Power and Democracy

Module title	Power and Democracy
Module code	POC2120
Academic year	2024/5
Credits	15
Module staff	Dr Andrew Schaap (Convenor)

Duration: Term	1	2	3
Duration: Weeks	10

Number students taking module (anticipated)	50

Module description

Should democratic politics be limited to periodic competitive elections of parliamentary representatives? Or should it be expanded to include meaningful political participation by all in other areas of social life, such as the workplace? Is democracy just a matter of voting in order to determine the majority view based on pre-existing individual preferences? Or should it also include practices of deliberation in which citizens develop more informed opinions by encountering relevant information and moral considerations? Is the ignorance of the average voter the main challenge for democracy today or the ignorance of political elites? By introducing you to the field of democratic theory, this module will equip you to reflect on the conceptual and normative issues contained in such pressing questions of democratic life today.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to encourage you to reflect on contemporary debates about democratic politics in light of two broad traditions of political thought: liberal and radical democracy. On the one hand, liberal democrats tend to view democracy simply as decision-making procedure: they want to limit democratic politics to appropriate political arenas and to direct it through appropriate channels. On the other hand, radical democrats tend to view democracy as a way of life: they want to expand democratic politics throughout social life and enhance the meaningfulness of participation available to citizens. You will reflect on how these traditions of democratic thought inform and influence how we think about a range of contested practices of political life today, such as: Should citizens should have to pass a competence test in order to vote? Are populists the ‘true’ democrats? Can the use of coercive tactics by political demonstrators be democratic? When might unelected and self-appointed representatives be more representative than elected politicians?

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

1. distinguish between liberal and radical theories of democracy;
2. evaluate political phenomena in terms of normative criteria of democratic theory.

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

3. assess the insightfulness of different interpretations of political texts and phenomena;
4. assimilate and analyse a range of sources in contemporary political theory.

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

5. refine normative and conceptual arguments;
6. reflect on your own social position and political agency.

Syllabus plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some most of the following topics:

Elitism and Epistocracy
Participation
Audience Democracy
Deliberation
Activism
Social Difference
Partisanship
Populism
Representation
Civility

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities	Guided independent study	Placement / study abroad
25	115	0

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Category	Hours of study time	Description
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	15	10 x 1.5 hour lectures
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity	10	10 x 1 hour seminars
Guided Independent study	49.5	Reading and preparing for seminars
Guided Independent study	65.5	Completing assessment tasks

Formative assessment

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Short written answer	500 words	1-6	Written comments

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
100	0	0

Details of summative assessment

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
	0
Portfolio	100	3,000 words	1-6	Written comments
	0
	0
	0
	0

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment

Portfolio	Portfolio (3,000 words)	1-6	August/September reassessment period

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

Basic reading:

This reading list is indicative - i.e. it provides an idea of texts that may be useful to you on this module, but it is not considered to be a confirmed or compulsory reading list for this module.

Ackerman, Bruce & James Fishkin (2002) ‘Deliberation Day’, The Journal of Political Philosophy 10 (2): 129-152.

Bardon, A, M Bonotti, S Zech & W Ridge (2023) ‘Disaggregating Civility: Politeness, Public-Mindedness and their Connection,’ British Journal of Political Science 53(1): 308-325.Brennan, Jason (2011) ‘The Right to a Competent Electorate’, The Philosophical Quarterly 61 (245): 700-724.

Canovan, Margaret (1999) ‘Trust the People! Populism and the two Faces of Democracy’, Political Studies 47: 2-16.

Green, Jeffrey (2010) The Eyes of the People: Democracy in an Age of Spectatorship. Oxford University Press, ch.1 & 2 (excerpts).

Saward, Michael (2009) ‘Authorisation and Authenticity: Representation and the Unelected’, Journal of Political Philosophy 17 (1): 1-22.

White, Jonathan & Lea Ypi (forthcoming) ‘Political Parties’ in Jeffrey King and Richard Bellamy (eds) The Cambridge Handbook of Constitutional Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Young¸ Iris Marion (2001) ‘Activist Challenges to Deliberative Democracy’, Political Theory 29 (5): 670-690.

Key words search

Democratic theory; contemporary political theory

Credit value	15
Module ECTS	7.5
Module pre-requisites	None
Module co-requisites	None
NQF level (module)	5
Available as distance learning?	No
Origin date	18/12/2018
Last revision date	02/02/2023