Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL1020: Politics in Europe

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

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover all or some of the following topics:

  • Comparative government and governance in Europe: theoretical and methodological foundations.
  • Varieties of political systems in Europe: governments and parliaments
  • Representative democracies: political parties and elections
  • The role of the media
  • Participation and interest groups
  • The UK
  • Germany
  • France
  • Southern Europe
  • The Nordic model meets Europe
  • The challenge of enlargement
  • How European integration affects governance in the member states (main hypotheses and mechanisms of Europeanization).

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
26.5123.50

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity 16.511 x 1.5 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity 1010 x 1 hour tutorials
Guided Independent study66Coursework and independent study includes reading, note taking, and sketching answers to essay and seminar questions and essay writing. This study is continuous throughout the course and should take at least six hours a week
Guided Independent study57.5Further independent study.

Online Resources

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