British Political History

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module provides an overview of the major developments in British political history since 1900, focusing mainly (but not exclusively) on the post-war period. You focus on the major challenges domestic and international which have confronted political elites and masses during the period. It provides a critical understanding of some of the major debates between and within the UK's major political parties, and introduces some of the academic arguments generated by them. Politicians, and indeed political scientists, often make use of particular versions of history in order to persuade people that what they are offering is either tried and trusted or, on the other hand, new and improved. Pundits are also fond of making casual allusions to political events of the past in order to illustrate or support their arguments about the present often based on little more than second-hand knowledge and outdated received wisdom. This module provides a firm foundation of knowledge on which to build the more advanced understanding promoted by more advanced modules. And, by subjecting to critical analysis what is often taken for granted, it encourages a degree of healthy scepticism towards any references to politics in the past made in both public and academic discourse.

Classical Political Theory & International Relations

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module will introduce you to the primary texts of authors such as Hobbes, Kant, Machiavelli, Marx, Mill, Thucydides, Vitoria and others who are commonly cited as precursors of contemporary international thought. It asks what relevance these authors have had for the establishment of International Relations as a discipline, and how far they can be used to analyse contemporary international politics. Finally, the module demonstrates how classical authors can also be read to provide a radical critique of contemporary international thought and practice.

Explanatory Concepts in Political Science

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module aims to provide you with firm understanding of some of the basic theories of the state including pluralism, elite theory, Marxism and public choice theory. You will apply these theories to British politics in order to gain a better understanding of particular political issues and interests, for example, the Constitutions, political parties, voting, interest groups and globalisation. This will enable you to engage in a dialogue that confronts established theories concerning the changing reality of British politics.

Foundations of Politics

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module provides an introduction to some of the central concepts and issues in political theory. It offers you an opportunity to think not just about the way politics is, but also about the way it ought to be. We will ask questions such as ‘why should we obey the state?’, ‘is democracy the best form of government?’ and ‘what makes a just society?’ By the end of the module you should have acquired a basic understanding of the central questions that political theorists spend their time thinking and writing about, and you should have begun to develop some of your own answers to these questions.

Introduction to International Relations

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

This module introduces you to the academic study of international relations. The module outlines the specific characteristics of International Relations (IR) as a distinct scholarly discipline, separate from other disciplines such as politics or sociology. The module considers what has defined IR as a discipline and what constitutes its core conceptual and methodological coordinates at the present time. The module approaches these questions through a consideration of the historical development of IR through a series of conceptual and methodological debates. Classically these debates are conceived of as tracing a path from idealism via realism to a pluralist methodological position. Understanding these debates, the circumstances that have given rise to them, and the methods they have generated will give you a good orientation in the disciplinary terrain of IR that will help them in contextualising the ideas they will encounter in the international theory courses in Years 1 and 2.

Research Skills and Methods in Political Science

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

This module is designed to introduce you to some of the fundamental issues faced by scholars as they try to analyse the political world around them.  We begin by examining the discipline of political science, what 'studying politics', and introduce some of the key terms such as epistemology, behaviouralism, quantitative methods.

You will be introduced to the basics of quantitative methods and the advantages and disadvantages of using surveys, questionnaires and statistical packages to analyse real world political activity. 

The next set of lectures analyse a completely different mode of enquiry; those based on interpretist understandings of political affairs. There are, obviously, all sorts of ways of collecting evidence to support your case/answer a question, and some of the most popular involve doing interviews, focus groups, simple participation etc. We discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of using these methods, analysing why they are chosen in the first place and how they link with more quantitative approaches. 

By the end of the module, you should have an enhanced understanding of what the political science discipline is, how political scholars conduct their research and how they reach the conclusions that they do. You should also be able to critically interpret many of the claims and counter-claims, often based on statistical indicators, that are a feature of contemporary political debate.

Most of the lectures will necessarily focus on presenting various, often rather abstract, concepts and procedures. However, the relevance of these in modern political analysis will be demonstrated by incorporating practical exercises in which the concepts and methods learnt will be applied in seminars and computer workshops.

The Rise of the Modern International Order

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 1

Today we take it for granted that the peoples and governments of the world are linked in a single international system. Yet it was only during 'the long 19th century' that, for the first time in history, a truly 'world' politics began to emerge. This module examines how this came about by reviewing some major events and process of international history in the period from 1789 to 1914.

It begins with the international impact of the French revolution and the industrial revolution, and moves on to the formation of nation-states in Europe and outside. It analyses the role played by Great Britain in organising the Victorian international system, as well as the occupation of the non-European world by European imperialism. Finally, the module reflects upon the combination of factors that caused this 'long 19th century' to end in the carnage of the Great War. At the same time, by looking at some of the major controversies that historians have had about how to understand these events, the module also raises key questions about the nature of historical knowledge itself.

The Short Twentieth Century and Beyond

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 1

Few periods in history have been more tumultuous than the 20th century, racked almost from start to finish by wars, revolutions and global ideological conflicts. In the same period, however, the international system also developed new mechanisms of stability and international organisation - the League of Nations and the United Nations, the 'Bretton Woods' institutions and, increasingly, European integration. This module reviews some major international events and processes of 'the short 20th century' (1914-1989), focusing on this theme of order and disorder in international history.

Contemporary International Theory

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module examines the role this tradition plays in the development of contemporary international theory (post-1945) and the establishment of orthodoxy. Major approaches and debates in the discipline will be examined and evaluated, and placed in the more general context of what is problematic about developing cumulative knowledge of social relations. Varieties of realism, liberalism and the English school approach will be considered as well as more recent critical engagements coming from Marxism, feminism, constructivism, postmodernism and globalism.

European Politics

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The political map of contemporary Europe is changing fundamentally and rapidly, as the traditional boundaries between East and West and – between domestic and international governance – break down. This module provides a pan­-European introduction to the continent's politics,­ taking a comparative rather than country­-by-­country approach.

