Undergraduate Course: Parties & Party Systems In Contemporary Democracies (PLIT10083)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course focuses on one of the most important topics in political science: the study of political parties and party systems. It will introduce students to key issues regarding the formation and evolution of political parties, how parties compete in different party systems, party organisation, policy formation and internal party democracy, and the crisis of membership and trust in political parties.
This course will help students understand the main concepts and assumptions at the heart of debates about representative democracy, and to understand the inter-relationship between citizens, political parties and the state. The primary focus of the course will be on Western Europe and North America, although references will also be made to other democratic political systems.
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| Course description |
Not entered
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least 3 Politics/International Relations courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 60 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
166 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
- One 2,500 word essay (50% of the mark)
- One 1,500 word policy briefing paper (35% of the mark)
- Tutorial presentation and participation (15% of mark)
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand different explanations of party organisation, party system formation, and party and party system change;
- Critically appreciate the functions and roles that political parties play in contemporary democracies and the challenges that they face;
- Compare parties and party systems across countries;
- Develop skills in oral and written communication and presentation through seminar activities, essay writing and feedback
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | |
Course secretary | Miss Natalie Stroud
Tel: (0131 6)51 3162
Email: |
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