Politics and International Relations

with a Year in Continental Europe

What makes political systems tick? How can we understand, assess and make sense of politics? This module introduces you to the empirical study of the key structures, institutions, processes, outcomes and behaviours in political systems. You’ll become familiar with the content and shape of political life, and how academic scholars study it. The module also introduces the data, methods and techniques that give you the tools to study politics. 

You’ll learn how to conduct basic political research to learn about political life. You’ll also build your capacity to explore political phenomena independently and be able to apply your skills to empirical evidence commonly found in policy reports and academic work.

What should a democracy look like? Can an unequal society be just? When is it legitimate to resist a government? By introducing you to debates regarding these foundational issues in political theory, this module will help you develop your knowledge of foundational ideas and thinkers. You'll also develop the ability to critically reflect upon, and construct arguments to defend, your own answers to crucial questions about the nature of politics.

Lectures introduce these ideas and provide opportunities for you to debate their significance. Workshops provide opportunities for you to become familiar with the reading, critically discuss its significance, and develop the writing skills required to successfully engage in arguments on political theory.

By the end of the module, you'll have developed knowledge of key concepts in political theory and gained experience of applying them in academic and non-academic contexts.

With all its complexity and variety, studying Politics and International Relations can appear a little daunting. Students develop the skills and knowledge needed for succeeding in their university studies and beyond. You will learn about the key historical influences upon contemporary political events, such as the origin and development of the State, the beginning and end of Empire, and the nature of world order, develop key skills for academic study and research by exploring these influences and begin to critically and pro-actively reflect upon their own development as an independent learner and researcher.

Why do states behave the way they do? How does state behaviour influence the dynamics of world politics? You're introduced to the answers given to these questions found in the discipline of International Relations (IR). You're given an overview of key theories, concepts and debates in IR through a discussion of topical issues and developments in global politics, with particular focus on the role and status of states as key actors. The IR theories introduced include (but are not necessarily limited to) liberalism and realism. Theories and concepts will be evaluated in consideration with empirical material drawn from contemporary international politics. The precise list of issues to be covered will vary from year to year depending on the global political landscape. An indicative list of potential topics includes: the legacies of the Cold War; the Covid-19 pandemic; conspiracy theories; counterterrorism; globalisation; empire; and the Russia-Ukraine war. The issues chosen will be studied from multiple perspectives, creating the space for students to progress in their knowledge of key concepts and explore the merits of leading IR theories.

Britain, like many other western democracies, has undergone significant political change in recent years. Traditional institutions have been questioned and challenged, territorial pressures have increased, patterns of citizen participation have changed and voters’ electoral choices and patterns of party support have shifted. These changes raise important questions about the nature and effectiveness of Britain’s political system and about the nature and role of citizens’ engagement with that system. You'll considers how we should understand the British political system in a period of change and will focus on the reasons for political change, the nature of those changes and their implications for effective policy-making and democracy. These issues are explored in relation to citizens’ place within the political system, the territorial balance of power within Britain and the operation and effectiveness of core political institutions. By focusing on changes in the political system and on the challenges posed to existing institutions and political practices, you'll ehnnce your analytical skills in evaluating some of the key ‘pressure points’ facing contemporary democracies.

Violence is at the heart of war, while peace is often defined as the absence of violence. Students are introduced to these three crucial aspects of international relations and conflict and how they are inter-related. Specifically, you'll be introduced to a) the conceptual distinctions between war and violence and how to define peace and b) the methods and skills needed to study war, violence and peace. You'll use case studies and negotiation simulations to help students engage directly and better grasp how states go from peace to war and back to peace. You will emerge with knowledge of the central theories and concepts of war and peace studies and with an initial set of skills (negotiation and mediation) which can be used to further understand international politics but also in their personal relationships with others.

What does doing politics with words mean? Politics is about power, which is constructed through language and discourse. In this module, we critically interrogate how political actors construct language, the motives behind these discursive constructions and the political realities and possibilities they create. We look at the hidden meanings behind words and language and challenge you to think critically about who is saying them, in what contexts they are being said and for what purposes.

You’ll learn to apply various qualitative research methods and techniques such as interviews, focus groups, participant observation, and thematic and discourse analysis. The module enables you to read, interpret and critically assess arguments and data drawing on qualitative methods in political science and international relations. You’ll be introduced to the logic of empirical research in the social sciences, and to basic concepts and techniques of qualitative interpretive approaches. You’ll be able to apply your skills to empirical evidence commonly found in policy and academic work.

Global institutions and regimes have become increasingly important in a world facing problems that cross borders and require multilateral action. This module examines the institutions, norms, processes, actors, and consequences of global and regional governance across a range of issue areas. It further addresses a number of questions, including the extent to which cooperation is possible and multilateral governance effective, while examining the roles played by states, international organisations (such as the United Nations, or regional groupings such as the European Union or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other actors. Specific areas you may explore include security, human rights, the environment, and regional integration, amongst others. Building an understanding of these institutions is crucial is you want to launch your career at an NGO or similar organisation.

