Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3263: Political Economy of Development

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

Module Aims

Besides serving as an introduction for those who are unfamiliar with the political economy of development, the module seeks to expose students to relevant topics, problems and current debates regarding the institutional, political and socio-demographic determinants of economic development and to encourage them to think critically about some of the most important challenges faced by under-developed democracies.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Participate in informed discussions about the political economy of development
2. Critically evaluate current economic and political arguments regarding the causes of development;
3. Critically analyse concepts and contexts of political economy;
4. Identify common trends as well as differences between developed and under-developed democracies;
Discipline-Specific Skills5. Identify and discuss key concepts in the literature on development, democracy, democratization and democratic quality, applying them to empirical case studies;
6. Critically assess whether - and to what extent - theoretical arguments and methodological approaches used to analyze Western democracies can be extrapolated to other political contexts;
7. Competently use and analyse a range of sources and materials commonly employed in political science and economic research, including historical studies, public opinion data and news sources;
Personal and Key Skills8. Convey ideas precisely and concisely, both orally and in writing;
9. Present and defend your work in an effective and convincing manner in front of an audience;
10. Work independently and with peers to achieve goals;
11. Correctly analyse and interpret empirical data.