Unit name | Democracy and US Government |
---|---|
Unit code | POLI21226 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. de Abreu Maia |
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 | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
The United States remains the world's preeminent superpower and, many claim, its premier democracy. This unit examines the cultures, institutions, and controversies that mark contemporary US American politics. The goal is to develop an understanding of US politics as the product of a set of cultural forces in US politics rather than as a set of institutions of government. The unit explores the origin of these forces, their interplay and tensions, how they relate to different understandings of democracy, and how they produce, are refracted through, and reshape the traditional institutions of US government. The unit thus provides analytical tools that can be used to understand developments in US politics.
Whilst the unit will address illustrative and traditional topic areas such as political parties, Congress and the Presidency, we will also focus on race, masculinity, economic inequality, mass media and cultures of (in)security.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit speaks directly to debates surrounding democracy that students will have explored in their first year of study. Throughout, students are expected to apply their accumulated knowledge to discuss broader questions relating to the nature of democracy. We use the linkages between US American political cultures and the institutions of US government in order to assess the claims made that the US is a pre-eminent democracy, exploring how democracy is not possible unless cultures of privilege are overcome, and critiquing debates that focus on the structure of institutions to engineer democracy.
An overview of content
The unit is divided into four parts:
Throughout, we will aim to:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
By the end of this unit, students will have acquired knowledge that will allow them to understand the core political debates in the contemporary United States and assess the state and future of US democracy.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
The unit will be delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and online activities. The lectures will provide students with a grounding in core debates related to the study of US politics. The online engagement will provide a means to engage with the unit readings and themes. The seminars will then be used for in-depth critical engagement with the weeks' themes.
The unit will be taught through blended learning methods, including a mix of synchronous and asynchronous teaching activities
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
During week 7, you will submit an 800-word outline of your final summative assessment. You will receive verbal feedback from your seminar tutor on your outline. This feedback should be incorporated and addressed for the summative assessment.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Your summative assessment will be a 3,000-word piece (100%), evaluating ILOS 1-3, addressing one issue in US politics that has been covered during the unit. You will be able to choose between two formats:
When assessment does not go to plan
You will normally complete reassessment in the same formats as those outlined above.
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. POLI21226).
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.