Module description
The module introduces students to the government and politics of the United Kingdom. The course conveys the unique features of British politics, such as parliamentary sovereignty and cabinet government, linking it to debates in political economy, such as the power of interest groups, the expertise of the bureaucracy, the impact of changes in political behaviour, and cross-national pressures, such as from populism and globalisation. In recent years, British politics has been subject to massive turbulence: the potential succession of Scotland, the return to prominence of left-wing politics, populism in the form of UKIP and the Brexit Party, surprising general election results as in 2017 and 2019; dramatic referendum outcomes such as Brexit; the apparent chaos when responding to COVID; leadership challenges and resignations; and responding to the war in Ukraine; then the collapse of the Conservative vote in 2024. The course seeks to explain such political turbulence in terms of the special features of British politics, as well as seeing recent events in comparative context. The course is structured first around the key political institutions of British politics before moving on to questions in political behaviour and the delegation of powers.
Assessment details
1,300-word essay (50%) & 24-hour online exam (50%).
Assessment patterns are subject to change.
Semester 1 only students will be given an appropriate alternative assessment for in-person January exams. Online exams will remain as they are.
Educational aims & objectives
This module introduces the key features and changes in the UK political system since 1979 and discusses the extent to which they are peculiar to the UK or similar to those elsewhere. There is a particular focus on the nature of change over time in the political system, including changes in the legal system, devolution and nationalist movements, parliamentary reform, and the causes and aftermath of the European Union referendum of June 2016. It will explore the UK political system in a comparative perspective, exploring theoretical approaches (such as the core executive approach, and federal and consociational analysis). It will explain the operation and significance of institutions, players and social forces (such as economic trends and national identity). It will provide an awareness of the connections between the external environment within which politics operates and the internal domestic political system of the UK.
Learning outcomes
Having studied this module, students will be able to:
*demonstrate awareness of key features of the UK political system including the role of the Prime Minister and Cabinet government; the legal system; parties and the electoral system, and the UK's relationship with the European Union, international organisations, and foreign states
*critically evaluate different theoretical approaches to key political issues such as: the relationships between devolution and federalism; the applicability of the core executive model to UK government; theses of the presidentialisation of UK government as compared to rival interpretations such as prime ministerial pre-eminence; theories of multipartism in the electoral system;
* analyse and assess the strengths and weaknesses of the UK political system;
* apply this knowledge in written form
Teaching pattern
Provisional Lecture Schedule
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The Starting Point: Understanding the British Political System
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Leadership from the Top
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Debating Politics and Making Laws
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What People Think and Do About Politics
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Winning and Losing Elections.
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The Media and Agenda Setting: Political Turbulence
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Interest Groups, Advocacy, and Policy-Making
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Governing through Bureaucracy
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Governing from Below
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Delegating Upwards: Brexit, Europe, and International Politics
Suggested reading list
The following text(s) will be a helpful guide through the module:
Peter John, British Politics, 2022, Oxford University Press. You can buy this (https://global.oup.com/academic/product/british-politics-9780198840626?cc=pt&lang=en), but there are links on the electronic reading list. There is a print copy in the library and an online resource with links of the reading list.
For those looking for a readable introduction to British politics, Anthony King’s Who Governs Britain (2015) is still useful and enjoyable to read (it is cheap to buy as a print version). It would suit someone who does not know much about Britain (a visitor from another country, for example).