year-3-dpe-module-outlines-24-25

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Year 3 DPE Module outlines 24-25
Principles of Economics (King's College London)
Scan to open on Studocu
Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)
lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Description
Please read the following information carefully when choosing and registering your modules.
Your total credits must reach 120 for the year. All optional modules in your third year should be at level 6.
Certain modules may not to be available to students from certain programmes. If a module is unavailable to your programme,
this is either because:
(a) There is significant content overlap with a compulsory module on your programme;
or
(b) There is programme-specific prior learning necessary to succeed on the module and other students would therefore be at a
disadvantage.
If you do not meet the required pre-requisites, you are not eligible to take the module

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Table of contents
Semester 1
6SSPP314
6SSPP315
6SSPP317
6SSPP329
6SSPP330
6SSPP332
6SSPP333
6SSPP349
6SSPP355
6SSPP356
6SSPP365
6SSPP371
6SSPP378
6SSPP383
6SSPP386
6SSPP391
6SSPP395
6SSPP398
6SSPP401
6SSPP405
6SSPP406
6SSPP407
Semester 2
6SSPP326
6SSPP343
6SSPP353
6SSPP360
6SSPP362
6SSPP364
6SSPP369
6SSPP373
6SSPP376
6SSPP377
6SSPP384
6SSPP385
6SSPP388
6SSPP389
6SSPP393
6SSPP397
6SSPP400
6SSPP403
Full Year
6SSPP352
6SSPP394

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Semester 1
The modules in this section run in Semester 1.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP314
Advanced Texts in the History of Political Thought
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenors: Dr Paul Sagar and Professor Robin Douglass
Pre-requisites: None. However, this is an advanced module, so having previously studied some history of political thought
(especially 5SSPP202/5SSPP294) is a major advantage.
Assessment: 4,000-word essay (100%). Students may also submit an optional formative essay, on which they will receive
feedback before submitting their summative essay.
Teaching format: 2-hour seminar every week. Seminars will be run in a reading group format, based on selections from
primary-text material.
Overview
This is a specialist module where we engage in a sustained and close reading of one main text, which, for next year, will be
Adam Smith’s The Theory of Moral Sentiments. As its title suggests, The Theory of Moral Sentiments is a work of moral
philosophy, and one of the questions that we will consider is how it relates to Smith’s more famous work of political economy,
The Wealth of Nations. Please be aware, however, that the focus of this module is Smith’s moral philosophy, rather than his
political economy.
We will spend several weeks reading The Theory of Moral Sentiments slowly and carefully, as one of the main aims of the
module is to give students the opportunity to study a canonical text in the history of moral and political philosophy in far
greater depth than on other modules. In some weeks, we will also look at selections from other philosophers that Smith
responded to, such as Bernard Mandeville and David Hume, or his critics, such as Sophie de Grouchy. We will also read some
selections from Smith’s Lectures on Jurisprudence and The Wealth of Nations.
There are no specific prerequisites for this module, but students must be comfortable reading, probing, and analysing
complex works of moral and political philosophy in considerable detail. This will be particularly valuable experience for anyone
considering studying political theory or related disciplines at postgraduate level. The two-hour seminars (without any lectures)
allow us plenty of time to analyse the texts very closely, and students who regularly attend and participate will thus benefit
from this format (while students who do not complete the reading and attend regularly will find it very difficult to keep up and
struggle in the assessment).
Core reading
Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments
Last updated: February 2024.
Information may be subject to minor changes.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP315
Political Economy of the Middle East
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Ferdinand Eibl
Pre-requisites: None
Assessment: 2,500-word essay (100%)
Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar weekly
What is the role of the state in Arab economies? How have colonialism and early Islamic institutions shaped development in
the region? How has oil wealth affected economic development and politics in the Middle East? How has politics shaped Arab
labour markets and social policies? The course seeks to answer these and related questions by critically examining theoretical
approaches in the field of political economy and applying them to the Middle East.
Designed as a broad introduction to the political economy of the region, the course is organised thematically and analyses
various Middle Eastern case studies through the lens of political economy. Doing so will familiarise students with key concepts
in the field of political economy, such as rentier and developmental state, crony capitalism, patronage and clientelism, while
assessing their applicability in the context of the Middle East. We will do so both from a macro and micro perspective, looking
at the institutions and actors that have shaped Middle Eastern political economy.
The module aims to provide students with an understanding of the theories and practices of Middle Eastern political regimes
and their approaches to economic development, thus enabling them to appreciate and participate in the debates and
discussions on the region.
Aims
1. To provide students with the tools to address the theoretical approaches underpinning the development of Middle
Eastern countries, with special focus on the role of the state and its institutions in the development process.
2. To provide students, through case studies, with an understanding of the political actors and economic forces that affect
and determine the levels of economic growth in the Middle East region.
3. To provide students with the opportunity to develop their analytical, research, presentation and writing skills.
4. To provide students with the relevant employability and professional skills.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to demonstrate:
1) Knowledge and understanding by being able to:
Critically assess the political and economic forces that determine the development process in Middle Eastern countries.
Apply the theories and methods of political economy to the Arab world.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Appreciate the relationship between political reforms, politics, and economic development.
2) Intellectual, practical, affective, and transferable skills by being able to:

Apply rigorous political economy theories to the political and economies realities in the Middle East.
By writing assignments, presenting in class, and by participating in class discussion, students will develop skills of
analytical and integrative thinking, and learn to communicate effectively and creatively.
Students will develop their research skills by improving their literacy of socio-economic indicators and quantitative
research.
This information may be subject to minor changes.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP317
Political Islam
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Michael Farquhar
Assessment: 500 Word Formative Essay (unassessed), 2,500 Word Summative Essay (90%) & Class Participation (10%)
This module introduces students to key debates about the nature and characteristics of “political Islam”. The module assumes
no prior knowledge of Islam or political Islam; it is designed to be accessible to those who have not studied these themes
before whilst also allowing those with some prior knowledge to further develop their thinking on the topic. While grounded in
a political science approach, it draws on a variety of other disciplines (including history, anthropology, sociology, religious
studies and international relations) to provide a diverse set of analytical tools for making sense of this complex and
multifaceted phenomenon. The course is structured around a set of themes which are central to understanding the
relationship between Islam and contemporary politics. The choice of themes takes in debates about the role of Islam in regard
to the state, political ideology, popular political activism, and political violence. At the same time, the chosen themes also
account for the ways in which Islam may be implicated in politics as it plays out in other dimensions of social life, including
gender relations, the market and identity construction. Along the way, the course will examine key Islamist movements and
currents, and students will be invited to engage directly with works authored by influential Islamist thinkers of recent decades.
The course concludes by considering possible future trajectories of political Islam, at a moment in history which has seen
some influential social scientists insisting that Islamism is essentially a spent project even as a self-declared Islamic State came
to rule territory spanning Syria and Iraq. The module rejects simplistic readings of political Islam, instead seeking to open up
critical questions about the diverse, complex and shifting ways in which Islam may intersect with politics in today’s world.
Using comparative contextual analysis this course explores the nature and characteristics of political Islam, with particular
reference to the contemporary Middle East. Specifically, the module is designed to:
help students obtain a critical awareness of diverse approaches to the study of the relationship between Islam and
politics;
provide students with the ability to critically differentiate between variant ideological currents of Islamist thought and to
situate them within contemporary intellectual debates and political contexts;
provide in-depth historical analysis of key Sunni and Shi’i Islamist movements;
situate these case studies within broader scholarly debates over jihad, takfir, revolution, international terrorism, Western
interventionism, political participation and democratization;
examine and explore the relationship between Islamist ideology and the state in comparative perspective, analysing state
building failures and challenges to the state by Islamist movements;
provide students with the intellectual tools to address the theoretical discourse pertinent to academic debates concerning
Islamism, violence and political power;
continue to develop the student’s analytical, research and writing capacities;
give students the opportunity to develop oral skills through class participation, group work and presentations.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to demonstrate transferable intellectual and practicable skills appropriate
to a level 6 module and in particular will be able to:
critically assess the major scholarly debates concerning contemporary political Islam in its militant and non-militant
forms;
apply rigorous theory to comparative case studies of political Islam;
develop a capacity to ask relevant, substantive and probing questions of political Islam in relation to the state, regional
politics, and Western policy and interventionism;
develop and strengthen a range of relevant skills – including empirical and normative research abilities, the capacity to
engage critically with primary sources, and analytical and written skills – through the discussion and presentation of
original work;
demonstrate a capacity to form opinions through comparative analysis and discourse analysis regarding Islamism.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP329
The Economics of Crime
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Anja Shortland
Assessment: 2-hour in-person exam (100%)
Teaching format: 1-hour lectures & 1-hour seminar weekly
This course uses economics to understand crime. It examines when criminals choose to commit crimes, how they respond to
law enforcement, and how criminal markets are organised. The course will examine current and historical episodes of crime
around the world. Anja Shortland is an internationally renowned expert on piracy, kidnap for ransom and art crime.
The course will appeal to students who are interested in economics and enjoy the economic way of thinking. It is designed to
encourage students to apply the economic framework to unusual - but important - real world problems. The course does not
use highly formal models or advanced statistics, but largely relies on graphical analysis and analytic narratives. Seminars are
reading-intensive and discussion-based. Students who do not complete the readings each week will struggle to do well.
Preparatory reading:
Shortland 2019. Kidnap: Inside the Ransom Business; Oxford University Press (£18.99)
Levitt and Dubner. 2007. Freakonomics. Penguin. (£6.99)
The module will cover the following topics:
1. What can economics bring to the analysis of crime?

