Politics
The Rise of Anti-politics
Module code: L2083
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar, Lecture
Assessment modes: Essay, Coursework
Recent surveys in democracies show that trust in political actors and institutions is low. Many citizens believe they have little influence on politics and that politicians don’t care what people think.
What explains the rise in anti-political feeling? How have political actors responded to this disaffection?
On this module, you’ll:
- explore debates surrounding these questions
- consider the changing relationship between citizens and politicians in modern democracies
- review a range of democratic reforms and innovations designed to revitalise democracy.
Module learning outcomes
- Assess and critically evaluate debates within political science about the prevalence, causes and consequences of anti-politics and political disaffection in contemporary democracies.
- Critically apply various theoretical perspectives to review a range of reforms and innovations currently employed or proposed to revitalise democracy.
- Demonstrate the analytical skills required to carry out independent and original research on the causes and consequences of rising anti-political sentiment.
- Produce written work that critically analyses a topic related to the rise of anti-politics in contemporary democracies that observes appropriate scholarly conventions.