British Politics
& Government
SV369
Spring 2012
Professor TERRENCE CASEY | Office: Moench A 209 |
PHONE: 877-8281 | Office Hours: MTRF 5th Hour or walk-in |
E-Mail: casey1@rose-hulman.edu | RHIT Mailbox: #93 |
This course will introduce you to the history, institutions, and politics of Great Britain. We will begin with an examination of the major events in British politics since the Second World War. We will then move on to review the major governing ideas, institutions, actors, and electoral processes of the British political system. Finally, we will look at Britain's role in the wider world and the key challenges facing the country in the early 21st century. By the end of the course you should have a much greater appreciation of the similarities and differences between Britain and the United States and (hopefully) a sense of what Americans might be able to learn from the British experience.
READINGS: The majority of the reading for this course will come from the following texts: (1) Andrew Marr, A History of Modern Britain; (2) Philip Norton, The British Polity, 5th Edition, and (3) Richard Heffernan, Philip Cowley, and Colin Hay, Developments in British Politics 9. You are also expected to keep abreast of current events in the UK. Here are a list of useful links.
British Politics Links
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: Your grade will be based on the following:
(A) Three Exams (65% total). The first two exams (20% each) are tentatively scheduled for Friday, March 30th (end of 4th week) and Friday, May 4th (end of 8th week) These will include broad questions that require you to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject matter and show that you can critically and intelligently analyze key issues in British politics. The third exam (25%) will be a take-home essay exam that includes material from the entire course. Exams from graduating seniors will be due on Friday, May 18th. Exams for all others are due on Monday, May 21st.
(B) Research Paper (25%). Topic and Bibliography due on Friday, March 16th; Research paper due on Monday, April 30th. You will be required to write a 10-15-page research paper on an important political topic related to the history, governance, or politics of the United Kingdom. More detailed instructions will be handed out separately. (Citation Guide for Papers)
(C) Attendance and Participation (10%). You are expected to come to each class prepared (i.e., having done the assigned reading) and ready to actively participate in the discussion. Participation points are not an automatic bonus for showing up. If you do not do the reading or never speak up, even if you attend class every day, you will get a zero for participation.
Topics and Readings
NOTE: PowerPoint slides and other handouts will be added below as the course progresses
PART I -- THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT: BRITAIN SINCE WORLD WAR II
Week 1 (March 5-9) | MT -- The Making of the Modern British State |
Philip Norton,
The British
Polity, Chapters 1 and 3 Phil Cowley, Colin Hay, and
Richard Heffernan, 'Introduction: A Landscape Without a Map? British
Politics after 2010,' Chapter 1 in
Developments
in British Politics 9 |
RF-- Building a 'New Jerusalem': The Postwar Attlee Government | Andrew Marr,
A History of
Modern Britain, Part 1 (pp. 1-112) |
|
Week 2 (March 12-16) | MT-- Change and Consensus: The Conservative Fifties | Andrew Marr,
A History of
Modern Britain, Part 2 (pp. 113-228) |
RF -- Modernization and Failure: Wilson, Heath, and Callaghan | Andrew Marr,
A History of
Modern Britain, Part 3 (pp. 231-377) |
|
Week 3 (March 19-23) | MT -- Britain's Capitalist Revolution: The Thatcher-Major Years | Andrew Marr,
A History of
Modern Britain, Part 4 (pp. 381-474) |
RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC AND BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE (FRIDAY, MARCH 16) | ||
RF -- Forging a 'Third Way': New Labour and Beyond | Andrew Marr,
A History of
Modern Britain, Part 5 (pp. 477-602) |
PART II-- GOVERNING IDEAS
Week 4 (March 26-30) | MT -- The British Constitution |
Philip Norton,
The British
Polity, Chapter 4 Meg Russell, 'Constitutional
Politics,' Chapter 2in
Developments in British Politics 9 Vernon
Bogdnor,
'A Codified Constitution for Britain?'
Politics
Review, September 2008, pp. 2-9
[Handout]. |
RF -- Political Culture and Ideology |
Philip
Norton,
The British Polity, Chapter 2 Gerry Stoker, 'Anti-Politics in Britain,' Chapter 9 in Developments in British Politics 9 |
|
FIRST EXAM FRIDAY, MARCH 30TH | Exam #1 STUDY GUIDE |
SPRING BREAK (April 2-6)
PART III -- POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
Week 5 (April 9-13) | MT-- Parliament: Commons and Lords | Philip Norton,
The
British Polity, Chapter 12 |
RF -- Executive: Prime Minister and Cabinet | Philip Norton,
The
British Polity, Chapter 8 and 13 David Richards, 'Changing Patterns of Executive Governance,' Chapter 3 in |
|
Week 6 (April 16-20) | MT -- Devolved Governments: Scotland and Wales | Philip Norton,
The
British Polity, Chapter 10 (pp. 271-80;
291-96) Roger Scully and Richard Wyn-Jones, 'Territorial Politics in Post-Devolution Britain,' |
RF -- Devolved Government: Northern Ireland | Philip Norton,
The
British Polity, Chapter 10 (pp. 281-90) Cathy Gormley-Heenan, 'Power-Sharing in Northern Ireland,' Chapter 8 in |
PART IV -- POLITICAL INTERESTS AND PROCESSES
Week 7 (April 23-27) | MT-- Political Parties | Philip Norton,
The
British Polity, Chapter 6 Philip Cowley, 'Political Parties and the British Party System,' Chapter 6 in |
RF -- Campaigns and Elections | Philip Norton,
The
British Polity, Chapter David Denver, 'Elections and Voting,' Chapter 5 in in Developments in British Politics 9 |
|
RESEARCH PAPER DUE (FRIDAY, APRIL 27th) |
PART V -- BRITAIN AND THE WORLD
Week 8 (April 30-May 4) | MT -- Britain and the European Union |
Philip Norton,
The British
Polity, Chapter 9 Lori Thorlakson, 'Britain's Place in the European Union,' Chapter 14 in Developments in British Politics 9 |
RF -- Britain and the United States |
Andrew Gamble, 'Britain in the World,' Chapter 16
in Developments in British
Politics 9 |
|
SECOND EXAM (FRIDAY, MAY 4th) |
PART VI -- KEY ISSUES IN BRITISH POLITICS
Week 9 (May 7-11) | MT -- Reviving the Economy |
Terrence Casey,
'Capitalism, Crisis, and a Zombie named TINA,' in
Terrence
Casey, ed.
The Legacy of the Crash
[Handout] Colin Hay, 'Britain and the Global Financial Crisis: The Return of Boom and Bust,' Chapter 13 in Developments in British Politics 9 |
RF --
British Identity & the
Future of the Union |
TBD | |
Week 10 (May 14-18) | MT -- Extra Time | |
RF -- Wrap up and review | ||
TAKE-HOME THIRD EXAM (Due from graduating seniors by START OF CLASS on Friday, May 18th; from everyone else by noon on Monday, May 21st) |