Undergraduate Course: Contemporary Issues in Political Science (PLIT10104)
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 | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Contemporary Issues in Political Science takes a recent topic one emerging in the news or in the academic literature, and provides students with the tools to situate it within the larger academic literature, the political context and methods of analysis.
This course focuses on the 2016 US election, which we will analyse in ¿real time¿ and as it happens. We will survey the major theoretical approaches and empirical research on past US elections before adopting an issues-based approach to understanding the main determinants of the 2016 result. Weekly topics will include the rules (constitutional or otherwise) that govern American campaigns and elections, the history of US elections, party mobilisation, the effects of changing demography and ethnicity, the evolution of the US economy, and the impact of foreign and other areas of public policy.
This course will be taught at an advanced level and will be seminar-based (exclusively). It will feature multiple visiting speakers with expertise or interest in specific elements that will determine the result of the 2016 US election.
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| Course description |
The substantive content of this course changes each year depending on topical issues and will be taught by experts on the issue itself or on particular approaches/methods from amongst permanent and postdoctoral staff. Students will learn substantive information about the topic itself but perhaps more importantly they will acquire the generic skills to analyse any phenomenon: how to place it within a larger context, where to look for information about context, the types of variables (whether social, economic, cultural, or political) to consider when analysing the phenomenon, how to identify wider theories and concepts to analyse the phenomenon and how to acquire evidence that would support one theoretical interpretation over another.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2016/17, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 27 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
176 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
90 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
The course will be assessed by:
Research assignment (45%)
General Paper (%45)
Participation (%10)
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| Feedback |
Students will receive written feedback on their written coursework. Feedback on their Research Assignment will be designed to help improve the quality of their General Paper. Students will be provided face-to-face feedback on their seminar participation. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Students will be able to demonstrate comprehensive understanding of contemporary debates on the chosen event, from both a theoretical and empirical perspective
- Students will have specialist in-depth knowledge of specific areas and issues in relation to the chosen event
- Students will be able to critically engage with key explanatory theories, concepts, institutions and issues in the study of the chosen event
- Students will be able to deploy and justify the use of case studies to deepen our understanding of political science
- Students will be able to engage in critical thinking, reflection and debate for academic and non-academic consumption.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical thinking and analysis
Team work
Effective written and verbal communication
Effective research and analytical skills
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof John Peterson
Tel: (0131 6)51 3023
Email: John.Peterson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Claire Buchan
Tel: (0131 6)50 8253
Email: Claire.Buchan@ed.ac.uk |
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