Politics
Political Change: The Rise of Anti-politics
Module code: L2083
Level 6
30 credits in autumn semester
Teaching method: Seminar, Lecture
Assessment modes: Essay
Recent surveys show a lack of trust in political actors and institutions across much of the democratic world. Many citizens believe their political system gives them limited influence on politics – and that politicians don’t care about what people think.
What explains the rise of this anti-political sentiment? How have different political actors responded to this political disaffection?
In this module, you will:
- explore debates surrounding these questions
- consider the changing relationship between citizens and politicians in contemporary democracies
- critically review a range of democratic reforms and innovations proposed 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.