After setting the historical and socio­economic context, the module tackles not only institutions (the nation-­state, government and policy­making, legislatures, parties, pressure groups and the media) but also issues of ­participation, immigration, the supposed blurring of the left-­right divide, and Europe's role in the world.

Introduction to International Political Economy

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

The intensity and scope of the relationship between politics and economics has become a central element of international relations. This module offers a distinctive perspective in terms of which traditional issues of international relations - such as war, trade, integration and international society - can be studied. It considers the central theoretical traditions of international political economy: liberalism, realism, Marxism, neo-institutionalism, and critical theory. It then applies these diverse theoretical traditions in an analysis of the evolution of the state system from the 16th to the 20th century, paying particular attention to the relationship between class and state power, on the one hand, and the capitalist world economy, on the other.

Modern Political Thought

15 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 2

This module addresses some of the most important texts in the history of western political philosophy. It covers the work of seven major political thinkers and aims to provide you with knowledge of the broad contours of modern political thought from the 17th to the 20th century. You will develop your ability to analyse philosophical arguments and to situate the texts studied in the appropriate historical contexts. Throughout, the aim will be to encourage close textual reading whilst developing an awareness of the wider themes and concepts that inform modern political thought.

Development and the State

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module is concerned with the role of the state in development. It considers this subject matter  theoretically - that is, by exploring debates in state theory, and on the relationship between the state and development - empirically, by investigating a range of historical and contemporary state forms and the impacts of these state forms on processes of development, and normatively, by posing questions about what the nature and role of the state should ideally be.

The module examines the main theoretical approaches to the state and historical state forms and their attendant development experiences, in the north and in the post-colonial south. Finally, the module moves to development since the 1980s, exploring the impacts of state failure, neo-liberalism, democratisation and global governance on state forms and patterns of development.

Globalisation and Global Governance

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module complements International Political Economy I by applying a holistic, political and economic approach to an analysis of the changing character of the contemporary world. It examines the emergence and subsequent decline of the multilateral system and the rise of globalisation, especially the nature of global institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the G8 meetings.

  You will also cover the rise of a global offshore financial system and delve deeper into the changing nature of state, firm and society in the age of globalisation. The module examines the changing character of the development project, from decolonialisation and the decline of the formal empires to the emergence of the third world and the contemporary debates concerning the nature of development, economic growth, human welfare and the environment.

Politics of Governance: Eastern Europe

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The module begins by examining the kind of legacies that the communist period left in these countries before moving on to consider their institutional structures and party and electoral politics of the new post-communist democracies. You then considers some of the major issues raised by the process of post-communist democratisation. These include: how to deal with functionaries of the previous non-democratic regime, how to introduce radical economic reform, and how to accommodate the existence of the numerous ethnic minorities that most of these states encompass? The impact of attempts to integrate into Euro-Atlantic international structures (the EU and NATO) on Central and East European domestic politics is considered before a final session that attempts to evaluate the nature of the regimes that are emerging in the region.

Politics of Governance: France

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Democracy in France has a troubled history, which continues to impact on contemporary politics in significant ways that have contributed to the representation of France as being in many ways 'exceptional'. This idea of 'the French Exception' will serve as a context for this module, which aims to give you a basic understanding of the institutions, policies and issues which dominate political life in France today. The module uses current affairs in France as its starting point in order to encourage engagement, and will use this to build up a grasp of the institutional framework in which political power operates. Important themes to be analysed will be: institutional and constitutional change, party dynamics, and policy reforms.

Politics of Governance: Germany

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

The overall intellectual aim of this module is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the structure and norms of governance in the Federal Republic of Germany. The module examines the structure of German governance post-1945, looking at the formal codified arrangements of German federalism and the relationship between the constitution, parties and the wider polity. Particular emphasis is placed on Germany's role within the broader international community and the effects that unification has had on the structures and practices of German governance. We will also look at two particular policy fields (foreign policy, asylum and immigration policy) in order to see how the structures of governance affect policy making and policy development in individual policy areas. Learning objectives are specified by week for each topic. You should use these to think about when reading the material and preparing for each seminar.

Politics of Governance: India

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Politics of Governance: International Institutions and Issues

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module critically analyses the evolution of the international institutional order since World War II up to contemporary times. It examines the emergence and transformations of these bodies in the face of evolving and emerging issues and challenges. You will focus on institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Trade Organisation, as well as non-state actors and then gauge and assess their response to the issues and challenges in their respective fields of competence (for example, the environment, global ethics, intervention, failing states, self-determination, the changing nature of war and global governance).

Politics of Governance: The European Union

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module treats the EU as a system of governance and examines it on that basis looking at the nature of executive, legislative and judicial politics as well as looking at the nature of interest representation and examining the nature of democracy in the EU and the impact of the EU on European states. It does so the basis of a variety of theoretical accounts derived from international relations and political science that have been applied to the EU

Politics of Governance: USA

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

This module examines four approaches to understanding contemporary US politics that emphasise the role of institutions, ideas, individuals and interests. These approaches are applied to the three main institutions of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court and to the nature of political parties and voting in the US.

Security and Insecurity in Global Politics

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Security is central to the issue agenda of international relations. Traditionally security has been understood to comprise the question of the protection of sovereign territory through armed force. Security has thus examined issues such as arms races, war, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Traditionally these issues were addressed through a realist lens that regarded the state and its survival as the central conceptual maxims. However, contemporary scholarship concerning security has broadened this agenda considerably. New sources of insecurity have emerged outside the traditional state form, as can be seen in the rise of issues such as terrorism as well as wider 'complex emergencies' on the international security agenda. Moreover, the conceptual lenses for examining these questions of (in)security have also multiplied, giving rise to new referent objects of security and a wider security agenda encompassing issues such as identity, genocide, and the environment. This module introduces you to the broad issue agenda that shapes the contemporary study of (in)security. Each week it will focus on a different issue that defines the agenda of international security.

