Undergraduate Course: The Politics of the UK Constitution (PLIT10119)
Course Outline
| School | School of Social and Political Science |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The contested nature of the UK constitution and debates on reform have are key features of UK politics. This course will set these debates into context and consider the nature of the UK constitution in the conceptual literature on comparative constitutions. A running theme throughout the course will be consideration of the nature of the UK constitution as a whole and how it may have been transformed by reforms.
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| Course description |
Constitutional politics have become more prominent in the UK in recent decades especially following the passage of the Blair Government's programme of constitutional reform. The individual items have tended to be studied in isolation despite evidence that changes in one part of the constitution has implications for other parts. This class is designed to understanding the UK constitution as a whole. It raises questions as to the form of change enacted placing such debates in wider context of institutional and constitutional reform.
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- understand different conceptions of the UK constitution
- engage critically with various authors contesting the nature of the UK constitution
- reflect on the changing nature of the UK constitution
- acquire a political science perspective on constitutional politics
- relate debates on aspects of the UK constitution to understandings of the UK as a whole.
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Reading List
Bogdanor, Vernon (2009), The New British Constitution.
Gordon, Michael (2015), Parliamentary Sovereignty in the UK Constitution: Process, Politics and Democracy.
King, Anthony (2001), Does the United Kingdom still have a constitution? London, Sweet & Maxwell.
McLean, Iain (2009), What's wrong with the British Constitution.
Maer, L., Hazell, R., King, S., Russell, M., Trench, A., Sandford, M. (2004). Dragging the Constitution out of the Shadows. Parliamentary Affairs 57(2), 253-268
Oliver, Dawn (2006), Constitutional Reform in the UK.
Russell, M. and Cowley, P. (2015). The Policy Power of the Westminster Parliament: The 'Parliamentary State' and the Empirical Evidence. Governance
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- conceptual analysis applying political debates into a conceptual framework;
- understanding the relationship between constitutional institutions and political power;
- improved their communication and research skills by engaging and applying the literature with fluency.
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| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof James Mitchell
Tel:
Email: James.Mitchell@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Alison Lazda
Tel: (0131 6)51 5572
Email: Alison.Lazda@ed.ac.uk |
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