Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3120: War and Public Opinion

This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 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:

  • What the public knows (and doesn’t know) about foreign affairs
  • Situational factors that shape public opinion about war
  • Principal Policy Objective (PPO) and support for war
  • Elite signals and rhetoric
  • Understanding the contested role of casualties
  • Group identity
  • Expectations of success
  • Media effects and framing
  • Individual level factors that shape public opinion and elite perceptions about war
  • Personality
  • Emotions and Morality

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
402600

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity4020 x 2 hour seminars
Guided Independent Study100Reading assignments
Guided Independent Study100Essay preparation: conducting research, and writing the finished product (c.50 hours per essay)
Guided Independent Study60Preparation for and completion of examination

Online Resources

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