| CODE | PPL2018 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Comparative Government | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Policy, Politics and Governance | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit offers a deep, comparative analysis of the forms of government, within and above the conventional state, as well as the actors and processes by which governance is secured. It introduces three core ideas, namely the idea of a state, a constitution (and constitutionalism) and a political system. The dominant constitutional patterns are then presented: democratic and authoritarian; presidential, semi-presidential and Cabinet government. In considering actors and processes, the study-unit surveys the roles played by leading political forces within and outside the institutional apparatus of government. It examines the distinctive and frequently destabilising part played by protest, civil strife, revolution, nationalism and religious activism. Several country studies and thematic case studies are included, to permit students to examine at first hand and in some depth the application of the principles and patterns of government. Study-Unit Aims: This study unit aims to: - present and analyse the leading themes and the methods of comparative politics; - investigate the institutional forms, principal actors, formal and informal processes of contemporary government; the most common patterns in the world today; as well as the economic, social and cultural forces shaping the activity and outcomes of government. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - explain the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of the comparative study of government; - outline the leading contemporary systems of government, and appraise their strengths and weaknesses; - explain the influence of economic, social, cultural, institutional and political forces shaping the activity and outcomes of government. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - examine and appraise the governmental system of a given country, utilising the theoretical and methodogical frameworks of comparative government; - write short, incisive briefs embodying such appraisals, for a readership comprising scholars, journalists, policy-makers and reformers; - present and defend such briefs before a live audience. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Caramani, D (2010), Comparative Politics, 2nd ed., Oxford University Press. - Hague, R and Harrop, M (2010), Comparative Government and Politics, 8th ed., Palgrave Macmillan. - Newton, K and van Deth, JW (2009), Foundations of Comparative Politics, Cambridge University Press. Supplementary Readings: - Bogdanor, V (2009), The New British Constitution, Hart Publishing. - Boix, C and Stokes, SC (eds.) (2007), The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Politics. Oxford University Press. - Hueglin, T and Fenna, A (2005), Comparative Federalism: A Systematic Inquiry. Broadview Press. - Schneier, E. (2008), Crafting Constitutional Democracies: The Politics of Institutional Design, Rowman and Littlefield. - Journals: - American Political Science Review - Australian Journal of Public Administration - Comparative European Politics - Constitutional Political Economy - Government and Opposition |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | George Vital Zammit |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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