University of Essex

GV203-5-SP-CO:
Parties and Elections

The details

Year: 2024/25

Department: Government

Campus: Colchester Campus

Term: Spring

Level: Undergraduate: Level 5

Status: Current

Start date: Monday 13 January 2025

End date: Friday 21 March 2025

Credits: 15

Last updated: 06 August 2024

Requisites for this module

Pre-requisites: (none)

Co-requisites: (none)

Pre and / or co-requisites: (none)

Prohibited modules: (none)

Key module (requisite for): (none)

Key module for

BA L2CS Social Sciences,
BA L2ES Social Sciences,
LLB ML14 Law with Politics (Including Year Abroad),
LLB ML15 Law with Politics (Including Placement Year),
LLB ML16 Law with Politics,
LLB ML26 Law with Politics (Including Foundation Year),
BA L215 Politics with Business,
BA L216 Politics with Business (Including Placement Year),
BA L217 Politics with Business (including Year Abroad),
BSC LL25 Politics with Business,
BSC LL26 Politics with Business (Including Placement Year),
BSC LL27 Politics with Business (including Year Abroad),
BA L212 Global Politics,
BA L213 Global Politics (including Placement Year),
BA L214 Global Politics (including Year Abroad),
BA L620 Politics with Criminology,
BA L621 Politics with Criminology (Including Placement Year),
BA L622 Politics with Criminology (Including Year Abroad)

Module description

This module introduces electoral and party politics in advanced liberal democracies. It examines party systems, party competition, electoral behaviour and party organisation.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:

To provide a broad overview of political processes in and academic debates on electoral and party politics in the UK and Western Europe.

To encourage an analytical and critical perspective on political processes and actors that we encounter in academic literature and public affairs.

Module learning outcomes

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

To develop a critical understanding of the main processes and academic debates in electoral and party politics in the UK and Western Europe.

To be able to distinguish and critically evaluate alternative theoretical perspectives on key questions in electoral and party politics.

To be able to reflect on and discuss the normative implications of alternative theoretical perspectives.

To be able to read and discuss critically, verbally and in writing, advanced academic literature and evidence presented therein on electoral and party politics.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

weekly two-hour seminar for ten weeks in the Spring Term.

Students are expected to read for all classes.

