Politics in the Modern World

You’ll be introduced to some of the key themes in the study of modern politics, and will have the chance to gain critical insight into the nature and use of political power in the contemporary world. You will learn about: the foundations of the modern nation-state, and the ways in which our institutions can reflect or fail to meet the ideals of liberal democracy; the behaviour of individuals and groups in political contexts; the workings of national constitutions and international organisations; the interaction of global events and domestic agendas.

Areas of study typically include:

+ Political Theory: the study of the scope, nature, and justification of state authority, and the history of political thought.

+ British Politics: the study of the theory, and political reality, of British governance in the twenty-first century.

+ Comparative Politics: the study of the various institutions of the nation-state, in a comparative context.

+ Ideologies: the study of political ideologies such as (neo-)liberalism, (neo-)conservatism, socialism, and fascism, their cohesiveness and social/political function.

+ Political Behaviour: the study of the ways in which agents and groups engage with politics in the age of mass and social-media.

+ Politics and Religion: the study of the relevance of religion to politics in contemporary society.

+ Politics in a Global World: the influence of global movements and events on domestic and international politics.

Because of the increasing interdependence of the national and global, domestic politics and international relations can no longer be properly understood in isolation from one another. To ensure the best possible foundation for a degree in Politics, in first year, we strongly recommend you also take International Relations: Theory and Practice.