ba in philosophy, politics and economics (ppe) … · teaching format: 1x1-hour weekly lecture and...

Department of Political Economy

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BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

Second Year 2016/17

Please read this information carefully, it contains importance guidance on your choice of optional

modules for the second year of your studies.

In preparation for the second year, you must ensure that you are registered for the correct modules.

On the BA PPE programme, you have the freedom to choose between four different pathways:

BA PPE (Bi-partite structure Philosophy and Politics)

BA PPE (Bi-partite structure Philosophy and Economics)

BA PPE (Bi-partite structure Politics and Philosophy)

BA PPE (Tri-partite structure Philosophy, Politics and Economics)

For the Bi-partite structures, you must take 60 credits in each of your two chosen disciplines. For those

structures including Philosophy, 15 credits must be in practical philosophy modules (5AANA005,

5AANB006, 5AANB008) and 15 credits in non-practical philosophy. For those structures including

Economics there are 30 credits in compulsory courses (5SSPP220 and 5SSPP221).

For the Tri-partite structure, you must take 30 credits in each of the three disciplines. These must

include the 15 credits in practical philosophy and the above-noted 30 credits in compulsory economics

modules.

To complete any of these pathways, you are required to take level 5 modules worth 120 credits in

total.

You will need to complete your module registration online via Student Records. You will by now have

received, or will be receiving shortly, an email from the Assessments and Records Centre (ARC) with

detailed instructions on selecting your modules along with the link to the website. The deadline to

select your modules via this website is 01 April 2016.

Guidance on choosing options Information on the modules offered by the Department of Political Economy in 2016/17 is included below, along with the Philosophy options available to you as a PPE student. These reflect the latest scholarship in the disciplines, taught by world-leading academics. We are confident that these modules will complement and develop the material you have studied in your first year and provide an excellent foundation for further study or entry to the job market. Please make sure that you read through the information provided and direct any follow-up questions to the respective module convenors. Whichever modules you select now will be timetabled so that there are no teaching clashes for you. You have guaranteed access to all modules within DPE (5SSPPxxx codes), however, you will need to select extra back-up options for any Philosophy selections. All optional modules in your second year should be at level 5. If you are not sure of the credit level of the modules you want to take, please get in touch with the module convenor in question. Students are allowed to make two changes to their module registration during the academic year. There will be a two-week window at the start of each semester when you can make changes to your


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options registrations. Please bear in mind, however, that by that point there is limited flexibility regarding the timetable, and it may not be possible to accommodate all change requests.

Study Abroad

Study Abroad is not currently permitted on the PPE Programme.

The information in this booklet is correct to the best of our knowledge, but in the event of unforeseen staff changes or similar, modules may have to be withdrawn or moved into a different semester. This is extremely unlikely, and we will inform you of any such changes as soon as we become aware of them.

NB: In the following an asterisk * denotes modules still waiting to be fully confirmed by the faculty;

we will keep you informed of any changes. Furthermore, details for Philosophy modules are subject

to change – please visit the Hyperlinks provided for the latest updates on these courses.


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Philosophy Modules

Practical Options

5AANA005: Ethics II: History of Ethical Philosophy

15 credits – Semester 2

Module Convenor: Professor Thomas Pink

Hyperlink: 5AANA005 Ethics II: History of Ethical Philosophy

Assessment: Summative Assessment – 2x2,000-word essays (100%)

Formative Assessment – 1x2,000-word essay

Teaching Format: 1x1-hour weekly lecture and 1x1-hour weekly seminar

The module will introduce students to the ethical theories of 18th Century British Moral Philosophers,

focusing on Hume, and will explain their significance for modern ethical theory. The course will relate

their thought to continuing debates about moral rationality, moral objectivity, moral virtue and moral

obligation.

Module Aims: To communicate an understanding of central ideas in the ethical thought of some past

moral philosophers.

- To situate each thinker in his historical context.

- To relate the work of each thinker to contemporary debates in ethical theory.

- To equip students to read critically and reflect upon central texts in moral theory, as well

as introductory and secondary material.

Learning Outcomes: By the end of the module, the students will be able to demonstrate intellectual,

transferable and practicable skills appropriate to a Level 5 module and in particular will be able to

exhibit:

- A capacity for ethical argument.

- A knowledge of the ethical doctrines of some past moral philosophers and the similarities

and differences between them.

- An understanding of the nature of some central problems in moral philosophy.

- An understanding of how problems in moral philosophy relate to human life.

Core Reading: David Hume: Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals

5AANB006: Ethics II: Contemporary Ethical Philosophy


Module Convenor: Dr Nadine Elzein

Hyperlink: 5AANB006 Ethics II: Contemporary Ethical Philosophy



http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/philosophy/modules/level5/5aana005.aspx

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/artshums/depts/philosophy/modules/level5/5aanb006.aspx


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The course will focus on three main areas: Moral motivation and objectivity, actions and

consequences, and moral responsibility. The course will engage throughout with questions relating to

the nature and basis of moral obligations and to the extent of moral accountability.

Module Aims: Students will be introduced to various areas of moral philosophy, and will examine some

of the core ideas that have shaped contemporary debates.

Learning Outcomes: Through the study of this module, students will acquire:

- An advanced understanding of the central claims, arguments, problems and solutions to

be found in contemporary discussions of these topics.

- In addition, the module will help students to develop their abilities to interpret, synthesise

and criticise complex texts and positions.

- Present and critically assess ideas in a clear and rigorous way.

- Undertake, with appropriate guidance, independent work, including identifying and using

appropriate resources.

Core Reading:

Williams, Bernard. ‘Internal and External Reasons’, in his Moral Luck (Cambridge University Press:

1981) pp. 101-113.

Stevenson, ‘The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms’, Mind, 46:181 (1937). Reprinted in Stevenson,

Facts and Values: Studies in Ethical Analysis.

Nagel, Thomas. A View from Nowhere (Oxford University Press: 1986) chapter VIII, ‘Value’, pp. 138-

163.

Williams, Bernard. “Consequentialism and Integrity”, in Consequentialism and its Critics, edited by

Samuel Scheffler.

Hare, R. M. Moral Thinking, chapters 2-3.

Nozick, Robert. ‘Side Constraints’, in Consequentialism and its Critics, edited by Sammuel Scheffler

(Oxford University Press: 1998), pp. 134-141. Reprinted from his Anarchy, State, and Utopia

(Blackwell: 1980) pp. 26-35.

Rachels, James. ‘Active and Passive Euthanasia’, The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 292, No.

2 (January: 1975), pp. 78-80. Reprinted in Applied Ethics, edited by Peter Singer (Oxford University

Press: 1986) pp. 29-36.

Foot. Philippa. 1978, ‘The Problem of Abortion and the Doctrine of Double Effect’. In her Virtues and

Vices (Oxford University Press: 2002) pp. 19-32.

Frankfurt, Harry. ‘Alternate Possibilities and Moral Responsibility’, The Journal of Philosophy , Vol. 66,

No. 23 (December 1969), pp. 829-839. Also in Free Will, edited by Watson, second edition, Oxford

Readings in Philosophy (Oxford University Press: 2003), pp. 167-176. And in Free Will, edited by Derk

Pereboom, Hackett Reading in Philosophy, pp. 156-166. (And in virtually every other free will

anthology).

Frankfurt, Harry. ‘Freedom of the Will and the Concept of a Person’ The Journal of Philosophy , Vol.

