PO2BGP-British Government and Politics

Module Provider: School of Politics, Economics and International Relations
Number of credits: 20 [10 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Autumn / Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites: The total number of students able to take this module is 50. In the event that more than 50 students sign up for the module, the 50 students with the highest average mark across all Part I modules will be accepted. Students will be notified of whether they have been accepted for the module after Part I results have been published
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Placement opportunity: Micro placement
Current from: 2023/4

Module Convenor: Dr David Marshall
Email: d.j.marshall@reading.ac.uk

Type of module:

Summary module description:

This module focuses on contemporary British politics (from circa 1997). In the module we focus on topics of real-world importance. For instance, we will seek to understand recent election outcomes, analyse the causes of the Brexit vote, discuss the relationship between the devolved nations and have debates on the power of the U.K. Supreme Court. Students will also gain a thorough understanding of the workings of parliament and government. Throughout the module students will develop and refine their writing and debating skills, as well as their ability to interpret visual data.  As part of the module students conduct a 2-week placement.

Aims:
This module aims to develop students' understanding of how the current British political system works and to engage them in thinking about how the system should be evaluated and how it might be improved.

Assessable learning outcomes:

By the end of the module it is expected that the student will be able to:

• identify the main structures of the political and governmental system and their inter-relationships;


• appraise and assess critically competing interpretations of the ways in which British political institutions and culture have developed;


• consider what criteria might be used to evaluate elements of this system and assess those elements against these criteria;


• locate, assemble and analyse information on the subject by their own research, using a variety of sources;


• develop a research question relating to British politics and develop and execute a research project (either through a placement or independently) that will allow an answer to that question to be developed;


• organise material and articulate arguments effectively, both orally and in writing.


• Be comfortable assessing information presented to them in various forms, such as visual, numeric, and textual


• Be able to link discussions from academic scholarship to contemporary events in British politics

Additional outcomes:
The module also aims to encourage the development of the students' effectiveness in group situations. Students will develop their IT skills by using internet resources and web sites as part of their research and by giving presentations using PowerPoint. Through the academic placement, students will gain direct understanding of how aspects of politics work in practice and will gain experience of planning, organizing, and conducting research in a work-based environment.

Outline content:

The module builds upon the ground laid in Part One, focusing upon key political institutions and processes, such as voting, the electoral system, parties, interest groups, and the political executive. There is a particular, but not exclusive, focus upon the way these institutions and processes have evolved in recent history (broadly since 1997). A core part of the module is an academic placement, taking place over two weeks, usually during the Easter vacation, through which students will be able to explore some aspect of British government and politics in detail. If students are unable to secure an academic placement, they can conduct an independent research project instead.

Global context:
Comparisons are made between politics in the UK and politics elsewhere, particularly in other developed democracies. The impact of international context upon British politics is considered.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:

Selected topics relating to British government and politics are explored through a combination of lectures and classes requiring preparatory reading and research and structured group discussion. In autumn term, students give one group presentation and write one essay relating to these topics. In Spring term, there is a two-week academic placement, which normally takes place during the Easter vacation. Students receive guidance on planning and organizing their placement, and there is a worksho p in Spring term during which students will present their placement plans. If students are unable to secure a placement they have the option of conducting an independent research project.

Contact hours:

	Autumn	Spring	Summer
Lectures	10
Seminars	10
Practicals classes and workshops		1
Placement		72
Guided independent study:	76	10	21
Total hours by term	96	83	21
Total hours for module	200

Summative Assessment Methods:

Method	Percentage
Written assignment including essay	30
Report	50
Oral assessment and presentation	20

Summative assessment- Examinations:
None.

Summative assessment- Coursework and in-class tests:

Students will write one essay of 2,500 words (+/- 10%) on a selected seminar topic. The deadline for submission on Blackboard will in the final week of Autumn term. Non-submitted essays will be awarded a mark of zero. The mark for this part of the coursework is 30% of the module mark. 



Students will also give one oral group presentation during Autumn term. This presentation will be approx.10-15 minutes in length. It will count for 20% of the overall module mark, the presentation mark will be based on the quality of the visuals, the quality of the presentation and the substantive content of the presentation. The deadline for the submission of visual aids (slides) (on Blackboard) will be one hour before the start of the seminar. Students who cannot give their oral presentation and are granted exceptional circumstances will have the full presentation mark based on the visual aids.



In Spring term, students will write a report of 3,500 words (+/- 10%) on their academic placement . This report will count for 50% of the overall module mark. A placement report should show learning about some aspect of British politics gained through the placement and reading of relevant materials. If students are unable to secure a placement they can substitute this with an independent research report assignment. An independent research project report should show learning about an aspect of British politics based on work of a quantity equivalent to that required for a placement and has the same word-length of 3,500 words. The research report should revolve around answering a novel research question related to British politics.



Visiting students will do the same assessments but those working for half credits omit the Spring term report.

Visiting students who visit for Autumn semester only but who wish to receive full credits are required to also conduct the independent research report in Autumn term.

Formative assessment methods:

In Spring term students give a presentation on their plans for the academic placement . This presentation will be around 5 minutes in length. It is formatively but not summatively assessed.



Students are welcome to discuss their essay, presentation, or placement plans with the module convenor during their office hours. 

Penalties for late submission:

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of five working days;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than five working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/cqsd-old-site-documents/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf
You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Assessment requirements for a pass:
40% overall.

Reassessment arrangements:

If a student fails to pass the year at the first attempt there is an opportunity to be re-assessed on one further occasion at the next opportunity in those modules achieving a mark of less than 40%. Students who are eligible for re-assessment have the right to re-assessment in all elements even if they have previously passed one of those elements. It is expected, however, that the majority of students would probably elect not to repeat an element in which they had already passed, in which case the confirmed marks would be carried forward.



Coursework: Failed or missing coursework should be re-submitted within the specified resubmission period, emailed directly to politics@reading.ac.uk, AND submitted on Blackboard. 

Additional Costs (specified where applicable):

1) Required text books: Required text books: There are several largely equivalent text books on British politics, the one recommended for the course is Politics UK, 10th edition, Bill Jones & Philip Norton @ £31.00

2) Specialist equipment or materials:

3) Specialist clothing, footwear or headgear:

4) Printing and binding: There may be optional costs associated with photocopying or printing sources listed on the reading list relating to this module. Please note that the Library charges approximately 5p per photocopy.

5) Computers and devices with a particular specification:

6) Travel, accommodation and subsistence: 

Last updated: 2 January 2024