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2014/15 Undergraduate Module Catalogue
PIED3160 Prime Ministers and British Politics
20 creditsClass Size: 60
Module manager: Dr Richard Hayton
Email: R.Hayton@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2014/15
This module is approved as a discovery module
Module summary
Why should I take this module?Who has been the most successful British prime minister since 1945? Who was the worst? How much power does the prime minister really have? Is the British system nowadays becoming more "presidential"? How do politicians get to the top of the "greasy pole"? How easy is it to get rid of a prime minister? Is life inside Number 10 really like the TV comedy programmes "Yes, Prime Minister" and "The Thick of It"? How do different prime ministers handle the media, run foreign policy, deal with the bear pit of question time in Parliament? In this module you will look at the careers, political styles, governing methods and the records of all the Labour and Conservative prime ministers from Attlee and Churchill, through to Thatcher, Major, Blair and Brown). You will also be introduced to key issues, theories and debates about the role and power of the prime minister in the British political and governmental system. The module presupposes some background in British politics and/or 20th century British history.This module is taught through seminars involving compulsory presentations by students, so you should be prepared to participate actively on this module. Brief Reading ListPeter Hennessy: The Prime Minister: the office and its holders since 1945 (2000)Dennis Kavanagh and Anthony Seldon: The Powers Behind the Prime Minister (1999)Objectives
On completion of this module, students should be able to:- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the careers, political styles, governing methods and the records of British prime ministers in the context of the circumstances they faced in office;
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key issues, theories and debates and about the role and power of the prime minister in the British political and governmental system;
- demonstrate skills in the use and analysis of historical and biographical source material relevant to the study of prime ministers, together with an understanding of the relevant political science literature.
Syllabus
The module is concerned with prime ministers and the prime ministership in modern British politics.
It involves, first, case study analysis of prime ministers since 1945: studying the careers, political styles, governing methods of the records of successive Labour and Conservative prime ministers in the context of the circumstances they faced in office.
Secondly, a broad thematic approach is adopted, involving comparison of prime ministers and the analysis of key issues, theories and and debates about the role and power of the prime minister.
Topics covered will includea selection from the following:
Studying prime ministers and the premiership
The power of the prime ministership debate
Getting and losing the leadership (prime ministers' career paths)
Advising the prime minister (Number 10 advisers; the PM and the civil service)
Prime ministers, parliament, media and the public
Prime ministers and economic policy
Prime ministers and foreign policy
Assessing the effectiveness of prime ministers
Prime ministers and presidents: a comparative perspective
Teaching methods
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
| Seminar | 10 | 2.00 | 20.00 |
| Private study hours | 180.00 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 20.00 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200.00 | ||
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Non-assessed mid-term book review and seminar presentation.Methods of assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
| Essay | 3,000 words | 50.00 |
| Essay | 3,000 words | 50.00 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100.00 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading list
The reading list is available from the Library websiteLast updated: 12/02/2015
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- Undergraduate module catalogue
- Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
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- Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue
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