68, No. 1 (January 1971), pp. 5-20. Also in Free Will, edited by Watson, second edition, Oxford


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Readings in Philosophy (Oxford University Press: 2003), pp. 322-336. And in Free Will, edited by Derk

Pereboom, Hackett Reading in Philosophy, pp. 167-183. (And in virtually every other free will

anthology).

Strawson, Peter. ‘Freedom and Resentment’, in his Freedom and Resentment and Other Essays

(Routledge: 2008), pp. 1-28. Also in Free Will, edited by Watson, second edition, Oxford Readings in

Philosophy (Oxford University Press: 2003), pp. 72-93. And in Free Will, edited by Derk Pereboom,

Hackett Reading in Philosophy, pp. 119-142. (And in virtually every other free will anthology).

5AANB008: Political Philosophy II: History of Political Philosophy


Module Convenor: Professor David Owens

Hyperlink: 5AANB008 Political Philosophy II: History of Political Philosophy




This module will introduce the political philosophies of Hobbes, Locke and Hume and explore their

implications for contemporary philosophy.

Module Aims: To engage with a selection of important texts in the history of political philosophy, and

to consider why these are key texts.

- To draw upon the texts in order to think carefully about central debates, concepts,

traditions and controversies in political philosophy.

- To reflect on enduring themes in political philosophy, such as the relationship/tension

between liberty and authority, and between liberty and equality.

Learning Outcomes: To communicate an understanding of central ideas in the thought of past political

philosophers.

- To relate the work of such thinkers to contemporary debates in political philosophy

- To equip students to read critically and reflect upon central texts in political philosophy,

as well as introductory and secondary material

Core Reading:

Thomas Hobbes: Leviathan

John Locke: Second Treatise on Government

David Hume: Treatise on Human Nature



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Non-Practical Options

5AANA001: Greek Philosophy II: Plato


Module Convenor: Dr Raphael Woolf

Hyperlink: 5AANA001 Greek Philosophy II: Plato




The course is designed to give not only an overview of some of the most important topics in Plato’s

philosophy, but also to raise critical points and offer different interpretative strategies, thus

providing the student with the knowledge and skills required to study Plato independently. The

course will be arranged around one of the most important questions in Plato’s career, ‘Why should I

be just?’. By working through two of Plato’s works centrally devoted to this topic, the Gorgias and

the Republic, we will cover aspects of Plato’s Ethics, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Political Philosophy

and Moral Psychology. While the module will build on the Greek Philosophy I module for students

who have taken it, it does not presuppose that module and can be taken without prerequisite.

Module Aims: To communicate an understanding of central philosophical ideas in Plato, and to show

how they relate to one another, with a particular focus on how his ethics is informed by other areas

of his philosophy such as epistemology.

- To show how Plato’s ideas evolve in response to problems and challenges inherited from

Socrates and from his own writings.

- To teach students to read texts in the history of philosophy with care and subject them

to philosophical analysis.



demonstrate:

- An understanding of central issues in Plato’s thought.

- An understanding of how some of these issues interrelate (e.g. how do his views on

knowledge relate to his metaphysical theories?).

- An ability to read shorter passages with care and subject them to analysis, as well as

understanding how these passages contribute to the larger work from which they are

drawn.

- The ability to evaluate Plato’s ideas with philosophical sensitivity but without being

anachronistic.

- Some awareness of how Plato’s thought develops as a critical response to ideas

inherited from his predecessors, in particular Socrates.



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5AANB002: Greek Philosophy II: Aristotle


Module Convenor: Dr Joachim Aufderheide

Hyperlink: 5AANB002 Greek Philosophy II: Aristotle




In the first four weeks we will study Aristotle’s theoretical philosophy (selections from his

epistemology, metaphysics, and psychology). The last six weeks are devoted to key topics in

Aristotle’s practical philosophy: happiness, virtue, practical wisdom, pleasure, and happiness in a

political context.

Module Aims: This course is designed to introduce the students to Aristotle’s wonderfully rich but

intricate philosophical writings by focusing on some of the most prominent topics in Aristotle’s

philosophy.

Learning Aims: Students will learn how to read, how to criticise, and how to make sense of Aristotle

and will thus be in a position to benefit from the wealth of Aristotle’s thought.

Core Reading:

Aristotle, De Anima II and III

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics I-III.4; VI; VII.11-14; X

Aristotle Politics VIII

5AANA003: Modern Philosophy II: Locke and Berkeley


Module Convenor: Dr Jasper Reid

Hyperlink: 5AANA003 Modern Philosophy II: Locke & Berkeley

Assessment: Summative assessment – one two-hour exam (100%)

Formative assessment – 1x2,000-word essay


This module will develop students’ familiarity with Modern philosophy through an examination of

the thought of Locke and Berkeley. Students will gain a familiarity with the central epistemological

and metaphysical claims of each philosopher, through a reading of central primary texts. Students

will develop an appreciation of the historical context within which the empiricist tradition

developed. The module will examine various key aspects of the Lockean approach and evaluate

Berkeley’s criticism of it as well as his idealist response.

Module Aims: Through attention to the primary texts to communicate an understanding of the

thought and core arguments of Locke and Berkeley.




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- To convey how the problems under discussion were motivated for these thinkers.

- To develop a more advanced approach to the history of philosophy through engagement

with more sophisticated secondary literature.



- To gain an appreciation of the problems of interpretation that can arise in regard to

figures in the history of philosophy as well as specifically philosophical challenges.



demonstrate:

- A critical understanding of the metaphysical and epistemological views of Locke and

Berkeley.

- An understanding of the need for interpreting a philosopher’s claims in their historical

context.

- A careful readings of and reflection upon some core texts, as well as introductory and

secondary material, and attention to questions of interpretation.

Core Reading:

Locke, An Essay concerning Human Understanding

Berkeley, A Treatise concerning the Principles of Human Nature, and/or Three Dialogues between

Hylas and Philonous

These works are readily available in a wide variety of editions, both in print and online.

5AANA009: Epistemology II


Module Convenor: Dr Clayton Littlejohn

Hyperlink: 5AANA009 Epistemology II




Epistemology II studies some central issues in contemporary theory of knowledge, concentrating on

problems of epistemic justification. We discuss foundationalist and coherentist conceptions of

epistemic justification, naturalized epistemology and the possibility of a priori justification,

externalist conceptions of justification and the closure problem, the value of knowledge, and the

epistemic significance of disagreement.

Module Aims: To impart a deeper grasp of the parts of contemporary epistemology most relevant to

contemporary philosophy in general.

- To encourage and enable reflection on the relation between philosophical and other

kinds of inquiry.



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demonstrate.

- Understanding of three main contemporary styles of anti-skeptical argument.

- Understanding of inquiry considered as a purposive activity regulated by epistemic

norms (evidence, reasons, etc.)

- Understanding of the prospects and limitations of so-called externalist theories of

justification in our understanding of epistemic normativity.

- Understanding the nature of a priori justification and the role it plays in epistemic

justification more generally.

- Understanding of some elements of confirmation theory, and of the Goodman Paradox

and the Paradox of the Ravens.

5AANA010: Metaphysics II


Module Convenor: Professor Bill Brewer

Hyperlink: 5AANA010 Metaphysics II




This module will focus in a sustained and detailed way on the metaphysics of ordinary material

objects. Topics to be discussed will include some of the following. Idealism and Phenomenalism,

Quinean ontology, four-dimensionalism, compositional universalism, and arguments from

vagueness, Kantian and Ramseyan Humility, Fine on hylomorphism, rigid embodiment and variable

embodiment, sortalism and grounding, Natural Continuants and exclusivity.