Research methods are – together with theoretical frameworks and empirical material – one of the three main pillars of the study of politics and international relations. This module unlocks the power of data analysis for students from a variety of educational backgrounds - no statistical knowledge is necessary. In our data-driven world, understanding numbers is crucial for political science and international relations. Doing Politics with Numbers teaches you how to sift through the noise, find the insights hidden within statistics, and uncover the real story behind the numbers often used in political science and international relations. It will introduce you to the principles of empirical social science research and equip you with foundational statistical techniques. You will gain the ability to confidently analyse the data driving policy decisions and academic research. Additionally, you will develop the skills to dissect complex arguments and see the bigger picture hidden within the numbers.

Explore the politics of the global climate crisis at the international, national and local level. Whether it is global climate change governance, national or local climate adaptation policy making and plans, or individual attitudes and behaviour, we need to understand what motivates actors and how a combination of motivations and structure translate into climate action in various contexts and societies. You'll gain the tools to explain the politics of the global climate crisis at the international, national and local level. You'll draw from a variety of debates from political science, international relations, human geography and urban studies. In addition to an overview of key policy documents driving the discourse, you'll explore interdisciplinary theorisations across the social and natural sciences that help rethink the arguments in renewed ways. This includes the critical role of cities and an understanding of how key concepts such as the Anthropocene and adaptation and mitigation shape the global climate emergency agenda. 

Why did a diverse group of states embark on a process that has led to the world’s most extensive example of international integration, the European Union? Since its inception the European Union has grappled with changes in global politics as well as economic and political challenges, many of these multiplying in recent years. There has never been a more important and interesting time to learn about the EU and its politics. You'll learn and understand how the European Union has reached where it is today, how its political system works, how it makes policy, its strengths and weaknesses and how it has been driven by the politics and economics of its member states as well as its place in the international system. In exploring these elements, you'll develop your own answers to the questions of why states pursue cooperation and integration at the European level and what the EU’s future might be.

What is democracy? How can it be measured? Is populism a threat to democracy? Is democracy likely to survive? You'll consider these questions by first exploring the nature of democracy as a form of government and reviewing the way it has been conceptualised and measured across countries and over time. Review how and why some countries have become democratic while other have not and what factors can explain variation between countries. Assess to what extent democracy is under threat, the nature of threats such as populism, their roots and how they could be countered. Conclude by trying to predict its likely trajectory in the foreseeable future. You'll gain an analysis of the past, present,and future of democracy and its significance in contemporary politics.

With the world's largest economy and most powerful armed forces, the United States sets the world stage. Yet, according to many critics, the US’s own political system is in crisis and turmoil, polarised on hot-button culture issues but also witnessing an attack on democracy itself by an ex-president and his loyal acolytes. Trump challenged both our notions of who could be elected to the most powerful job and our long-established theories about how the US government can and should work and Biden has struggled to make significant legislative reforms in the face of implacable Republican opposition in Congress.

The US, like many other nations, faces serious public policy questions on the economy, health, energy, education, guns, crime, poverty and immigration, among others, but can its seemingly dysfunctional political system rise to the challenge? You'll take a critical look at US politics and formulate your own answer to this and other questions through this comprehensive introduction to the politics and government of the United States.

How should the relationship between economic forces and world politics be understood? This module explores change and continuity in the world economy and gives you the tools to understand the nature of the link between economics and international relations. Through the lens of political economy, which pertains to the complex relationships between society, the state and the market, you'll debate and analyse the economic dimensions of contemporary international relations.

Major themes of the module include: governance; globalisation; institutions; interdependence; power; conflict; cooperation; hegemony; and crisis. Specific content may shift year-to-year depending on current events, possibly covering: trade; development; poverty; global health; the financial sector; foreign investment; hunger; the energy sector; climate change; and the relationship between political economy and conflict. Across these topics, you will critically examine the interests, relationships and conflicts of individual actors in the global political economy. This allows you to better to economic issues on a national stage into an international context, so you are better able to asses situations with all of the contributing factors to them, giving you the insight to find solutions.

What dynamics shape foreign policy, and how does foreign policy shape international relations? You’ll examine the foreign policies of nation-states and in doing so learn how to study foreign policy in a rapidly changing international environment. Investigate the dynamics of foreign policymaking in the context of major events and crises in international politics. Specific case studies will vary from year to year, but are likely to cover issues of diplomacy, war and security, economic competition, and institutional cooperation.

You'll gain insight into the complex relationship between the analysis and practice of foreign policy. Cases are explored via different international actors (including states but also examining the role of specific leaders), the foreign policy environments they inhabit (internal and external, structural and institutional), and the motivations that inform policymakers’ actions and interactions. You’ll compare and contrast different theories, enabling you to critically assess your advantages and weaknesses by applying them to real world examples. This application of your knowledge and skills demonstrates to employers that you are able to take complex theory and put it into practice, a valuable skill in a fast paced, ever changing international landscape.

What does the modern state look like? How has the legitimacy of the state, as an institution, been justified in the history of political thought? How have ideas shaped and influenced revolutionary movements? How have revolutions in turn shaped the thinking of those who lived through them? When are revolutions ever justified?

By critically analysing the key thinkers and texts in the history of political thought, you’ll gain the key tools needed to think through two of the most important forces that have shaped modern politics: the rise of the state, and the revolutions that followed it. This allows you to better understand the process that has led to the nation states of today, and explore the question as to what will happen next, will revolutions and their ideals 'wither away'? Or is there another stage to come?

Designing and executing long term projects is a crucial skill that will allow students to thrive once they leave university, or in further study. You'll be guided through the development and planning of a long-term research project on a specialist interest of your choice from within the field of Politics and International Relations. You will be introduced to the principles of research design needed for a large-scale piece of independent research. You'll develop the sensibilities and skills required for independently identifying and responding to important problems in the discipline and for articulating a clear and convincing plan for solving them in your project. Three types of project are available for you to pursue: a research dissertation, a policy paper and a documented civic engagement. Each type of project embraces the same skillset to differing degrees: planning and undertaking research, evaluating and making recommendations, and assessing impact. The overlapping themes and demands of these projects will be introduced in whole class lectures, workshops will facilitate your development of their projects and individual and group supervision will enable you to work closely with a staff member on your project. At the end of the module, you will have developed a body of material and an outline to support the presentation and writing of your project. This project is the showcase of all of your development throughout your time at Kent and is a great example of you dedication, knowledge and skills to show employers.

Negotiations are essential in building and sustaining international cooperation and peace. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of negotiation concepts and the practical skills essential for effective negotiation in professional and personal contexts. Through a combination of theoretical insights, case studies, and interactive exercises, you'll explore key negotiation theories, strategies and techniques. These include bargaining strategies, power dynamics, communication skills, and ethical considerations.

You'll engage in simulated negotiation scenarios to apply theoretical concepts in practice, honing your negotiation skills and developing your ability to analyse and navigate complex negotiation situations. By the end of the module, you'll have gained valuable insights into negotiation theory and acquired practical negotiation skills that are applicable across a wide range of fields and industries.

How should the relationship between economic forces and world politics be understood? This module explores change and continuity in the world economy and gives you the tools to understand the nature of the link between economics and international relations. Through the lens of political economy, which pertains to the complex relationships between society, the state and the market, you'll debate and analyse the economic dimensions of contemporary international relations.

Major themes of the module include: governance; globalisation; institutions; interdependence; power; conflict; cooperation; hegemony; and crisis. Specific content may shift year-to-year depending on current events, possibly covering: trade; development; poverty; global health; the financial sector; foreign investment; hunger; the energy sector; climate change; and the relationship between political economy and conflict. Across these topics, you will critically examine the interests, relationships and conflicts of individual actors in the global political economy. This allows you to better to economic issues on a national stage into an international context, so you are better able to asses situations with all of the contributing factors to them, giving you the insight to find solutions.

Many of the political ideas we take to be the most important were developed in early modern, or even ancient periods. Can concepts like democracy, liberty and justice help us understand the distinct political problems posed by issues such as global warming, artificial intelligence, or decolonisation?

You’re introduced to a range of cutting edge issues within political theory, and your ability to use theory to respond to pressing political issues is developed. You’ll explore how political theorists are conceptualising contemporary political questions and shaping the way that we are responding to them. In doing so you will gain knowledge of contemporary political thought and develop your ability to understand how theorists make sense of rapidly changing circumstances in politics. You’ll become familiar with advanced work at the forefront of the discipline of political theory, while being encouraged to consider how these ideas might be applied and communicated in non-academic contexts. This development of critical insight and the knowledge on how to apply it is crucial as you step into a career focused on finding solutions to contemporary problems.

Advanced democracies face a range of policy challenges that need to be dealt with to ensure prosperity, sustainability, civic engagement and the effective operation of the political system. Analyse the current policy challenges facing Britain, and explore what solutions might be implemented to address these challenges.

You’ll consider a range of different pressure-points facing the country, which might include issues around territorial governance (eg. the integrity of the UK; the UK’s place in the international system), complex policy issues (eg. environmental protection; economic fairness) and patterns of citizen behaviour (eg. levels of political engagement). For each pressure-point, you’ll explore the nature of the policy challenge, identifying potential policy solutions and assessing the costs and benefits associated with these solutions. Through coverage and assessment, you’ll enhance your ability to identify, analyse and solve complex policy problems facing British politics today.

