Unit name | Political Corruption |
---|---|
Unit code | POLIM0032 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | M/7 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Mircea Popa |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
Students will be unable to take this Unit if they have already taken the equivalent H level unit POLI30022 |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies |
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
PLEASE NOTE – this unit is only available for students registered on MSci Politics with Quantitative Research Methods or MSci Sociology with Quantitative Research Methods.
Corruption is at the centre of the political debate in countries across the world. This unit aims to expose students to recent and highly influential literature on corruption from Politics and related disciplines. Some of the main questions being asked include: Why are some countries more corrupt than others? How can we measure corruption? What is the connection between corruption and related phenomena such as clientelism and rent-seeking? Is corruption bad for economic development? How can we control corruption?
In tackling these questions we will use a range of sources including recent academic papers, classic books in the field, and reliable journalistic accounts. Students will be expected to independently research corruption allegations and evidence from a country of their choosing (including the UK), and to connect this to the academic literature we discuss.
The unit aims are:
On successful completion of the unit, students will be able to:
Lecture: 1 hour per week
Seminar: 2 hours per week
1. 1000 word formative research proposal (0%)
2. 3000 word summative research report (100%)
Both assessments test all learning outcomes.
Rose-Ackerman, S. and Palifka, B.J., 2016. Corruption and Government: Causes, Consequences, and Reform. Cambridge University Press.
Hoffman, D., 2011. The Oligarchs: Wealth and Power in the New Russia. PublicAffairs.
Acemoglu, D. and Robinson, J., 2012. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. Crown Business.
Treisman, D., 2000. The Causes of Corruption: A Cross-national Study. Journal of Public Economics, 76(3), pp.399-457.
Eggers, A.C. and Hainmueller, J., 2009. MPs For Sale? Returns to Office in Postwar British Politics. American Political Science Review, 103(04), pp.513-533.
Svensson, J., 2005. Eight Questions About Corruption. The Journal of Economic Perspectives, 19(3), pp.19-42.