The Politics of Foreign Policy

15 credits
Spring teaching, Year 2

Capitalism and Geopolitics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This multi-disciplinary module is designed to examine the relations between capitalism and geopolitics and how their interaction has shaped different political communities and world orders from the 17th century up to the 21st century. It explores the major theoretical traditions and debates, old and new, on the nexus between capitalism and geopolitics and combines these theoretical perspectives with in-depth interrogations of the historical material the key events, processes, actors that shaped this turbulent international history of war and peace, crises and revolutions, conquest and exploitation.

You critically re-examine the origins and co-development of the terms capitalism and geopolitics as real historical phenomena and associated discourses, 
You examine their interrelation across various historical periods and diverse theoretical registers. 

The first part of the module starts with an overview of the three classical traditions that have most centrally informed this discourse: the writings of Max Weber and Otto Hintze that assert the primacy of military competition for geopolitical orders and that have - since the mid-1980s inspired a Neo-Weberian turn in Historical Sociology and IR; the works of Fernand Braudel and Immanuel Wallerstein updated and extended by neo-Gramscian IR Theory - that stress the rise of commercial exchange and the construction of successive world hegemonies; and the ideas of Karl Marx that, although short on specific arguments on geopolitics, have more recently led to intense debates within the Neo-Marxist literature on how to conceptualise capitalist social relations and class conflict in their effects on inter-state conflict and co-operation across the centuries.

Against this theoretical setting, the second part of the module examines sequentially a number of different historical geopolitical orders dynastic-absolutist, 19th century British hegemony, imperialist, fascist, liberal and contemporary and the transitions between them on the basis of divergent and contested interpretations deriving from the three classical traditions. The aim is to provide a set of theoretically-informed and empirically-controlled analyses of the ways in which capitalism and geopolitics have shaped each other and constituted varieties of territorial orders in historical perspective.

Capitalism and Geopolitics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This multi-disciplinary module is designed to examine the relations between capitalism and geopolitics and how their interaction has shaped different political communities and world orders from the 17th century up to the 21st century. It explores the major theoretical traditions and debates, old and new, on the nexus between capitalism and geopolitics and combines these theoretical perspectives with in-depth interrogations of the historical material the key events, processes, actors that shaped this turbulent international history of war and peace, crises and revolutions, conquest and exploitation.

You critically re-examine the origins and co-development of the terms capitalism and geopolitics as real historical phenomena and associated discourses, 
You examine their interrelation across various historical periods and diverse theoretical registers. 

The first part of the module starts with an overview of the three classical traditions that have most centrally informed this discourse: the writings of Max Weber and Otto Hintze that assert the primacy of military competition for geopolitical orders and that have - since the mid-1980s inspired a Neo-Weberian turn in Historical Sociology and IR; the works of Fernand Braudel and Immanuel Wallerstein updated and extended by neo-Gramscian IR Theory - that stress the rise of commercial exchange and the construction of successive world hegemonies; and the ideas of Karl Marx that, although short on specific arguments on geopolitics, have more recently led to intense debates within the Neo-Marxist literature on how to conceptualise capitalist social relations and class conflict in their effects on inter-state conflict and co-operation across the centuries.

Against this theoretical setting, the second part of the module examines sequentially a number of different historical geopolitical orders dynastic-absolutist, 19th century British hegemony, imperialist, fascist, liberal and contemporary and the transitions between them on the basis of divergent and contested interpretations deriving from the three classical traditions. The aim is to provide a set of theoretically-informed and empirically-controlled analyses of the ways in which capitalism and geopolitics have shaped each other and constituted varieties of territorial orders in historical perspective.

Conflict and Military Intervention: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This seminar analyses what might loosely be called the "new security environment" and its impacts on international relations. During the term, we will undertake a theoretical and, more crucially, policy relevant analysis of the security threats that have led to a growing incidence of inter-state and intra-state conflict in spite of the hopes engendered by a post-Cold War 'New World (Dis)Order'. We will examine for the most part the causal factors, dynamics and domestic as well as international efforts at managing and resolving through political, diplomatic and military efforts intra-state conflicts. Beyond examining the relevant theoretical concepts and viewpoints, we will also explore their propositions within the framework of case studies from a variety of conflict areas. The main focus will be on the relationship between international politics and the employment of soft and hard power in order to resolve such security threats. Particular emphasis will be given to the problems and challenges stemming from the growing trend of humanitarian/military intervention in international politics. Furthermore, the conduct of the 'Global War on Terror' and its implications for international security will be examined in detail.

You are required to be conversant with major international relations theories and have a good grasp of contemporary international history and events in order to make the most of this dissertation option. These two areas will enable you to then explore in detail the theories that specifically relate to conflict and the case studies that relate to the contemporary post-9/11 security trends, many of which had been in fact developing since the end of the Cold War.
The main emphasis of this module is to explain and understand conflict and its resolution from an empirical, pragmatic and policy-oriented (rather that reflectivist and philosophical) perspective. Intensive study will be required as many of the empirical and theoretical approaches that will be explored will be new to most students in any case. 

Contemporary Issues in the Global Political Economy

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The central theme running through this module is how the architecture of existing capitalism has to be adjusted or brought into balance with the needs of expanding markets. We begin by looking at attempts by global governance institutions like the WTO (World Trade Organisation) to create a largely deregulated world market. We then examine how financial systems are expanding and how the stock market has become a key institution of modern capitalism. We discuss then the changing nature of multinational corporations and the state as they reorient themselves towards a global market. We examine empirically the post-Cold War expansion of capitalism into Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Finally, we analyse the most recent developments in world affairs from a political economy perspective, looking at the increasing military bias of foreign policy of major capitalist states, as well as at the changing nature of anti-capitalist protest in the wake of 9/11.

