GV271-5-SP-CO:
European Politics: Institutions and Outcomes

The details
2025/26
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 5
Current
Monday 12 January 2026
Friday 20 March 2026
15
22 July 2025

 

Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
(none)

 

(none)

Key module for

(none)

Module description

This module provides an introduction to European Politics, which includes the European Union and countries within Europe. We will examine several topics, including: institutions of the European Union, theories of European integration, political participation, electoral systems, and evaluating the performance of democracies. We will develop specific knowledge about the European Union and several European countries, by learning how the political institutions function within them. The course also provides an accessible introduction to research design and methods that political scientists have used to address these topics.

Module aims

The aims of this module are:



  • To gain a firm understanding of the European Union and the representative democracies in Europe by learning about important political institutions and related topics. These include how institutions of the European Union work; how citizens participate in politics; electoral system designs and their effects; and how we might think about evaluating democratic performance.

  • To develop specific knowledge about several European countries, by learning how the political institutions function within them.

Module learning outcomes

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



  1. Demonstrate thinking, discussing and writing clearly and logicially.

  2. Link concepts to measurement, and make connections between the topics in the module (for example, linking electoral systems to patterns of party competition).

  3. Retrieve, synthesise and critically evaluate information from diverse sources, using the library and internet.

  4. Develop clear and incisive presentation skills.

Module information

No additional information available.

Learning and teaching methods

This module will be delivered via:

  • A weekly pre-recorded lecture.
  • A weekly interactive lecture.

The pre-recorded lecture will consist of one or more items of prepared content that students can access electronically and must study before the interactive lecture.

The interactive lecture will consist of one 50-minute lecture in which students can ask questions about, and discuss various aspects of, the prepared content with the module supervisor.

Bibliography*

This module does not appear to have a published bibliography for this year.

Assessment items, weightings and deadlines

Coursework / exam Description Deadline Coursework weighting

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
100% 0%

Reassessment

Coursework Exam
100% 0%
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Prof Lawrence Ezrow, email: ezrow@essex.ac.uk.
Dr. Svenja Krauss
Module Supervisor: Dr. Svenja Krauss - svenja.krauss@essex.ac.uk / Module Administrator: Lewis Olley - govquery@essex.ac.uk

 

Availability
Yes
Yes
No

External examiner

No external examiner information available for this module.
Resources
Available via Moodle
Of 60 hours, 60 (100%) hours available to students:
0 hours not recorded due to service coverage or fault;
0 hours not recorded due to opt-out by lecturer(s).

 

Further information
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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