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This module introduces students to the structure of British government and the functioning of British politics in practice. It gives a broad overview of the main institutions and players in the British system, setting these within a comparative context. The module has a contemporary and practical flavour, taking full account of recent developments, and using both academic material and official documents to illustrate the role of different actors in policy development. It emphasises the role of political forces as well as the formal institutions of the state. Specific topics include the UK constitution; electoral systems and voting behaviour; the political parties and party system; the role of parliament; Prime Minister, cabinet and civil service; territorial politics; pressure groups and the media.

Module aims: To familiarise students with the basic functioning of the contemporary British political system. To enable students critically to assess the system citing the arguments of key commentators. To give students a sound understanding of how the British system is situated in a comparative context. To help students to understand the main influences on policy making within the British context and how these relate to each other. To allow students to study in depth, through coursework, at least two components of the British system.

Prerequisites: There are no specific prerequisites for the module, though as a Masters module it is necessarily intended to be at a fairly advanced level. The module is suitable for those who have studied British politics before, who will obviously be familiar with some of the topics, but it should enable them to develop themselves further. Students who are not familiar with British politics are also welcome, and generally enjoy the module and do well. But if you fall into this category you are encouraged to complete some remedial reading in advance (see below) to get the maximum benefit.

Teaching style: Each week there will be an introductory lecture, and the following week there will be a seminar discussion on related topics. Each seminar will open with a student presentation or presentations lasting 10-15 minutes. Depending on numbers in the class everyone will be expected to give either one or two presentations. Presentations do not count towards formal assessment.

Readings:

There is no single text that adequately sums up the whole module. Instead, week-by-week it makes use of various journal articles, book chapters and practitioner publications (e.g. government and parliamentary reports).Ìý

Those who have not studied British politics before are encouraged to purchase a general undergraduate textbook on British politics, and to read the relevant sections ahead of lectures.Ìý

Guidance on such textbooks, and indications of set readings for each week can be found by accessing the module reading list via the Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê library website.
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