Contemporary Issues in the Global Political Economy: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The central theme running through this module is how the architecture of existing capitalism has to be adjusted or brought into balance with the needs of expanding markets. We begin by looking at attempts by global governance institutions like the WTO to create a largely deregulated world market. We then examine how financial systems are expanding and how the stock market has become a key institution of modern capitalism. We discuss then the changing nature of multinational corporations and the state as they reorient themselves towards a global market. We examine empirically the post-Cold War expansion of capitalism into Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Middle East. Finally, we analyse the most recent developments in world affairs from a political economy perspective, looking at the increasing military bias of foreign policy of major capitalist states, as well as at the changing nature of anti-capitalist protest in the wake of 9/11.

Death of Socialism

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module looks at the contemporary condition of socialism following the collapse of state socialism in Central and Eastern Europe and elsewhere, the erosion of the central principles of Western social democracy and the prevalence of free market and capitalist ideas at the start of the century. Is socialism a relevant, feasible or desirable idea in contemporary society? Or is it dead, merely a historical relic of the 20th century?

We will start by looking at the two predominant conceptions and experiences of socialism of the twentieth century - ­ Marxist and social democratic socialism. What are the main features of these models of socialism? You will then examine criticisms of socialism from liberals and libertarians ­ such as Hayek and Nozick ­ and from new social movements ­ such as the women's movement and the green movement. What critical points are raised by these perspectives and how telling are they? We will look at reasons for the collapse of state socialism in the late 1980s and at attempts in the West to rethink socialism during an era in which neo­liberalism was a predominant force. Do liberal and new social movements' criticisms and the collapse of state socialism suggest that socialism is dead? Do attempts to redefine socialism (as market socialism or radical democratic socialism) escape the criticisms of liberals and the new social movements and the problems experienced under old social democracy and state socialism? Or do they indicate that the era of socialism has well and truly passed?

In the final two topics we shall address this question a little more. We will examine the attempt of New Labour and current European social democrats to respond to the crisis of social democracy and will ask whether there is anything remaining of socialism in such attempts. And we shall examine theses such as that of Fukuyama: that the day of socialism has passed and that capitalism has won the battle.

Development and Geopolitics in East Asia: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The aim of this module is for you to understand the rise of East Asia through examining the interconnections between regional development and geopolitical contestation in the Cold War and contemporary eras. You will adopt an historical approach, beginning with an examination of the legacies of European and Japanese imperialism in East Asia and an analysis of the establishment of post-war US hegemony in the region and its implications for subsequent economic development.

You will examine the divergent experiences of Northeast and Southeast Asia and the rise of China. We then explore the implications of the decline of Cold War geopolitical rivalry and the rise of 'globalisation' and its role in explaining subsequent trends such as the East Asian financial crisis, East Asian regionalism and the changing nature of US-China relations. Within this historical context, you will examine varying analytical frameworks and debates concerning late development, such as neoclassical versus structural institutionalism, Marxist vs. dependency theories, international/regional vs. domestic factors, etc. You will examine such theories critically, both in terms of their analytical purchase and their origins and role in geopolitical rivalry itself.

Environment and Development in World Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The question of whether current forms of economic and political organisation in international society are capable of responding to the challenge of sustainable development is more pertinent than ever before. Questions are being asked about how development can be redefined to accommodate ecological challenges or whether we need to fundamentally rethink notions of growth and progress. This module takes a critical look at the actors and issues implicated in the emerging global debate on sustainable development. It engages with competing theoretical perspectives about the drivers of environmental change and how best to explain the nature of international cooperation on the environment and its limits, but also aims to provide you with a detailed understanding of the defining issues and tensions that constitute the struggle to define future notions of development.

The module will address empirical case studies such as climate change, biodiversity and biotechnology and deforestation as well as the relationship between trade and the environment, finance and the environment and production and the environment in a context of globalisation. You will gain an understanding of the key actors in these debates from governments and international institutions to civil society organisations and corporations and the ways their power and influence can best be understood.

The module begins with an overview of the shifting nature of the relationship between environment and development in world politics before looking at the key actors in global debates about sustainable development. From there it sets out a range of theoretical tools for understanding the global politics of these issues before focussing in on a range of issue areas, those listed above. It concludes with reflection on prospects for change and the viability of alternative proposals for better addressing the environment and development in world politics

Environment and Development in World Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The question of whether current forms of economic and political organisation in international society are capable of responding to the challenge of sustainable development is more pertinent than ever before. Questions are being asked about how development can be redefined to accommodate ecological challenges or whether we need to fundamentally rethink notions of growth and progress. This module takes a critical look at the actors and issues implicated in the emerging global debate on sustainable development. It engages with competing theoretical perspectives about the drivers of environmental change and how best to explain the nature of international cooperation on the environment and its limits, but also aims to provide you with a detailed understanding of the defining issues and tensions that constitute the struggle to define future notions of development.

The module will address empirical case studies such as climate change, biodiversity and biotechnology and deforestation as well as the relationship between trade and the environment, finance and the environment and production and the environment in a context of globalisation. You will gain an understanding of the key actors in these debates from governments and international institutions to civil society organisations and corporations and the ways their power and influence can best be understood.

The module begins with an overview of the shifting nature of the relationship between environment and development in world politics before looking at the key actors in global debates about sustainable development. From there it sets out a range of theoretical tools for understanding the global politics of these issues before focussing in on a range of issue areas, those listed above. It concludes with reflection on prospects for change and the viability of alternative proposals for better addressing the environment and development in world politics

Ethics in Global Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

EU Politics and Policy

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module provides an opportunity to study the substance of the policies which the EU has developed and the process by which those policies are agreed. You draw upon the techniques and approaches which have been developed in the specialised discipline of policy analysis, allowing for an understanding of the way in which specific policy areas have emerged.