Module Aims: The Metaphysics II module aims to instruct students in the main areas of

metaphysics. It will discuss some topics also covered in Metaphysics I, but in greater depth, as well

as introducing other important metaphysical topics.



demonstrate a broad understanding of the main problems concerning the metaphysics of ordinary

material objects in the analytic tradition.

5AANB011: Philosophy of Logic and Language


Module Convenor: Dr Eliot Michaelson

Hyperlink: 5AANB011 Philosophy of Logic & Language





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In the wake of the logical revolution at the end of the 19th century, many philosophers well-versed

in formal logic turned their attention to the project of understanding natural language. This course

will examine how these philosophers attempted to make sense of natural language using the tools of

modern logic, and how this project of understanding natural language on the basis of formal

languages developed over the course of the 20th century, particularly in response to recalcitrant

data like metaphors, slurs, and sarcasm. This module will acquaint students with many classic texts

in philosophy of language as well as with some more recent work. By the end of the module,

students will be able to demonstrate intellectual, transferable, and practicable skills appropriate to a

Level 5 module and in particular will have become familiar with some of the central concepts in

philosophy of logic and language. They will also have learned how to relate some of the issues

studied in the course to issues in other courses, such as metaphysics and philosophy of mind.

Module Aims: This module aims to acquaint students with the chief ideas of some leading

philosophers of logic and language including Frege, Russell, Strawson, Davidson, Grice and Kripke.


transferable and practicable skills appropriate to a Level 5 module and in particular will have become

familiar with some of the central concepts in philosophy of logic and language. They will also have

learned how to relate some of the issues studied in the course to issues in other courses, such as

metaphysics and philosophy of mind.

Core Reading:

Gottlob Frege, “On Sense and Reference” (core)

Bertrand Russell, “On Denoting” (core)

P.F. Strawson, “On Referring” (core)

Saul Kripke, Naming and Necessity (core)

Keith Donnellan “Reference and Definite Descriptions” (core)

Additional Course Costs:

Saul Kripke, Naming and Necessity

5AANB012: Philosophy of the Mind


Module Convenor: TBC

Hyperlink: 5AANB012 Philosophy of Mind




This course focuses on questions in the philosophy of mind. We will approach this subject by

thinking through some problems that arise from reflecting on the metaphysics and epistemology of



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the mind. What is the mind? How does the mind relate to the brain? What is consciousness? How do

we know about our own thoughts, feelings, and desires and how do we know about those of other

people? In addressing these questions, we will cover topics central to contemporary philosophical

discussions of the mind, including consciousness, intentional content, mental causation, and self-

knowledge.

Module Aims: The Philosophy of Mind module aims to give students the intellectual equipment to

investigate for themselves the issues mentioned in the module description above on the basis of

careful reading and critical reflection upon the key writings in the area.


transferable and practicable skills appropriate to a Level 5 module and in particular will have:

- Developed a capacity for philosophical argument about the mind and mental

phenomena.

- Acquired a knowledge of some of the key philosophical writings about the nature of

mind.

- Understood the nature of some of the central problems in the philosophy of mind.

- Encountered and evaluated a number of attempts to solve the philosophical problems

under discussion.

- Acquired an understanding of how problems in philosophy of mind relate to broader

philosophical debates in areas of logic, metaphysics, epistemology and ethics.

- Acquired an ability to relate the questions discussed to the work of philosophers studied

in other modules.

- Been encouraged to read with great care and reflected upon some difficult texts as well

as introductory and secondary material.

5AANA014: Intermediate Logic


Module Convenor: Dr Julien Dutant

Hyperlink: 5AANA014 Intermediate Logic

Assessment: Summative Assessment – 1x2-hour examination (100%)

Formative Assessment – weekly exercises


The module covers Propositional Logic, Predicate Logic and Modal Logic. Propositional and Predicate

Logic are stated more formally and studied at a deeper level than in the 4AANA003 Elementary

Logic module. Modal logic is introduced. Some notions of Set Theory that are needed in the

semantics of Predicate and Modal logic are explained. A range of methods of proof are covered

(tableaus, natural deduction, axiomatic method). Some sessions will include a peek at further topics

in philosophical logic (e.g. three-valued semantics, vagueness, semantic paradoxes, etc.).

Module Aims: This module provides a training in logic that is intermediate between the Elementary

logic module (level 4) and the advanced modules of Modal Logic, Set Theory, First-Order Logic and

Mathematical Logic (level 6). It aims to offer a follow-up the Elementary Logic module and prepare





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students for the more advanced logic modules. But it can also stand on its own for students who

want a deeper knowledge of Logic but who do not want to go all the way to the Level 6 courses.

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of the course students should master:

The language and semantics of Propositional Logic, Predicate Logic, Modal Logic.

Proofs by semantic tableaus and natural deduction in Propositional and Predicate Logic.

Completeness of the semantic tableaus method for Propositional and Predicate logic.

Axiomatic proofs in Modal Logic.

Syntactic notions: recursive definition of a language, scope, binding.

Semantics: expressive adequacy, validity.

Proof theory: recursive definition of proofs, system-relative provability.

Metalogic: soundness, completeness, decidability

Core Reading:

T. Sider, Logic for Philosophy, Oxford University Press 2010.

5AANB053: Philosophy of Physics I: Space and Time


Module Convenor: Dr Eleanor Knox

Hyperlink: 5AANB053 Philosophy of Physics I: Philosophy of Space and Time




This module will examine aspects of contemporary physics that bear on our philosophy of space and

time. One part of the course will focus on special relativity and the four-dimensional geometry it

proposes: we’ll consider its unification of space and time, its own interpretation, and its

consequences for the metaphysics of time. Another part of the course will focus on issues in thermal

and statistical physics, including discussion of the arrow of time in thermodynamics and the

reduction of thermodynamics to statistical mechanics.

Students should be aware that the course does involve learning some physics and that this will often

be couched in mathematical and technical language, but this content will be introduced in the

course, and prior knowledge will not be assumed.

Module Aims: This module will introduce students to the philosophy of physics by way of thinking

about the physics of space and time. Students will be introduced to the conceptual foundations of

spacetime theories, and consider their implications for the nature of space and time.



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Topics to be covered include the nature of space and time in Newtonian theories, the unification of

space and time in special relativity, the consequences of special relativity for the metaphysics of

time, and the thermodynamic arrow of time. Along the way, students will learn how to approach

foundational issues in physics, including how to consider the ontological commitments and

conceptual basis of a theory

Learning Outcomes: Students will acquire intellectual, transferable and practical skills appropriate to

a level 5 module, in particular, they will have gained the following:

- Comfort in working with scientific theories and applying thoughts about physics to their

philosophical work.

- A capacity for thinking critically about the content and interpretation of theories in

physics.

- The ability to explain the conceptual content of physical theories in English.

- The ability to analyse and evaluate arguments in an unfamiliar scientific context.

- Writing and group presentation skills when dealing with conceptually complex materials.