2. How do illicit markets work?
3. How do criminals communicate and organise?
4. Criminal law and policing from an efficiency perspective.
5. Private crime control
6. Does prison work?
7. Organised crime and mafias
8. Case study I: the market for hostages
9. Case study II: the art market
10. Case study III: cybercrime and ransomware

lOMoARcPSD|20933695

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP330
Economic Policy-Making
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
PPL
History & PE
Liberal Arts (3 places)
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Julian Limberg
Assessment: 2-hour online timed exam (50%) & 2,500-word essay (50%)
Overview
This module aims to provide an introduction to the theory and practices of economic policy-making. To understand economic
policy-making, we will take an economic as well as a political perspective. We will focus on the rationale behind economic
policies, and will seek to understand major changes in economic policy, and variation in policies across countries. We will also
look at individual preferences for these policies, and their implications for the policymaking process. In the process, we cover
areas such as economic liberalisation, financial regulation, labour market policies, taxation and social insurance. The module
takes an empirical and comparative approach, and its focus is generic, though most of the literature is concerned with policy-
making in EU and OECD countries.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, you should be able to:
name the core actors that are involved in economic policy-making, and the different factors that play a role in the policy-
making process
identify and contrast the core features of the different types of explanations of change and variation in economic policy
apply the different types of explanations to cases of economic policy-making which have not yet been assessed in the
literature
critically evaluate the strength and weaknesses of the different types of explanations, particularly in relation to change
and variation in specific policy areas
make reasoned arguments – both orally and in writing – on the reasons behind the introduction of economic policy,
variation in such policy, and policy change.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Key Readings
Peter A. Hall (1997). “The role of interests, institutions, and ideas in the comparative political economy of the industrialized
nations.” In Mark I. Lichbach and Alan S. Zuckerman (Eds.). Comparative Politics: Rationality, Culture and Structure (pp.
174–207). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Beth A. Simmons, Frank Dobbin and Geoffrey Garrett (2006). “Introduction: The international diffusion of liberalism.”
International Organization 60(4): 781-810.
Peter A. Hall and David Soskice (2001). Varieties of capitalism: The institutional foundations of comparative advantage.
Oxford: Oxford University Press, Chapter 1.
Paul Pierson (1996). "The new politics of the welfare state." World Politics 48(2): 143-179.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP332
Behavioural Political Economy
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
Economics
15 credits
Module convenor: Professor Shaun Hargreaves Heap
Pre-requisites: Forbidden combination with 6SSPP385 Experimental Economics
Assessment: 2-hour online timed exam (70%) & 1,000-word essay (30%) & seminar presentation (formative)
Experiments in economics have generated new insights into how people behave. Together with earlier psychological work,
they have spawned a new field in economics: behavioural economics. This module is concerned with how the insights from
this new field contribute to some key debates and issues in political economy. In particular, we will examine how the
experimental (and survey) evidence on behaviour contributes to the following questions.
1. Was Hobbes right when arguing that in a State of Nature life would be ‘poor, nasty, brutish and short’? (In other words,
do we always need a State to solve collective action problems?)
2. Does inequality harm cooperation and trust?
3. Was Rawls right when arguing that individuals would be guided by maxi-min from behind a veil of ignorance
4. Was Mill right to argue that freedom is essential to wellbeing?
5. Do markets discourage morality?
6. Do men and women behave differently?
7. Do other-regarding motives depend on the existence of groups?
This information may be subject to minor changes.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP333
Development Economics
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
Economics
15 credits
Module convenor: Professor Amrita Dhillon
Pre-requisites: Microeconomics 5SSPP221 or 5SSPP217 or equivalent
Assessment: 2-hour timed exam (90%), Attendance and Participation in seminars (10%)
Teaching format: 1-hour lecture and 1-hour seminar weekly
Aims and Objectives:
The aims of this course are to:
Understand the use of formal microeconomic modelling in development.

Understand the links between formal models and empirics.
Gain knowledge of the latest seminal debates in development.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of this module, students should be able to:
Provide succinct summaries of existing literature

Establish a persuasive argument in favour of or against a suggested policy, using the tools of formal modelling.
Employability skills:
Analytical thinking
Group work
Presentation skills
Knowledge of policy debates relevant for jobs in the development sector.
Lecture Schedule
Lecture 1: Overview, Leading development indicators, measuring GDP, relationships between per capita income and other
development indicators.
Lecture 2: Growth Theories (based on factor accumulation)

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Lecture 3: Solow model with technical progress and the convergence debate.
Lecture 4: Institutions vs Geography to explain growth.
Lecture 5: Structural Change models: the Lewis model and the Harris Todaro model.
Lecture 6: Growth and inequality.
Lecture 7: Credit markets in developing countries:
Lecture 8: Microfinance: Theory and Practice.
Lecture 9-10: Behavioral Development Economics.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP349
Empirical Political Economy
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Gabriel Leon
Pre-requisites: Students must have taken 5SSPP213 (Econometrics) or 5SSPP241 (Statistics For Political Science II) or 4SSMN902
(Statistics For Economists)
Assessment: 2-hour written exam (60%) & 1,000-word essay (40%)
This module covers the main empirical methods used for causal inference in economics, political economy, political science
and development: randomised controlled trials, natural experiments, instrumental variables and regression discontinuity
design. Students will learn how to use these methods to address important questions in the social sciences.
The emphasis is on applications and not on the derivation of estimators. This module follows the model of ‘learning by
example’, and so we study a large number of articles published in leading journals in economics and political science. We
consider the research question these articles address, how they address it, what data they use and the strength and
weaknesses of their approach.
Each seminar is organized around one research article that students are asked to read in advance. The seminar will revolve
around a critical discussion of this one article. By the end of the semester students will be able to read, understand and assess
recent research articles published in leading academic journals.
Students will be:
Introduced to four of the most widely used empirical methods in economics, political economy and political science.
Equipped with the skills to read and understand empirical papers in economics, political economy and political science.
Enabled to formulate their own empirical studies – including data collection, the empirical specification and its
implementation.
Guided in interpreting empirical results and how these results can inform existing theories in economics, political
economy and political science.
Lecture Schedule [indicative]
1. Introduction to the potential outcomes framework. Example: career choices.

2. Introduction to randomised controlled trials. Example: women as policy markers.
3. Problems with randomised controlled trials. Example: health insurance.
4. Natural Experiments. Example: John Snow and cholera.
5. Natural Experiments. Examples: impact of taxation, minimum wages, incidence of UK housing benefit.
6. Natural experiments. Examples: Do leaders matter? Climate shocks and exports. Who pays the sales tax?
7. Review of instrumental variables. Examples: The impact of dams on development. Colonialism and income.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
8. Instrumental variables. Examples: The long-run impact of the Vietnam war. Income and democracy.
9. Regression discontinuity design. Examples: Incumbency advantage in the US House of Representatives.
10. Regression discontinuity design. Examples: Coercive labour market institutions.
Key Readings
Angrist, Joshua and Joern-Steffen Pischke, 2009. Mostly Harmless Econometrics, Princeton University Press.
Freedman, David, 2009. Statistical Models: Theory and Practice, published by Cambridge University Press.
Stock, James and Mark Watson, 2012. Introduction to Econometrics, Pearson Education.
Wooldridge, Jeffrey, 2003. Introductory Econometrics: A Modern Approach, South-Western College Publishing.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP355
Ethics, Economics & Public Policy
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Carmen Pavel & Dr Roberto Fumagalli
Pre-requisites: Key Concepts in PPE (5SSPP219) OR History of Western Political Thought (5SSPP202) OR Contemporary Issues in
Political Theory (5SSPP238) (prerequisite in ethics / public policy)
AND
Microeconomics (5SSPP221) OR Macroeconomics (5SSPP220) (prerequisite in economics)
Assessment: 2 X 2,000-word essay (each counting for 50% of the final grade)
This course focuses on different areas of public policy to show that moral and economic theory plays a pivotal role in setting
goals for public policies and measuring their success. Moral theories inform people’s choices between alternative goals and
provide constraints for policy-makers. For example, programs for mandatory redistribution of organs may address organ
shortages, but violate individuals’ right to their own bodies. Economic theories model human behaviour and help us
understand human choice in the context of resource scarcity and incentives problems. How to increase tax compliance given
people’s cost-benefit calculations is one question economic theory can offer insights into. Most of the policy questions of our
time have economic, moral, and political dimensions we must understand in order to participate as informed voters or actors
involved in political decision-making. This module will apply insights and tools from ethical theory, economics, and political
science to policy-making and policy analysis.
Aims
Introduce students to questions and puzzles in different areas of policy making.

Draw on complex policy analysis tools such as cost-benefit analysis, randomized control trials, counterfactual policy
analysis.
Illustrate how moral values and principles operate as goals and constraints on public policy.
Explain the role of political actors and their incentives in shaping public policy.
During the course, students will be trained to: clearly articulate persuasive and well-structured arguments for or against a
given position; integrate complex bodies of information from different disciplines; adopt a self-directed and original
approach to the examination of recent public policy debates.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
Have a good command of the conceptual vocabulary of policy-making and policy-analysis.

Distinguish between ethical, economic, and political dimensions of public policy.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Be able to produce two independent analyses of public policies from a PPE perspective.
Successful students will:
demonstrate accurate knowledge of foundational and methodological issues in cost benefit analysis and distributive
justice;
master central terminological and conceptual distinctions concerning notions such as welfare, exploitation, equality, and
justice;
acquire a detailed understanding of contemporary public policy debates.
Lecture Structure
Week 1. Introduction. Exploitation.
Week 2. Environmental Policy. Cost-benefit analysis.
Week 3. Science and Policy.
Week 4. Randomized control trials.
Week 5. Behavioural analysis: Nudging.
(Week 6. Reading Week)
Week 7. The ethics of markets.
Week 8. The ethics of resource redistribution.
Week 9. The ethics of incentives.
Week 10. The ethics of enhancement.
Week 11. The ethics of scarce resource allocation.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP356
Authoritarianism
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Professor Sarah Birch
Assessment: 2,000-word essay (50%) & 2,000-word essay (50%)
This module provides a comparative introduction to the topic of political authoritarianism. Authoritarianism, understood as
non-democratic governance, is one of the main scourges of modern politics. Though there was a wave of democratisation
following the collapse of the Soviet Union, authoritarianism has persisted in numerous guises, including the semi-authoritarian
regimes that have developed in many of the so-called 'democratising' states. In gaining an understanding of contemporary
authoritarianism, students will develop a more nuanced appreciation of the variety of different ways in which power can be
exercised. This is a quantitative module that will be appropriate for students with a good grounding in standard quantitative
political science techniques.
Aims:
To understand the concept of authoritarianism and its principal sub-types

To analyse how authoritarianism research is conducted
To appreciate the factors that have contributed historically to the contemporary distribution of authoritarianism around
the world
To understand how the three main sub-types of authoritarianism function
To understand the common causes and consequences of authoritarianism
To examine critically common strategies employed in the aim of reducing authoritarianism and promoting democracy
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the module, students should be able:
To demonstrate a command of the principal findings of research in the field of authoritarianism
To evaluate critically the design and implementation of authoritarianism research
To explore the determinants of authoritarianism in the contemporary world using relevant databases
To conduct rigorous analysis using relevant research sources
To advance reasoned and factually supported arguments in both written and oral formats

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
To identify and locate scholarly works and other resources relevant to the study of authoritarianism
Lecture Schedule
Week 1: Introduction: Authoritarianism and democracy
Week 2: The development of authoritarianism in historical perspective
Week 3: Contemporary authoritarianism: distribution and trends
Week 4: Varieties of authoritarianism I: Single and dominant party systems
Week 5: Varieties of authoritarianism II: Military regimes
Week 6 Reading week
Week 7: Varieties of authoritarianism III: Personalistic and neo-patrimonial regimes
Week 8: Representative institutions and authoritarian systems
Week 9: The democratisation of authoritarian regimes
Week 10: The failure of democratisation in authoritarian regimes
Week 11: Aid, conditionality, intervention and international pressure on authoritarian regimes
Key Readings
Acemoglu, Daron and James A. Robinson, Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2006
Brooker, Paul, Non-Democratic Regimes: Theory, Government and Politics, 3rd ed., Macmillan, 2014
Brownlee, Jason, Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization, Cambridge: Cambridge University
Press, 2007
Jennifer Gandhi, Political Institutions under Dictatorships, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008
Levitsky, Steven and Lucan A. Way, Competitive Authoritarianism: Hybrid Regimes after the Cold War,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
Linz, Juan J., Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2000
Svolik, Milan W., The Politics of Authoritarian Rule, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 201

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP365
Advanced Macroeconomics
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
PE
History & PE
KBS
PPE
15 credits
Module convenor: Professor Martin Weale
Pre-requisites: Mathematics for Economics 4SSMN901 5SSPP232 and Macroeconomics 5QQMN937 or 5SSMN931 or 5SSPP220
Assessment: 1 ½ -hour written exam (70%), 5-minute video (30%)
Teaching format: 2-hour weekly lecture & 1-hour fortnightly seminar
The course aims to take students beyond the standard IS/LM approach to undergraduate economics. A key theme is the
importance of expectations. This is illustrated with reference to the exchange rate, wage and price behaviour, consumer
spending and the budget deficit. The course also focuses on some of the issues raised by the financial crisis of 2008/9. In
particular it discusses the financial accelerator and macroprudential regulation, unconventional monetary policy, the re-
emergence of inflation, and the weakness in productivity growth which has emerged since the crisis. The course is taught by
means of ten two-hour lectures and fortnightly seminars. The latter focus on problem-solving.
Educational Aims
To provide an economic analysis of modern macroeconomic modelling.