As well as using academic texts and analysis to inform your understanding of the EU policy process, the module will also familiarise you with a range of primary and other research resources. In particular you will learn about a variety of hard copy and on line materials produced by the European Institutions and bodies seeking to influence or understand the EU. You will also learn about data and media sources which will enable you to draw upon a wider range of material in studying, researching and discussing the issues covered by the module.

Finance and Power

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module considers the globalisation of finance and the structure of the power relations that drive it. You will examine the ways in which global finance is constructed on the basis of power struggles, and how financialisation empowers certain actors over others. The module begins by examining various forms of financial systems and their social ramifications. You will then examine how the process of globalisation affects the evolution of these financial systems and the social struggles over the direction of change. The module addresses the impacts of financialisation on the project of development, the convergence of various economic systems, and the formulation of progressive politics. Finally you will consider the regulation of finance and the various challenges it raises for political authorities and social forces.

Finance and Power: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module considers the globalisation of finance and the structure of the power relations that drive it. You will examine the ways in which global finance is constructed on the basis of power struggles, and how financialisation empowers certain actors over others. The module begins by examining various forms of financial systems and their social ramifications. You will then examine how the process of globalisation affects the evolution of these financial systems and the social struggles over the direction of change. The module addresses the impacts of financialisation on the project of development, the convergence of various economic systems, and the formulation of progressive politics. Finally you will consider the regulation of finance and the various challenges it raises for political authorities and social forces.

France: The Mitterrand Years

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The module aims to engage you with politics and policies in France during the period of the double presidency of François Mitterrand, 1981-1995. It will begin by setting this period in its historical perspective, in order to highlight the significance of the victory of the first socialist president. We will then look at the early years of 'the socialist experiment', 1981-1984, and evaluate its achievements and failures, before moving on to look at the gradual 'Europeanisation' of the policy-making processes after 1984, when the discourse of socialism gives way to that of modernisation and the signing of the Single European Act, a watershed for France and for the Left in particular. We will then examine the first period of 'cohabitation' from 1986-1988, examining its political and institutional implications as well as its consequences, one of which was the re-election of Mitterrand in 1988. In the second presidency we will consider the impact of the collapse of communism on France and on Franco-German relations in particular, and the gradual realisation of 'the end of the French exception' culminating in the referendum debate on the Maastricht Treaty, which brought about certain realignmnents in the party system. Finally, we will consider the ways in which affairs of corruption and the politics of memory (Vichy France and the Algerian War) came to dominate the final years of the Mitterrand presidency, with repercussions for his legacy and the post-Mitterrandian era of French politics.

Global Resistance: Subjects and Practices: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Ideas of Progress and Decline in Modern British Politics

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Immigration and the Liberal State

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Independent Study/Internship Option

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This option provides an opportunity for you to carry out your own research project - working independently but with the help of a project tutor. In order to be accepted onto this option you produce a project outline by the end of you second year which needs to be approved by the module convenor. This many be linked to a period as an intern in the place of work (eg, in a local authority or at Westminster).

Law in International Relations: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module provides a historical overview of the political context and development of international law, an introduction to the most important theoretical issues arising out of the relationship of international politics and law, and a discussion of the relevance and meaning of recent changes in international law. Finally, it introduces you to three important areas and their respective institutions and issues: public international law, the International Court of Justice and issues of sovereignty and intervention; private international law, the World Trade Organisation, and issues of property; criminal international law, the International Criminal Court and tribunals, and issues of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Life, Power and Resistance: Critical Perspectives on the Post-Westphalian Era

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Political discourses of globalisation make implicit claims about the weakening of the state and the evolution, if not outright demise, of the 'Westphalian System'. This module interrogates claims about the arrival of a post-Westphalian era and its transformation of the realms of war, politics and ethics. It critically examines the specific legal, institutional and subjective manifestations of this post-Westphalian era in contemporary world politics, such the international Human Rights regime, the emphasis on democratisation and the evolution of humanitarian intervention. The module ends by examining a number of theoretical perspectives on power and resistance in a global era.

Marxism and International Relations

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module enables you to engage systematically with the Marxist tradition of theorising about international relations. It provides an introduction to Marx’s own thought, using selections from primary texts, and then examines how later Marxist writers have applied and developed these ideas across a range of themes in international studies, including imperialism, the Cold War, international political economy and globalisation theory.

Marxism and International Relations: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module enables you to engage systematically with the Marxist tradition of theorising about international relations. It provides an introduction to Marx’s own thought, using selections from primary texts, and then examines how later Marxist writers have applied and developed these ideas across a range of themes in international studies, including imperialism, the Cold War, international political economy and globalisation theory.

Mercenaries, Gangs and Terrorists: Private Security in International Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Parties and Voters in the UK

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module focuses on the study of parties and voters in the UK, one of the core topics in British political science. Emphasis is given primarily to contemporary change rather than historical background. Topics and themes covered include: party system change in the UK; historical origins of the party system; electoral behaviour and party competition; party ideologies and programmatic development; intra-party conflict and cohesion; party organisational change; the party system and the political system.

Political Change: Eastern Europe in Transition

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The module aims to provide an analysis of the process of political transition and change in contemporary Eastern Europe. It aims to identify and examine the specific characteristics of the transition to democracy by studying the East European states in a comparative context and using analytical frameworks normally employed for the study of established Western democracies and other countries that have undergone recent democratisation. You examine the main political features of the transition by looking comparatively at all the states of the former communist bloc except for those that were formerly in the Soviet Union.

Political Change: India

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Political Change: Latin America

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The purpose of the module is to engage you with Latin American politics through the analysis of its processes, institutions and major actors. We will assess the most important challenges for these young democracies: the role of the military, the reform of political institutions, threats from guerrillas and other organised armed groups, and the problem of debt and economic restructuring. The module will enable you to evaluate the impact of political culture, economic development, and the legacy of authoritarian regimes for the democratisation process of the region.The module starts by examining the legacy of colonialism, before moving on to look at (neo-)populism in Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Venezuela; it considers the impact of US foreign policy in the region, economic debt and restructuring, and the push for regional economic integration; it examines the experience of the military's role in politics, guerilla and civil war; it also looks at dictatorship, one-party dominance and transition to democracy; finally, it examines the mobilisation of indigenous populations and the recent 'turn to the left' in party politics.

