This module will be taught over 10 weeks with:
- 1 hour lecture per week
- 1 hour seminar per week
Method of assessment
Assignment 1: Essay 10%
Assignment 2: Essay 80%
OR1: Oral presentation 10%
Suggested reading
- LeDuc, Niemi and Norris, Comparing Democracies: Elections and Voting in a Changing World (Sage)
- Caramani, Daniele. (2011) Comparative politics, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Alan Ware. (1996) Political parties and party systems, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- McNair, An Introduction to Political Communication (Routledge 2011)
- Lees-Marchment, Principles and Applications (Routledge 2009)