Module POLM503 for 2019/0
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Postgraduate Module Descriptor
POLM503: Foreign Policy Decision-Making
This module descriptor refers to the 2019/0 academic year.
Module Aims
This module will aim to:
- To introduce you to key concepts in political psychology and rational choice theory.
- Apply these concepts to contemporary international issues.
- Provide you with an understanding of the psychological opportunities and barriers faced by key decision-makers, as well as how employing a rational choice framework can help governments design effective policies.
- Provide you a dynamic learning environment.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the effects of psychological factors in foreign policy and international relations and basic concepts from rational choice theory 2. Use substantive and methodological tools of analysis to critically interpret current global challenges |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Critically analyse empirical and theoretical material 4. Synthesize competing theories in order to apply them to novel social science problems |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Self-organization under time pressure 6. Demonstrate critical thinking skills, particularly as they relate to evaluate empirical evidence |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preparation of questions | Each week you should come prepared with at least 2 questions and answers based on the assigned readings | 1-6 | Verbal |
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 word essay | 1-6 | Written |
| Written take-home assignment | 30 | 3 questions of 1,000 words max. each | 1-6 | Written |
| Small group op-ed (2-4 students) | 20 | Written document (1,500 words) | 1-6 | Written |
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 | 4,000 word essay | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Written take-home assignment | 3 questions of 1,000 words max. each | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
| Small group op-ed | Individually authored 1,500 word op-ed | 1-6 | August/September re-assessment period |
Indicative Reading List
This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.
The Feeling of Rationality: The Meaning of Neuroscienti�c Advances for Political Science Rose McDermott (2004)
Jack S. Levy. 1997. "Prospect Theory, Rational Choice, and International Relations." International Studies Quarterly 41, 1 (March), 87-113
Lake, David, and Robert Powell, “International Relations: A Strategic-Choice Approach” (1999) Princeton University Press. Chapter One: International Relations: A Strategic-Choice Approach David A. Lake and Robert Powell 3-38
Thomson, Catarina. “Public support for Economic and Military Coercion and Audience Costs” (2016) British Journal of Politics and International Relations” Vol 18 (2): 407–421
Bueno de Mesquita, Bruce, “Testing Novel Implications from the Selectorate Theory of War,” World Politics 56(3) 2004 368-388.
Geddes, Barbara, “What do we know about democratization after Twenty Years?”, Annual Review of Political Science 1999 2:115-44.
Pape, Robert. 2003. “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism,” American Political Science Review 97(3), 343-361.
Baum, Matthew A. and Philip B. K. Potter. 2008. “The Relationship Between Mass Media, Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Toward a Theoretical Synthesis.” Annual Review of Political Science 91-109.
