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.

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. 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 Skills3. 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 Skills5. Conduct independent research and exercise critical reasoning in weighing academic arguments.
6. Demonstrate substantive analytical capacity and structure in written and oral expression.

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.

  • The first few classes provide the conceptual basis for the rest of the course. Drawing on contemporary political theory and the history of political ideas, they place the evolving meaning of key concepts such as "The People" and populism, the Left/Right divide, the fringe/mainstream dichotomy and differences between democracy and authoritarianism in historical perspective. 
  • The second part of the module focuses on trends in the rise of the populist claims and parties over the past few decades in the West. It will provide an overview of these trends, focusing especially on the evolving relationship between mainstream and populist political parties over the last decades. The agency of mainstream parties and their impact on populist success will especially be examined 
  • The last section of the course will turn to the consequences of radical right populism for both domestic and foreign policy in Europe and the United States. 

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
22278

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities2211 x 2 hour per week seminars including small group work, presentations, and class discussion.
Guided Independent Study100Reading
Guided Independent Study58Case study writing
Guided Independent Study40Presentation preparation
Guided Independent Study80Essay writing

Online Resources

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