Module SGIA3701: Suffrage Politics: from Past to Present

Department: Government and International Affairs

SGIA3701: Suffrage Politics: from Past to Present

Prerequisites

• Any Level 2 SGIA module

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• This module provides a critical survey of works within comparative politics that seek to explain the origins and consequences of suffrage reforms.
• This module builds on and expands knowledge of core concepts in comparative politics. It is advised, but not required, that students should previously have studied at least one of SGIA1191: Democratic Political Systems or SGIA1211: Comparative Politics.
• This module will encourage students to critically evaluate existing research in the sub-field and to draw links between suffrage reforms, political competition, voting behavior and public policies.

Content

• The module will cover topics that address causes and consequences of various types of suffrage reforms. Indicative questions addressed on the course include: Why do elites decide to give up power and broaden the franchise to the masses? How do polities decide who has the right to vote? Why did men enfranchise women? Why did Whites manipulate voting rights to exclude Blacks from the vote in the past and today? Why did the voting age decrease over the last century? Who support the expansion of voting rights to 16 year olds and why? What are the policy consequences of suffrage reforms? Are preferences of newly enfranchised groups better represented upon their formal inclusion in the voting public? How can we explain that some enfranchised groups are not represented despite their access to the polling booth?
• The content of the module will cover both contemporary research as well as classic works. This will give students a background in how the literature in the sub-field has developed over time.

Learning Outcomes

• Advanced knowledge of an emerging and highly salient sub-field in comparative politics.
• Critical understanding of the underlying conditions and mechanisms that secure groups’ (i) de jure representation with formal enfranchisement and (ii) de facto representation of shared interests.
• Critical understanding of theoretical debates about the origins and consequences of suffrage reforms in modern times.

• Advanced comparative analytical skills;
• Critical engagement, assessment and evaluation of theories of political engagement;
• Identify and effectively utilise advanced academic literature in the field;
• Evaluate existing theories with respect to a given region, set of countries or a country.

• Learn to effectively retrieve, utilize, critically evaluate and present scholarly research;
• Acquire independent research skills to augment initial guidance on suitable sources;
• Research topics via a creative use of library and Internet sources;
• Accurately assess the suitability and quality of resources;
• Demonstrate an independent approach to learning;
• Develop the ability to independently manage a research project;
• Present an argument in a succinct, compelling and informative way to a broad audience.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• The module will be principally taught through 13 two-hour seminars.
• Seminars will be instructor-directed but will focus on discussion of the week's readings, specifically with regard to the theories and research designs of each individual work.
• Students will also be able to access members of academic staff through their routine ‘office hours’, typically two hours per week when academic staff are available to meet with students to address individual queries and concerns.
• Summative assessment will come in the form of 3,500 word project. Students can choose a specific region, country or a set of selected countries and analyze the origins and consequences of a specific suffrage reform. Students will implement a comparative method in assessing the existing theories discussed on the course or generate their own theories of enfranchisement and its consequences. Students will be evaluated on the quality of the understanding and engagement with the literature discussed on the course as well as on the depth of a country/regional-specific knowledge. The project is designed to help students to develop independent research management skills and research analytical skills. As opposed to typical essays, the student projects are expected to analyse, rather than critically evaluate, a research question or a problem of their own choice.
• Each student will participate in a student conference in two roles (presenter & discussant) and each of the two types of participation will be individually assessed as follows:
• Formative assessment will come in the form of active participation at a student conference that take place at the end of Michaelmas term (held over two weeks and covers 4 hours in total) and will result in (i) presentation of 4 slides that represent student’s proposed project (5 minutes) and (ii) discussant’s comments on another student’s presentation (500 words, 5 minutes). The quality of presentation slides and discussant comments in terms of organization, clarity and academic communication will be assessed. This assessment aims to help students to develop good presentation skills, skills to communicate one’s own research and ability to speak to a new and previously unknown audience. In addition, the assessment seeks to prepare students for a discussant role at conferences or other events where evaluation of existing research, policies or practices is important.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Presentation slides(4) along with 500 word discussant comments.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University