GV454 Half Unit
Parties, Elections and Governments
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Prof Torun Dewan
Availability
This course is available on the MSc in Political Science (Political Behaviour) and MSc in Political Science (Political Science and Political Economy). This course is freely available as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. It does not require permission. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: to apply for a place on this course, please write a short statement of 200 words (max) outlining the specific reasons for applying and how the course will benefit your academic/career goals. Priority will be given to students on the programmes listed in the ‘availability’ section of the course guide. You should check that you meet any pre-requisites in the course guide before applying (where applicable). Places on capped courses cannot be guaranteed.
Deadline for application: The deadline for applications is 12:00 noon on Friday 26 September 2025. You can expect to be informed of the outcome of your application by 12:00 noon on Monday 29 September 2025. Any places remaining after this date will be allocated based on priority and written statement - up until course selection closes.
For queries contact: gov.msc@lse.ac.uk
Course content
The course focuses on key topics in political science concerning voting and representation. Topics covered include:
• Party and Candidate Strategy
• The Role and Origins of Parties
• Government Formation and Termination
• Electoral Systems: Franchise, Ballot, and Allocation formulas
• Leadership
• Political Careers
• Government Accountability
Examples will be drawn from a wide range of democracies.
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.
Formative assessment
Essay
All students are expected to submit one non-assessed essay.
Indicative reading
The course is focussed mainly on journal articles. However the following books are relevant to some of the topics covered:
Gary Cox, Making Votes Count (1995); Gary Cox & Mathew McCubbins, Setting the Agenda (2005); George Tsebelis, Veto Players (2002); Kenneth Shepsle and Mark Boncheck, Analysing Politics (1997); Tim Besley, Principled Agents (2005); John Aldrich, Why Parties (1995); Bruce Bueno de Mesquita. Alastair Smith, Randolph Siverson and James Morrow, The Logic of Political Survival (2003); Giovanni Sartori, Comparative Constitutional Engineering (1997); Michael Laver & Norman Schofield, MultiParty Government: The Politics of Coalition in Europe (1990).
Assessment
Essay (100%) in Spring Term Week 4
Key facts
Department: Government
Course Study Period: Winter Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Keywords: Political Science, Voting, Democracy
Total students 2024/25: 14
Average class size 2024/25: 14
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse 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
- Self-management
- Problem solving
- Communication