Course Catalogue

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This course investigates the fundamental principles that ought to guide public action, institutional design, and accountability, that is, the ideal of 'good government.' It also explores the ways in which governments may fail to live up to this ideal, particularly in the form of corruption.

Seminar: two hours per week, for 10 weeks x 2

Entry to Honours Politics or International Relations requires a grade point average of 12 (Grade C) over Politics 2A and Politics 2B as a first attempt.

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Group Presentation, with individual report 1500 words (40%)

Policy Assessment, 2500-3000 words (60%)

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. Where, exceptionally, reassessment on Honours courses is required to satisfy professional/accreditation requirements, only the overall course grade achieved at the first attempt will contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

The aim of this course is to introduce students to normative debates about government: how should they act, be structured and held accountable? They will learn to think critically not merely about what is 'good' government, but also what constitutes its pathologies, especially 'corruption'. In doing so they will, secure a basic understanding of the modern administrative state, its evolution and variation, placed in historical context. They will also be equipped with skills necessary to evaluate proposed institutional innovations.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Explain the basic structure of modern governments, their typical branches, and the rise of the administrative state.

■ Appraise and critique various theories about what constitutes 'good government' and its pathologies, including corruption.

■ Relate the concept of good government to other important issues within political theory and science, such as democracy, public trust, populism, and development outcomes.

■ Diagnose and assess particular governance case studies, in terms of relevant concepts and theories.

■ Evaluate institutional innovations to improve government proposed within the literature, and formulate their own reasoned proposals.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.