Module Information

Module Identifier
IP35020
Module Title
WALES AND DEVOLUTION
Academic Year
2010/2011
Co-ordinator
To Be Arranged
Semester
Semester 2
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Lecture 15 Hours. (15 x 1 hour)
Seminars / Tutorials 8 Hours. (8 x 1 hour)
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Essay: 1 x 3,000 words  50%
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

On completing the module students will be able to:
- critically analyse, assess and evaluate the main constitutional and organisational features of the various plans for a form of Parliament for Wales put forward before 1997;
- critically analyse, assess and evaluate the main constitutional and organisational features of the National Assembly for Wales;
- describe and evaluate the nature of the policy-process in the National Assembly;
-analyse the nature of the Assembly¿s inter-governmental relations with other layers of government, in particular the UK and European levels.
- describe and analyse the nature of party-competition and political culture in a devolved Wales.-
-Critically examine the different proposals for deepening devolution to Wales.

Brief description

This module will introduce students to the form of developed goverment established in Wales in 1999 as part of the UK government's programme of constitutional reform. Following discussion of the previous plans for devolution, the module focuses on examining different facets of the constitutional arrangements and politics of the National Assembly for Wales. On this basis, the module seeks to assess the future prospects of devolution to Wales.

Aims

This module aims to allow students to develop the ability to analyse, evaluate and discuss:
-contextualise devolution by comparatively considering the various plans for a form of Parliament for Wales put forward before 1997;
- the main constitutional and organisational features of the National Assembly for Wales;
- the nature of the policy-process in the National Assembly;
- the nature of party-competition and political culture ina devolved Wales.
-the future of devolution to Wales.

Content

Introduction

Devolution: the historical context

An overview of the historical attempts at devolution to Wales

From Kilbrandon to the 1979 debacle

Resurrecting the dream: The Road to the Assembly

The National Assembly for Wales

The original proposal: The Government of Wales Act 1998

The evolution of devolution: 1999 - 2004

The Government of Wales Act 2006


The policy process and Welsh devolution

The National Assembly, the UK State, the European Union and the World

Political Culture in Post-Devolution Wales

Electoral Politics in Post-devolution Wales

The Political Parties post-devolution

The National Assembly and Civil Society in Wales

Representation and the National Assembly

The Future of Devolution?

The future of devolved government I
The future of devolved government II

Transferable skills

Students will have the opportunity to develop, practice and test a wide range of transferable skills that will help them to understand, conceptualise and evaluate events, examples and ideas. Throughout the course, students should practice and enhance their reading, comprehension and thinking skills, as well as basic numeracy skills and self management skills. In lectures students will develop listening and note-taking skills, as well as analytical skills. In seminars students will enhance their analytical skills and will practice listening, explaining and debating skills, as well as team-working skills. Essay writing will encourage students to practice their independent research, writing and IT skills, and the examination will test analytical and written communication skills under conditions of time-constraint.
10 ECTS credits

Reading List

General Text
Welsh Assembly Government (2004). Report of the Richard Commission (HMSO)_ Primo search Chaney, P., Hall, T. Pithouse, A. (eds.) (2001) New Governance - New Democracy? Post Devolution Wales Cardiff : University of Wales Press Primo search Hazell R (ed.) (2003) The state of the Nations: The Third Year of Devolution in the United Kingdom Exeter: Imprint Academic Primo search Morgan, K. O. (1998) Rebirth of a Nation: A History of Modern Wales Oxford: Oxford University Press Primo search Osmond, J.,Jones, J. B. (eds.) (2003) Birth of Welsh Democracy: The First Term of the National Assembly Cardiff: Institute of Welsh Affairs Primo search Rawlings, R. (2003) Delineating Wales Cardiff: University of Wales Press Primo search

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6