Unit name | Political Systems of Modern Europe |
---|---|
Unit code | MODL20008 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Allinson |
Open unit status | Open |
Pre-requisites |
N/A |
Co-requisites |
N/A |
School/department | School of Modern Languages |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit introduces students to the political systems of the major modern European states, and thereby also to key concepts of political science, the state and of constitutionalism. After tracing the emergence of modern constitutional systems in the 18th and 19th centuries, the unit considers the current political systems of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Spain, and the ways in which political systems were organised in the USSR, the Third Reich, Franco’s Spain and Mussolini’s Italy. Consideration is also given to the ways in which matters such as human rights, sovereignty, federalism and electoral systems are and have been organised in various polities, including some of the smaller European states (Belgium, Czech Republic, Portugal). This dual approach provides students with detailed knowledge of the political systems of individual states, but also enables a comparative approach to understanding modern political systems and principles. Finally, some consideration is given to the relationship between the individual European states and the structures of the European Union.
Students will:
Interactive lecture format
One 2000 word essay (50%) and one two-hour exam (50%).
Both forms of assessment will test subject knowledge of the field. Students will be required to developed detailed and extended analytical arguments based on independent research using a range of source materials.
The constitutions of the states to be studied in this unit will be made available in English translation on a Blackboard site, and will constitute the primary texts.