To introduce students to some of the most important open questions in macroeconomics.
This course will utilise and enhance skills that began to be developed in Intermediate Microeconomics, Macroeconomics
and Mathematics for Economists.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module:
Students will have a solid knowledge of the core subjects of macroeconomic theory.
Will have developed analytical skills, such as intertemporal maximization.
Will have a more thorough understanding of the policy issues facing advanced economies.
Topics Covered
1. Analysing the IS-MP-PC model

2. The Open Economy
3. Taylor principle, the zero lower bound and the liquidity trap
4. Consumption
5. Fiscal Policy
6. The Real Rate of Interest

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
7. Inflation, Inflation Expectations and Monetary Independence

8. The Financial Accelerator and Macroprudential Regulation
9. Monetary Policy and Inflation
10. Growth and Productivity
Reading List
Core Texts:
Mankiw and Taylor Macroeconomics: European Edition. 2014 Edition. The 2007 edition can be used. Note that chapter 11
in the second edition is chapter 10 in the first edition.
Romp Game Theory
As appropriate for a third-year course, the main reading is provided by primary sources rather than text books and so the
course is not suitable for students who do not feel comfortable with this method of teaching.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP371
The Hayek Workshop
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Adam Tebble
Pre-requisites: 5SSPP202 or 5SSPP209 or 5SSPP238 or 5AANB007
In this module, students will engage in detail with the thought of Friedrich Hayek and the secondary source literature relevant
to it in a Workshop format. This will require close reading on their part of the key texts set out below in the Reading List. The
core text in this respect, and the text that will be most closely read over the duration of the Semester, will be his 3 volume Law,
Legislation and Liberty.
Aims:
An advanced UG understanding of the thought of Hayek, including his epistemology, economics and political and legal
theory.
The ability to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the ideas and arguments under consideration
The ability to convert these assessments into well-structured essays
The ability to recommend improvements to the text’s ideas and arguments.
Learning Outcomes:
To understand the philosophical underpinnings to Hayek’s contributions to debates in economics, politics and law.
To critically assess, at length and in essay format, the strengths and weaknesses of his contributions to these debates.
Key Reading:
In this module, students will engage in detail with the thought of Friedrich Hayek and the secondary source literature relevant
to it in a Workshop format. This will require close reading of the principal text for the module, his 3 volume Law, Legislation
and Liberty.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP378
American Foreign Policy
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Keith Smith
Assessment: 500-word think-tank essay (30%) & 2,500-word essay (70%)
The United States is arguably the most powerful nation in the international system. It is the only state with a truly global reach
and continues to play a pivotal role in global governance. In traditional metrics (i.e., hard and soft power), the United States
remains a global hegemon. The actions the United States takes and how it relates to other actors in world politics should
therefore be of great interest to students of international politics. Therefore, this module provides a contemporary analysis of
United States foreign policy.
The module begins with a brief historical overview, sketching out America’s rise to a global power and considering the major
schools of thought–or traditions–that have influenced American foreign policy, before outlining the major explanatory
frameworks utilised in studies of United States foreign policy. Subsequently, the module explores contemporary strategic
debates; considers the main points of divergence and convergence between different presidential administrations; and
explores some of the main instruments (and their effectiveness) of foreign policy and grand strategy. In the final two weeks,
students are invited to begin applying these theories and concepts in order to evaluate American foreign policy in specific
regional settings.
By the end of this module, students will have acquired a theoretical and historical grounding in US foreign policy. They will be
able to apply theory and concepts to contemporary foreign affairs issues and critically evaluate America’s actions abroad. The
module should be of interest to students interested in international politics, foreign policy analysis, strategic studies and the
United States.
Aims
The aims of this course are:
to acquaint students with the origins and contemporary development of US foreign policy;
to explore critically the main theoretical and conceptual approaches to United States foreign policy;
to analyse and evaluate contemporary strategic and policy debates with regards to United States foreign policy;
to familiarise students with the points of convergence and divergence between different policymaking administrations;
to overview the major instruments of foreign policy, their applications and their consequences;
to work collaboratively in the research and presentation of a group-based project.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able:
to demonstrate a systematic understanding of United States foreign policy, both historical and contemporary, in order to
consider its development over time;
to identify, apply and assess critically the main theoretical and conceptual approaches to United States foreign policy,
assessing the relative importance of the external and domestic sources of foreign policy;
to locate the main strategic debates, to evaluate their propositions and to consider their potential consequences;
to demonstrate a critical appreciation for the major actors involved in the foreign policymaking process
to show an appreciation of the range of policy instruments, and to consider their relative utility;
to evaluate foreign policies in accordance with the theoretical and conceptual literature.
Key Reading
There is not one set book for this module but those listed below are extremely useful for background knowledge, especially
the Cox and Stokes textbook.
Brooks, S. and Wohlforth, W. (2016) America Abroad: The United States’ Global Role in the 21st Century (Oxford: OUP)
Cox, M. and Stokes, D. (eds.) (2012) US Foreign Policy (Oxford: OUP)
Dueck, C. (2015) The Obama Doctrine: American Grand Strategy Today (Oxford: OUP)
Dumbrell, J. (2009) Clinton’s Foreign Policy: Between the Bushes (London: Routledge)
Haass, R. (2017) A World in Disarray (London: Penguin)
McCormick, J. (ed.) (2015) The Domestic Sources of US Foreign Policy (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield)
Moens, A. (2016) The Foreign Policy of George W. Bush (London: Routledge)
Parmar, I. et al (eds.) (2009) New Directions in US Foreign Policy (London: Routledge)
Witkopf, E. et al (eds.) (2007) American Foreign Policy: Patterns and Processes (Belmont: Thomson).
Useful journals include (disclaimer: many are written for a specific political audience):
International Security, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy Analysis, The American Interest, American Diplomacy, The
Atlantic, The National Interest, World Affairs, International Affairs, The Political Science Quarterly
Indicative Lecture Schedule
Week Topic/reading
Week 00 (w/c 13th September) No reading. Introductory pre-

recorded lecture.
GRAND STRATEGY
Week 01 (w/c 27th September Bomberg, “The environmental legacy

of President Trump”
FOREIGN POLICY BEGINS AT HOME
Week 02 (w/c 4th October) Trump & the blob (Norloff,

“Hegemony and inequality”
THE BLOB
Porter, “Why America’s grand strategy
has not changed”)

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Week 03 (w/c 11th October) Obama & private actors (Leogrande,

“Normalizing US-Cuba relations”
INTEREST GROUPS AND STRATEGIC
CHANGE Parmar, “The big 3 foundations and
American global power”
Van Apeldoorn and De Graff,

“Corporate elite networks and US
post-Cold War grand strategy from
Clinton to Obama”)
Week 04 (w/c 18th October) Bush & the legislature (Marsh, “The
intersection of war and politics”
THE POLITICS OF TROOP SURGES
McHale, “A tale of two surges”)
Week 05 (w/c 25th October) Clinton/Bush & public opinion (Baum,

“How public opinion constrains the
INTERVENTIONS IN SOMALIA AND
use of force”
RWANDA
Rice, Tough Love, select chap.
Week 06 (w/c 1st November) READING WEEK
Week 07 (w/c 8th November) Reading to be confirmed
RUSSIA AND UKRAINE
Week 08 (w/c 15th November) Alliance politics (Risse-Kappan,

Cooperation amongst democracies,
EUROPE AND ALLIANCE POLITICS
select chapter
Potheir, “Joe Biden’s post-

Transatlantic moment”
Week 09 (w/c 22nd November) Lobbying (Khatib, “Arab Gulf lobbying

in the United States”; Bard, “The Arab
THE MIDDLE EAST AND LOBBYING Lobby”; Mearsheimer and Walt, “The
Israel Lobby and US foreign policy”
Week 10 (w/c 29th November) Activism (Tate, Drugs, thugs and

diplomats, select chapter
LATIN AMERICA AND THE WAR ON
DRUGS Mendez, Colombian agency and the
making of US foreign policy)
Week 11 (w/c 6th December) Entrapment (Yeh, “Diversionary

behaviour for weak states: a case
THE TAIWAN STRAIT AND THE
study of Taiwan”; Xiying, “Unbalanced
POLITICS OF COMMITMENTS
deterrence: coercive threat,
reassurance and the US-China rivalry
in Taiwan strait”
Week 12 (w/c 13th December) REVISION WEEK

lOMoARcPSD|20933695

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP383
Advanced Economics of Politics
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Politics
History & PE
PPL
Economics
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Konstantinos Matakos
Pre-requisites: Mathematics or Statistics for Social Science
Assessment: 3h in-person exam (60%), 4x problem sets (20%) & 20 min group presentation (20%)
Teaching format: 1.5h lecture & 1h seminar weekly
This course examines public policy formation, political processes and political institutions from a rational choice (RC)
perspective. A one semester course cannot offer a comprehensive treatment of the complex working of political systems. The
emphasis is on introducing some key formal models to simplify and analyse broad classes of situations. Students are not only
expected to be familiar with these models but also to be able to use them to solve problems of a technical nature. At the same
time, empirical testing of formal models will be part of our approach to political economy. We will focus on the rational choice
literature on collective action, voting, elections, interest groups, legislative organization and bargaining, political agency and
bureaucracies, electoral institutions and their effect on political competition.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP386
Statistics for Political Science II
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Raluca Pahontu
Pre-requisites: Forbidden combination with 5SSPP241. Students must have taken 4SSPP109 or 4SSPP111 or 5SSPP245.
Assessment: 2,000-word research paper draft (40%) & 2,500-word research paper with 250-word response to feedback (60%)
This 3rd year UG module is designed to provide students with particular analytical tools to better understand the problems
and questions studied in political science. The main goal is to train students in the use of regression analysis, the dominant
quantitative technique used in political science. Students will learn how to conduct quantitative research using regression
analysis. The module combines theoretical lectures with practical sessions in the pc-lab where students will enhance their
existing knowledge of Stata.
This module assumes some previous basic knowledge of regression analysis, inferential statistics and some basic school
algebra like derivation. The module, however, is not designed to learn the mathematical apparatus behind regression analysis.
Rather, the emphasis will be on understanding the logic and intuition behind regression. In this regard, the module is highly
dependent on particular examples from political science.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP391
Using Economics In Government
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Economics
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Maia King
Pre-requisites: Student must have taken Microeconomics 5SSPP221 or 5SSPP217
Assessment: 1,500-word Decision Note (30%); 1,500-word Decision Note (60%); Attendance & Participation (10%)
This module uses an active learning approach to link economic tools, evidence and insights to real-world policy problems and
solutions. This enables students to develop their own skills, knowledge and experience of the role of economics in
policymaking. The module requires sustained student engagement throughout the semester. Students will be allocated to
study groups, and will work together to prepare weekly group presentations on policy case studies. These will be discussed in
seminars using role play, with students taking on roles of either ‘policy advisors’ or ‘ministers’ in different weeks. One week of
the module will be devoted to feedback on written work, including peer feedback.
This module is designed to act as a bridge between the academic study of economics and its application in real-world policy-
making. Rather than introducing new economic models or theories, instead this module will build on students’ existing
knowledge of economics, and explore how to apply these tools to real-world problems.
Students taking the module should have 3 key attributes:
Good knowledge of economic concepts, approaches and tools (in particular, prerequisite modules 5SSPP221 or
5SSPP217)
Good skills in using Excel for data analysis and visualisation (for example, having taken 5SSPP267) or readiness for self-
study to practise Excel skills alongside the module; and
Motivation for continued attendance, engagement and group study on the module.
Building on these elements, and through active learning approaches, this module will enable students to gain confidence in
their own abilities to produce, analyse, explain and critique the materials that are essential to economic policymaking. They will
also develop many skills that employers value, including teamwork, problem-solving, critical thinking, writing, and presenting.
Written work will draw on both qualitative and quantitative material to analyse policy problems, and the tradeoffs between
potential solutions. This module will be of interest to students considering a career in policymaking, whether in government,
think tanks, research, or other parts of the policy ecosystem. Continued engagement in weekly activities is essential, and
Attendance & Participation makes up 10% of the assessment grade.
Aims

