This module focuses on twenty-first-century Britain, with an emphasis on contemporary politics, parties, and policy challenges. Topics include the British constitution, the evolution of the party system, New Labour and the Blair governments, the Global War on Terror, the Cameron years and Brexit, the Conservative Party under Johnson, Labour in opposition and under Keir Starmer, and the challenges of immigration and “populism.” Alongside institutional and party politics, the course will consider Britain’s role in global affairs and the socio-political pressures shaping its trajectory.
Objectives
By the end of this course students will be able to:
1. Understand the main institutional and party-political features of contemporary Britain.
2. Analyse the causes and consequences of major political events (e.g. Iraq War, Brexit, Covid).
3. Explore the relationship between domestic politics, constitutional arrangements, and foreign policy.
4. Develop skills in critical reading, argumentation, and academic writing.
Weekly Class Schedule:
1. The British Constitution
2. The British Party System(s), Part 1: A Two-Party System?
3. The British Party System(s), Part 2: Rise of the Smaller Parties
4. The British Party System(s), Part 3: The “Northern Ireland Problem”
5. New Labour and the Blair Years
6. A Coalition of the Willing: The UK and the Global War on Terror
7. From Cameron to Brexit
8. Brexit, Johnson, Covid, Ukraine
9. Labour in Opposition
10. Immigration and the “Populist” Challenge
11. Starmer’s Britain
Libraries
Practical information
