Prepare yourself for a degree in politics.
685 enrolled on this course
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
6 hours100% online
How it works
How Politics Works: From the Individual to an International Scale
Understand politics on an individual and global scale
This introductory course is designed to help you prepare for a degree in politics at degree level, or to introduce you to the basics of politics.
You’ll learn the basics of democracy, the machinery of government, and the political economy and globalisation. Then you’ll move on to identity politics, looking at class and economic individualism. You’ll be introduced to some key texts, and given further reading to boost your learning.
Discover the meaning and function of democracy
In the first week of this course, you’ll explore the meaning and function of democracy, and learn how to identify and assess different models of democracy. You’ll then apply your new knowledge in a debate on which model of democracy is the best, drawing on key texts and examples.
Explore the machinery of government
In the second week, you’ll learn about key parts of government, including constitutions, the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. You’ll be recommended further reading, to bolster your learning and to prepare you for future study.
Learn more about the political economy, globalisation, and identity politics
In the latter stages of the course, you’ll zoom out to look at how politics affects the economy, enterprise, social capitalism, and globalisation. Debates here include whether students should pay for their own tuition.
The last week of the course focuses on the individual role in politics. You’ll look at class analysis, economic individualism and neoliberalism, and the impacts of economic individualism. The course will be rounded off with some more recommended further reading.
Syllabus
Week 1
Democracy
Welcome to Week 1
This activity introduces you to How Politics Works: From the Individual to an International Scale.
Conceptualising Democracy
This activity considers what is meant by the term 'democracy', and how it is practised in different ways around the world.
Classical and Protective Democracy
This activity goes into further detail about different types of democracy.
Developmental Democracy
This activity outlines third form of democracy that Heywood characterises: Developmental Democracy.
People's Democracy
In this activity, you will study People’s democracy which develops certain aspects of classical democracy and fuses them with a critique of bourgeois, capitalist society.
Weekly Wrap Up
Here you will find some additional resources to summarise the content of the week.
Week 2
Machinery of Government
Week 2 Introduction
This activity introduces you to the week.
Constitutions
In this activity, you learn about the first institution of contemporary governance: the constitution.
The Legislature
Explore the basic forms of democratic legislatures and the five functions they perform.
The Executive
This activity discusses the different features of political executives.
The Judiciary
In this activity, you will learn about the fourth and final machine of governance in contemporary democratic states: the judiciary.
Assessment
To help you prepare for this assessment you might wish to spend some time reviewing and revising.
Weekly Wrap Up
Here you will find some additional resources to summarise the content of the week.
Week 3
Political Economy and Globalisation
Political Economy and Globalisation
This activity introduces the week ahead and helps to develop key academic skills.
What is political about the economy?
Discover the fundamentals behind the study of political economy.
Enterprise and Social Capitalism
Enterprise and social capitalism are forms of political economy found in the United States of America and Europe.
Statist Responses
Further information about different forms of political economy.
Globalisation
How has globalisation disrupted the traditional models of political economy?
Weekly Wrap Up
Here you will find some additional resources to summarise the content of the week.
Week 4
Identity Politics
Identity Politics
This activity introduces the week ahead.
Class analysis
How do you understand 'class'?
Economic Individualism
Discover the factors that lead to a focus upon the individual instead of class.
Typologies of Individuals
This activity focuses on the elements of identity politics.
The Critique of Identity Politics
What are the key criticisms of identity politics?
Assessment
To help you prepare for this assessment you might wish to spend some time reviewing and revising.
Weekly Wrap Up
Here you will find some additional resources to summarise the content of the week.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Identify and assess different models of democracy
- Compare the relative merits of Parliamentary and presidential electoral systems
- Identify and assess different models of political economy
- Investigate and compare the merits of identity and class politics
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for students who have excellent high school grades or partial A-level equivalent qualifications. It gives undergraduates a flavour of studying politics at degree level, and helps mature students return to study.
If you want to deepen your understanding of this subject, you may also be interested in this course, from the same provider, that shares the same overall learning outcomes:
Who will you learn with?
Chris teaches Philosophy, Politics and Sociology on the International Foundation Programme at the University of Kent. His research is in the ethics of political resistance and the idea of truth.
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Choose the best way to learn for you! | $79/one-off payment | $244.99 for a whole year Automatically renews | Free |
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Access to this course | tick | tick | Access expires 4 Mar 2025 |
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Learn at your own pace | tick | tick | cross |
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Cancel for free anytime |
Ways to learn
Choose the best way to learn for you!
Subscribe & save
$244.99 for a whole year
Automatically renews
Develop skills to further your career
- Access to this course
- Access to 1,000+ courses
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Digital certificate when you're eligible
Cancel for free anytime
Buy this course
$79/one-off payment
Fulfill your current learning need
- Access to this course
- Learn at your own pace
- Discuss your learning in comments
- Tests to boost your learning
- Printed and digital certificate when you’re eligible
Limited access
Free
Sample the course materials
- Access expires 4 Mar 2025
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades) Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply. |
Find out more about certificates, Unlimited or buying a course (Upgrades)
Sale price available until 3 March 2025 at 23:59 (UTC). T&Cs apply.
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