Description
This aim of this module is to introduce students to contemporary electoral and party politics in democracies worldwide with a particular emphasis on the comparison of Central and Eastern Europe to long-standing democracies and other newer democracies worldwide. The main focus is on the changing nature of political parties and electoral competition and its implications on democracy and political stability.
In the first six weeks, we discuss key topics for understanding the contemporary and changing role of political parties and elections including issue spaces, party system change, the relationship between electoral and party systems and patterns of party organisation. Introductory lectures are complemented by in-class group exercises and Q&A sessions on the progress of group projects (formative assessment). In the final weeks, groups of students will present their projects connecting the review of significant contemporary research with country case studies.
The objective of the module is both to familiarise students with the state-of-the art research on electoral and party politics but also to hone their skills of group work, presentation and knowledge transfer (part of the assessed election report).
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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