Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2117: Great Power Politics

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

This module will provide you with:

Theoretical understanding of the causes of great power competition and cooperation, including both the comparison of theories to explore their explanatory utility and the application of theory to contemporary debates in great power relations;
Empirical knowledge of past and present great power interactions, thereby providing an evidence base with which to assess the competing claims of different explanatory theories as well as the background knowledge that informs our understanding of contemporary problems; and
Applicable insights for national security strategy/policy.

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. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key issues around great power politics and international relations. 2. Apply this awareness to contemporary problems of strategy and statecraft.
Discipline-Specific Skills	3. Display an understanding of the evolution of international relations and strategic theory, and their utility for contemporary decision-making. 4. Exercise informed judgement about change and continuity in international politics.
Personal and Key Skills	5. Conduct independent research, exercise critical judgement, and write clearly and persuasively. 6. Demonstrate the ability to work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

While the content of this module is likely to change from year to year, to reflect advances in the field, it is envisaged that we will cover all or some of the following topics:

What are “great” powers, how do we define them, and why does it matter?
Why do great powers sometimes cooperate yet sometimes compete (and even fight)?
What are the causes and consequences of shifts in the interstate balance of power?
Which states are great powers today, and what does the future hold?
What does technology (such as nuclear weapons) and geography (such as oceanic separation) do to great power relations?
What does contemporary great power competition mean for UK/Western foreign and defence policy?

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
22	128	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 Activity	22	11 x 2hr lecture-seminars
Guided Independent Study	128	Seminar preparation, assessment completion, and other related reading/research

Online Resources

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