Unit Outline

This unit has two central goals. First, it aims to provide students with an introduction to comparative politics. Second, it seeks to provide students with advanced knowledge of politics in contrasting parts of the world. The unit consists of three modules: Module one introduces students to some of the central debates and methods in comparative politics. This includes a consideration of how and why to compare and what can be achieved by comparing. Module two focuses on key institutions and actors, such as systems of government, political parties and electoral systems. Module three examines key issues in comparative politics, including populism, democratisation, and legitimacy and authority in different regimes. The unit aims to provide a global overview of comparative politics, focusing on examples and case studies from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, South America and Europe.

Intended Learning Outcomes

As per the Assessment and Results Policy 1.3, your results will reflect your achievement against specified learning outcomes.

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:


1	Explain and apply key concepts and theories of comparative politics.
2	Compare, contrast and evaluate concepts of different polities.
3	Compare, contrast and evaluate theories and case studies of different polities
4	Communicate your ideas coherently in written and/or oral formats applying referencing and style conventions as appropriate.

Requisites


REQUISITE TYPE	REQUISITES
Pre-requisite	25 credit points at Introductory level or higher

Alterations as a result of student feedback

more discussions

How will I be Assessed?

For more detailed assessment information please see MyLO.

Assessment schedule


ASSESSMENT TASK #	ASSESSMENT TASK NAME	DATE DUE	WEIGHT	LINKS TO INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
Assessment Task 1:	Minor essay	Week 6	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 2:	Major essay	Week 10	40 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4
Assessment Task 3:	Take home exam	Exam Period	30 %	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment details

Assessment Task 1: Minor essay

Task Description:

Minor essay

Task Length:

1,100 words

Due Date:

Week 6 (23/Aug/2024)

Weight:

30 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	minor essay	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

Assessment Task 2: Major essay

Task Description:

Major essay

Task Length:

2,000 words

Due Date:

Week 10 (04/Oct/2024)

Weight:

40 %

CRITERION #

CRITERION

MEASURES INTENDED

LEARNING OUTCOME(S)


1	major essay	LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4

How your final result is determined

To pass this unit, you need to demonstrate your attainment of each of the Intended Learning Outcomes, achieve a final unit grade of 50% or greater, and pass any hurdle tasks.

Submission of assignments

Where practicable, assignments should be submitted to an assignment submission folder in MYLO. You must submit assignments by the due date or receive a penalty (unless an extension of time has been approved by the Unit Coordinator). Students submitting any assignment in hard copy, or because of a practicum finalisation, must attach a student cover sheet and signed declaration for the submission to be accepted for marking.

Academic integrity

Academic integrity is about acting responsibly, honestly, ethically, and collegially when using, producing, and communicating information with other students and staff members.

In written work, you must correctly reference the work of others to maintain academic integrity. To find out the referencing style for this unit, see the assessment information in the MyLO site, or contact your teaching staff. For more detail about Academic Integrity, see Important Guidelines & Support.

Requests for extensions

If you are unable to submit an assessment task by the due date, you should apply for an extension.

A request for an extension should first be discussed with your Unit Coordinator or teaching support team where possible. A request for an extension must be submitted by the assessment due date, except where you can provide evidence it was not possible to do so. Typically, an application for an extension will be supported by documentary evidence: however, where it is not possible for you to provide evidence please contact your Unit Coordinator.

The Unit Coordinator must notify you of the outcome of an extension request within 3 working days of receiving the request.

Late penalties

Assignments submitted after the deadline will receive a late penalty of 5% of the original available mark for each calendar day (or part day) that the assignment is late. Late submissions will not be accepted more than 10 calendar days after the due date, or after assignments have been returned to other students on a scheduled date, whichever occurs first. Further information on Late Penalties can be found on the Assessments and Results Procedure.

Review of results and appeals

You are entitled to ask for a review of the marking and grading of your assessment task if there is an irregularity in the marking standards or an error in the process for determining the outcome of an assessment. Details on how to request a review of a mark for an assignment are outlined in the Review and Appeal of Academic Decisions Procedure.