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
The key educational aims of the module are:
1. To foster an awareness of the range of approaches relevant to the use of economics in the policymaking process in
government.
2. To demand critical engagement with and evaluation of the various qualitative and quantitative tools used in economic
policymaking.
3. To encourage a systematic and reflective understanding of the different actors in policymaking in selected sectors in the
UK, and their use of economic concepts, tools and analysis throughout the policymaking process.
4. To further develop relevant transferable skills, especially written and oral communication, team working, accessing and
analysing economic data and policy documents, and describing economic policy options and trade-offs using accessible
language.
Learning Outcomes
Students will gain knowledge and workplace skills that are highly relevant for employment as government economists, or
more broadly as economic analysts and/or policy advisers.
By the end of the module, students will gain the following practical skills and be able to:
name the core actors involved in the policymaking process in the UK, both in government (including e.g. civil servants,
parliament, ministers, departments) and non-government (e.g think tanks), and explain their roles in case studies of
selected policy sectors e.g. climate change, housing;
find, understand and analyse key economic policy documents produced by core policy actors, such as the Budget,
government or external reviews/reports, select committee reports, impact assessments etc;
identify, describe and critically assess how economic concepts, data analysis and tools have been deployed in key policy
documents;
find, download and use economic data to analyse policy issues, using the same tools and techniques as those found in
key policy documents; and
make reasoned arguments using accessible language, supported by economic concepts and data analysis - both orally
and in writing - on the tradeoffs between different policy options.
They will also gain the following generic and transferable skills for employability and be able to:
produce and present high quality economic data analysis, both through independent work and collaborating with peers;
make use of constructive feedback to achieve progression in understanding, methods and judgement, and learn how to
provide constructive feedback to peers;
master the use of information technology for in-depth research and the presentation of work; and
communicate effectively and fluently in written and oral mediums.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP395
Topics in Development Economics
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Politics
Economics
PPL
History & PE
KBS (5 places)
DID
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Pierre-Louis Vezina
Assessment: Group work (40%) & 1,500-word essay (60%)
This advanced course in development economics will provide a thorough exposition of the latest research in development
economics. The course will focus on concepts, policy issues and controversies in the process of economic development as well
as on research methods. We’ll cover leading issues in development economics such as the role of trade and institutions in
industrialisation and long-run development as well as cutting-edge empirical research on various topics such as human capital,
conflict, corruption, foreign aid, gender, and the environment. Students will learn how to assess the quality and relevance of
empirical research papers in development economics and will be asked to design their own identification strategy. Students
who want to write an empirical dissertation broadly related to development economics should consider this module.
Educational aims:
To gather expert knowledge in advanced topics in development economics such as the role of trade and institutions in
industrialisation and long-run development as well as various topics such as human capital, conflict, corruption, foreign
aid, gender, and the environment.
To understand the latest empirical methods used in development economics research.
To examine critically the empirical evidence on development economics theories.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP398
Critical Theory
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
History & PE
Liberal Arts (2 places)
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Steven Klein
This module provides an advanced engagement with critical social theory and approaches to the study of politics inspired by
critical theory. Critical theory is a tradition of European political thought concerned with developing a critique of relationships
of domination throughout society. Developed initially by the scholars associated with the Institute for Social Research (the
Frankfurt School), critical theory represents a broad effort to rethink Enlightenment ideals of universal human emancipation
for contemporary societies distinguished by new forms of capitalism and subjectivity. In the first half of the module, we will
examine the roots of critical theory in thinkers such as Kant, Hegel, Marx, and Nietzsche, its development by Frankfurt School
thinkers such as Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, and Jürgen Habermas, and the challenge posted by critics of the
Enlightenment such as Michel Foucault. In the second half of the module, we will examine more recent work that has sought to
adapt critical theory approaches to a variety of contemporary political challenges. Topics could include: the welfare state;
feminism; queer theory and identity politics; race and racism; post-colonialism and Eurocentrism; capitalism and
neoliberalism.
Aims
Develop in-depth knowledge of the critical theory tradition and debates within critical theory
Understand the philosophical basis of critical theory in Kantian, Hegelian, and Marxian traditions
Understand how critical theory relates to other approaches in political theory and political science
Be able to apply ideas and approaches from critical theory to the study of politics and to specific topics like capitalism, the
welfare state, gender, race, and colonialism.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP401
The Political Economy of Risk
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Politics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Raluca Pahontu
Pre-requisites: 4SSPP109 Quantitative Methods or 4SSPP111 Statistics for Political Science or 5SSPP241 Statistics for Political
Science II or 5SSPP213 Econometrics.
Assessment: 1,500-word essay (50%) & 1.5-hour written exam (50%)
Artificial intelligence, technological change, pandemics and economic crises pose important challenges to individuals by
exposing them to potentially harmful, unfortunate or undesirable situations. Risk, understood as such, is one of the key drivers
of political and economic behaviour. Though countries have over time developed safety nets for individuals, such as through
welfare states, a growing number of individuals are not only exposed to new types of shocks but also become less likely to be
protected by existing policies. In gaining an understanding of the types and sources of risk emergent in recent years, students
also develop a nuanced appreciation of the variety of ways in which individuals can protect themselves again these risks, and
the trade-offs they make in the process. Since studying risk is interdisciplinary in nature, the module draws on work in political
science, economics, sociology, and economic history.
Furthermore, most of the empirical literature on the political economy of risk uses statistical techniques. Therefore, this course
offers students familiar with statistical and econometrics methods an opportunity to learn applications of those techniques in
the study of risk.
Module Aims
This module aims to:
To understand the concept of risk and its types;
To analyse how research on risk is conducted;
To appreciate the factors that contribute to variation in risk between individuals and over time;
To understand the causes and consequences of risk for political and economic behaviour;
To examine common strategies across countries and over time in mitigating risk and providing protection to individuals.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP405
Identity Economics
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Economics
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Prof. Moses Shayo
Pre-requisites: The module is suitable for people who have passed 5SSPP213 Econometrics and 5QQMN213 Game Theory
(with a mark of at least 60).
Assessment: Attendance (10%), 1.5h in-person exam (60%), presentation in class (30%)
Teaching format: 1 hour lecture & 1 hour seminar every week
Module description
Classical economics assumes that agents have stable preferences over the set of available alternatives and makes very few
substantive assumptions on the contents of these preferences. Nonetheless, most traditional applications of the theory
assume agents only care about their personal material payoffs. This course will study situations in which individuals have
preferences relating to the group (or groups) that they belong to. The course will examine theories, lab experiments and
empirical studies concerning individual social identity, how it is chosen, and how it affects economic behaviour and policy.
The course assumes good working knowledge in game theory and advanced econometrics.
Educational aims
Develop a theoretical framework for analysing the effects of social identity on economic behaviour, the effect of economic
forces on the formation of group identities, and the analysis of social identity equilibrium.
Introduce students to applications of identity economics to the analysis of markets and policies, including:
§ labour markets
§ financial markets
§ judicial decisions
§ intergroup conflict
§ gender norms.
Students will engage critically with advanced economic research, read and critique recent academic papers and be
familiarized with tools used in experimental economics and empirical methods used in applied economics.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this module students will:

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Be able to evaluate the significance of group identification for economic behaviour in important economic situations. This
includes the importance of identity in motivating workers and in shaping consumer choices.
Be able to evaluate the significance of group identification in politics and public policy.
Be able to read and evaluate current research in economics.
Understand some of the main tools in empirical economic research.
Employability
Using advanced techniques to analyse data and infer causal relationships from data.
Broad understanding of what motivates workers and consumers, beyond monetary incentives.
Teamwork, self-discipline, creativity, and presentation skills.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP406
Political Economy of Global Finance
Semester 2
Available to:
Politics
PPE
Political Economy
Economics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Raphael Cunha
Teaching format: 1 hour lecture & 1 hour seminar every week
Module description
This module examines the political economy of global monetary and financial relations. It is structured around several
fundamental questions. What is the global financial system and what purposes does it serve? What are the choices of
monetary and financial policies open to national governments, and what determines governments’ different policy choices?
How do states and markets interact in the arena of global finance, and what role do banks and other private actors play in the
governance of international finance? When and why are efforts to regulate global markets successful, and what are the
distributional consequences of such efforts? What are the political causes and effects of global financial crises? In seeking
answers to these questions, this module covers theoretical and empirical perspectives on the political economy of money and
finance.
Educational aims
Provide students with an authoritative understanding of the main concepts and analytical tools in the political economy of
global finance, drawing from different disciplines, including: global capital markets; the interplay of interests, institutions,
and ideas in shaping financial policy; national and international currencies; the monetary policy trilemma; theories of
global financial instability; and global financial governance;
Offer students a policy-relevant perspective through which they are challenged to deepen their understanding of the
contemporary challenges posed by global financial integration;
Discuss the determinants of monetary and financial policy, with a view towards understanding the costs and benefits of
alternative policy choices;
Equip students with transferable skills, such as critical thinking, teamwork, problem solving, communication, and the
ability to translate academic knowledge into policy-relevant insights.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge of the analytical tools used to study global monetary and financial relations, drawing from an
interdisciplinary perspective;

