Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3206: The Political Economy of the State

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

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The module’s precise content may vary from year to year (the topics will generally be covered in a 2 week bloc):

Term 1 The historical evolution of capitalism and nation-states

  1. The development of modern European states: institutions and capacity
  2. Capitalism and ‘the first wave of democratization’
  3. Gender and economic and political change 
  4. Social spend, the welfare state and democracy
  5. State led growth and the ‘Asian miracle’

Term 2 Varieties of capitalism in a global economy

  1. ‘Varieties of Capitalism’
  2. Varieties of Capitalism beyond ‘the core’
  3. The transformation of labour markets and institutions
  4. Digital economy, platforms and regulation
  5. Welfare and equality in contemporary capitalism

Learning and Teaching

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

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
442560

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

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching2020 Lectures (1 hour each)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching2020 seminars with student presentations (1 hours each)
Scheduled Learning and Teaching4Assessment workshops (2 hours each)
Guided independent study200Reading, thinking and preparing for lectures and tutorials
Guided independent study56Assignment preparation

Online Resources

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

The module will be supported by ELE materials, including links to core texts
 
ELE – vle.exeter.ac.uk

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 assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Tutorial tasks3 x 5 minute presentations1-6Verbal

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.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
10000

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay 1402,500 words1, 2, 4-7Written
Essay 2453,000 words2-7Written
Policy Briefs152x 750 words (submitted as portfolio)1, 2 4Written

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 assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
Essay 1Essay 1 (2,500 words)1,2, 4-7August/September reassessment period
Essay 2Essay 2 (3,000 words)2-7August/September reassessment period
Policy BriefsPolicy Briefs (2x750 words)1,2 4August/September reassessment period