Bibliography*

Trouble with accessing resources? (no date). Available at: https://essex.libwizard.com/id/0ca0192f0d51b4c22469d6030fd1306f.
Katz, R. (2023) 'Political parties', in Comparative politics. 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/2362686.
Russell J. Dalton, David M. Farrell, and Ian McAllister (2011) Political parties and democratic linkage: how parties organize democracy. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199599356.001.0001.
Andeweg, R.B. and Thomassen, J. (2011) 'Pathways to party unity: Sanctions, loyalty, homogeneity and division of labour in the Dutch parliament', Party Politics, 17(5), pp. 655–672. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1354068810377188.
Webb, P. and Bale, T. (2021a) Modern British Party System. 2nd Revised edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://doi-org.uniessexlib.idm.oclc.org/10.1093/oso/9780199217236.001.0001.
Kriesi, H. et al. (2006) 'Globalization and the transformation of the national political space: Six European countries compared', European Journal of Political Research, 45(6), pp. 921–956. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6765.2006.00644.x.
Beyme, K. von (1985) Political parties in Western democracies. Aldershot: Gower.
Gallagher, M., Laver, M. and Mair, P. (2011b) Representative government in modern Europe. 5th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/1844160.
van Biezen, I., Mair, P. and Poguntke, T. (2012) 'Going, Going... Gone? The Decline of Party Membership in Contemporary Europe', European Journal of Political Research, 51(1), pp. 24–56. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1475-6765.2011.01995.x/abstract.
John D. May (1973) 'Opinion Structure of Political Parties: The Special Law of Curvilinear Disparity', Political Studies, 21(2), pp. 135–151. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.1973.tb01423.x.
Scarrow, S.E. (1996) Parties and their members: organizing for victory in Britain and Germany. New York: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/0198279183.001.0001.
Susan E. Scarrow (2015) Beyond party members: changing approaches to partisan mobilization. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199661862.001.0001.
Krouwel, A. (2006) 'Party Models', in Handbook of party politics. London: SAGE, pp. 249–269. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/reader.action?docID=1023941&ppg=264.
Richard S. Katz and Peter Mair (1995) 'Changing Models of Party Organization and Party Democracy: The Emergence of the Cartel Party', Party Politics, 1(1), pp. 5–28. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1354068895001001001.
Hague, R., Harrop, M. and McCormick, J. (2019b) 'Political Parties', in Comparative government and politics: an introduction. 11th edition. London: Macmillan Education, pp. 270–286. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6235061.
David Farrell and Paul Webb (2000) 'Political Parties as Campaign Organizations', in Russell J. Dalton and Martin P. Wattenberg (eds) Parties without partisans: political change in advanced industrial democracies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 102–128. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/0199253099.003.0006.
Hersh, E.D. and Schaffner, B.F. (2013) 'Targeted Campaign Appeals and the Value of Ambiguity', The Journal of Politics, 75(2), pp. 520–534. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381613000182.
Allcott, H. (2017) 'Social Media and Fake News in the 2016 Election', Journal of Economic Perspectives, 31(2), pp. 211–236. Available at: https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.31.2.211.
Bond, R.M. et al. (2012) 'A 61-million-person experiment in social influence and political mobilization', Nature, 489(7415), pp. 295–298. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11421.
Caramani, D. (2023) 'Party Systems', in Comparative politics. 6th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Available at: https://app.kortext.com/Shibboleth.sso/Login?entityID=https://idp0.essex.ac.uk/shibboleth&target=https://app.kortext.com/borrow/2362686.
Hague, R., Harrop, M. and McCormick, J. (2019a) 'Elections', in Comparative government and politics: an introduction. 11th edition. London: Macmillan Education, pp. 252–269. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6235061.
Gallagher, M. (2016) 'Elections and Referendums', in Comparative Politics. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 173–187.
Kelly, R. (2010) 'The Worst of All Worlds? Electoral Reform and Britain's 2009 European Elections', Political Quarterly, 81(1), pp. 99–106. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-923X.2009.02071.x.
Qvortrup, M. (2012) 'Voting on Electoral Reform: A Comparative Perspective on the Alternative Vote Referendum in the United Kingdom', The Political Quarterly, 83(1), pp. 108–116. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-923X.2012.02270.x.
Webb, P. and Bale, T. (2021b) 'The changing electoral market in Britain: From mobilization to competition', in The Modern British Party System. Second edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 45–66. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780199217236.003.0002.
Hague, R., Harrop, M. and McCormick, J. (2019d) 'Voters', in Comparative government and politics: an introduction. 11th edition. London: Macmillan Education, pp. 287–305. Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/universityofessex-ebooks/detail.action?docID=6235061.

The above list is indicative of the essential reading for the course.
The library makes provision for all reading list items, with digital provision where possible, and these resources are shared between students.
Further reading can be obtained from this module's reading list.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam	Description	Deadline	Coursework weighting
Coursework	Essay 1	24/02/2025	50%
Coursework	Essay 2	17/03/2025	50%
Exam	Main exam: In-Person, Closed Book, 90 minutes during Summer (Main Period)
Exam	Reassessment Main exam: In-Person, Closed Book, 90 minutes during September (Reassessment Period)

Exam format definitions

Remote, open book: Your exam will take place remotely via an online learning platform. You may refer to any physical or electronic materials during the exam.
In-person, open book: Your exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer to any physical materials such as paper study notes or a textbook during the exam. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, open book (restricted): The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may refer only to specific physical materials such as a named textbook during the exam. Permitted materials will be specified by your department. Electronic devices may not be used in the exam.
In-person, closed book: The exam will take place on campus under invigilation. You may not refer to any physical materials or electronic devices during the exam. There may be times when a paper dictionary, for example, may be permitted in an otherwise closed book exam. Any exceptions will be specified by your department.

Your department will provide further guidance before your exams.

Overall assessment

Coursework	Exam
60%	40%

Reassessment

Coursework	Exam
60%	40%

Module supervisor and teaching staff

Supervisor: Prof Tobias Bohmelt, email: tbohmelt@essex.ac.uk.

Teaching staff: Dr Tobias Bohmelt

Contact details: Module Supervisor: Dr Tobias Bohmelt (tbohmelt@essex.ac.uk) / Module Administrator: (govquery@essex.ac.uk)

Availability

Available to incoming Essex Abroad / Exchange students: Yes

Available to Outside Option: Yes

Available to Audit: No

External examiner

Name: Dr Edward Morgan-Jones

Institution: University of Kent

Academic role: Reader in Comparative Politics

Resources

Teaching materials: Available via Moodle

Lecture recording:* Of 523 hours, 10 (1.9%) hours available to students:
513 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

Further information

Department website: Government

* Please note: due to differing publication schedules, items marked with an asterisk (*) base their information upon the previous academic year.

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The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

Module Directory

GV203-5-SP-CO:Parties and Elections