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Analyse contemporary developments in finance and financial regulation at the national and global levels;
Critically evaluate the political and economic trade-offs implied by different monetary and financial policy options;
Transfer the skills they learned – including critical thinking, teamwork, problem solving, and communication – to a professional
environment.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP407
States and Societies in the Global South
Semester 1
Available to:
Politics
PPE
Political Economy
Economics
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Kevin Mazur
Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar every week
Module description
This module examines the fundamental questions of comparative politics with a view to the Global South. Specifically, it
investigates why some polities are relatively democratic and others are not; why the state is heavily involved the lives of its
subjects throughout its territory in some polities and nearly absent in others; why popular demands are channeled through
political institutions in some cases and made in the streets—often descending into violence—in others. It complements
SSPP103 “Introduction to Comparative Politics” (a core module from Year 1), expanding the module’s geographical focus and
bringing in a broad range of social theory.
Educational aims
expose students to forms of political organization and their relation to economic and social forces beyond the
industrialized West,
build knowledge of non-institutional theories of governance and economic development,
strengthen students’ ability to apply ideas from various traditions of social theory to empirical cases and adjudicate which
best accounts for observed outcomes.
Learning outcomes
identify crucial factors promoting/inhibiting economic growth and democratization in the Global South,
develop cogent arguments for why polities of the Global South have generally followed different trajectories from those in
the Global North, and explain variation among those in the Global South,
state and critically analyse the arguments put forward in several of the main theoretical traditions explaining political
systems of the Global South.
Employability skills
improve students’ ability to read a text critically, including extracting vital information, capturing main argument,
explaining how examples support that argument, and providing assessment of its plausibility,
strengthen writing skills through composition of essays and discussion of how to develop thesis and structure in
seminars,

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
develop critical thinking skills by making students adjudicate between explanations for political outcomes offered by
several theoretical traditions.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Semester 2
The modules in this section run in Semester 2.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP326
Culture, Identity & Justice
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Adam Tebble
Pre-requisites: 5SSPP202 or 5SSPP209 or 5SSPP238 or 5AANB007 or 6SSPP371
Assessment: 2-hour online examination (50%) & 2,000-word essay (50%)
This module in contemporary normative political theory is designed to provide students with an advanced undergraduate
knowledge of some of the key contributions, from a broad range of thinkers and of schools of thought, to debates in the
politics of culture and identity. It will be arranged around the theme of how the state should respond, if at all, to cultural
diversity.
Specifically, the educational aims are:
Provide students with a sound knowledge of the ideas of key contributors to the question of justice and cultural diversity,
such as Rawls, Young, Miller, Scruton, Kymlicka, Barry, and Tebble.
Enable students to place the contributions and underlying assumptions of these thinkers within the broader context of
the challenge of articulating and justifying institutions of justice in culturally diverse societies.
Provide students with the skills required for advanced undergraduate engagement with and critical analysis of original
works in contemporary normative political theory.
By the end of this module students will be able to:
Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the ideas of the key contemporary thinkers in debate about justice and identity.
Show an understanding of the underlying presuppositions and assumptions informing philosophical debate about justice
and identity and about the relationship between the individual and the state and between cultural and other identity-
based groups and the state.
Demonstrate an ability to critically analyse and evaluate key primary and secondary source texts in contemporary
normative political theory
Additional Information:
Please be aware that the teaching for this module will not be available on Lecture Capture so it is imperative that students
attend all classes.
Key Readings:

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Brian Barry, Culture and Equality

Will Kymlicka, Multicultural Citizenship
David Miller, On Nationality
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice
Roger Scruton, 'In Defence of the Nation', 'The First Person Plural'
Iris Marion Young, Justice and the Politics of Difference
Adam James Tebble, Epistemic liberalism: a defence

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP343
Topics in Advanced Microeconomics
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Alberto Vesperoni
Assessment: take-home exam (20%) & 1-hour written exam (80%)
Teaching format: 1-hour lectures & 1-hour seminar weekly
This module explores the contributions made by economic theory to several important economic problems. Although there
are no formal prerequisites, the module is quite technical and students with weak quantitative background should be willing to
catch up with constrained optimization (e.g., Lagrange & Kuhn-Tucker methods) and intermediate microeconomics (e.g.,
competitive markets vs monopolies). While the list of topics is generally quite flexible, the underlying theme will be the use of
game theoretic modelling and the use of mathematical modelling and equilibrium concepts developed in economic theory.
This year the main topics will be on Information Economics: how the fact that different agents have access to different
information can affect their behaviour in markets. Thus, firms do not know the ability of applicants while the applicants do, the
owners of used cars have much more information on the cars than the buyers and so on. The topics covered will be under the
broad headings of:
Static bilateral contracting: problems of hidden information: (a) screening, (b) signalling.
Static bilateral contracting: problems of hidden action: moral hazard.
Applications: insurance markets, used car market.
Empirical evidence.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP353
Politics and Justice in International Law
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Carmen Pavel
Assessment: 2,000-word essay (50%) & 2 hour in-person exam
The module is structured around a series of questions about the nature, sources, justification, and effects of international law.
Should the different countries obey international law? Is international law really ‘law?’ It is just? Who should enforce it? It will
use international law cases to explore advanced philosophical and empirical questions about the character of international
law. The module aims to equip students with an understanding of different perspectives on the value and purposes of
international law, the ability to explore the assumptions and implications of each perspective, and to assess the way in which
they inform debates about actual legal institutions and rules.
By the end of the semester, the course will help you advance several general and topic-related skills. On the topical skill side,
you will understand and be able to describe at least two different perspectives on the value and purposes of international law.
An important skill is to explore the assumptions and implications of each perspective and the way in which they inform
debates about actual legal institutions and rules. On the general skill side, the goal is to help you extract value from the
material by developing the language and conceptual machinery necessary to discuss the theoretical and practical issues that
arise in international law. You will do so by engaging, understanding, interpreting, critically evaluating, and comparing the
arguments presented. As writers, you will work on formulating and developing an effective argument on a normative topic,
and you will practice the elements of writing a successful paper.
Textbook
Jeffrey Dunoff, Steven R. Ratner, David Wippman, International Law: Norms, Actors, Process: A Problem-Oriented Approach
(Aspen Casebook) 4th Edition.
List of Topics Covered
PART I. The Politics of International Law

Week 1. The History of International Law.
Week 2. Skepticism of International Law. Dualism.
Week 3. Responding to the First Global Commons Issue: The Law of the Sea.
Week 4. International Economic Law.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Week 5. Unresolved Problems in the Global Commons: International Environmental Law.
Week 6. Reading week
PART II. Justice in International Law

Week 7. Compliance with International Law.
Week 8. International Criminal Law.
Week 9. Human Rights I. Universality and Relativism
Week 10. Human Rights II. Refugee Rights.
Week 11. Human Rights III. Humanitarian Intervention.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP360
Elections and Voting Behaviour
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Krzysztof Krakowski
Assessment: unseen written exam (100%)
The module examines in detail the act of voting in contemporary democracies (mostly, Western democracies mostly, but also
non-Western democracies). The topics covered include how voters form preferences for parties/candidates, how they translate
these preferences into a vote (or an abstention), and how they react to electoral campaigns and the state of the economy. It
also covers how parties decide upon their electoral program, and how this affects their electoral performance.
The module focuses on the scientific study of elections. The lectures present the scientific theories developed to make sense
out of elections. It goes beyond mere journalistic takes. Seminars are even more “science-sy”, as students are expected to
critically analyze scientific papers examining elections. They go in the details of the paper covering methodological issues such
as data, measures, and research designs. There is no pre-req for this module, but students are expected to know basics of
quantitative methods (or statistics) or be willing to learn them as these will be required to analyze the scientific papers covered
in class.
By the end of the module students will be able to:
Actively read, fully understand, and critically appraise the scientific literature on elections.
Mobilize and articulate this scientific literature on elections to form an informed judgement about the state of elections in
contemporary democracies and analyze new elections.
Independently catch up with the latest developments of the scientific literature about elections.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP362
International Trade
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Economics
History & PE
DID (10 places; pre-requisite: 5YYD0016)
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Pierre-Louis Vézina
Pre-requisites: Students must have taken Microeconomics 5SSPP221 or 5SSPP217 or equivalent. Forbidden combination with
International Trade 5SSMN936
Assessment: 2-hour written exam (90%) & participation (10%)
Educational Aims
This module provides an introduction to models of international trade and their predictions of trade patterns, with some
consideration of empirical studies and policy issues. The goals of this module are to:
Introduce students to classical and new theories of international trade

Use examples and empirical evidence to introduce students to the methods most commonly used in the economic
analysis of international trade.
Enable students to engage with trade theory in a critical manner, understanding the arguments used both in favour and
against trade liberalisation.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module the students will be able to:
demonstrate general knowledge and understanding of international trade theory and policy
understand and manipulate simple economic models, both graphically and analytically
read and engage critically with the empirical literature on international trade
Key Reading
All compulsory readings are chapters from:
International Economics, Theory and Policy, Paul Krugman, Maurice Obstfeld, Marc J. Melitz., 9th or 10th Edition, Pearson.
Lecture Schedule
Week 1. An overview of world trade, gravity, and borders: Chap 2
Week 2. Ricardian model of comparative advantage: Chap 3

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Week 3. The specific factors model: Chap 4
Week 4. The Heckscher-Ohlin model: Chap 5
Week 5. Economies of scale and trade: Chap 7
Week 6. Monopolistic competition and trade: Chap 8
Week 7. Firms in the Global Economy: Chap 8
Week 8. Trade policy: Chap 9
Week 9. The political economy of trade policy: Chap 10
Week 10. Trade policy in developing countries: Chap 11

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP364
Key Issues in Policy Making
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Professor Christel Koop
Pre-requisites: Comparing Political Systems 4SSPP103 or equivalent
Assessment: (1) One group-written policy report (3,000 words per group; 20%) & (2) One individually written policy report
(3,000 words, 80%).
Teaching format: Weekly 2-hour, interactive lecture-seminar sessions.
Educational Aims
This module aims to provide an advanced understanding of the policy making process by addressing key issues in policy
making. We focus on two types of issues in policy making: (i) how best to design the policy making process, and (ii) what (if any)
policy tools to use when facing particular societal problems. We take an empirical perspective, analysing some of the key
questions and dilemmas that politicians and civil servants face today. Each week, we focus on one particular problem in policy
making, and analyse the different options that are available. In the process, we also take into account (political and other)
constraints. The focus of the module is generic, though the literature is mainly concerned with policy making in the UK and
other OECD countries. The module is particularly suitable for students who have an interest in policy making and developing
their policy skills, and/or want to pursue a career that involved policy making (e.g., in the civil service).
Learning Outcomes
Students who have completed this module should be able to:
identify and critically evaluate insights from the public policy literature, and apply the relevant insights to key issues in
policy making;
identify and contrast the policy options available, and identify the relevant constraints, when facing key problems in policy
making;
critically evaluate the different options available, given also the relevant constraints;
draw reasoned conclusions on which policy option is to be used to address a particular problem in policy making.
Indicative weekly topics
Part I – The design of the policy process
Examples of issues addressed:
(How) should we aim for a representative bureaucracy?

How can we avoid ‘regulatory capture’ by business interests?
Part II – Choosing policy tools for societal problems

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Examples of issues addressed:
(How) should we tackle air pollution?

