Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC2120: Power and Democracy

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Overview

NQF Level 5
Credits 15 ECTS Value 7.5
Term(s) and duration

This module ran during term 1 (12 weeks)

Academic staff

Dr Andrew Schaap (Convenor)

Pre-requisites

None

Co-requisites

None

Available via distance learning

No

Should democratic politics be limited to periodic competitive elections of parliamentary representatives? Or should it be expanded to include meaningful political participation by all in other areas of social life, such as the workplace? Is democracy just a matter of voting in order to determine the majority view based on pre-existing individual preferences? Or should it also include practices of deliberation in which citizens develop more informed opinions in light of relevant information and moral considerations? Is the ignorance of the average voter the main challenge for democracy today or the ignorance of political elites? By introducing you to the field of democratic theory, this module will equip you to reflect on the conceptual and normative issues contained in such pressing questions of democratic life today.

Module created

18/12/2018

Last revised

08/01/2021