| Unit name | Law and Government |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWD30105 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Greally |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this Unit Important?
The UK’s constitution is changing due to the shifting economic and political circumstances. Understanding how political and economic factors shape constitutional dynamics and the legal relationship between citizens and the government is essential for navigating the complexities of our changing constitution and holding the government accountable through law. This unit provides an opportunity to explore and reflect on the ways in which politics and economics influence the Constitution, the role of government and the legal rights of citizens. This unit enables you to consider how and why different political and economic beliefs influence policymaking and how to use your legal skills to hold governmental actors to account, promote good administration and participate in politics. This unit is important if you are considering a career in Government, public policy and or legal practice as a public lawyer.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This level 6 optional unit tackles some of the key political, economic, and legal issues affecting the relationship between citizens and government within the UK’s changing constitution. This unit builds upon many ideas and themes introduced within Law and State and Constitutional Rights in the first year of your programme. It will show you how different political and economic theories can enrich our understanding of the role of government and help us navigate critical constitutional and legal questions. You may be interested in this unit if you enjoyed Law and State and Constitutional Rights or want an introduction to contemporary politics and economic issues.
An overview of content:
This unit explores how different political and economic forces influence the UK’s changing constitution and the relationship between citizens and government. We will cover various perspectives on the function of government and law within the UK and how legal skills can used to hold governmental actors to account. The precise content may change yearly to appropriately reflect ongoing political, economic, and legal challenges facing the UK’s Constitution.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will be able to recognise how the constitutional relationship between citizens and government changes as result of ongoing political, economic, and legal pressures facing the UK. You will have the knowledge and skills to identify, understand, and analyse future political, economic, and legal pressures facing the UK constitution. You will also be able to effectively advise clients, whether they be ordinary citizens or governmental actors, on matters of public law. You will acquire an interdisciplinary awareness of contemporary governance issues to confidently pursue further studies in politics, public policy, or law.
Learning Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
The unit consists of weekly lectures and fortnightly seminars. These combine teacher-delivered activities and asynchronous activities such as reading and questions to guide seminar preparation. Seminars will focus on student-led discussions and small group work activities designed to encourage students to reflect on their readings and debate issues within the seminar and facilitate important peer-to-peer learning experiences. Students may be asked to prepare and present one non-assessed group presentation for a seminar during the unit. This activity will be signposted ahead of time to students to allow sufficient preparation. Seminars and lectures may involve addressing unseen problem questions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The formative mirrors the summative assessment. You will have the opportunity to complete one of two past summative assessment questions: one is an essay, and the other is a problem question. This enables you to test your knowledge of certain aspects of the Unit. Personalised feedback will be given, and a lecture will be provided to walk you through how to answer the questions. Additionally, in the latter half of the unit, we may use some lectures and seminars to look at past summative questions.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Summative assessment will be through a Timed Assessment (3,000 words maximum; 100%). You will answer two questions, each with a word limit of 1,500 words. This assessment covers all intended learning outcomes for this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, failed components will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWD30105).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