(How) should we address the dominance of ‘big tech’ companies?
Indicative reading list
Please note: The academic literature will be complemented by policy documents and other non-academic literature.
Cashore, Benjamin (2002). Legitimacy and the privatization of environmental governance. Governance 15 (4): 503–529.
Hood, Christopher C. & Helen Z. Margetts (2007). The Tools of Government in a Digital Age. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Johnston, Karen (2019). Women in public policy and public administration? Public Money & Management 39 (3): 155–65.
Konisky, David M. (2007). Regulatory competition and environmental enforcement: Is there a race to the bottom?
American Journal of Political Science 51 (4): 853–872.
Lee, Eungkyoon (2010). Information disclosure and environmental regulation: Green lights and gray areas. Regulation &
Governance 4 (3): 303–328.
Lohmann, Susanne (1998). An information rationale for the power of special interests. American Political Science Review
92 (4): 809–827.
Lowi, Theodore J. (1972). Four systems of policy, politics, and choice. Public Administration Review 32 (4): 298–310.
Riccucci, Norma M. & Gregg G. Van Ryzin. 2017. Representative bureaucracy: A lever to enhance social equity,
coproduction, and democracy. Public Administration Review 77 (1): 21–30
Thaler, Richard H. & Cass Sunstein (2008). Nudge: Improving Decisions on Health, Wealth, and Happiness. New Haven, CT:
Yale University Press.
Weible, Christopher & Paul Cairney (2018). Practical lessons from policy theories. Policy & Politics 46(2): 183–19

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP369
Advanced Texts in Political Theory
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Professor Robin Douglass
Pre-requisites: None. However, this is an advanced political theory module, so having previously studied some political
theory/philosophy is an advantage.
Assessment: 4,000-word essay (100%). Students may also submit an optional formative essay, on which they will receive
feedback before submitting their summative essay.
Teaching format: 2-hour seminar each week. Seminars will be run in a reading group/workshop format, based on selections
from primary-text material.
Overview:
This is an advanced specialist module focusing on theories of justice and injustice in contemporary political theory. Following
the publication of John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice in 1971, the dominant approach in Anglophone political philosophy has
involved theorising principles of justice for a well-ordered society. Critics of this approach, however, argue that focusing on
questions of justice under ideal conditions provides little guidance for making sense of, and thinking about how to respond to,
the many real-world injustices found in all existing societies. This module investigates the relationship between ideas of justice
and injustice through an in-depth study of some of the most important texts on the subject from Rawls onwards – see the
provisional programme below for a sense of the topics we typically address.
There are no specific prerequisites for this module, but students must be comfortable reading, probing, and analysing
complex works of political theory in considerable detail. This will be particularly valuable experience for anyone considering
studying political theory or related disciplines at postgraduate level. The two-hour seminars (without any lectures) allow us
plenty of time to analyse the texts closely, and students who regularly attend and participate will thus benefit from this format
(while students who do not complete the reading and attend regularly will find it very difficult to keep up and struggle in the
assessment).
If you would like to look at a copy of the module guide from the 2023/24 academic year before deciding whether to take this
module then please email robin.douglass@kcl.ac.uk.
I Provisional seminar programme
Week Topic
1 Rawls on the principles of justice for a well-ordered society
2 Shklar on legalism and giving injustice its due
3 Shklar on passive injustice and the sense of injustice
4 Shklar on American citizenship

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
5 Hampshire on justice and conflict
6 Reading week
7 Young on structural injustice and responsibility
8 Fricker on testimonial injustice
9 Fricker on hermeneutical injustice
10 Shelby on racial injustice
11 Shelby on crime and punishment in the ghetto
Indicative reading
John Rawls, A Theory of Justice

Judith N. Shklar, Legalism; The Faces of Injustice
Stuart Hampshire, Justice is Conflict
Miranda Fricker, Epistemic Injustice
Iris Marion Young, Responsibility for Justice
Tommie Shelby, Dark Ghettos: Injustice, Dissent, and Reform

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP373
The Political Economy of Inequality
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr David Hope
Assessment (planned): 3,000-word essay (100%)
It is one of the enduring political-economic puzzles of our time that the advanced democracies of Western Europe, North
America and the Asia-Pacific region have such widely different levels of income inequality, despite being similarly rich and
prosperous. Among the advanced democracies, the UK and the US stand out as particularly unequal, while the Nordic
countries occupy the other end of the scale. This module takes a comparative perspective and uses insights from both
economics and political science to shed light on these dramatic cross-national differences in income inequality. It also looks at
the economic, political and institutional factors that have shaped the evolution of income inequality over the entire post-WWII
period, such as technological change, education, industrial relations, partisanship, electoral systems, and the welfare state.
Additionally, the module investigates how the transition to the knowledge economy in the advanced democracies has affected
inequality on many different dimensions, such as income, gender and race. The latter part of the module assesses the political
and economic consequences of rising income inequality, as well as the policy options for addressing it.
Aims
This module will give students:
The ability to critically engage with academic literature on inequality from a range of disciplines including comparative
political economy, labour economics, economic geography, sociology, and political science.
A solid grasp of the data on income inequality, as well as highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.
The competencies, knowledge and empirical evidence necessary to carry out a detailed analysis of the causes and
consequences of inequality in advanced democracies, and to critically evaluate the potential policy responses.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to:
Summarise the similarities and differences in the evolution of income inequality across the advanced democracies over
the post-WWII period.
Identify and critically evaluate the competing theories in economics and political science on the determinants of income
inequality.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Assess the links between income inequality and political and economic institutions, such as electoral systems, trade
unions, and the welfare state.
Explain how the transition to the knowledge economy has affected inequality on many different dimensions, such as
income, gender and race.
Demonstrate knowledge of the political and economic consequences of rising income inequality, as well as the identifying
the underlying mechanisms.
Evaluate the policy options for addressing income inequality while taking account of national context.
Conduct rigorous analysis on income inequality in the advanced democracies using the academic literature and relevant
empirical evidence.
These skills will be valuable in a number of contexts
Gathering cross-country data from publicly available sources and analysing it descriptively.
Critically engaging with the academic literature and applying it to real-world contexts.
Formulating policy recommendations to address socio-economic challenges.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP376
Women and Politics
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Anna Gwiazda
This module introduces students to the area of feminist politics through the lens of comparative politics, drawing on examples
from various world regions and time periods to analyse similarities and differences across cases. It explores central topics in
the study of women, gender and politics, covering issues such as women’s participation in social movements and political
parties, women as voters and candidates in elections, representatives and leaders, in addition to women’s descriptive and
substantive representation. It also discusses gender equality, gender mainstreaming and feminist policies including combating
violence against women. This module explores vital issues in the field of feminist politics by comparing political outcomes in a
variety of different cultural settings, at the national and sub-national level.
AIMS
This module aims to:
Introduce students to concepts and debates in the field of women and politics (comparative feminist politics).
Develop their skills in systematic comparison and methodology that will add rigour to their research and help achieve
valid and well-founded generalizations.
Examine feminist policies including gender quotas, reproductive rights, combating violence against women and girls and
sexual harassment.
Highlight the importance of conceptual and theoretical analysis.
Equip students with a good knowledge of issues in comparative politics examined from a feminist perspective.
Provide students with a thorough understanding of political representation and public policies promoting women’s
interests and gender equality.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of this module, students will:
have an enhanced understanding of the main debates in the field of women and politics.
critically evaluate the impact of gender on politics.
be able to approach the study of women and politics in a systematic, comparative and social-scientific way.
examine key issues in gender politics in different countries around the world.
be able to apply different theoretical frameworks and analytical toolkits using case studies and focused comparisons and
reflect critically on the strengths and weaknesses of comparative methods.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
MODULE STRUCTURE
Week 1: Introduction to Women and Politics
Week 2: Feminism and political representation
Week 3: Women’s movements and state feminism
Week 4: Doing research in feminist comparative politics and essay-writing
Week 5: Descriptive representation: Do gender quotas work?
Week 6: Women’s substantive representation
Week 7: Gender and political parties
Week 8: Women, elections and political activism
Week 9: Feminist policies and combating violence against women
Week 10: Gender equality

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP377
Advanced Topics In Political Theory
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Poornima Paidipaty
This module explores the idea of “freedom” (and related concepts, including political rights, duties and obligations, liberty,
power and subjection, and liberation) in depth, using key texts and theories in modern political thought.
The first half of the course focuses on historical texts, from Adam Smith to Friedrich Nietzsche, following a central thread in
Western political thinking that frames freedom not as license, but as a capacity that develops through the exercise of self-
restraint. This portion of the course will critically examine how this relationship defines a central dilemma in political thought,
in which freedom and restraint are not opposites but are in fact dependent on another. This conversation will then serve as a
foundation for the second half of the course, which examines the problem of emancipation – asking what liberation and
human agency look like, when power and subjection serve as partial conditions for the cultivation and exercise of human
freedom.
The module builds on introductory coursework in political theory and will presume a basic familiarity with social contract
theory as well as ideas about individual rights and political liberty. However, this literature will be reviewed in detail through
lectures, readings and discussions, so only a basic understanding is required for taking this course.
The course will centre around careful reading of primary texts by Adam Smith, Karl Marx, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill,
Friedrich Nietzsche, W. E. B. DuBois, M. K. Gandhi, Michel Foucault and Judith Butler. Students will be expected to carefully
read assigned texts in advance of seminars and participate actively in classroom discussions and activities.
List of topics
Topic 1 Berlin’s two concepts of liberty
Topic 2 Smith’s prudent homo economicus
Topic 3 Marx and alienated labour
Topic 4 Kantian autonomy and the rational moral agent
Topic 5: Mill’s utilitarian conception of personal liberty
Reading week
Topic 6 Nietzsche, genealogy and freedom
Topic 7 W. E. B. DuBois and double consciousness

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Topic 8 Gandhian self-rule
Topic 9 Foucault, discipline and liberation
Topic 10: Bulter on subjection and agency
Module objectives
This module aims to help students:
Acquire a detailed understanding of the context and complexity of key issues in political theory
Further develop their skills as political theorists in understanding, interpreting and analysing complex issues
Further develop critical thinking skills in testing and challenge assumptions behind standard positions in political theory
Develop their own arguments and answers to these problems, by critically engaging with different normative, conceptual
and methodological approaches to political theory
Adopt a self-directed and original approach to the examination of methodological and conceptual issues at the frontier of
philosophical reflection and political realities
Learning outcomes
By the end of this module, students will demonstrate:
Advanced knowledge of concepts and issues that figure prominently in political theory
Mastery of terminological and conceptual distinctions by delving deeper into previously undifferentiated aspects of liberal
thought, critical theory and postcolonial theory
The ability to work with primary texts closely to provide and cite textual evidence to support theoretical arguments
Ability to analyse and evaluate concepts, assumptions, principles, arguments and technique in relation to specified
problems in political theory
Ability to communicate persuasively and formulate well-structured arguments both orally and in writing
Development and refinement if critical thinking skills involved in considering and assessing the strengths and weaknesses
of different answers to the problems studied.
Indicative Reading list
Isaiah Berlin, “Two Concepts of Liberty.”

