Module Identifier IP35020  
Module Title WALES AND DEVOLUTION  
Academic Year 2005/2006  
Co-ordinator Ms Elin Royles  
Semester Intended for use in future years  
Next year offered N/A  
Next semester offered N/A  
Course delivery Lecture   (16 x 1 hour)  
  Seminars / Tutorials   (7 x 1 hour)  
Assessment
Assessment TypeAssessment Length/DetailsProportion
Semester Exam2 Hours  50%
Semester Assessment Essay: 1 x 3,000 words  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;
- describe and analyse the nature of party-competition in devolved 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.

Aims

This module aims to allow students to develop the ability to analyse, evaluate and discuss:

- the main constitutional and organisational features of 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 in devolved Wales.

Content

This path-breaking module examines the various plans put forward for some form of Parliament for Wales put forward from the late 19th Century to 1997 with particular attention being given to the main constitutional and organisational features of those plans. The module then goes on to describe and analyse the main constitutional and organisational features of the National Assembly for Wales. The nature of the policy-making process in the National Assembly is also described and illustrated in addition to the nature of party-competition in devolved Wales.

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 Lists

Journals
www.contemporary-wales.com

Preliminary Readings
** Recommended Text
Chaney P, Hall T Pithouse (eds) (2001) New Governance - New Democracy? Post Devolution Wales University of Wales Press, Cardiff
Hazell R (ed) (2003) The state of the Nations: The Third Year of Devolution in the United Kingdom London, UCL, Imprint Academic
Osmond J and Barry Jones, J (eds) (2003) Birth of Welsh Democracy: The First Term of the National Assembly Cardiff Institute of Welsh Affairs

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6