Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL3206: The Political Economy of the State

This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.

Overview

NQF Level	6
Credits	30	ECTS Value	15
Term(s) and duration	This module ran during term 1 (11 weeks) and term 2 (11 weeks)
Academic staff	Dr Stephen Greasley (Convenor)
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
Available via distance learning	No

Well-functioning states define and enforce the rules that govern economic relations, but building a successful state is not easy. In this module you will examine the development of political institutions: What conditions are conducive to state development and survival? How should rulers be selected and restrained? When and why does reform occur? What makes reform succeed? You will address these questions using political economy approaches that model outcomes as a result of the strategic interactions between groups. There are no pre-requisites but we will apply simple game theory and statistical tools. The relevant concepts will be introduced during the module.

Module created	02/12/2015	Last revised	06/06/2018