Adam Smith, Theory of Moral Sentiments.
Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations.
Karl Marx, Capital, Volume 1.
Karl Marx, Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844\
Immanuel Kant, Groundwork of a Metaphysics of Morals
J S Mill, On Liberty
J S Mill, Considerations on Representative Government
Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morality
W E B DuBois, Souls of Black Folk
M K Gandhi, Hind Swaraj
Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish
Judith Butler, The Psychic Life of Power

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP384
Environmental Economics
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Economics
History & PE
KBS (15 places)
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Karlygash Kuralbayeva

Pre-requisites: Mathematics For Economists (5SSPP232 or 4SSMN901) and Microeconomics
(5SSPP221 or 5SSPP217)
Assessment: 2-hour written exam (70%) & 2,000-word essay (30%)
Overview
Environmental economics is a comparatively young, but by now well-established, branch of economics, which has attracted
more and more students. Environmental economics provides theories and techniques, which help students understand some
important and controversial issues, such as climate change, nuclear power, recycling policy, and traffic congestion charging.
Frameworks taught at the course can be used to evaluate various important policy questions such as: should air regulations be
tightened or loosened? Does economic development necessarily result in a high environmental price? Is there a "Race to the
Bottom" in environmental regulation? Are we running out of oil and other natural resources? What are the costs of climate
change in the UK and other countries?
Provisional Lecture Outline
Environmental externalities and the theory of market failure
Economics of pollution control
Economics of natural resource use
The environmental consequences of economic growth
Evolving issues in environmental economics: health and the environment; insights from behavioral economics

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP385
Experimental Economics
Semester 2
Available to:
Economics
Political Economy
PPE
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Ian Levely
Pre-requisites: Microeconomics 5SSPP221 or 5SSPP217 and Econometrics 5SSPP213 or 4SSMN902 as prerequisite for non-
Economics students. Forbidden combination with 6SSPP332 Behavioural Political Economy
Assessment: 2-hour online exam (65%), 1,000-word essay (25%) and seminar presentation (10%)
Teaching format: 1h lecture + 1h seminar, weekly
Experiments in economics have generated new insights into how people behave. Together with earlier psychological work,
they have spawned a new field in economics called Behavioural or Experimental economics. This module is concerned with
how these insights regarding individual behaviour are transforming positive and normative economics. For example, we will be
concerned with the following questions:
In what ways do people behave differently to the predictions of rational choice theory (i.e. the expected utility
maximisation model)?
What is loss aversion and reference dependence?
What is the best model of social preferences?
Does inequality harm cooperation and trust?
Do people value procedures as well as outcomes?
Should governments engage in ‘nudging’?
How do social preferences affect the analysis of market failure?
Is welfare economics possible if people do not have well behaved preferences?
The module will appeal to students who are interested in how people actually behave and, in particular, in how economics and
policy making are being transformed by these new insights into how people behave..
Preparatory reading (if you have not read it already):
Kahneman, D. Thinking Fast and Slow

Ariely, D. Predictably Irrational
Sunstein, C. and Thaler, R. Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness
The module will cover the following topics:
1. The Experimental method
2. Public goods games and cooperation
3. Ultimatum, Dictator and Contest games and social preferences for equity and efficiency

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
4. Prospect Theory, loss aversion, reference dependence and nudging
5. Decision by sampling and level-k theory as models of bounded rationality
6. Crowding in /out of social preferences
7. Competition and bargaining
8. Behavioural time discounting

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP388
Environmental Governance
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Francesca Vantaggiato
Assessment: 2,800-word essay (80%) & 1,200-word reviewer report (20%)
This module provides students with the analytical means to identify environmental governance processes, diagnose their
failures and successes, and provide actionable recommendations concerning how to overcome the failures and leverage the
successes across different contexts and different governance scales (local, regional, national, global).
An environmental governance process is a deliberative process whereby different actors – from government to business, from
local communities to environmental non-governmental organisations – gather in order to make decisions about managing an
environmental resource and/or deal with a specific environmental issue (e.g. regulating carbon emission levels, planning for
climate adaptation in a local community, developing certification schemes for resource management, etc.) that affects them
all, and which none of them can address on their own. The process typically unfolds over time, has a name (e.g. partnership,
initiative, forum), has a minimal structure (e.g. meeting schedule, agenda items, working groups) and produces outputs (e.g.
meeting minutes, policy reports and the like).
The goal of environmental governance processes is achieving consensus-based decisions among the different actors
concerning which course of action to take. This consensus is typically translated into policy. Environmental governance
processes take place at all governance scales, from international to national to local.
The module comprises two parts. The first part (weeks 1-5) focuses on four key components of environmental governance
processes: actors; collective action; science and expertise; and issues of power and environmental justice. These discussions
set the stage for the second part of the module (weeks 6-10), which uses the four components as a roadmap to examine
environmental governance issues at different scales (international, federal/regional, national, and local). The module ends with
a review of the concepts and issues tackled in class and a reflection on ‘where do we go from here?’.
Aims
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
Understand the key features of environmental governance processes across governance scales (international, national,
local);
Identify the interdependencies that exist between different governance actors (governmental and non-governmental)
involved in environmental governance processes;
Recognise environmental governance challenges across different contexts;
Formulate recommendations concerning how to understand and explain environmental governance challenges.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course students will be able to:
Diagnose problems and failures in environmental governance processes and articulate actionable recommendations for
improvement;
Recognize and evaluate the aims and potential outcomes of different governance arrangements for environmental issues;
Professionally communicate policy advice in the form of policy briefs to government, policy-makers, and environmental
governance stakeholders.


lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP389
Corporate Lobbying in the Global Economy
Semester 1
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Professor Anne Rasmussen, Dr Raphael Cunha
Assessment: 3,000-word essay (90%) & 10 min group campaign pitch (10%)
Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar weekly (tbc)
Module Description
This module examines how private corporations and citizen groups are involved in the governance of the global economy and
public policy formation. It is structured around several fundamental questions. What role do these groups play in policy-
making and what is the nature and extent of their authority? How do the shifting forces of globalization (and anti-globalization)
affect the power business wields to shape public policies? Finally, how powerful are these groups in global politics and how do
they affect political representation? In seeking answers to these questions, this module covers both theoretical and empirical
perspectives on how, when, and why interest groups are able to access and influence policy-makers at the national and
international level.
The module has two parts. First, it reviews different theoretical approaches to analyzing how interest group influence in
national and international public policymaking operates, and what challenges we face in understanding these dynamics.
Second, it reviews scholarship on lobbying dynamics in a variety of different areas in governance, such as international trade,
pharmaceuticals and health care, financial regulation, intellectual property rights and global environmental politics.
Educational Aims
The course teaches students how to think critically about lobbying and influence in public policymaking. Students learn how to
identify and understand the different means that interest groups use to shape different aspects of governance. Through the
use of multiple case studies, students learn how some of the most important facets of politics and the economy today are
being shaped by private sector actors. Students are also encouraged to think analytically and critically about the role of citizen
groups, corporations, lobbyists, market forces, and how governance operates by exploring the limitations to private sector
influence.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, student should be able to:
Demonstrate knowledge of the role of interest groups in politics and the global economy in the broader context of social,
political, and economic transformations as well as how this relates to academic work in political science, public policy,

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
communication studies, and economics.

Meaningfully engage in debates about political representation, globalization, and corporate power, as well as the other
themes of the module.
Appraise the role of interest groups in governance processes and public policy-making
Employability Outcomes and Transferable Skills
§ Identify key policy public policy challenges and the promises and perils of interest group activity
§ Professionally communicate policy advice in the form of policy briefs and policy pitches as well as interviewing industry
and policy leaders.
Indicative Structure
Week Topic
1 Lobbying in Policy-making: An Introduction
2 Lobbying Strategies & Influence
3 Balancing Corporate Lobbying: Advocacy & Social Movements
4 Interest Group Intermediation and Regulation
5 Interest groups, public opinion and policy-making
6 Reading Week
7 Corporate Lobbying on International Trade and Migration
8 Financial Industry Lobbying
9 Global Environmental Politics and Corporate Interests
10 The Globalization of Production and Corporate Lobbying
11 Platform Firms and the New World of Lobbying / Pitch week

(seminars)
(Selected) Policy Dossier Topics
1. Crypto-assets
2. Drones
3. FinTech
4. Money Laundering and terrorism
5. Regulating online content
6. Ozone

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
7. Pandemics
8. Sustainable finance
9. Toy safety
10. Whistleblower protection


lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP393
Advanced Econometrics
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Economics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Yonatan Berman
Pre-requisites: Econometrics 5SSPP213 or Applied Econometrics 6SSMN961 or equivalent study abroad module
Assessment: technical exercises (30%) & data analysis project (70%)
Teaching format: 2-hour weekly lecture & 6 seminars
In this course we study advanced econometrics methods for cross-sectional, panel and time-series datasets that are not
covered in Econometrics 5SSPP213, Statistics for Political Science II (5SSPP241), Empirical Political Economy 6SSPP349 and
Applied Econometrics 6SSMN961.
The course focuses on modern econometrics techniques, addressing both theory, practical applications, and programming.
Applications feature real policy evaluations in the field of health, conflict resolution and skill development. Topics studied
include: linear and non-linear estimation, Maximum Likelihood Estimation (MLE), power calculations and interpretation of null
results, panel data, (fixed effects, random effects), difference-in-differences design, methods for causal inference, discrete
choice models (binary and categorical outcomes), meta-analysis, survey design.
This is a module for students keen to develop their quantitative method and data analysis skills. It will be particularly useful to
students who aspire to postgraduate studies in economics, computer science, data analytics. Teaching consists of a lecture (2
hours) and 6 lab tutorials (using STATA).

