Module Identifier IP35020  
Module Title WALES AND DEVOLUTION  
Academic Year 2007/2008  
Co-ordinator Dr Elin Royles  
Semester Intended for use in future years  
Next year offered N/A  
Next semester offered N/A  
Course delivery Lecture   16 Hours. (16 x 1 hour)  
  Seminars / Tutorials   7 Hours. (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 examines the various plans put forward for some form of Parliament for Wales 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.

Content

Lectures:
1 The Historical Background
2 An overview of the historical attempts at devolution to Wales
3 From Kilbrandon to the 1979 debacle
4 Resurrecting the dream: The Road to the Assembly
5 The constitutional basis of the National Assembly
6 The internal structures of the National Assembly
7 From the `corporate body' to cabinet government: developments in Welsh governance
8 The policy process in the National Assembly
9 The National Assembly, the UK State, the European Union and the World
10 Electoral Politics in Post-devolution Wales
11 The Political Parties post-devolution
12The National Assembly and Civil Society in Wales
13 Representation and the National Assembly
14 The road to the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the responses
15 The future of devolved government

Seminars:
1. Forms of devolved government   
2. The struggle for devolution
3. The consitutional basis of the National Assembly
4. The National Assembly's policy processes
5. Inter-governmental relations
6. Elections to the National Assembly
7. `Inclusiveness' and the nature of democracy in post-devolution Wales
8. Constitutional futures

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.

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

s
** General Text
Chaney P., Hall T., Pithouse A. (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 Exeter, Imprint Academic
Osmond, J. and Jones, J.B. (eds.) (2003) Birth of Welsh Democracy: The First Term of the National Assembly Cardiff Institute of Welsh Affairs

Books
Morgan, K. O. Rebirth of a nation :a history of modern Wales /Kenneth O. Morgan. 0198217609
Rawlings, Richard. Delineating Wales :constitutional, legal and administrative aspects of national devolution /by Richard Rawlings. 0708317391
** Recommended Text
Welsh Assembly Government (2004) Report of the Richard Commission HMSO

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 6