Gwybodaeth Modiwlau
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Practical | 8 Hours. (2 x 1 hour per week) |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 7 Hours. (1 x 1 hour Seminars/SPSS Workshops per week) |
| Lecture | 14 Hours. (14 x 1 hour) |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Assessment | Group Survey Design Project | 25% |
| Semester Assessment | Data Analysis Report | 25% |
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | Students may, subject to Faculty approval, have the opportunity to resit this module, normally during the supplementary examination period. For further clarification please contact the Teaching Programme Administrator in the Department of International Politics. |
Learning Outcomes
Completion of this module should equip students with:
- a detailed and critical knowledge of the history of contemporary British electoral politics
- a detailed and critical knowledge of the major approaches to the study of elections
- a basic working knowledge of how to conduct opinion surveys and focus groups
- a basic working knowledge of how to handle quantitative data using SPSS
Brief description
This module will introduce students to the main elements of electoral politics, and examine how elections are studied.
Content
The module will first cover the history of modern electoral politics in the United Kingdom, before going on to examine major 'macro' influences on election outcomes, such as electoral systems. The focus will then shift to examining 'individual-level' understandings of elections, by exploring the formation of public opinion and theories of individual voting behaviour. Finally, students will be introduced to the practical tools of election analysis, such as large-N option surveys, small-N focus groups, and how to analyse data using the computer programme SPSS.
Aims
- the examine the major features of electoral politics: why elections matter, and how they are won and lost
- to review how scholars have approached the study of elections
- to introduce students to some of the major tools of electoral analysis, including the conduct of surveys and focus-groups, and the handling of quantitative and qualitative data.
Transferable skills
- written and oral communication
- group work
- project management
- IT skills
- analytical thinking
- independent research skills
- understanding of quantitive information
10 ECTS credits
Reading List
Recommended TextDavid Denver Elections and voting behaviour in Britain Primo search Paul Webb The Modern British Party System Primo search
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6