Political Change: Political Parties and Party Systems

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Political Change: The European Union as a Global Actor

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The emergence, over the last five and a half decades, of the European Union as a global actor of real relevance forms the basis for this module. It will chart and critically analyse this process of change from a community of six member states consumed with internal economic priorities to a union of 27 member states (and growing) whose decisions frequently have a global reach and whose troops  have undertaken missions in south-east Europe, Central Africa and the Far East. What have been the key actors and factors behind this transformation? And where is this process of political change headed? The tutor will encourage and assist you in tackling these and other related questions in a critical manner. The module will cover the following distinct but related topics: foreign policy integration at EU level and its limits; the impact of new member states; the militarization of the Union; the EU and crisis management; the EU and conflict prevention; the impact of the USA and Russia on this process of change; and the soft power/hard power debate.

Political Corruption

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The objective of this module is to shed some light on the dark side of politics by developing analytical and theoretical tools that will allow us to analyse corruption across both time and space. We begin by analysing exactly what we understand by ‘corrupt’ behaviour and how this appears to differ (often quite starkly) across national boundaries. Are humans naturally corrupt? If so, does this matter? Is corrupt behaviour absolute and universal or does it depend on location and context? Indeed, can corruption sometimes even be a good thing?

Armed with the analytical tools aimed at unpacking the complex phenomenon of political corruption, we examine specific examples of corruption across the developed world, ranging from systematic abuses of power by parties and politicians to small-scale, almost trivial, petty misdemeanours. This analysis then provides a foundation for examining what reforms might contribute to lessening instances of political corruption in the western world.

Political Economy of the Environment: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Populism and Politics

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Populism is a widely used term in politics but rarely conceptualised in political science. This module explores the phenomenon of populism and its relationship to politics and particularly to representative politics and considers populism, its meaning, its causes and effects in a systematic and comparative way. Populism is understood in its widest possible sense in this module so that we explore populism of the right and of the left and we examine a wider range of disparate cases of populism from different parts of the world. The module has essentially two elements: the first is the examination of a range of different examples of populist movements, moments, personalities and parties (eg from Russia, North America, Latin America and Europe). The second element is to examine the conceptualisation of populism and to engage with the debates about whether to and how to define populism. The module will be empirically oriented allowing you to develop interests in a small number of cases with an eye to clarifying your positions on the wider conceptual debates regarding populism.

Regulatory Politics

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The role and influence of regulation is a major aspect of modern government and public policy. This can be seen in the regulation of public services (typically quality and effectiveness), the regulation of markets (typically questions of price, competition and consumer friendliness), the regulation of the constitution (ranging from public appointments to standards in public life), the regulation of professional services (standards and conduct among doctors, lawyers, etc), and the regulation of personal and ethical matters (such as fertility, genetics and medical research).

The module looks at regulatory politics in a critical, dynamic sense. Regulation is a fast changing field, with many new ideas and developments coming from disciplines such as management, business and psychology. It is also heavily affected by policy failures and disappointments faced by governments. And regulation is shaped by the practices, results and learning of front-line regulators themselves. You are encouraged to draw on all of these influences to develop a rounded understanding of the politics of regulation and regulatory reform.

Religions in Global Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

During this module you will explore the implications of the 'return' of religions, both for world politics and for thinking about international relations. Many sociologists and philosophers have interpreted this return as 'the end of modernity' or the 'de-secularisation of the world'. You will primarily focus on the renewed centrality of religious identities as strategic frames of reference for politics in the post-Cold War world. Against the background of the growing multicultural nature of contemporary international society resulting from what Hedley Bull has aptly termed the 'revolt against the West', the module will encourage you to, firstly, problematise the implicit and predominant reading of religion in international relations as the ultimate threat to international order and stability (especially in the forms of the identity politics of the 'new wars' and the terrorist attacks of religious fundamentalists), secondly, to engage critically with Huntington's thesis of the 'clash of civilisations' and thirdly to discuss the implications of this 'return' for the future of foreign policy and the normative structure and world order of contemporary international society.

Religions in Global Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

During this module you will explore the implications of the 'return' of religions, both for world politics and for thinking about international relations. Many sociologists and philosophers have interpreted this return as 'the end of modernity' or the 'de-secularisation of the world'. You will primarily focus on the renewed centrality of religious identities as strategic frames of reference for politics in the post-Cold War world. Against the background of the growing multicultural nature of contemporary international society resulting from what Hedley Bull has aptly termed the 'revolt against the West', the module will encourage you to, firstly, problematise the implicit and predominant reading of religion in international relations as the ultimate threat to international order and stability (especially in the forms of the identity politics of the 'new wars' and the terrorist attacks of religious fundamentalists), secondly, to engage critically with Huntington's thesis of the 'clash of civilisations' and thirdly to discuss the implications of this 'return' for the future of foreign policy and the normative structure and world order of contemporary international society.

Russia and the Former Soviet Union in Global Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module explores the international politics of post-Soviet Russia and the former Soviet space.  After a period of relative decline in the 1990s, Russia has more recently been described as a "rising Great Power" and developments in the CIS have returned to the news - from "gas wars" to the conflict between Russia and Georgia, and from the "democratic revolutions" in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan to the apparent erosion of democracy in Russia. 

These developments have implications for Western Europe and beyond, touching on traditional and contemporary security issues, and shedding light on the implications of Western democracy promotion and the role of norms and identity in contemporary global politics. 

