Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL1020: Politics in Europe

This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.

Module Aims

The module assesses how changing patterns of governance (specifically, the rise of the regulatory state, globalisation, and Europeanisation) are affecting traditional models of governance. These themes are explored through lectures and seminars. The course focuses on the political systems of the UK, France, Germany, Scandinavian countries and Eastern Europe. The module explains how the process of European integration has transformed political systems, political institutions and public policy, as well as the limitations of Europeanization.

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 Skills	1. understand the nature and evolution of core concepts regarding comparative politics, classification and typology of democratic systems (parliamentary, presidential, direct democracies); 2. identify how changing patterns of governance (specifically, the rise of the regulatory state, globalisation, and Europeanisation) are affecting traditional models of governance; 3. analyse the role of political parties, interest groups, legislatures, executives, judiciaries, and the media;
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. critically analyse primary and secondary political source material; 5. construct and present rigorous oral and written argument; 6. understand key political theories and models;
Personal and Key Skills	7. communicate effectively in oral and written work; 8. use IT for the retrieval and presentation of information; 9. engage with on-line interactive material and discussion.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Comparative government and governance in Europe: theoretical and methodological foundations.
Varieties of political systems in Europe: governments and parliaments
Representative democracies: political parties and elections
The role of the media
Participation and interest groups
The UK
Germany
France
Southern Europe
The Scandinavian model meets Europe
The challenge of enlargement
How European integration affects governance in the member states (main hypotheses and mechanisms of Europeanization).

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
26.5	123.5	0

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

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	16.5	11 x 1.5 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching activity	10	10 x 1 hour tutorials
Guided Independent study	66	Coursework and independent study includes reading, note taking, and sketching answers to essay and seminar questions, presentation preparation and essay writing. This study is continuous throughout the course and should take at least six hours a week.
Guided Independent study	57.5	Further independent study.

Online Resources

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

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.

Bale, Tim (2008) European Politics: a Comparative Introduction - 2nd edition (Basingstoke: Palgave Macmillan).

Bache, I. and A. Jordan, eds, (2006) The Europeanization of British Politics, Palgrave.

Bache, I. S. George and S. Bulmer (2011) Politics in Europe.

Bulmer, S. and C. Lequesne (2013) The Member States of the European Union (New European Union Series).

Hancock, Donald (2012) Politics in Europe. Washington, DC : CQ Press.

LeDuc, Richard G. Niemi, and Pippa Norris. (2010) Comparing democracies 3 : elections and voting in the 21st century. Sage.

Strøm, Kaare,Müller, Wolfgang C. and Bergman, Torbjörn (2003) Delegation and Accountability in Parliamentary Democracies. Oxford University Press.