5AANB004: Modern Philosophy II: Spinoza and Leinbiz


Module Convenor: Professor Maria Rosa Antognazza

Hyperlink: 5AANB004 Modern Philosophy II: Spinoza & Leibniz


Formative assessment – 1x2,000-word essays


This course will develop students’ familiarity with modern philosophy through an examination of the

thought of Spinoza and Leibniz. Students will be introduced to the central metaphysical,

epistemological, and moral claims of each philosopher, through a reading of primary texts. They will

develop an appreciation of the historical context within which the thought of Spinoza and Leibniz

developed. The course will examine the similarities and differences between these two crucial

thinkers in the modern period and will set out their approaches to topics such as the nature of

substance, knowledge, morality, and the relationship between faith and reason.

Module Aims: Through attention to the primary texts to communicate an understanding of the

thought and core arguments of Spinoza and Leibniz.

- To convey how the problems under discussion were motivated for these thinkers.

- To develop a more advanced approach to the history of philosophy through engagement

with more sophisticated secondary literature.



- To gain an appreciation of the problems of interpretation that can arise in regard to

figures in the history of philosophy as well as specifically philosophical challenges.



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demonstrate:

- A critical understanding of the metaphysical and epistemological views of Spinoza and

Leibniz.

- An understanding of the need for interpreting a philosopher’s claims in their historical

context.

- A careful readings of and reflection upon some core texts, as well as introductory and

secondary material, and attention to questions of interpretation.


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Politics Options

5SSPP201: Political Economy: Approaches, Concepts and Issues


Module Convenors: Dr Christel Koop and Dr John Meadowcroft

Assessment: 1x2 hour exam (45%)

1x2,500-word essay (45%)

Attendance and Participation (10%)

This module introduces students to a number of approaches theorising the relationships between politics, the state and markets. The module focuses on different concepts in and approaches to political economy, as emphasised or refuted in major studies in the field. The themes which the module looks at include (1) the role of class and interests, (2) culture and the economy, (3) the role of institutions, (4) the embeddedness of markets, (5) the role of government in the economy, (6) the distribution of capital, and (7) the appropriate level of analysis in political economy. Within each theme, we will discuss some major contributions to the different approaches, including work by Smith, Marx, Weber, Polanyi, Hayek, Olson, Keynes, Schumpeter, Buchanan and Tullock, North, and Piketty. We will focus on the main arguments of these books, their underlying assumptions, their methodology, and their contribution to the approach. We will also assess some recent work applying these approaches to contemporary issues in political economy. Learning outcomes At the end of the module, students should be able to:

Be able to identify the specific assumptions and characteristics of different approaches in political economy

Be able to compare these different approaches and their ability to explain real-world phenomena

Be able to use the theoretical tools acquired in the module to analyse and compare concrete empirical cases.

Key readings Adam Smith (1776) An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels (1848) The Communist Manifesto.

Mancur Olson (1982). The Rise and Decline of Nations: Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities. Max Weber (1905). The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit Of Capitalism. Karl Polanyi (1944). The Great Transformation: The Political and Economic Origins of Our Time. James M. Buchanan and Gordon Tullock (1962) The Calculus of Consent. Thomas Piketty (2014). Capital in the Twenty-First Century.

5SSPP202: History of Political Thought


Module Convenor: Dr Adrian Blau

Assessment: 1x2,500-word essay (40%)


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NB: Lectures for this module are expected to be 90 minutes in total: a 50-minute main lecture, a five-minute break, and a 30-minute exercise or mini-lecture on one of the course themes. This course is a conversation with some of the finest political minds in history: Machiavelli, Hobbes,

Rousseau, the Federalists, Bentham, and Habermas. We’ll look at why they wrote what they wrote,

what they meant, and how well their arguments work. We’ll ask why they give different answers to

questions such as: What does it mean to be truly free? Is democracy possible or desirable? Should

we educate citizens or take them as they are? Are there absolute moral truths, and if not, how can

we avoid anarchy? What rights should we have? What place should religion have in politics? And

should citizens dedicate themselves to the state?

The module will particularly suit students who enjoy political theory and the history of political

thought. There’s a lot of reading for this course: don’t take it if you are scared of books.

Exercises in lectures and seminars will help you learn the critical skills you need for this module, e.g. using historical evidence, handling ambiguity and contradictions, probing texts philosophically, seeking contemporary insights. The 30-minute ‘mini-lectures’ in the second half of term cover themes that crop up in many weeks, e.g. education, gender, human nature, and religion. These mini-lectures, and the optional essay questions on those topics, will give you an opportunity to engage with other historical thinkers, e.g. Aristotle, Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Aquinas, Alexis de Tocqueville. Not sure if you’ll enjoy this course? Try one of the following:

Quentin Skinner, Machiavelli: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2000). This is a very

short, very cheap (£6.50) and very excellent introduction to Machiavelli.

Hannah Dawson, Life Lessons from Hobbes (Palgrave Macmillan, 2013). What can we learn today

from the nasty, brutish political theory of Thomas Hobbes? Find out for just £7.

Robert Wokler, Rousseau: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2001). What the title

says.

Pretty sure you’re going to take this course?

Try Alan Ryan, On Politics (Penguin, 2013) – a history of Western political thought from Greek times

to the present day. It covers most of our thinkers, and many more. At only £13, this book is still a

bargain if you buy it and never open it.

5SSPP204: Extended Essay


Module Convenor: Dr Rod Dacombe

Assessment: 1x4,500-word essay (100%) This module is intended to give students the opportunity to explore an area of political science in depth through an extended piece of coursework. Students will be encouraged to draw on their


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experiences in other modules to develop a sustained piece of work which will develop their knowledge in a particular field as well as considerably enhance their abilities to write well and successfully manage an original research project. The course will be taught through a mixture of lectures and small seminar groups and workshops. The lecture sessions provide an overview of the issues which students will face in preparing a paper of this kind. The seminar sessions are there to track student progress and provide bespoke feedback and advice on their papers as they develop. In the seminars, all participants will be expected to prepare a presentation on their research and its progress, according to weekly milestones that will help to guide their work through to completion. They will also be required to provide a brief written account of their progress at each seminar. In this module students are assessed on the basis of one essay of 4,500 words (100%). The course will particularly suit students who are self-motivated and passionate about a specific subject area. The workload involved will be intensive but the support structures in place as part of the module will ensure that committed students are in an ideal position to begin the final year dissertation. A copy of the current year’s module outline is available on request. Last year’s class schedule:

1. Introducing the Extended Essay (lecture) 2. Topic ideas (seminar session) 3. Finding topics and questions. Searching and reviewing the literature (lecture) 4. Finding a question (seminar session) 5. Work schedules and topic presentations (seminar session) 6. Reading week 7. Progress reports and plans for draft papers (seminar session) 8. Testing (lecture) 9. Writing up and writing well (seminar session) 10. Presentations of draft papers (seminar session) 11. Getting the most from the Extended Essay (lecture)

5SSPP205: Political Change in Europe


Module Convenor: Dr Anna Gwiazda

Assessment: 1x2-hour examination (50%)


This course provides a distinct approach to political change and comparative politics in a European

context. First, this module adopts a broad understanding of political change and analyses issues such

as: institutional change, party system change and electoral change, in addition to changes in political

representation, participation and accountability. Moreover, it examines different causes of political

change such as international (including the role of the European Union), economic (European

financial crisis) or institutional. Second, this course takes a comparative perspective rather than a

country-by-country approach. Comparing European countries across space and across time offers an

opportunity to explore a variety of vital issues and observe political change or stability. By examining

a series of common issues in a comparative context, the course aims to deepen the student’s

understanding of the politics of individual European states. Third, it focuses on political change in

both West European and East European democracies. European politics has changed considerably


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since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. It no longer makes sense to divide Europe into East and West

when trying to examine issues and patterns in European politics. Within one Europe, there are

distinct political systems, yet the institutions of politics share some fundamental similarities.

