Module POL2102 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2102: Explaining Public Policies
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
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:
1. How Do We Explain Policies? What Gives a Theory its Power?
2. Multiple Streams Approach (MSA) and the Role of Luck, Chance and Contingency
3. Multiple Streams Approach (MSA) Case Studies – Tobacco Control and Alcohol Pricing
4. Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) and Why Policies Change (Sometimes…)
5. Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) Case Studies – Civil Nuclear Power and Capital Punishment in the US
6. Social Construction of Target Populations (SCTP) – How Policy Decisions Construct Citizens and Democracies
7. Social Construction of Target Populations (SCTP) Case Studies – LGBT Citizens Treatment in Law and Artificial Intelligence
8. Policy Learning – Do Policies Ever Improve Over Time?
9. Policy Learning Case Studies – Hormones in Beef Trade War and Brexit
10. Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) and the Persistent of Stories and Myths in Policy
11. Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) Case Studies – Arab Spring and US Gun Control
12. Combining Theories and Module Recap
N.B. Please note these case studies are indicative, some weeks we may branch out to further empirical examples.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 27.5 | 122.5 | 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 Activities | 16.5 | 11 x 1.5 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | 11 | 11 x 1 hour tutorial. Tutorials are based on lecture topics. |
| Guided Independent Study | 5.5 | Preparation for seminar presentation |
| Guided independent study | 40 | Preparation and writing of essay |
| Guided independent study | 37 | Preparation and revision for examination |
| Guided Independent Study | 40 | Reading for tutorials |
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 | 300 words | 1-6 | Verbal, one-to-one |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | 45 | 10 |
...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 | 45 | 2,000 words | 1-6 | Written |
| Examination | 45 | 1 hour | 1-6 | Written |
| Group Tutorial Presentation | 10 | 15 minutes | 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 | Essay (2,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Examination | Exam (1 hour) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Group Tutorial Presentation | Individual or group presentation with tutor (15 minutes) | 1-6 | Throughout the semester |
Re-assessment notes
For the group tutorial presentation, reassessment can be offered during the semester if appropriate and available.
