Understanding Politics and Policy

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Students must write a 2000 research essay responding to one of the following questions. This essay is due on the 27th April 4pm. Students must answer their chosen question with reference to three things: - A national case study - Concepts discussed in the lectures and readings - Peer-reviewed academic research Research essay questions: Who constructs collective identities? Are states good for us? Is authoritarianism always undesirable? Is political violence justifiable? Politics is about power. Political science is the systematic study of how humans organise to exercise and contest power. This unit will introduce you to the approaches political scientists use to understand how power operates in modern and contemporary politics. By the end of this unit you will be well-prepared to continue the study of national and international politics - and other social science topics (including sociology, economics, anthropology, philosophy, history, business). Most importantly, you will better understand the key actors, and institutions that shape nations, communities, neighbourhoods, families, and your daily life. This unit does not teach you what to think about politics, it gives you the conceptual tools to evaluate and develop your own critical thinking about politics and power.