Lecture Schedule:

1. Week 1: Introduction

2. Week 2: Democratization in Europe

3. Week 3: The economic crisis and political change

4. Week 4: Democratic quality and democratic crisis in Europe

5. Week 5: Populism and political parties

6. Week 6: Reading Week

7. Week 7: Party system change

8. Week 8: Women and minority representation in Europe

9. Week 9: Elections, electoral change and accountability

10. Week 10: Changing patterns of political participation

11. Week 11: European democracies and institutional change

12. Week 12: Review

5SSPP206: Research Methods


Module Convenor: Dr Christel Koop


1x1x1,500-word essay (40%)


This module introduces you to the research design and methods used in the study of politics. The aim of the module is twofold: (1) to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to understand, compare and evaluate the design of, and methods used in, research in the field of politics, and (2) to provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to design your own research project and to make informed choices with regards to the methods of research. The module focuses on the logic behind various types of research design and the key features of different methods used in research in the field of politics. We will discuss these issues using key chapters and articles on methodology as well as examples of (empirical) studies in which choices in terms of design and methods are – implicitly or explicitly – made. The topics which are covered include description and explanation, concept analysis and typologies, experimental vs non-experimental methods, the comparative method, case studies and case selection, and historical and ethnographic research. “Research Methods in Politics” is a compulsory module in the second year of the BA/BSc Politics, and builds on some of the knowledge and skills which you have developed in the module “Studying Politics” (Year 1).

5SSPP208: The International Politics of Energy


Module Convenor: Dr Tomas Maltby


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Teaching Format: 1x1-hour weekly lecture and 1x1-hour seminar weekly

This module provides an introduction to the role of energy in developments in politics and international studies. The course introduces the main contemporary issues related to the energy sector in terms of the history and development of conventional and also renewable energy resources, and how the global governance of energy has evolved. Using case studies, challenges such as resource wars, the resource ‘curse’, and climate change will be examined as well as the links between energy policy and foreign policy. In doing so the importance of ideas, ideology and power relationships in determining national and international policy outcomes will be examined. How actors understand their energy security will also be considered (supply security, price security and environmental security). The learning outcomes of this module are to:

enable students to understand and critically assess the importance of energy to developments in politics and international studies, with awareness of its regional and historical context;

enable students to analyse the role of energy in international politics and the politics of international energy and environmental negotiations;

introduce students to the concept of energy security and situate international energy policy and issues in theoretical debates in International Relations and International Political Economy;

develop an understanding of how political institutions, the political environment, and the economic system interact and how energy policy is made at both the national and international levels.

Lecture Schedule 1. Introduction 2. International Energy Politics and Security (theory and concepts) 3. Conflict: Resource wars 4. Cooperation: International Energy Governance 5. Energy Security as National Security Strategy: The US 6. Energy and Development - Rentier States and the Resource Curse: Africa and the Gulf States 7. Energy Policy and Foreign Policy: Russia 8. Energy Policy as Normative Policy: The EU 9. A green future? Climate change governance, renewable energy and decarbonisation 10. Current trends and future challenges: Arctic rivalries, the present and future of nuclear energy, and the shale gas ‘revolution’. Key Readings No textbook is ideal for this module, but the following are useful: Dannreuther, R. and Ostrowski, R. (eds.) (2013) Global Resources: Conflict and Cooperation, Palgrave Macmillan. Goldthau, A. (ed.) (2013) The Handbook of Global Energy Policy, Wiley Blackwell. Kalicki, J. H. and Goldwyn, D. (2013) Energy and Security: Strategies for a World in Transition, John Hopkins University Press. Shaffer, B. (2009) Energy Politics, University of Pennsylvania Press.


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van de Graaf, T. (2013) The Politics and Institutions of Global Energy Governance, Palgrave Macmillan. Yergin, D. (2012) The Quest: Energy Security and the Remaking of the Modern World, Penguin Books.

5SSPP209: Political Theory of Capitalism


Module Convenor: Dr Adam Tebble



This module is designed as an in-depth study of the work of key thinkers in the history of political

thought, arranged around the theme of the nature and justification of private property rights and

free markets. Specifically, the educational aims are to:

- Provide students with knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to these debates such

as John Locke, Bernard de Mandeville, Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Friedrich Hayek, John

Rawls and Robert Nozick.

- Enable students to place the contributions of these thinkers within the broader context

of the ubiquitous problems of politics and in particular the challenge of justifying private

property rights and free markets.

- Provide students with the skills required for engagement with and critical analysis of

original works and secondary source material in political theory/philosophy

Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module students will be able to:

- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to debates about the

feasibility and desirability of private property rights and free markets.

- Show an understanding of the underlying presuppositions and assumptions informing

philosophical debate about capitalism, private property rights and markets.

- Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse and evaluate key original texts and secondary

source material in political theory/philosophy

Lecture Schedule:

1. Locke on the state of nature

2. Locke on private property

3. Smith on the invisible hand and the division of labour

4. Marx on historical materialism

5. Marx on capitalism, exploitation and alienation

6. Hayek on the knowledge problem and economic liberty

7. Hayek on spontaneous order and social justice

8. Rawls on the original position and the veil of ignorance

9. Rawls's principles of justice


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10. Nozick’s entitlement theory of justice

5SSPP210: Stability and Change in Post-Colonial Nations


Module Convenor: Dr Humeira Iqtidar



Teaching Format: weekly 1-hour lecture and 1-hour seminar

This module is designed to introduce students to the modalities of post-colonial transition primarily

in the previously colonised countries but with some emphasis on changes in the colonising countries

as well. The module clarifies the difference between post-colonialism as a period and as a theoretical

position and allows a broader comparison between the different versions of European colonialism

from the Spanish, to Dutch and British. This leads into a detailed discussion of particular aspects of

political development in the post-colonial states. Two case studies supplement these discussions.

This module offers a historical and analytical look at a broad range of issues related to developments

in the post-colonial world. It aims to:

- Introduce students to definitional questions regarding colonialism, the post-colonial period and post-colonialism as field of study.

- Provide a comparative perspective on European colonialism particularly between the Spanish, British and Dutch.

- Highlight the political and economic structures that newly independent post-colonial nation states inherited.

- Discuss the changes within the economic and political structures since independence. - Provide a thematic overview of some of the key challenges faced by post-colonial

nations. - Provide an understanding of these dynamics in specific case studies.

Lecture Schedule: 1. Colonialism and post-colonialism: Different Definitions

2. Colonialism in Comparison: British Colonialism

3. Colonialism in Comparison: Spanish, French and Dutch colonialism

4. Constructing Nationalism and a Nation State

5. Development and Underdevelopment

6. Aid vs. Trade?

7. Democracy and Human Rights

8. Law and Governance

9. Case studies: India and Egypt


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10. De-colonization, Post-colonialism and Challenges Ahead

5SSPP215: Ethics, Economics and Environmental Protection


Module Convenor: Professor Mark Pennington




This module aims to equip students with the capacity to think critically about ethical and economic

approaches to environmental protection issues and the relationship between the two. It will

examine human rights, eco-centric, utilitarian and economic perspectives both at the theoretical

level and in the practical context of policy arguments over the appropriate role of regulatory,

community-centred, and market-based forms of environmental decision-making.

