(POL266B - Spring)
Level: 5
Semester: B
Credit Value: 15
Module Convenor: Dr Brendan O'Duffy
Overlap: None
Pre-requisite: None
Compulsory for: Semi-compulsory for L202, L20Y
Associate Availability: Full year and Spring only
Description:
The political map of contemporary Europe is changing rapidly and fundamentally, as the traditional boundaries between East and West and between domestic and international governance break down. This module aims to introduce the analysis of democratic performance on major issues affecting contemporary European democracies. Continent’s politics - one rooted in a comparative rather than a country-by-country approach. After reviewing ontological and epistemological foundations in comparative political science and setting the historical and socio-economic context, the module focuses on comparative analysis of prominent political issues facing European states (including mediatisation of politics, interest groups, social movements, immigration and multi-culturalism, gender and politics, new radical right challenges to established party systems) before concluding with a comparative analysis of democratic performance as measured by objective and subjective indicators of government outputs.
Assessment: 1 x 2500 word essay (50%) and 2 hour exam (50%)
