GV907-7-FY-CO:
Comparative Political Economy

The details
2023/24
Government
Colchester Campus
Full Year
Postgraduate: Level 7
ReassessmentOnly
Thursday 05 October 2023
Friday 28 June 2024
30
13 April 2023

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

This is a graduate course on political economy. The course presents topics in both international and comparative political economy.

The course is divided into different themes addressing how domestic and international politics affect domestic and international economics, as well as the reverse: how domestic and international economics affect domestic and international politics. For example, we will cover how domestic and international politics affect areas like trade policy, industrial/labour policy, foreign direct investment, financial market dynamics, fiscal/debt policy, monetary/currency policy, and social/regional transfers.

We also examine how domestic and international economics affect areas like voting preferences and electoral behaviour, party systems and political stability, redistribution and the welfare state. The class emphasizes core theoretical insights, using them to delve into traditional and more recent theoretical and empirical debates. The module also emphasizes research using quantitative methods to test theoretical argumen

Module aims

The main aims of the module are:

1. To introduce students to contemporary scholarly research on political economy topics,
2. To introduce students to key models in political science and their substantive applications,
3. To stimulate students to form original ideas for promising quantitative research projects in the area of contemporary political economy

Students will require, use and develop the following key skills:

1. Transfer of ideas: students will be helped to follow and assess quantitative research in other modules – parties and elections, comparative politics, IR, and so on;
2. Improving independent learning and performance: Students will learn to address their own research topics in a quantitative framework with an eye towards scholarly publication;
3. Communication, interaction, and peer review: Classes involve not only questions from me but also group discussions; students are required to give formal feedback to other students in written form;
4. Writing: Students learn how to theorize, generate empirically testable hypotheses, and report on and discuss results of quantitative analyses.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module students should achieve the following learning outcomes:

1. read, understand, and evaluate quantitative analyses and scholarly work published in the leading journals;
2. understand evaluation methods for particular research questions, research designs, and variables;
3. measure variables of interest and conduct empirical analyses using various statistical methods;
4. analyse quantitative data;
5. complete a replication activity and present it.

Module information

The module is the core module for students on the MA/MSC/MRes in Political Economy and can be taken as an option by students on other Masters courses in the Department of Government.

Students will require, use and develop the following key skills:

1. Transfer of ideas: students will be helped to follow and assess quantitative research in other modules – parties and elections, comparative politics, IR, and so on;
2. Improving independent learning and performance: Students will learn to address their own research topics in a quantitative framework with an eye towards scholarly publication;
3. Communication, interaction, and peer review: Classes involve not only questions from me but also group discussions; students are required to give formal feedback to other students in written form;
4. Writing: Students learn how to theorize, generate empirically testable hypotheses, and report on and discuss results of quantitative analyses.

Learning and teaching methods

The module will run over 20 weeks. There will be a two-hour class.

Bibliography

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting
Coursework   Critical Writing Assignment 1     20% 
Coursework   Critical Writing Assignment 2    20% 
Coursework   Peer Review Assessment    15% 
Coursework   Pre-registration Final Paper    30% 
Coursework   Powerpoint Presentation     15% 

Exam format definitions

  • Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
  • In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
  • In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Allyson Benton, email: allyson.benton@essex.ac.uk.
Allyson Benton
Module Supervisor: Allyson Benton, allyson.benton@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
Yes

External examiner

Dr Damien Bol
King's College London
Senior Lecturer
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 26 hours, 26 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s), module, or event type.

 

Further information
Government

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