| Unit name | The Contemporary British Parliament |
|---|---|
| Unit code | POLI31336 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Childs |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
This unit critically examines the role and functions of Parliament within the contemporary British political system. Both the Commons and the Lords are addressed. Parliament's formal rules, traditions, conventions and norms of behaviour are considered within a context of wider analysis of political institutions, and institutional change. More specifically, it examines parliamentary representation; parliamentary scrutiny, influence and accountability; Executive-Legislative relations; and questions of parliamentary reform.
Aims:
1 x 3 hour seminar and 1 x 1 hour workshop.
The teaching is based around seminars in which different texts and empirical cases will be discussed and critically analysed. The seminars will, in turn, be mostly based around group discussions, with small group work based on empirical case study material in many sessions.
Blackboard will be used to make a variety of additional information available for the students.
In addition to weekly sessions there will be a 2 hour workshop session for all students.
1. One, 3,000 word essay. This will be worth 100% of the overall unit mark. Titles will be agreed with the Tutor on an individual basis or students may chose from a list provided by the Tutor.
Rationale:
This unit focuses in depth on key aspects of the British Parliament rather than constituting a broad ‘survey’ unit. Accordingly, it requires of students to gain a detailed, sophisticated and comprehensive understanding of a particular aspect of the British Parliament (objectives 2-4). This involves, in turn, extensive analysis of practices roles, and functions of, and behaviours in the contemporary Parliament acquired through reading and observation of, for example, the passage of legislation, public bill committee and select committee activity (objective 1) together with reports from parliamentary reform organizations such as the Hansard Society (objective 2). This unit is, then, best examined by an extended essay. Students will be able to decide upon their own topic for the essay – reflecting their own particular interests, albeit constrained by the coverage of the unit or may chose from a list provided by the tutor – and will be guided to construct an appropriate essay question by the Unit Owner, who must approve all original titles. The essay will require the analysis of both secondary and primary literature (objectives 2 and 4). Students will be advised to discuss their essays in advance of submission with the Unit Owner in their office hours.
