Undergraduate Course: Stability, Instability and Renewal in Democratic Systems (PLIT10178)
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 | Why do some democratic systems experience deep transformations while others display high levels of continuity? Why do governments and political elites change more frequently in some countries than in others? Does political instability harm democracy and prosperity? Is too much stability an obstacle to positive innovations and modernisation? This course addresses these questions by providing a comprehensive examination of the intricate dynamics surrounding political stability, instability, and renewal within increasingly fragile democracies in Europe and North America. It does so by also drawing comparisons with other regions worldwide where democratic consolidation has faced notable challenges (e.g. Central and South America, Africa, South and East Asia). |
| Course description |
Instability has often been associated with emerging democracies, and indeed, much of the literature discussing the themes of the course has focused on non-western countries. Students will be encouraged to assess the state of established western democracies, which appear increasingly fragile, volatile, and open to (not necessarily negative) change, by drawing comparisons with other regions worldwide (e.g., Central and South America, Africa, South and East Asia). Students will explore case studies to understand the causes of political stability, instability, and renewal and their profound impacts on institutions, governance structures, policy outputs, and socio-economic outcomes. Generally, the course aims to develop students' critical thinking and research skills through the analysis and comparison of real-world cases. By the course's conclusion, students will possess a nuanced understanding of political processes and the ability to apply insights from relevant literature to address specific policy challenges. This exploration seeks to bridge theoretical concepts with practical implications, empowering students to contribute to the effective formulation of policies that navigate and shape the future of democratic systems.
The course is structured in three parts. The first part explores key definitions and debates surrounding the concepts of political stability, instability, renewal and related concepts such as persistence, deadlock, change, volatility, backsliding, reform, consolidation. The second part focuses on identifying the key factors contributing to political stability, instability and renewal, including historical legacies, socio-economic and socio-political development. Particular attention will be paid to territorial aspects, such as the existence of regional inequalities within countries or tensions between urban and rural areas. The third part focuses on the effects of stability, instability and renewal (in their different manifestations) on the functioning of institutions, governance (considering interactions between governmental anon non-governmental actors), policy outputs (legislation and regulation) and outcomes (the medium- to long-term effects of policies on society and the economy).
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Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | Visiting students should have at least four Politics/IR courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). Only university/college level courses will be considered. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial 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
80 %,
Practical Exam
20 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Group presentation - 20%
Essay - 40% - max 2000 words
Policy Briefing - 40% - max 2000 words |
| Feedback |
Students will receive feedback on their group presentations within one week. Feedback on essay and policy briefing shall normally be returned within three weeks of submission. Where this is not possible, students shall be given clear expectations regarding the timing and methods of feedback. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the concepts of stability, instability and renewal and their various manifestations within democratic systems.
- Analyse the historical, socio-economic and socio-political factors that contribute to stability, instability and renewal in contemporary democracies.
- Examine the impact of political stability, instability and renewal on institutions, governance, policy outputs and socio-economic outcomes.
- Develop critical thinking and research skills to analyse and compare case studies.
- Apply insights from literature on political stability, instability and renewal to address specific policy issues or challenges.
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Reading List
Chiaramonte, A. and Emanuele, V. (2022) The Deinstitutionalization of Western European Party systems, Palgrave.
Webb, P. and White, S. (2009) Party Politics in new democracies, Oxford University press.
Cornell, A., Møller, J., and Skaaning S. (2020) Democratic Stability in an Age of Crisis, Oxford University Press.
Wright, J. (2008) 'Political Competition and Democratic Stability in New Democracies', BJPS, 38(2): 221-245.
Kotze, H. and Garcia-Rivero, C. (2017) 'Institutions, crises, and political confidence in seven contemporary democracies. An elite-mass analysis', Journal of Public Affairs, 17(1-2): 1-17. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course will help students:
- Develop analytical and critical thinking
- Undertake independent research
- Plan, organize and manage time
- Work in a team
- Improve their verbal and written communication and presentation skills |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Davide Vampa
Tel:
Email: d.vampa@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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