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2021 unit information
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Last updated: 4 June 2021
Nil
AIP784
Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.
Online independent and collaborative learning activities equivalent to 1 x 1-hour per week
This unit aims to provide students with a comprehensive introduction to competition in political settings and over political objects. The unit will focus on political competition in domestic settings (i.e., not competition between nation-states), and draw on theoretical and empirical material from the sub-discipline of Comparative Politics.
The course material will be organized around four themes.
First, students will have the opportunity to explore foundational questions, in particular
(a) what makes competition in politics different from competition in the economic marketplace and
(b) what implications follow from these differences
Secondly, students will gain an understanding of the variety of patterns of political competition across both democratic and non-democratic settings. This theme will draw heavily on the scholarship on political party systems, which has been an influential framework for understanding the basic parameters of political competition across countries.
Building on this, students will consider the regulation of political competition and, specifically, the relationship between constitutional rules and the emergence and development of political party systems.
Fourthly, the course will devote attention to the relationship between the various types of political party systems and important public policy outcomes.
Identify the responsibilities and functions of the key institutions which constitute the Australian political system, with particular emphasis on the executive arm of government and parliament and their inter-relationship
GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
Identify and explain the scrutiny and legislative functions of parliament, together with the associated processes, and assess critically the challenges and outcomes as far as these functions are concerned
GLO4: Critical thinking
Identify the various parliamentary committees and their roles, explain associated processes, and with the aid of comparative studies assess critically their efficacy
Demonstrate the ability to independently draw together conceptual and empirical materials in an analytic and insightful way, in order to identify an appropriate solution on an issue relating to Australia’s parliamentary system
GLO5: Problem solving
GLO6: Self-management
These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: AIP785 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
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