| Module Identifier |
IP39420 |
| Module Title |
ELECTIONS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM |
| Academic Year |
2006/2007 |
| Co-ordinator |
Professor Roger M Scully |
| Semester |
Semester 2 |
| Course delivery |
Seminars / Tutorials | 7 hours (1 x 1 hour per week) |
| |
Lecture | 15 hours (2 x 1 hour per week) |
| Assessment |
| Assessment Type | Assessment Length/Details | Proportion |
|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | Group Survey Design Project | 25% |
| Semester Assessment | Data Analysis Report | 25% |
| Supplementary Exam | Students may, subject to Faculty approval, have the opportunity to resit this module. For further clarification please contact the Academic 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.
Aims
Elections are fun. (Well, sometimes). But they are also integral to democratic politics. This module aims:
- To examine the major features of electoral politics in the UK: why elections matter, and how they are won and lost
- To provide students with detailed knowledge of major approaches to the study of elections
- To introduce students to key tools of electoral analysis, including the conduct of surveys, and the handling of quantitative data
Content
The module will first examine the history of modern electoral politics in the United Kingdom. It will then explore the major actors in electoral politics: the voters, political parties and the media. The third section of the module introduces students in detail to the main methods of electoral analysis. The final main section of the module examines contemporary issues in electoral politics. There will also be a concluding session that will include a briefing on the examination.
Transferable skills
Completion of the module should enable students to develop the following 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 Lists
Books
** Recommended Text
David Denver Elections and voting behaviour in Britain
Paul Webb The Modern British Party System
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6