Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2046: The Economics of Politics

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

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

1. Rational Choice as Analytical Tool: Basic Assumptions and Standard Criticisms
2. Economic Conceptualisations of Democracy
3. Political Participation
4. The Paradox of Voting
5. Game Theory: Models of Cooperation and Coordination
6. Collective Action Problems
7. Principal-Agent Theory
8. Rational Choice Institutionalisms
9. Models of Government Formation
10. Bureaucratic Politics
11. Review Session

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

...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	123.5	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.

Please be aware that due to a new lecturer running this course this year, we are expecting some changes to the Reading List.

- Laver, Michael (1997): Private Desires, Political Action, An Invitation to the Politics of Rational Choice. London: Sage.
- Downs, Anthony (1957): An Economic Theory of Democracy. New York: Harper and Row.
- Hardin, Russell (1982): Collective Action, Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins UP.
- Strøm, Kaare (1990): Minority Government and Majority Rule. Cambridge: Cambridge UP.
- Riker, William (1962): The Theory of Political Coalitions. New Haven: Yale UP.