By the end of the course students should be able to:

- Show knowledge of the major ethical traditions in contemporary environmental thought

and their contribution to debates concerning the relationship between human beings

and the natural world.

- Understand the way in which economists approach questions of environmental decision

making including the concepts of collective/public goods, common pool resources,

market failure, and government failure.

- Appreciate the potential relationships and tensions between ethical and economic

approaches to environmental protection issues.

- Critically evaluate a range of economic and democratic ‘policy tools’ for environmental

management.

5SSPP223: Issues in International Politics


Module Convenor: Dr James Scott





This module examines a range of contemporary issues in international politics across a number of

areas of economics and politics. With ever greater interaction between states driven by processes of

globalisation, more and more problems are emerging at an international level demanding attention

from both states and non-state actors. Much of the time, however, efforts to resolve these issues

are weak and understanding why this is forms a recurrent theme to the module. International


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relations theories are introduced at the start of the module, explored through application to specific

international issues.

The learning outcomes of this module are to:

- Further your understanding of the complexities of international politics in the 21st

century focusing on a number of key contemporary global issues.

- Develop your understanding of theories of international relations that as a means for

understanding international politics.

- Enable application of these theories to current issues in international politics.

- Enable critical engagement with the strengths and weaknesses of theories and their

applicability to key issues in international politics.

Key Readings:

No textbook is ideal for this module, but the following are useful.

Beeson, Mark, and Nick Bisley. (2013). Issues in 21st Century World Politics. (Basingstoke: Palgrave

Macmillan).

Donald Snow, (2012). Cases in International Relations. Fifth Edition. (London: Longman).

Salmon, Trevor, and Mark F. Imber. (2008). Issues in International Relations. Second edition. (New

York: Routledge).

5SSPP227: Game Theory and Strategic Decision Making


Module Convenor: Dr Paul Lewis



Teaching Format: weekly 1-hour lectures and 7 tutorials (based on past exam questions and

designed to develop you knowledge of, and ability to use, game theory)

The module focuses on a theoretical approach that has fundamentally changed economics and

political science over the past 20 years, namely game theory. We will study strategic interaction

between economic agents (i.e., situations where the outcome of your actions depends on what your

rival chooses to do, and vice versa, and where both of you know that to be the case). Examples of

the type of situation that will be analysed include: prisoners' dilemma; arms races; the provision of

public goods; competition between political parties; and the management of environmental

resources.

Key Readings:

Dixit, A.K. and S. Skeath (2004). Games of Strategy. London: W.W Norton.

Schelling, T.C. (2010). 'Game Theory: A Practitioner's Approach.' Economics and Philosophy, 26: 27-

46.


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5SSPP228: The Economics of the Public Sector


Module Convenor: Dr Colin Jennings


1x3-hour examination (75%)

Teaching Format: weekly 2-hour lectures and 5x1-hour seminars throughout semester.

Students are expected to have completed 5SSPP221 Microeconomics, however, any students with

interest are advised to contact the module convenor to discuss.

The module aims to provide an economic analysis of taxation and spending on the welfare state in

the UK, and to introduce students to cost-benefit analysis.

Lecture Schedule:

1. The Role of Government in the Economy

2. Cost-Benefit Analysis

3. Health

4. Education

5. Pensions

6. Social Insurance and Poverty Relief

7. Optimal Taxation

8. Tax Reform

9. Deficit Finance

10. Fiscal Federalism

Key Readings:

Barr, N. (2012) Economics of the Welfare State (5th edn), OUP.

Connolly, S. and A. Munro (1999). Economics of the Public Sector. Pearson Education.

Cullis, J. and P. Jones (2009). Public Finance and Public Choice (3rd edn), OUP.

Hindriks, J. and G.D. Myles (2013) Intermediate Public Economics (2nd edn), MIT Press.

Stiglitz, J. (2015) Economics of the Public Sector (4th edn), Norton.

5SSPP231: Policy Analysis: Decision, Implementation and Evaluation


Module Convenor: Dr John Meadowcroft



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This module provides an introduction to policy analysis: understanding how policy is made and its impact. The module introduces the concept of the policy process – understanding policy-making in terms of decision, implementation and evaluation. We will seek to understand why governments do some things, but not others, why policy is often not implemented effectively, and how we can judge and measure policy success and failure. One of the aims of the module is to provide those students interested in writing a policy-focused dissertation in their third-year with the tools of policy analysis. At the end of the module, students should:

Know the principal theoretical approaches to understanding how policy is made;

Understand the nature of policy implementation and the pathologies often associated with implementation;

Have a good understanding of the principal techniques via which policy can be evaluated;

Be able to apply this knowledge to an empirical case study of policy-making. Key Readings Bemelmans-Videc, M-L, R.C. Rist and E. Vedung, Carrots, Sticks & Sermons: Policy Instruments and their Evaluation (Transaction Publishers, 1998). John, P. Analyzing Public Policy (2nd edition, Routledge, 2012) Hill, M. The Policy Process: A Reader (2nd edition, Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1997) Kingdon, J. Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies (2nd edition, Little Brown, 1995). Majone, G., Evidence, Argument and Persuasion in the Policy Process (Yale University Press, 1989). Pawson, R and Tilley, N. Realistic Evaluation (Sage, 1997). Sabatier, P. (ed.) Theories of the Policy Process (Westview Press, 1999).

5SSPP238: Contemporary Issues in Political Theory


Module Convenor: Dr Robin Douglass


2-day take-home exam (60%)

This module focuses on the philosophical and ethical arguments underlying a range of deeply contested real-world debates. Each week we will focus on a specific debate and assess some of the strongest arguments put forward on either side. The module aims to:

Provide students with an in-depth knowledge of some of the main theoretical and ethical arguments behind a range of deeply contested issues in contemporary politics.

Assess real-world political issues from a philosophical perspective.

Develop a critical and reflective approach to the study of philosophical texts. Lecture Schedule (provisional) 1. Migration: The right to exclude 2. Migration: The case for open borders 3. Markets at the margin: Drugs 4. Markets at the margin: Prostitution 5. Free speech: Hate speech and offence 7. Free speech: Pornography


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8. Life and death: Abortion 9. Life and death: Euthanasia 10. Justice for children 11. Justice for animals Key Readings As this is a new module for 2016/17, I have not yet decided on the precise texts we will study. However, the following two edited collections provide a good introduction to the issues that will be covered: Andrew I. Cohen & Christopher Heath Wellman (eds.), Contemporary Debates in Applied Ethics, 2nd

ed. (Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013). Hugh LaFollette (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Practical Ethics (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003).

