THE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF SRI LANKA

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL STUDIES

BA DEGREE PROGRAMME IN SOCIAL SCIENCES
LEVEL IV (SEMESTER II) – 2019/2020
FINAL EXAMINATION
DSU3542 – POLITICS & GOVERNANCE: AN INTRODUCTION

Date: 18.12.2020 Submission Deadline: 02.01.2021

Instructions
• Answer ONE (01) Question Only.
• You will be tested on your familiarity with the course content and your ability to
apply what you have learnt to understand, explain, and analyse a situation or problem.
• Limit your answer to 1500-2000 words.
• Copying and plagiarism will be strictly penalized.
• All essays must be word processed.
• Use given “answering sheet of the Final Examination” to type your essay.
• Before you answer the question, you should read the “Guidelines to Alternative
Final Assessments 2019/2020” shared in Elearn platform.
• Each answer carries 100 marks. Detailed marking criteria are given below.

Detailed marking criteria:

Exhibition of sufficient theoretical and conceptual knowledge : 50
Organisation of the essay : 20
Logical and convincing development of arguments : 20
Social Scientific imagination : 10

1. It is important to look at matters of governance and decision-making in the public

sphere from the point of view of women and other minority groups based on class,
ethnicity, caste, religion or sexual orientation. Word limit for each section of the
question is given within bracket.
a. Do women have agency to participate in decision-making processes in the
public or private spheres? Explain your response by using examples. (500
words)
b. What is the feminist critique of political theory? Describe this in your own
words. (500 words)
c. Describe measures that have been taken by governments to include women
in governing processes. Are they successful? Why or why not? (500
words)
d. What are some ways to reorganize the state and distribute political power
in a way that includes minority groups in governance? (500 words)
Total marks = 25 x 100

2. The following passage explains Hannah Arendt’s view on citizenship. With your
understanding about the concept of citizenship and ideas expressed by other
authors, including Hannah Arendt answer the questions given below. Word limit
for each section of the question is given within bracket.

1
 “Hannah Arendt advocated the idea of active citizenship. In The Human
Condition she writes that politics is the most important action for the human
person. She argues that people can live meaningful lives by staying active in the
public sphere. Today when we say “‘active citizen”’ we usually refer to someone
who actively participates in the public sphere. That is, the active citizen actively
contributes to decide who governs his/her locality, and what policies should be
adopted and why. Active citizens do not just receive benefits from living in a
particular nation, but take the responsibility to take on for particular civic
obligations for the country”.

a. Identify and explain the importance of active citizenship in modern

democracy. (300 words)
b. Explain the key theoretical and conceptual explanations of the concept of
citizenship (300 words)
c. How has the modern democracy discouraged active citizenship while
facilitating passive citizenship? (300 words)
d. “Politics is the most important action for the human person”. Analyze this
statement made by Hannah Arendt (300 words).
e. How has the state displayed its authoritarian character and come to
suppress the ‘public sphere’ in the modern world. Explain with examples.
(300 words),
Total Marks 20x5=100

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