Module POL2047 for 2016/7
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2047: American Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.
Module Aims
This modules aims to:
- Describe the rationale for the design of the American political system and the implications of that design for governing and the policymaking process.
- Explore how citizens form opinions about government and public policy and why their opinions may change over time.
- Explain why and how some citizens vote the way they do, while others do not participate at all.
- Critically describe the role of interest groups, parties, public opinion, and the media in American democracy.
- Describe representation as it exists in the US Congress, as well as legislative committees and the overall policy process.
- Appreciate the powers and limitations of presidential power in domestic and foreign policy.
- Promote familiarity with the role played by the US Supreme Court in governance.
- Promote improved critical thinking to analyse news events and issues in American politics.
- Promote understanding of the definition and use of predictive social science models.
- Improve your ability to critically analyse texts and to communicate effectively.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate knowledge of American politics, processes and institutions across all three branches of government 2. appreciate the role of actors such as voters, parties, and elected officials play in American governmental institutional arrangements |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. explain in a critical way how institutions and preferences combine to produce outcomes 4. demonstrate understanding of the definition and use of predictive social science models |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. read effectively and summarise comprehensively complex information and arguments 6. demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task 7. speak confidently before small and large audiences on a subject you have studied |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
The American Constitutional Framework
Ideology, Public Opinion, and the Media
Interest Groups
Congress
The Courts
The President
Bureaucracy
Voting, Elections, and Parties
Public Policymaking
Learning and Teaching
This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 26.5 | 123.5 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity | 10 | 10 x 1 hour Tutorials |
| Guided Independent study | 123.5 | A variety of private study tasks directed by module leader. These tasks may include (with an indicative number of hours): Reading assignments (70 hours) Preparation for and completion of examination (25 hours) Writing a multi-part critical essay (25 hours) Following American political news events (5 hours) |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
(For specific readings, see ELE – vle.exeter.ac.uk)
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discussions in lectures and tutorials | During lectures and tutorials | 1-7 | Oral |
| Tutorial quizzes | At the beginning of tutorial sessions | 1-6 | Oral |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 50 | 2 hours | 1-6 | Written |
| Multi-part essay | 50 | 2,100 words | 1-6 | Written |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | Examination (2 hours) | 1-6 | August/September assessment period |
| Multi-part Essay | Essay (2,100 words) | 1-6 | August/September assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
- David McKay, American Politics and Society
- The Federalist Papers
- Baumgartner, Frank R. and Jones, Bryan D. 1991. Agenda Dynamics and Policy Subsystems. Journal of Politics.
- Henry E. Brady, Sidney Verba and Kay Lehman Schlozman. 1995. Beyond SES: A resource model of political participation. American Political Science Review
- Richard F. Fenno, Home Style: House Members in Their Districts, Ch. 5
