Comparative Politics 1 POL1010

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Comparative Politics 1POL1010

• Revision Lecture
• Thursday 28th April 2005, 3-4pm

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Comparative Politics POL1010 Class Administration

• Bills last lecture will take place next week
  5th May 2005
• The exam timetable SHIPSS noticeboard
• Study Skills http//latis.ex.ac.uk/studyskills/se
  ction2.htm

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POL1010 Assessment

• 3 Essays 1500 word essays
• first essay not formally assessed
• second essay 15 of the final mark
• third essay 20 of the final mark
• Tutorial Presentations 15 of final mark based
  on the better of the two presentations given
• Exam 3 hour examination at end of the second
  semester 50 of the final mark

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Course Aims

• The course aims to give students
• a basic grounding in the main forms of government
  on the world focus mainly upon European
  (including the EU), US, Islamic and
  post-Communist systems
• the conceptual tools with which they can compare
  and contrast these different systems

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Revision What to Expect on Exam Day I

• Exam 3 hour examination at end of the second
  semester 50 of the final mark
• Each student should answer 4 questions in the 3
  hours
• Students can answer any 4 of the 12 questions
  i.e. there are no sections or compulsory
  questions

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Revision What to Expect on Exam Day I

• You have 45 minutes for each question
• Markers are NOT expecting to get 3 hours worth of
  writing
• Do not write for 45 minutes solid on each answer
• We are expecting answers that have been
  structured go for quality not quantity

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Revision What to Do on Exam Day

• SELECT YOUR TOPICS AT THE OUTSET
• PLAN THE ANSWER
• DEFINE TERMS
• ANSWER THE SPECIFIC QUESTION SET
• The Answer Itself an Essay Answer
• INTRODUCTION explain what you are going to do
  in your answer
• ARGUMENT MIDDLE
• CONCLUSION summarise your argument and answer
  to the question

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Revision In the Exam

• Do Not Attempt To Question Spot
• Revise More Than 4 Areas
• Be Ready To Engage With The Question You Face On
  Exam Day I.E. Do Not Answer The Question You
  Might Like To Have Been Asked!
• Examiners Are Looking For An Answer To The
  Question Set

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Topics to Consider Semester 1

• SEMESTER 1
• The Comparative Method
• Democracy
• European Integration
• EU and the Democratic Deficit
• Unitary versus Federalism
• Political Cleavages in Western Europe

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Topics to Consider Semester 2

• SEMESTER 2
• Presidential Governments
• Anglo American Government
• Communism Chinese versus USSR
• Islam and Democracy
• Concept of Civil Society
• Transitions to Democracy