Undergraduate Module Descriptor

LAW2153: Law, Democracy and Populism: The Rise and Fall of Constitutional Democracy

This module descriptor refers to the 2023/4 academic year.

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:

I. Theory

  • Law, Constitutions and Constitutionalism
  • The Rule of Law and the Idea of Constitutional Democracy
  • The Rise of Constitutional Democracy and the “End of History”
  • The Populist Critique of the “Liberal” Component of Constitutional Democracy: Populism, “the People” and Popular Sovereignty

II. From Theory to Practice

  • The Legal Implications of Contemporary Populism (I): Populism as a Constitutional Project
  • The Legal Implications of Contemporary Populism (II): Populism and Courts
  • Democratic Backsliding: The Hollowing Out / Fall of Constitutional Democracy?
  • Rejuvenating Constitutional Democracy?

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
22128

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled learning and teaching activities2010 x 2-hour seminars
Scheduled learning and teaching activities22 x 1-hour lectures (i.e., introduction and further guidance on the assessment)
Guided independent study50Preparation for seminars (including reading time and preparation for discussion questions)
Guided independent study15Independent research and writing of formative essay / plan for summative essay
Guided independent study23Independent research and preparation for presentation (formative)
Guided independent study40Independent research and writing of summative essay

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).