Scottish Politics module (PO41013)

This module aims to develop your skills in policy analysis, embedding this in the context of contemporary Scottish politics.

The module introduces the key political institutions and debates in Scottish politics, before involving external policy officers to discuss how they analyse policies and write policy reports. After this, you will engage in different issues in writing policy, from philosophical questions about universalism in public services to institutional questions around Scottish budgets.

What you will learn

In this module, you will:

• develop and deepen knowledge of key public policy concepts and theories in the context of real-world examples in Scottish Politics
• equip students with the theoretical and conceptual tools to identify and analyse past and ongoing policy problems in Scotland and broader afield
• develop your abilities to conduct and critically engage with policy analysis in relation to its use in government, private sector, and third sector settings
• engage with critical perspectives surrounding the normative, ethical, and practical issues in the conduct of public policy analysis

By the end of this module, you will have:

• developed and deepened your knowledge of public policy in Scotland, having engaged with key theories and concepts in policy-making
• grown your skills in engaging critically and constructively with current theoretical and public debates surrounding the political institutions and governance of Scotland

learned how to write and analyse policy reports and work as a team in recommending policy proposals

Assignments / assessment

• essay
  • 2,500 words
  • worth 50% of the overall grade
  • due week 20
• exam
  • worth 40% of the overall mark
  • you will write a short essay on Scottish politics and also critically analyse your group policy report
• engagement grade
  • worth 10% of the overall mark
  • determined by engagement with class discussion, research, and reading reviews

Teaching methods / timetable

• lectures
• seminars
• trip to Scottish parliament