GV225 One Unit
Analytical Politics
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Torun Dewan
Availability
This course is available on the BA in Social Anthropology, BSc in History and Politics, BSc in International Social and Public Policy with Politics, BSc in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, BSc in Politics, BSc in Politics and Economics, BSc in Politics and International Relations, BSc in Politics and Philosophy, BSc in Psychological and Behavioural Science, BSc in Social Anthropology, Erasmus Reciprocal Programme of Study and Exchange Programme for Students from University of California, Berkeley. This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course is freely available to General Course students. It does not require permission.
This course is capped. Places will be assigned on a first come first served basis.
Requisites
Pre-requisites:
Students must have completed GV101 before taking this course.
Additional requisites:
Students will normally be expected to have taken GV101 Introduction to the Study of Politics, or equivalent, in a previous year. An introductory knowledge of economics would be useful.
Course content
This course is concerned with positive political economy and public choice theory applied to the study of political conflicts, democratic institutions and public policy. The course covers the main tools for the study of rational choice (rational decision-making theory, game theory, social choice theory) and a number of both theoretical and applied topics, including the empirical study of institutions. This course will cover the main topics in positive political economy and institutional public choice. These include: the aggregation of preferences; voting paradoxes and cycles; electoral competition and voting behaviour; the problems of and solutions to collective action; the theory of coalitions, the behaviour of committees and legislatures including agenda-setting and veto-player power; principal-agent problems in politics and leadership.
Teaching
15 hours of lectures and 9 hours of classes in the Autumn Term.
15 hours of lectures and 10 hours of classes in the Winter Term.
1.5 hours of lectures and 1 hours of classes in the Spring Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.
Formative assessment
Mock exam
Mock exam
Problem sets weekly
Students will complete weekly problem sets in AT. They will have a chance to do a mock exam in AT (problem sets) and WT (timed essay) under exam conditions.
Indicative reading
K A Shepsle & M S Bonchek, Analyzing Politics.
Assessment
Exam (50%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period
Exam (50%), duration: 120 Minutes in the Spring exam period
The first exam is based on problem sets from the Autumn Term course material. The second exam is essay-based on questions related to topics covered in the Winter Term.
GENERAL COURSE STUDENTS ONLY:
The Class Summary Grade for General Course students will be calculated as follows: 25% formative problem sets (best mark), 25% timed essay (best mark), 50% class participation (including presentations and attendance).
Key facts
Department: Government
Course Study Period: Autumn, Winter and Spring Term
Unit value: One unit
FHEQ Level: Level 5
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 40
Average class size 2024/25: 13
Capped 2024/25: Yes(51)Course selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
Personal development skills
- Leadership
- Self-management
- Team working
- Problem solving
- Application of information skills
- Communication
- Application of numeracy skills
- Commercial awareness
- Specialist skills