Module POLM155 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM155: The Politics of Populism: Domestic and global challenges
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
The aims of this module are to provide you with a detailed examination of the relation of mutual influence between mainstream and populist political parties. It will examine in detail the role that mainstream political parties have played in the rise of populist parties and discourses and, in turn, the impact of populist parties and discourses on mainstream domestic and foreign policy decision-making. Key case studies will include the impact of far right parties on immigration policy in the EU, the deconstruction of democratic institutions by populists in power in Central Eastern Europe, the foreign policy of Donald Trump, the causes of Brexit, or alliances between mainstream and populist parties in continental Europe. If you take this module and fully participate you will leave with a grasp of key debates in populism studies, and knowledge of historical and contemporary trends in the relationship between populism and contemporary politics.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate substantive knowledge of the role of mainstream parties in the success of populist appeals, and the impact of populist parties on mainstream politics. 2. Gain expertise on populist politics in a specific country, and systematically put this knowledge in comparative perspective. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Demonstrate a critical and comprehensive understanding of contemporary debates in the field of populism studies. 4. Critically apply the comparative method to the analysis of populist developments in contemporary democracies. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Conduct independent research and exercise critical reasoning in weighing academic arguments. 6. Demonstrate substantive analytical capacity and structure in written and oral expression. |
How this Module is Assessed
In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.
Formative Assessment
A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group class presentations | 15 minutes | 1-6 | Oral |
| General seminar participation and engagement in group work | Throughout the course | 1-6 | Oral |
Summative Assessment
A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 4,000 words | 1-6 | Written and Oral |
| Case study exercises | 50 | 6 x 500 words assignments | 1-6 | Written and Oral |
Re-assessment
Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (4,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Case study exercises | Essay (3,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
No available re-assessment for the case study exercises.
