Module POL3256 for 2021/2
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL3256: Trumping the Mainstream: The Populist Radical Right and Democratic politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.
Module Aims
The aims of this module are to provide you with a detailed examination of the historical relation between the PRR and democracy, and of the manifestations of this relationship today. A key emphasis of the module will be to enrich your understanding of the role of PRR parties both as revealers of pre-existing democratic crises and cause of such crises, using a range of theoretical approaches and empirical examples. You will also learn about the strengths and limitations of some of the key methods for measuring populist discourse, ideology and attitudes, and about how to apply some these methods using manifesto databases and text-analysis. Key case studies will include the radicalization of the US Republican Party, populism in power in Central Eastern Europe, the causes of Brexit, or the historical evolution of the French Front National. If you take this module and fully participate you will leave with a grasp of key debates in populism studies, an understanding of different approaches to the theoretical conceptualization and empirical measure of populism, and knowledge of historical and contemporary trends in the relationship between democracy and PRR politics.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Demonstrate substantive knowledge of the role of PRR appeals in the historical development of representative democracy and in its contemporary crises. 2. Show expertise on the development of PRR discourse and organizations in a specific country and acquire the ability to put this knowledge in comparative perspective. |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Demonstrate a critical understanding of contemporary debates in the field of populism studies. 4. Demonstrate an understanding of the strengths and limits of different approaches to the theoretical conceptualization and empirical measure of party ideology in general and populist forms of the radical right especially. |
| Personal and Key Skills | 5. Conduct independent research and exercise critical reasoning in weighing academic arguments 6. Evidence familiarity with some key methods of politics analysis, including text-analysis methods and the use of online tools of data visualization and analysis |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class Presentation | 15 minutes | 1-6 | Oral |
| General seminar participation and engagement in group work | Throughout course | 1-6 | Oral |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 3000 words | 1-6 | Written and verbal |
| Case study exercises | 50 | 6 x 500 words assignments | 1-6 | Written and verbal |
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 (4,000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
| Case study exercises | Case-study mini essays (3 x 1000 words) | 1-6 | August/September reassessment period |
Re-assessment notes
For the case study exercises, the re-assessment will consist in 3x1000 word mini essays on three out of the six case study questions.
