Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 11:07
This course delves into Scottish politics with a focus on the post-devolution era. We emphasize contemporary politics and trace the changes in Scottish political history, thinking and institutions over time. Students will engage with ongoing political debates and build a strong fundamental understanding of the policy-making process in the multi-level institutions that govern Scotland today.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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One or more of these courses have a limited number of places. Priority access will be given to students for whom this course is compulsory. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions for more details on this process.
This course will cover the fundamentals of Scottish political thinking, changes in Scottish political institutions over time, and developments in Scottish politics in the post-devolution era. Students will develop a strong understanding of contemporary political institutions, debates and the policy-making process. To encourage critical analysis of Scotland as a political subject, we think comparatively across countries and across time. For example, we might compare Scottish policy making with policymaking UK wide or compare the 1979 and 1997 devolution referendums.
The course first introduces ‘Scottish politics’ as a subject of scholarship: its relevance, its roots, and reawakening in the post-1979 era. We study institutional changes: the 1979 and 1997 referendums, Parliamentary design post-1997, and the formation of a Scottish political party system after devolution. In the second half of the course, we spend a week focusing on the 2014 referendum. We then consider how Scottish political actors relate to those around them: Scotland as an international actor, relationship with the UK government, and with the EU. Finally, the course concludes with a look at the diverse range of experiences within Scottish politics and society.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 14 | Feedback Weeks | 17 | |
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Equip students to engage critically and constructively with current theoretical and public debates surrounding the political institutions and governance of Scotland. |
| Factual | Understand | Develop and deepen knowledge of Scottish political thought, Scottish institutions, and Scottish constitutional change. |
| Reflection | Apply | Facilitate the development of briefing and essay writing skills, discussion skills, and problem-solving by applying knowledge to contemporary political problems. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 26 | |
| Feedback |
Normally grade and feedback provided three weeks after submission or earlier if possible. Feedback will be provided by Turnitin, but students may of course discuss any questions with me in person. |
Word Count | 2500 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Enable students to understand the Scottish political system within a wider context, in relation to similar jurisdictions around the world through the use of comparative methods. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Equip students to engage critically and constructively with current theoretical and public debates surrounding the political institutions and governance of Scotland. |
| Factual | Understand | Develop and deepen knowledge of Scottish political thought, Scottish institutions, and Scottish constitutional change. |
| Assessment Type | Formative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 12 | Feedback Weeks | 15 | |
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Equip students to engage critically and constructively with current theoretical and public debates surrounding the political institutions and governance of Scotland. |
| Factual | Understand | Develop and deepen knowledge of Scottish political thought, Scottish institutions, and Scottish constitutional change. |
| Reflection | Apply | Facilitate the development of briefing and essay writing skills, discussion skills, and problem-solving by applying knowledge to contemporary political problems. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback | ||||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Factual | Understand | Develop and deepen knowledge of Scottish political thought, Scottish institutions, and Scottish constitutional change. |
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Equip students to engage critically and constructively with current theoretical and public debates surrounding the political institutions and governance of Scotland. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Enable students to understand the Scottish political system within a wider context, in relation to similar jurisdictions around the world through the use of comparative methods. |
| Reflection | Apply | Facilitate the development of briefing and essay writing skills, discussion skills, and problem-solving by applying knowledge to contemporary political problems. |
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