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP397
The Political Economy of Science Fiction
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenors: Dr Virginia Preston & Dr Santiago Sanchez-Pages
Assessment: Participation 10%; Presentation 20%; Essay (2,500 words) 70%
Contemporary science fiction offers a compelling means of interrogating the current challenges of global governance and
political economy. As Brad Torgersen (2013) says, “much of the Science Fiction being written in the 21st century concerns itself
strictly with materialistic concerns: climate change, global warming, the decay of governments and the onset of dystopian
hegemony, or anarchy”. This module provides students with an exploration of the nexus between science fiction and political
economy. It uses science fiction literature as a means of understanding, exploring and critiquing concepts and theories from
across Political Economy, including international relations, economics and politics.
Through this, students will apply the knowledge gained in other modules within political economy, applying key theories and
techniques of analysis in novel areas in an engaging but rigorous way. The proposed module directly relates to a growing area
of cutting-edge research, namely the interplay between popular culture and political economy.
It is strongly recommended that students come with a prior knowledge of and interest in science fiction to avoid being at a
disadvantage. It is preferable that at least some of that knowledge comes from reading SF books, rather than just from TV and
films.
The economics of weeks 5 to 7 is very introductory, requiring no prior knowledge.
Indicative Weekly Outline (based on previous years) – subject to change
1. Intro and SF/popular culture and political economy links
Week 1 serves two purposes. First, we will talk through the organisation of the module (presentations, expectations,
assessment etc). Second, we examine the academic literature on the links between popular culture, particularly science fiction,
and political economy broadly defined. It serves to set out the principle analytical framework of the module. It asks whether
science fiction and popular culture (a) merely provide useful pedagogical examples (that is, simply encourage student interest
in a topic) and a means of considering alternative political economy possibilities; (b) affects the context in which policy takes
place, increasing or decreasing public support for particular policies; or (c) directly affects public policy through impacting key
decision makers.
2. Contact
A recurrent theme in SF is that of ‘first contact’ with alien species, sometimes presented as having a positive impact on politics
(e.g. Star Trek), breaking down divisions between states and cultures, elsewhere being seen in a more negative light, triggering
conflict, fear and division. Discussion of these differing visions of contact with ‘the other’ will be used to springboard into

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
debates over ‘the other’ in real world IR. This will include whether discourse about ‘the other’ justifies imperialist policies
(Weldes 1999).
3. Colonialism/empire/decolonisation
Science fiction frequently engages with the meeting of different groups, or races, frequently at different stages of technological
sophistication. SF has been explicitly a reaction to, and critique of, colonialism (e.g. Ursula le Guin, The Word for World is
Forest). Elsewhere, it explores the ‘inevitability’ of colonialism when humans meet other races, reflecting a Hobbesian view of
human nature. Tade Thompson’s recent Rosewater trilogy examines neo-colonialism in Nigeria via an alien invasion that
initially seems beneficial. Meanwhile, Iain M Banks’ highly influential Culture series provides an avenue for exploring the
imperialism inherent in liberalism, in an otherwise utopian vision of the future. Such literature enables an exploration of
empire, colonialism and decolonialism.
4. Gender
This week explores how science fiction provides a space to think through radically different gender roles and identities and
gives insights into the complexity of defining gender. It discusses the relevance of gender in contemporary real-world politics
and how feminist science fiction enables a critique of prevailing theories of International Relations and their (gendered)
assumptions. It also questions whether SF literature has been able to pre-empt major changes in thinking about gender, or
whether it merely reflects contemporary thinking.
5. The Economics of Dystopia
In SF, as in life, scarcity shows up everywhere. In the decisions characters face, the time and financial constraints limiting their
choices and influencing their relationship with other characters. Economic models and SF tell stories about imaginary
characters who make decisions over a finite horizon and live finite lives constrained by limited amounts of time and money. In
this lecture, we will revise the extreme economies portrayed in post-apocalyptic and dystopian fiction. These sub-genres are
the ones that have best-reflected conflicts over scarce resources, the social unrest due to rampant income and wealth
inequalities, and the negative economic consequences of the lack of an effective rule of law and state regulation.
6. A.I.
Artificial intelligence is both a recurrent trope of SF and an area of increasing attention within political economy. The impact of
AI on employment, inequality and other aspects of the economy is raising fundamental questions about the future of
capitalism. Again, there is a sense in which this is SF within the academic literature, since it inevitably involves speculation
about possible futures. This week examines the impact of AI, using key SF literature as a way into the discussion, particularly
around whether the advent of AI will be to liberate humans from work or exacerbate inequalities.
7. The Economics of Utopia
SF influences the way we imagine the future. SF offers us seeds of hope if we look closely enough. Some SF texts describe
better futures, better economic systems, and fairer societies. The SF that we will be discussing in this lecture explores what
utopia means from an economic point of view and the role (if any) of economics in a utopian society.
8. Philip K Dick on Capitalism
In this lecture, we examine Philip K. Dick's short stories through the lens of capitalism. Delving into themes of consumerism,
corporate power, and societal control, we explore the implications of his narratives for economic discourse.
9. Green politics, terraforming, built environment
Science fiction frequently deals with the effects of climate change and technology, as well as how humans might establish new
homes on other planets. Writers and filmmakers also examine the effect of the natural and built environment on the people
and political systems they are home to, both imagined utopias and dystopias. Here we reflect on how this can help us to think
about the environmental challenges currently being faced.
10. Political Systems: World government and beyond
World government was once a lively debate within IR and beyond (much taking place in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists) and
has returned more recently (e.g. Craig 2008; Wendt 2003). In a sense, this is at times science fiction within IR. The SF literature
provides multiple avenues for discussing alternative forms of world government, routes to achieving it and the problems
engendered. Iain M Banks’s Culture is a multi-planet liberal utopia, where world government is almost meaningless as habitats
are guided by the Minds, while other authors consider the possible fragmentation of systems, for example micro-state
franchises in Neal Stephenson’s Snowcrash, and the Revelation Space universe of Alastair Reynolds.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP400
Consent and Coercion
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
PPL
History & PE
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Mollie Gerver
Pre-requisites: None.
Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar every week
It is often claimed that consent must be voluntary. For example, a patient's consent to surgery must be voluntary before the
surgeon is permitted to insert a scalpel into her body. Yet, those who work with disadvantaged populations often accept
involuntary consent as valid. For example, United Nations (UN) aid workers will sometimes ask refugees who are detained if
they consent to the UN helping them return to their home countries. These aid workers accept refugees’ consent to repatriate
as valid, even though refugees’ choices seem involuntary. This module utilizes analytic philosophy to addresses when
involuntary consent is valid. We will address not only when aid workers should help refugees repatriate, but other questions as
well, including whether governments should accept a woman’s consent to marriage as valid when she is pressured by parents
into her decisions; whether individuals ought to accept their partner’s consent to sex as valid when their partner is pressured
by society into having sex; and whether doctors ought to accept patients’ consent to medical treatment as valid when patients
feel pain which clouds their judgment.
Aims
To understand various concepts essential to the study of consent and coercion, such as the concept of “voluntariness”
and the concept of “duress.”
To help students analyse how philosophers and political theorists research the study of involuntary consent.
To provide students with an advanced understanding of leading philosophical arguments supporting and opposing key
policies relating to involuntary consent. For example, the module will explain the premises and conclusions that some
theorists have raised to defend UNCHR repatriation policies.
To equip students with the skills to evaluate broader principles concerning consent and coercion, such as the principle
that it is unjust to deny individuals freedom and autonomy.
To explain to students the specific justifications given by policymakers in defence of specific marriage policies, such as
policies recognizing marriages that are only semi-voluntary. Students will be told these justifications and given the
opportunity to express whether they agree with these justifications.
The module will carefully distinguish between different types of pressure, including coercion, duress, psychological
manipulation, and constrained options (as when someone feels pressure to consent to marriage due to poverty).
Importantly, the module will help students tie very abstract philosophical theories to very specific policies, and even
specific acts that students might engage in themselves: whenever students must decide whether to touch another
person, kiss another person, and have sex with another person, they must decide whether they have a right to do so.
Understanding whether pressure and coercion can undermine their partner’s consent will help students better
understand how to respect the rights of others.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
The module will further help students hear views that are distinct from their own, becoming aware that certain premises
they might take for granted – such as the premise that consent must always be voluntary – may not be held by their
fellow students, or by some leading political and moral philosophers.
Last updated:February 2024.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP403
Advanced Game Theory
Semester 2
Available to:
Political Economy
PPE
Politics
History & PE
PPL
15 credits
Module convenor: Dr Mehmet Ismail
Pre-requisites: 5SSPP227 Game Theory and Strategic Decision-Making
Assessment: 1,500-word project (70%) & presentation of project (30%)
Teaching format: 1-hour lecture weekly & 8x seminars
This module covers non-cooperative game theory and briefly cooperative game theory, with a focus on developing analytical
and strategic skills for understanding complex economic and political processes. Students will learn how to formulate strategic
interactions in normal form and extensive form, as well as how to apply solution concepts like Nash equilibrium, maximin
strategies, and other behavioural solution concepts. The course will also briefly cover cooperative game theoretical concepts
such as the core, and matching theory and its applications such as the stable marriage problem. Upon completion of the
module, students should be able to understand and apply game theory to models in political economy, sports, and real-world
competitive games. Additionally, they should also understand the connection between game theory and its contribution to
recent developments in artificial intelligence.
This information is subject to change.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
Full Year
The modules in this section run in Semester 1 & 2.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP352
Dissertation
Semester 1 & 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
History & PE
30 credits
UG Dissertation Coordinator: Dr Jonathan Leader Maynard
Assessment: 1,500-word proposal (10%) & 8,000-word essay (90%)
Teaching format: 6 hours of lectures, 1 workshop
This module gives you the opportunity to develop and undertake an independent research project on a topic of your own
choosing, to pursue your own interests in greater depth than before. In the course of doing so, you will have the chance to
draw on the skills and knowledge you have acquired earlier in the degree in order to formulate and answer a specific, focused
research question. You will receive support, both in the form of lectures/workshops and guidance from you supervisor. And
you will also demonstrate autonomy in carrying out your research project – a valuable intellectual skill which is also helpful in
the job market. In this way, the module aims to help you develop your capacity for independent research. The dissertation
thus contributes to future research and employment needs by helping you foster your skills in critical thinking, research, and
extended writing. It is, for many people, the culmination of your degree.

lOMoARcPSD|20933695
6SSPP394
Group Dissertation
Semester 1 & 2
Available to:
Political Economy
Politics
PPE
Economics
History & PE
30 credits
UG Dissertation Coordinator: Dr Jonathan Leader Maynard
Assessment: 1,500-word proposal (10%) & 8,000-word essay (90%)


year-3-dpe-module-outlines-24-25

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

year-3-dpe-module-outlines-24-25

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

lOMoARcPSD|20933695

Year 3 DPE Module outlines 24-25

Principles of Economics (King's College London)

Scan to open on Studocu

Studocu is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

The modules in this section run in Semester 1.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Advanced Texts in the History of Political Thought

Module convenors: Dr Paul Sagar and Professor Robin Douglass

Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Last updated: February 2024.

Information may be subject to minor changes.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Political Economy of the Middle East

Module convenor: Dr Ferdinand Eibl

Assessment: 2,500-word essay (100%)

Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar weekly

On successful completion of this module, the student will be able to demonstrate:

1) Knowledge and understanding by being able to:

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

2) Intellectual, practical, aﬀective, and transferable skills by being able to:

This information may be subject to minor changes.

Last updated: February 2024.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Module convenor: Dr Michael Farquhar

Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar weekly

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Last updated: February 2024.

Information may be subject to minor changes.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

The Economics of Crime

Module convenor: Dr Anja Shortland

Assessment: 2-hour in-person exam (100%)

Teaching format: 1-hour lectures & 1-hour seminar weekly

The module will cover the following topics:

1. What can economics bring to the analysis of crime?

Last updated: February 2024.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Information may be subject to minor changes.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Module convenor: Dr Julian Limberg

Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar weekly

By the end of the module, you should be able to:

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Last updated: February 2024.

Information may be subject to minor changes.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Behavioural Political Economy

Module convenor: Professor Shaun Hargreaves Heap

Pre-requisites: Forbidden combination with 6SSPP385 Experimental Economics

Teaching format: 1-hour lecture & 1-hour seminar weekly

Last updated: February 2024.

This information may be subject to minor changes.

Downloaded by Mehak Mahajan (mahajanmehak04@gmail.com)

Module convenor: Professor Amrita Dhillon

Pre-requisites: Microeconomics 5SSPP221 or 5SSPP217 or equivalent

Teaching format: 1-hour lecture and 1-hour seminar weekly

Aims and Objectives:

The aims of this course are to:

Understand the use of formal microeconomic modelling in development.

By the end of this module, students should be able to: