Module POL3227 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3227: Politics, Elections, and the State in Africa
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final paper outline | 1 page (500 words) | 5-9, 11 | Written |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | 0 | 20 |
...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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual presentation | 20 | 10 minutes + 5 minutes for feedback and questions. | 1-8, 10-11 | Verbal, written |
| Final paper | 50 | 5,000 words | 1-9 | Written |
| Essay | 30 | 1,000 words | 1-5, 8-9, 11 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Presentation | Written assignment, (2,000 words) | 1-9, 11 | August/September reassessment period |
| Final paper | Final paper (5,000 words) | 1-9 | August/September reassessment period |
| Essay | Essay (1,000 words) | 1-5, 8-9, 11 | August/September reassessment period |
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.
Cheeseman, Nic. 2015. Democracy in Africa, Cambridge University Press
Hyden, Goran. 2006. African Politics in Comparative Perspective, Cambridge University Press
Chazan, Naomi. 1999. “The Diversity of African Politics: Trends and Approaches” in Chazan et. al. Politics and Society in Contemporary Africa”, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Manning, Carrie. 2005. “Assessing African Party Systems after the Third Wave”, Party Politics 11:6, pp. 707-727.
Miguel, Edward. 2004. “Tribe or Nation? Nation-building and Public Goods in Kenya versus Tanzania”, World Politics 56:3, pp. 327-362.
Posner, Daniel. 2003. “The Colonial Origins of Ethnic Cleavages: The case of Linguistic Divisions in Zambia”, Comparative Politics 35: 22, pp. 127-146.
Bratton, Michael and Nicholas Van de Walle. 1997. Democratic Experiments in Africa: Regime Transitions in Comparative Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, chapter 2.
Wantchekon, Leonard. 2003. “Clientelism and Voting Behavior: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Benin,” World Politics 55: 3, pp. 399�422.
Young, Crawford. 2002. “Deciphering Disorder in Africa: Is Identity the Key”, World Politics 54:4, pp. 532-557.
Ellis, Stephen. 1988. “Religion and Politics in Sub-Saharan Africa”, Journal of Modern African Studies 36:2, pp. 175-201.