5SSPP240: American Political Development


Module Convenor: Dr Sam DiCanio




This module will introduce students to the history, development and institutions of the American political system. It aims to provide a deeper understanding of contemporary US politics by exploring the historical origins of American political and economic development. The module will examine the operation of the main branches of the US government (Congress, Presidency, Supreme Court), and the nature of political ideology and the rise of modern political parties. It also sets out to analyse the development of the federal government, bureaucracy and regulation, and explain the importance of voting and elections in shaping the scope and breadth of public policy in the US today. Aims

To provide an introduction to the operation of the main branches of the US government (congress, presidency, judiciary)

To understand the historical origins of the American political system and the process of industrialisation

To examine the nature of political ideology and the rise of modern political parties

To analyse the development of bureaucracy and regulation in the US

To explain the importance of voting and elections in shaping the scope and nature of government action

Learning Outcomes

A detailed understanding of the historical origins and development of the US political system

The skills to analyse the power of US political institutions, to explain the distribution of executive, legislative and judicial functions, and to reflect critically on their internal capabilities

The ability to apply different theories and approaches to explaining American political development


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The capacity to analyse and explain processes of US industrialisation, and the responsiveness of government actors to public opinion and democratic pressures

It will also provide students with a range of core transferable skills:

The capacity to analyse and explain competing theories, concepts, frameworks and empirical evidence

The ability to think independently and to address complex problems through the application of different conceptual and analytical toolkits

The development and formulation of personal views and arguments, and the ability to present and communicate these concisely to peers

The identification and sourcing of secondary literature and primary research material in the relevant area

The organisation and time management of assessed and non-assessed work to clear deadlines

Lecture Schedule 1. American Democracy and Public Opinion Lippmann, The Phantom Public

Somin, “Voter Ignorance and the Democratic Ideal.”*

2. Congress Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection.

3. The Presidency Tulis, The Rhetorical Presidency.

4. Bureaucracy Weber, “Bureaucracy.”*

Wilson, Bureaucracy.

5. Ideology and History Converse, “The Nature of Belief Systems In Mass Publics,”* pgs. 206-261.

6. Republican Ideology and the American Revolution Wood, Radicalism of the American Revolution, all.

7. Antebellum Political Parties Formisano, The Birth of Mass Political Parties, pgs. 3-14, 31-55.*

Howe, The Political Culture of the American Whigs, pgs. 11-42.*

8. Parties and American State Formation Sanders, Roots of Reform, all.

Julian Zelizer, “Stephen Skowronek’s Building a New American State and the Origins of American

Political Development,” pgs. 425-441.*

Skowronek, Building a New American State, all.

9. Populism and the Paranoid Style of American Politics Hofstadter, The Age of Reform, 1-130.


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Hofstadter, “The Paranoid Style of American Politics.”*

10. Progressivism and Conservatives Hofstadter, Age of Reform, 131-328.

Cohen, Reconstruction of American Liberalism, all.

11. Voter Ignorance and State Autonomy DeCanio, Democracy and the Origins of the American Regulatory State.*

Key Readings 1) The Reconstruction of American Liberalism, 1865-1914, by Nancy Cohen.

2) Radicalism of the American Revolution, by Gordon Wood.

3) The Phantom Public, by Walter Lippmann.

4) Bureaucracy, by James Q. Wilson.

5) The Rhetorical Presidency, by Jeffrey Tulis.

6) Congress: The Electoral Connection, by David Mayhew.

7) The Forging of Bureaucratic Autonomy: Reputations, Networks, and Policy Innovation

in Executive Agencies, 1862-1928, by Daniel Carpenter.

8) Building a New American State: the Expansion of National Administrative Capacities

1877-1920, by Stephen Skowronek.

9) Roots of Reform, Farmers, Workers, and the American State, 1877-1917, by Elizabeth

Sanders.

10) Liberty and Power, by Harry Watson.

11) The Age of Reform, by Richard Hofstadter.

5SSPP241: Statistics for Political Science II

15 credits – semester 1

Module Convenor: Dr Damien Bol



Prerequisites:

4SSPP109 Quantitative Methods

4SSPP111 Statistics for Political Science


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This 2nd year UG module is designed to provide students with particular analytical tools to better understand the problems and questions studied in political sciences. The main goal is to train students in the use of regression analysis, the dominant quantitative technique used in empirical studies. Students will learn how to conduct quantitative research using regression analysis. The module combines theoretical lectures with practical sessions in the pc-lab where students will enhance their existing knowledge of STATA. Aims

This undergraduate module is designed to provide students with particular analytical tools to better understand the problems and questions studied in political sciences. The main goal is to train students in regression analysis, the dominant quantitative technique used in empirical studies.

This module assumes some previous basic knowledge of regression analysis, inferential statistics and some basic school algebra like derivation. The module, however, is not designed to learn the mathematical apparatus behind regression analysis. Rather, the emphasis will be on understanding the logic and intuition behind regression. In this regard, the module is highly dependent on particular examples from political science.

The module will combine lectures with practical sessions at the computer lab. One of the main goals of this course is that students are able to produce their own research using statistics by the end of the module. For this reason, there is a strong emphasis in the practical component of the course. Students will learn the different questions related to regression techniques at the theoretical level during the lectures. In the pc-lab, students will learn how to implement such theoretical knowledge by using STATA, a major statistic software. By the end of the module, students are expected to use STATA at an intermediate level.

Learning Outcomes This module teaches students how to conduct empirical research doing regression analysis. The module aims to:

Consolidate your knowledge on statistical inference.

Familiarize with linear regression analysis and its assumptions.

Learn how to interpret regression coefficients using different types of variables and interactions.

Learn how to identify and correct some common violation of OLS assumptions

Learn the basics of logistic regression analyses.

Learn how to present and display statistical results.

Enhanced your existing skills with the statistical package STATA. By the end of this module students should be able to:

Know how to test your theory using regression analysis

Learn how to structure your data in order to conduct empirical research

Apply different models and interactions between variables in order to test the relationship between different variables

Use STATA at an intermediate level.

Lecture Schedule

Week 1 – Introduction. Refreshing OLS regression

Week 2 – The Gauss-Markov conditions. The logic of inference in single regression model.

Week 3 – Multiple regression: Estimation and Inference. Testing linear combination of parameters.

Testing linear restriction.


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Week 4 – Binary variables, Interactions and non-linearities

Week 5 – Formative assessment

Week 6 - Reading Week

Week 7 – Heteroskedasticity and multicollinearity

Week 8 – Model misspecification: Endogeneity and the experimental ideal

Week 9 – Introduction to cross-section time series regressions and multi-level regressions

Week 10 – Binary dependent variables: The Logit models

Week 11 – Formative assessment. Concluding remarks

Outline of Seminars:

Seminar 1 – Refreshing STATA. Regression analysis (week 2)

Seminar 2 – Advanced issues in regression analysis. (week 4)

Seminar 3 – Regression diagnosis (week 8)

Seminar 4 – Introduction to cross-section time-series and multilevel regression (week 9)

Seminar 5 – Logit (week 10)

Key Reading

Required textbooks:

All the lectures will be mostly based on the following textbooks.

Colin Lewis-Beck and Michael Lewis-Beck. 2015. Applied Regression. An Introduction. 2nd ed. Sage

D. Gujarati. 2015. Econometrics by Example. 2E. Palgrave.

Further reading:

Angrist, J.D., and J.S. Pischke. 2014. Mastering 'Metrics: The Path from Cause to Effect: Princeton

University Press.

Wooldridge, Jeffrey. 2012. Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach. Cengage Learning

James H. Stock and Mark W. Watson. 2015. Introduction to Econometrics. Pearson Education


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Economics Modules

Compulsory Courses

5SSPP220: Macroeconomics


Module Convenor: Professor Shaun Hargreaves Heap


1x1,500-word coursework (25%)


Teaching Format: weekly 2-hour lecture and 1-hour seminar every two weeks

This is a module in Macroeconomic theory and policy. It develops the theory of the determinants of

unemployment, inflation and growth and uses this theory to explain important recent developments

in the world economy. For example, we will discuss the origins of the 2008 financial crisis, the

continuing Euro crisis and the current fear of deflation, the global imbalances that preceded the

financial crisis and the experience of growth in the world economy over the last 40 years, including

the contemporary concern over secular stagnation. The policy debates relate to questions of ‘rules

versus discretion’ in demand management, the role of structural reform and the scope for

institutional change.

