Keele University Prospectus Undergraduate | 2016 | Page 200

POLITICS, PHILOSOPHY, INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & ENVIRONMENT

Politics
Overview

Do you want to change the world? If you do, then you
need to know about politics. Politics at Keele provides
a challenging treatment of the ways in which modern
political science and political theory have understood
contemporary issues and debates. We take a global
approach to politics which gives you the opportunity
to analyse the complex events and forces that shape
our world.
Keele University has a longstanding reputation as
one of the foremost centres for political studies in the
country. The politics course was founded by some
of the best known political scientists in the UK and
Europe, and its international reputation continues
to attract researchers and students of the highest
calibre. Our current staff have particular expertise
in the areas of comparative politics, parties and
elections, policy studies, public policy, environmental
politics and policy, and political and international
theory. We also specialise in the politics of a range
of countries and regions, particularly Britain, the
European Union, Russia and Eurasia, the Balkans,
the USA and the Middle East.
We offer a range of innovative, challenging,
and contemporary modules informed by strong
scholarship and cutting-edge research. You will
be taught by approachable staff within a friendly
and research-led interdisciplinary environment.
You will be encouraged to get involved in a range
of co-curricular activities, including the Keele
Debate and Discussion Society and Keele Model
United Nations.

Course content

First year
In the first year you are introduced to the basic
concepts through two core modules:
• Why Politics Matters: an introduction to the study
of politics.
• Modern Democracies: a comparative look at the
political systems in the UK, France, Germany
and the USA.
If you are a single honours student, you will also take
the following modules (dual honours students can
choose these as electives):

Approaches to Political Analysis focuses on research
design and methods.
You will then choose from three further core modules:
Comparative Political Analysis: building on Modern
Democracies, or
Why Policy Changes: a critical look at public policy
and the policy process, or
Freedom and Equality: building on Justice,
Authority and Power.
Elective modules:
• British Government and Politics
• Power to the People
• US Government and Politics
• International Relations of Eurasia
• Balkan Politics and Society
• Environmental Politics and Policy
• Peace, Conflict and Security
• The Politics of the European Union
• The Practice of Politics
• Work Experience in Politics, International
Relations and Philosophy
Third year
As a third year student you will complete a
dissertation or equivalent project in either of
your principal subjects which allows you to pursue
a particular topic in depth. Special subjects are taught
exclusively through seminars, and, because they
relate to staff research interests, they give
you the chance to engage with the cutting edge
of political research.
Dual honours students take at least two, and single
honours take at least four, approved electives in
politics. The range of special subjects available
varies from year to year, but the following is an
indicative list:
• The Extreme Right in Western Europe

• British Politics since 1945: a historical look at the
shaping of the UK’s contemporary political scene.

• Protest and Social Movements

• Justice, Authority and Power: an introduction
to political theory.

• Sustainability and Social Justice

Elective modules:
• The Changing World
• Debates in American Politics
• The Politics of Sustainability
• Mass Media in America
• Global Political Economy
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Second year
You will build on your first year work by deepening
your knowledge of particular countries, regions and
theories. All dual and single honours students take
the same core module:

• Gendering Global Politics
• The Missing Dimension: Intelligence and
International Relations
• Political Parties
• Elections and Voters
• The US Presidency
• Russia and Europe
• Human Rights