If you find any data displayed on this website that should be amended, please contact the Curriculum Management Team.
Module Title
LI UK Politics in a Time of Crisis
School
Government
Department
Political Sci & Intern'tl Stud
Module Code
08 40169
Module Lead
Stephen Bates
Level
Intermediate Level
Credits
20
Semester
Semester 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions
None
Exclusions
Description
The UK faces a number of crises, including those related to the environment, the economy, democracy, sovereignty, the territorial integrity of the union, and the UK's place in the world. Indeed, reflecting the number of interlocking issues which affect the UK, some commentators talk not about crisis, but about 'polycrisis' or 'permacrisis'. This module considers these crises – or these facets of the permacrisis – within the context of contemporary UK politics. It sets out the contours of the UK state and poses the questions of whether such a political system can govern these crises successfully and, if not, what organisational and institutional reforms should be introduced.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:
Understand why different definitions of 'crisis' exist, and locate themselves in theoretical and conceptual debates concerning the term
Demonstrate familiarity with the contours of the modern UK state, key political institutions, and the nature of contemporary UK politics
Critically evaluate different theories of the UK state and (aspects of) UK politics
Sustain an argument about what changes, if any, should be made to (elements of) the UK state so that it is better able to respond to (particular) crises.