Policy and the short run behaviour of the macroeconomy

IS/LM/BP model of the determinants of aggregate demand (and output when prices are fixed) in an

open economy.

This model will be used to analyse the choice between fixed and floating exchange rates and how

this affects the efficacy of monetary and fiscal policy.

It is particularly useful in understanding some aspects of the Euro crisis and the current limits of

conventional monetary policy (when interest rates are near zero) that has led to ‘unconventional’

policies like ‘quantitative easing’.

• AD/AS model of output, employment and price determination.

This model will be used to analyse the ‘rules versus discretion’ debate in macroeconomic policy, how

this is connected to the argument for an independent central bank and the use of ‘Taylor rules’. It

will also be used to examine the macroeconomic policy debates over structural reforms designed to

influence the operation of labour and product markets (e.g. competition policy, employment rights

and unemployment benefits policies); and to explain long run differences in unemployment across

countries.

Topics on the origins of the 2008 financial crisis and the Euro crisis

Banks and the role of financial intermediation: the argument for macroprudential policies.

The intertemporal model of the current account of the balance of payments and the origin of global

imbalances: why does China save so much and the UK and the US save so little?

Optimum currency areas and the problems of monetary union without a fiscal and banking union.


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Policy and the long run behaviour of the macroeconomy

• The Solow-Swann model of growth

This model will be used to examine growth over the last 50 years in the world economy. Its

weaknesses in this respect have led to a fresh interest in the role of policy and institutions in growth

(e.g. in the explanation of the sudden surge in growth in China since 1980 and the relative poor

performance until recently of sub-Saharan economies).

5SSPP221: Microeconomics


Module Convenor: TBC


1x1-hour mid-term class test (20%)

Please note that these assessment details may be amended.

Teaching Format: weekly 2-hour lecture, 1-hour seminar every two weeks

This module builds on the introduction to economics provided in the first year Principles of

Economics module. The aim of this module is to develop students’ understanding of economic

theory by introducing them to key topics in intermediate microeconomics that are of particular

relevance to students of political economy, perhaps most notably: consumer theory (under

conditions of certainty and uncertainty); general equilibrium theory and welfare economics; the

theory of market failure; principal-agent theory and the theory of asymmetric information;

transactions cost economics; and human capital theory.


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Optional Modules

5SSPP201: Political Economy

For details, please see above, p. 15

5SSPP213: Econometrics


Module Convenor: Dr Elisa Cavatorta


1x mid-term class test (20%)

Take-home coursework (10%)

Problem-sets (10%)

Teaching format: weekly 2-hour lecture and 6x1-hour seminars

This course aims to provide an introduction to the fundamental theoretical concepts and

applications of econometrics. The course gives students an understanding of the science and art of

determining what type of empirical model to build, estimating the parameters of the model, testing

theories statistically, and applying econometrics models to answer practical questions in policy

analysis. Students will also learn how to do applied econometrics using STATA software package.

Learning Outcomes:

- Learn methods for estimating causal effects using observational data

- Understand the assumptions of regression analysis, the OLS estimator and its properties

- Interpret simple and multiple regression equations and be able to understand empirical

economics papers.

- Understand the basic principles of hypothesis testing and conduct significance tests in

linear regression models.

- Explain how to carry out tests to evaluate the adequacy of our econometric model

- Understand and familiarise with standard techniques for policy evaluation.

- Use standard econometrics packages for regression analysis and interpret their output.

Key Reading

There is no single textbook for the course. I will base my lectures mostly on the following textbooks.

Both are available at the library and in e-book format.

Wooldridge Jeffrey M., Introduction to Econometrics, Centage Learning, 1e 2013,

ISBN: 978-1-4080-9375-7 Discount codes may be available in late summer/early autumn.

Stock and Watson, Introduction to Econometrics, Person 3e. (2e is also fine)


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5SSPP215: Ethics, Economics and Environmental Protection

For details, please see above, p. 22

5SSPP225: The Economics of Politics


Module Convenor: Dr Colin Jennings




This module is designed to introduce students to the basic concepts and issues in contemporary

political economy, with a particular focus on the political economy of the contemporary social

democratic state. The module will aim to:

- Introduce students to concepts of economic analysis that are most relevant to the study

of government and politics.

- Provide students with an understanding of the problems of market failure and

government failure and provide a scholarly framework to comparatively evaluate these

problems.

- To provide an economic analysis of elections; voting; interest groups and bureaucracy.

By the end of this module students will be able to:

- Demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts and issues in contemporary political

economy.

- Show an understanding of the problems of market failure and government failure.

- Demonstrate an ability to assess the policy implications that follow from the existence of

market failure and government failure.

Lecture Schedule:

1. Markets and Market Failure I

2. Social Choice

3. Two-Party Competition

4. Multi-Party Competition

5. Interest Groups and Rent-Seeking

6. Bureaucracy

7. Voting Rationality

8. Tyranny and Anarchy

9. Bicameralism, Rights and the Judiciary

10. Constitutional Political Economy


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Key Readings:

Hindmoor, A. (2006). Rational Choice. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan.

Mueller, D. (1996). Constitutional Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Johnson, D.B. (1991) Public Choice: An Introduction to the New Political Economy. Mountainview,

California: Bristlecone Books

5SSPP227: Game Theory and Strategic Decision Making

For more details, please see above, p. 23

5SSPP228: The Economics of the Public Sector


5SSPP232: Mathematics for Economics


Module Convenor: Dr Gabriel Leon

Assessment: 1x1-hour midterm class test (30%)



Teaching Format: weekly 2-hour lectures and 5 seminars Pre-requisites: Students are expected to have completed 4SSPP109 Quantitative Methods, but any students on International Politics who have a strong interest in this module are advised to contact the module convenor to discuss. This module will introduce students to the mathematical tools most commonly used in economics. The focus will be in analysis and linear algebra, particularly on the topics that are most used in economics. Examples will be drawn from economics and political economy. Topics covered will include differentiation and partial differentiation, constrained and unconstrained optimisation, and an introduction to linear algebra. Aims

teach students the mathematical tools most commonly used in economics;

show students how our understanding of economic concepts can be made more precise through their mathematical formulation;

enable students to write their own economic models;

topics covered will include differentiation, optimisation, further topics in calculus and linear algebra;

provide students with the mathematical background that will prepare them for the more mathematical of the level 6 optional modules.

Lecture Schedule


36

1. Differentiation 2. Partial Differentiation 3. Optimisation 1, including Lagrange Multipliers 4. Optimisation 2, including Kuhn-Tucker 5. Midterm 6. Envelope Theorem and its applications in economics 7. Comparative Statics and examples from economics 8. Integration (concept, main techniques) 9. Linear Algebra 1 (introducing matrices) 10. Linear Algebra 2 (inverting matrices, the determinant) 11. Introduction to Dynamics (based on an Economic growth example)

Key Readings Chiang, Alpha C. and Kevin Wainwright, 2005. Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics, McGraw-Hill. Sydsaeter, Knut, Peter Hammond and Arne Strom, 2012. Essential Mathematics for Economic Analysis, Pearson. (easier than Chiang and Wainwright) Simon, Carl P. and Lawrence Blume, 1994. Mathematics for Economists, W.W. Norton. (more

difficult than Chiang and Wainwright

5SSPP241: Statistics for Political Science II


ba in philosophy, politics and economics (ppe) … · teaching format: 1x1-hour weekly lecture and...

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