Module POL3196 for 2020/1
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3196: Democracy in the European Union
This module descriptor refers to the 2020/1 academic year.
Module Aims
This module familiarizes you with core theories, debates and actors of political representation in the EU. It aims at providing you with the skills to engage in current debates on parliaments, parties, interest groups and civil society, and to apply core theories to a range of political phenomena central to this subfield of political science, as well as to critically evaluate the usefulness of these theories. Furthermore, the module familiarizes you with the debate around the democratic deficit of the EU and challenges you to develop your own position on the topic. In doing so, it aims to equip you with the analytical skills required to describe and explain the hybrid system of political representation in the EU. Case studies and a simulation are used to illustrate key issues and challenges. The first part of the module deals with core theoretical debates. The second part focuses on the empirical workings of different actors of political representation in the EU.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. demonstrate understanding of core concepts and approaches regarding democracy, political legitimacy and political representation and their application to the EU context; 2. give an account of the main institutions, actors and processes of governance in the EU; 3. show theoretical and practical knowledge of the debate on the democratic deficit of the EU; 4. critically engage with on-going debates on the democratic deficit and the political legitimacy of the EU; |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 5. critically evaluate core concepts; 6. construct rigorous arguments which show an understanding of key theories; 7. deploy theoretical arguments and apply them to empirical case studies in European public policy; 8. justify own choices of theory, research design and method with regard to individual research interests and research questions in the field of EU studies; |
| Personal and Key Skills | 9. critically evaluate ideas and debates; 10. write clearly and coherently; 11. deploy the ability to communicate clearly and deliver presentations to peers; 12. work independently and in collaboration with peers; and 13. use IT for the retrieval and presentation of information. |
Module Content
Syllabus Plan
This plan is indicative of the topics to be covered by the module. More details will be given and the plan finalized in the module outline.
The module will look at representation theory in a first step before it moves on to address the main actors involved in democratic representation in the EU – the Council of the EU, the European Council, the European Parliament, Europarties, national parliaments, national parties, interest groups and civil society organisation, as well as citizens. We will also look at some current debates and developments such the democratic deficit debate, the debate on democratic backsliding, the Euro crisis, the UK leaving the EU as well as increasing Euroscepticism.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 44 | 256 | 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 & Teaching activities | 44 | 22 x two-hour seminars. These will be a mix of formal lectures led by the co-ordinator, student presentation and student discussion. The emphasis is on weekly seminar presentations; active seminar participation. |
| Guided independent study | 256 | A variety of private study tasks directed by module leader, including reading at least two articles per class, the reading for the oral presentation and its preparation, the preparation of the simulation, the reading for the essay, the conducting of research for it and the writing of the essay. The large bulk of the independent study time will be spent with the weekly reading of key texts and the research for and drafting of the essay. |
Online Resources
This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay plan | Max. of 400 words | 1-10 | Either oral or in writing |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | 20 | 15 minutes | 1-13 | Written feedback |
| 2 Podcasts in small | 20 | Each podcast 5-10 | 1-13 | Written feedback |
| Essay | 60 | 4,000 words | 1-10 | Written feedback |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Presentation (15 minutes) | 1-13 | August/September reassessment period |
| 2 podcasts | Minimum 5 minutes | 1-13 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay | Essay (4,000 words) | 1-10 | August/September reassessment period |