This module will investigate the background for - and current development of - international relations in the region. You will look in detail at Russia's status as Great Power; the "colour revolutions" in Ukraine and Georgia; NATO and the US in the former Soviet space; the question of Europe's "energy security" and its relations with Russia; and what has been called the "new Great Game" between Russia, China and the US in Central Asia. In doing this, it will introduce relevant theoretical concepts related to foreign policy analysis and constructivist explanations of the role of norms and identity in the international politics of Russia and the FSU.

Russia and the Former Soviet Union in Global Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module explores the international politics of post-Soviet Russia and the former Soviet space. After a period of relative decline in the 1990s, Russia has more recently been described as 'rising Great Power' and developments in the CIS have returned to the news - from 'gas wars' to the conflict between Russia and Georgia, from the 'democratic revolutions' in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan to the apparent erosion of democracy in Russia and talk of a "new Cold War" between Russia and the West.

These are developments with implications for Western Europe and beyond, touching on traditional and new security issues alike, and shedding light on the implications of Western democracy promotion and the role of norms and identity in contemporary global politics.

The module will investigate the background for and current development of international relations in the region - in particular Russia's status as great power, the 'colour revolutions' in Ukraine and Georgia and the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia, NATO and the US in the former Soviet space, the question of Europe's 'energy security' and its relations with Russia, and what has been called the 'new Great Game' between Russia, China and the US in Central Asia. In doing this, it will introduce relevant theoretical concepts related to foreign policy analysis and constructivist explanations of the role of norms and identity in the international politics of Russia and the FSU.

Sex and Death in Global Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

The Arms Trade in International Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

The Political Economy of Latin American Development: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module provides a long-term historical account and analysis of Latin America's formation and integration into the modern world system.  You will investigate patterns of growth and distribution of wealth over different periods of time and between countries.  In particular, the course investigates how these patterns have influenced and have been shaped by three interrelated factors - domestic social structures, state formation and integration to the evolving world system. 

Key issues covered include: the Iberian political economic lethargy; attempts at constructing cohesive state structures and state-led economic development; the influence of rural and urban social movements on the politico-economic structures of different countries; responses to globalisation, including the attempt at creating blocs across the region; and a discussion of the extent to which the current 'pink tide' (or red wave)constitutes a realistic alternative political-economic trajectory for the mass of the continent's population. 

The Politics of International Trade: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module aims to equip you with an understanding of the international trade system and the theoretical traditions that have helped to shape it. It will begin by examining the core theories around trade and trade liberalisation, particularly those of liberalism, economic nationalism and neo-Marxism and other critical approaches, in order to explore different understandings of the relationship between trade and development. The empirical section of the module will start by examining the creation of the post-WWII trade regime centered on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and its evolution to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995. Core elements of, and controversies within, the global trade system will be scrutinised and situated within this historical context. These will include the fragmentation of the trade system engendered by regional trade agreements, the increasing role of emerging powers, including China, India and Brazil, and the impact of the trade system on developing countries. The module will also examine the contentious treatment of agriculture within the WTO and analyse the debates concerning ethical trade, gender and trade and the enviornment. Drawing on all of the above and integrated throughout the module, the module will evaluate and elucidate the current round of WTO trade negotiations - the Doha Development Agenda - with the aim of understanding why it has stalled and to consider the future prospects for a more equitable trading system.

The Politics of Terror

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

This module addresses the relationship between fear, security and identity in international politics. Typically, security is taken to defend already existing identities such as the national interest or the integrity of the environment. However, during this module you will explore the argument that security constitutes identity in relation to fear. That is to say, rather than simply defending extant entities, discourses of security produce novel identities. These identities are produced in relation to perceived fears. The question thus becomes how are fears constituted and what identities are secured against such perceived threats?

The module will begin with an examination of the nature of fear and identity in international politics. The remainder of the module will comprise an examination of the broadened security agenda of the post-Cold war era. The purpose of this examination will be to show the multiple ways in which fear is mobilised and the manifold identities thus produced. The consequences of such fears and identities will be examined in relation to cases such as ethnic nationalist conflict.

The Politics of Terror

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

This module offers an advanced level introduction to terrorism and political violence in modern societies. Through attention to case studies, academic literatures and original sources the module focuses on:

- the conceptual and analytical challenges of defining and understanding terrorism and political violence 
- terror as a political instrument
- the relationship between state and non-state terror
- the historical development of terrorism and counterterrorism
- the organisational, ideological and strategic dynamics of terrorist organisations
- the policy dilemmas faced and principle methodologies employed by democratic and other states in countering terrorism
- the role of media, mass communication and 'public dismodule' in political violence

The module is divided into two sections. The first, studying terrorism: historical and conceptual issues, offers a thematic exploration of terrorism considering its historical development in modern societies; relation to other forms of organised violence; some of the animating ideas historically associated with the use of terror for political purposes; the phenomenon of 'suicide terrorism' and the ideas, organisations and practices used by states in their efforts to counter terrorism. The second section, cases and contexts, situates terrorism and political violence within the changing context of state power, international and global politics, exploring the historical and contemporary relations between them. We conclude  by surveying the origins and contemporary character of al-Qaeda type terrorism and how states have sought to counter it.

The Reign of Rights in Global Politics

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

Proponents and opponents alike would today concur that human rights are becoming the world's secular religion (Eli Wiesel). This module systematically interrogates the rise of human rights to such prominence. You examines the history and evolution of rights within the history of liberalism and introduces the prominent ways of defining and understanding human rights. You explores new theorisations of rights as practices of governing and forms of subjectification in global politics. Moreover, the module discusses well-known critiques of the universality of human rights and their Western-centric conception of the human. You analyse the challenges that rights present to state sovereignty and examines the violent global politics associated with human rights, such as the emergence of human rights wars and the more recent, often racist, trade-off between rights and security within the ensemble of practices we call the 'war on terror'. You investigate the use of rights in our practices of resistance, analysing how rights delegitimise other paths of action whilst inciting rights-holders as appropriate political subjectivities.

