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Britain in a Changing Global Political Economy - POL00062H

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  • Department: Politics
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Peg Murray-Evans
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: H
  • Academic year of delivery: 2023-24
    • See module specification for other years: 2022-23

Module summary

The impact of and responses to the global financial crisis and, more recently, Britain’s decision to leave the European Union have brought a range of debates about Britain’s place in the global economy to the forefront of public life. This module aims to enable students to engage with these debates critically and with conceptual and empirical rigour.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2023-24

Module aims

The impact of and responses to the global financial crisis and, more recently, Britain’s decision to leave the European Union have brought a range of debates about Britain’s place in the global economy to the forefront of public life. This module aims to enable students to engage with these debates critically and with conceptual and empirical rigour. The module addresses the overarching question: how is Britain shaping a changing global economic order and how is that global order shaping Britain?

Each of the issues covered in the course speaks to a central theme in contemporary International and Comparative Political Economy: the apparent emergence of a series of tensions between globalization, transnationalism and neoliberalism, on the one hand, and the resurgence of nationalism, protectionism and populism on the other. Within this context, the course addresses questions such as: did globalisation cause Brexit? What is Britain’s role in European integration and disintegration? What is the future of the British growth model? How should we understand Britain’s place in the global trade regime?

Students are encouraged to explore these questions through conceptual lenses from Political Economy that point to the central role of a range of structures, institutions and ideas in economic governance at the sub-national, national, regional and global levels. By the end, students will have a firm grasp of different approaches to International and Comparative Political Economy and substantive knowledge of how these relate to key issues and debates around Britain’s place in the contemporary global economy.

Module learning outcomes

The aim of this module is to encourage students to think critically about a range of issues related to Britain’s place in the global economic order. Students are encouraged to apply theoretical knowledge to empirical situations as we examine the interaction between British economic governance and the changing global economic order via a series of thematically organised lecture and seminars topics.

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate independent and critical understanding of the most important aspects of the relationship between Britain and the contemporary global economic order.
  • Fully identify the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical approaches to International and Comparative Political Economy.
  • Apply independently conceptual tools and frameworks and relevant empirical material in order to engage critically with academic debates about Britain’s place in the global economic order.

Communicate and exercise critical judgement of advanced ideas, concepts and theories from the study of Britain’s relationship with the global economy, in both oral and written work.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay 3000 words		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Essay 3000 words		 N/A 100

Module feedback

Students will receive written timely feedback on their formative assessment. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s feedback and guidance hours.

Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessment no later than 25 working days; and the module tutor will hold a specific session to discuss feedback, which students can also opt to attend. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s regular feedback and guidance hours.

Indicative reading

Baker, D. and Schnapper, P., 2015. Britain and the Crisis of the European Union. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Clift, B., 2014. Comparative Political Economy: States, Markets and Global Capitalism. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Dinan, D., Nugent, N. and Paterson, W. E., eds., 2017. The European Union in Crisis. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Diamond, P., Nedergaard, P. and Rosamond, B., 2018. The Routledge Handbook of the Politics of Brexit. London: Routledge.

Hay, C. and Hunt, T., eds., 2018. The Coming Crisis. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Rodrik, D., 2011. The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy. New York: W. W. Norton.

Streeck, W., 2017. Buying Time: The Delayed Crisis of Democratic Capitalism. 2nd ed. London: Verso.


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.