GV347-6-SP-CO:
Political Economy II
PLEASE NOTE: This module is inactive. Visit the Module Directory to view modules and variants offered during the current academic year.
2025/26
Government
Colchester Campus
Spring
Undergraduate: Level 6
Inactive
Monday 12 January 2026
Friday 20 March 2026
15
24 April 2024
Requisites for this module
(none)
(none)
(none)
EC831
(none)
BA L900 International Development
This module is about modern political economy, meaning analytical approaches to study how economic and political incentives interact to create constraints and opportunities that shape larger political and economic behaviour and outcomes. The module introduces students to the use of rigorous logic and evidence in order to understand key political economy issues as well as to address contemporary policy issues. Substantively, this module will focus on political economy models of democratic politics. Some of the topics that will be covered include: electoral politics, representation and accountability, bureaucratic politics, distributive politics, and public good provision.
This module requires knowledge of essay writing in political science. Students are assumed to have some familiarity with elementary mathematical concepts (e.g., sets, functions, algebra, basic probability theory). The module does not require knowledge of calculus.
The aims of this module are:
- To introduce the students to key political economy models and their application to the study of democratic politics.
By the end of the term, students will:
- Understand how some tools commonly used in economic analysis, such as game theory, are used to study political phenomena.
- Solve formal political economy models of democratic politics, with a focus on electoral competition, delegation, and accountability.
- Develop their capacity to evaluate theoretical arguments and to analyze policy issues using methods and approaches from political economy.
- Be aware of cutting edge methods used in political economy research.
No additional information available.
The module will be delivered via:
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
Reassessment
Module supervisor and teaching staff
Dr Sergio Ascencio, email: sergio.ascencio@essex.ac.uk.
Dr Sergio Ascencio
Please contact govquery@essex.ac.uk
No
No
No
Dr Stefano Pagliari
City, University of London
Senior Lecturer in International Politics
Available via Moodle
No lecture recording information available for this module.
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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