It discusses the expansion of human rights into emergent areas such as women's rights, indigenous rights, etc (you will be able to select specific cases for further research and presentation to suit your particular interests) and explores the ways in which human rights talk becomes the hegemonic register in which to articulate and legitimate social/political action. We conclude by discussing the practical ethico-political problems of the reign of rights and of our own acceptance of this language in global politics. Do global interventionist practices render human rights the rights of those victims who have no (positive-constitutional) rights? Moreover, who can speak on behalf of subaltern others and finally, is the language of rights appropriate for righting historical and current wrongs?

The Reign of Rights in Global Politics: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

Proponents and opponents alike would today concur that human rights are becoming the world's secular religion (Eli Wiesel). This module systematically interrogates the rise of human rights to such prominence. You examines the history and evolution of rights within the history of liberalism and introduces the prominent ways of defining and understanding human rights. You explores new theorisations of rights as practices of governing and forms of subjectification in global politics. Moreover, the module discusses well-known critiques of the universality of human rights and their Western-centric conception of the human. You analyse the challenges that rights present to state sovereignty and examines the violent global politics associated with human rights, such as the emergence of human rights wars and the more recent, often racist, trade-off between rights and security within the ensemble of practices we call the 'war on terror'. You investigate the use of rights in our practices of resistance, analysing how rights delegitimise other paths of action whilst inciting rights-holders as appropriate political subjectivities.

It discusses the expansion of human rights into emergent areas such as women's rights, indigenous rights, etc (you will be able to select specific cases for further research and presentation to suit your particular interests) and explores the ways in which human rights talk becomes the hegemonic register in which to articulate and legitimate social/political action. We conclude by discussing the practical ethico-political problems of the reign of rights and of our own acceptance of this language in global politics. Do global interventionist practices render human rights the rights of those victims who have no (positive-constitutional) rights? Moreover, who can speak on behalf of subaltern others and finally, is the language of rights appropriate for righting historical and current wrongs?

The United States in the World

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

As the 21st century begins, the United States is still the world's only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that reach the entire globe. To understand the place and power of the US in the contemporary world, it is vital to understand how its geopolitical strategies function, militarily and economically. Yet because US power is also secured through cultural and discursive strategies, it is equally important to analyse how US cultural/discursive products and processes participate in the construction of the US in all the varied ways it imagines itself. The aim of this module is to analyse how US cultural/discursive strategies participate in imagining the US in the world, either by being embedded within traditional geopolitical strategies or by sitting alongside them. Rather than taking an historical approach, the module is organised around specific theoretical and cultural/discursive themes and practices. These include architectural theory and the building of embassies abroad, design theory and designing the nation through everyday objects, film theory and screening the nation through popular film, remediation theory and virtually remediating the nation, entertainmentality theory and exhibiting the nation in museums, performance/performativity theory and re-enacting the nation though historical re-enactments as well as song, and advertising theory and advertising the nation to US citizens. Along the way, significant foreign and domestic policy debates from Cold War politics to the War on Terror to the US domestic War on illegal immigration will be considered through political, cultural, and discursive theories (eg Said's notion of orientalism, Foucault's notion of governmentality, Butler's notion of performativity, and Ranciere's notion of the birth of the nation).

The United States in the World: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

As the 21st century begins, the United States is still the world's only superpower: no other nation possesses comparable military and economic power or has interests that reach the entire globe. To understand the place and power of the US in the contemporary world, it is vital to understand how its geopolitical strategies function, militarily and economically. Yet because US power is also secured through cultural and discursive strategies, it is equally important to analyse how US cultural/discursive products and processes participate in the construction of the US in all the varied ways it imagines itself. The aim of this module is to analyse how US cultural/discursive strategies participate in imagining the US in the world, either by being embedded within traditional geopolitical strategies or by sitting alongside them. Rather than taking an historical approach, the module is organised around specific theoretical and cultural/discursive themes and practices. These include architectural theory and the building of embassies abroad, design theory and designing the nation through everyday objects, film theory and screening the nation through popular film, remediation theory and virtually remediating the nation, entertainmentality theory and exhibiting the nation in museums, performance/performativity theory and re-enacting the nation though historical re-enactments as well as song, and advertising theory and advertising the nation to US citizens. Along the way, significant foreign and domestic policy debates from Cold War politics to the War on Terror to the US domestic War on Illegal Immigration will be considered through political, cultural, and discursive theories (eg Said's notion of orientalism, Foucault's notion of governmentality, Butler's notion of performativity, and Ranciere's notion of the birth of the nation).

What is War

30 credits
Autumn teaching, Year 3

You will gain an advanced understanding of the place of war in the political world. What is war and how, if at all, is it different from other forms of violence? What is the relationship between war and politics? We will ask what war is and then investigate its relation to the fields of ethics, gender, sexuality, and culture. You will then use this knowledge to investigate specific forms of warfare, including genocide as a war of annihilation, insurgency/guerrilla warfare, and counterinsurgency. We conclude by addressing anti-war activism and related forms of civil disobedience as alternatives to war. You are provided with an advanced knowledge and analytical skills that will help you to think, talk, and write in an informed and critical manner about war.

What is War: in-depth Analysis

30 credits
Spring teaching, Year 3

You will gain an advanced understanding of the place of war in the political world. What is war and how, if at all, is it different from other forms of violence? What is the relationship between war and politics? We will ask what war is and then investigate its relation to the fields of ethics, gender, sexuality, and culture. You will then use this knowledge to investigate specific forms of warfare, including genocide as a war of annihilation, insurgency/guerrilla warfare, and counterinsurgency. We conclude by addressing anti-war activism and related forms of civil disobedience as alternatives to war. You are provided with an advanced knowledge and analytical skills that will help you to think, talk, and write in an informed and critical manner about war.