In democratic systems, policy decisions are supposed to reflect citizens’ opinions or preferences. The nature of public beliefs is thus a central concern of policy-makers and a focus for political analysis. Yet what are citizen opinions and how are they formed? The democratic ideal sees expressions of public opinion as reflecting citizens’ true preferences and a ‘rational’ processing of information. Yet people’s opinions may not meet these ideals. Instead, individual opinions may be shaped by a range of external influences, and information may be interpreted in a selective and one-sided manner.

If so, this raises questions about whether people’s opinions can be manipulated, and suggests the presence of biased beliefs and potentially of misinformation. Public debate in countries like Britain and the US shows many signs of belief manipulation, partisan biases and misinformation. You’ll explore why public discourse might suffer from these problems and what might be done to overcome them. In doing so, you’ll grow your understanding of the role of citizens in contemporary democratic systems, and enhance your evaluative and analytical skills.

Dictatorships are rising around the world. According to the Varieties of Democracy Institute, in 2022 just over one quarter of the world’s population were living in a full democracy, a number that has fallen dramatically in the 21st century. But what is dictatorship, autocracy, authoritarianism?

You will analyse the different forms that non-democratic rule takes and will examine the rise of these kinds of regimes and their leaders, as well as the support and the resistance of their citizens. Explore how dictatorships persist, why they fall, and the role of the international community. You’ll use case studies of dictatorship from China to Iraq, and draw on films, documentaries, books, and cutting-edge political science studies. With the rise of dictatorships, your understanding of them will help you work across the globe in politics or international relations, and your experience will be increasingly relevant and valuable to employers.

What does the future look like? Who is it for? What do emerging technologies, such as social media, artificial intelligence, and changes in working conditions mean for the future of political institutions?

Many texts of literature and political theory - from dystopia, to utopia - make claims about what the future will look like, even if speculatively. You’ll be introduced to recent developments in political theory, utopian and dystopian literature and science fiction which have made claims about the future, developing your ability to think critically about these claims, and allowing you to creatively consider how political thought might help us understand the relationship between the past, present and future of political events.

How does who we are influence how we understand and engage with politics? Is identity always political? Should political decision making take our identities into account? Evaluate contemporary debates about identity politics, and develop your own responses to these and other questions.

You will explore scholarly literature on identity politics as well as certain key texts from a range of approaches that explore the significance of identity with the field of Politics and International Relations. Bringing these together, you will then be able to assess how these traditions may inform contemporary debates about ‘who we think we are’ while also investigate ways in which we may think about ourselves at the limits of, or even outside of, those traditions.

You will be encouraged to apply this material in two ways: as a framework for reflecting upon your own identity and as a way of critically understanding how or if we should judge the identity of others. You’ll develop your knowledge of identity politics and the relationship between them with a view to being able to apply these to your own sense of identity in relation to other people. This makes you a far better communicator across issues where identity is key, allowing you to help bring new solutions to these problems and drive positive change.

How can we understand the Middle East? Why have states in the region experienced conflict and instability? Should the solution to violence come from outside the region, or can problems only be resolved from the inside? You’ll answer these questions through understanding of the societies, cultures, spaces and political systems of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with their diversity, histories and complexities.

You’ll explore different themes related to MENA politics, using different states and societies from the region as case studies. Gain insights into the root causes of conflicts; the persistence of authoritarian regimes; the rise of youth protest movements; tradition versus modernity; and urbanism versus periphery. An interdisciplinary approach is applied to the study of the region, bringing in insights and methods from politics, geography and anthropology. You’ll take a comparative approach, placing the MENA region in a broader context and applying lessons from other parts of the world to better understand the region. Your ability to study the region and put it in the context of the rest of the world and across different disciplines and approaches demonstrates to employers that you are able to make critical insights to a wide range of issues and offer new insights and solutions to enduring problems and questions.

The Indo-Pacific is arguably the world’s most economically and politically dynamic region. But despite nuclear, territorial, and historical tensions, growing superpower competition, and cross-border threats from crime to the environment, the region has remained relatively peaceful and stable since 1945.

You'll seek to understand the most urgent security issues in the Indo-Pacific region and develop the knowledge and skills to provide nuanced and concise policy advice on them. You’ll begin by exploring the puzzle of the region’s stability by practically applying lessons from international relations theories and analyse what rising US-China competition means for regional states and the future of the region. Move on to analyse three key security challenges in the region in depth: the risk of war over the Taiwan Straits; nuclear proliferation on the Korean peninsula; and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. You’ll develop skills delivering policy advice about these challenges through group exercises about hypothetical and real-life crises, as well as developing your own written policy memos and briefings. This experience helps you demonstrate to a wide range of employers that you not only have knowledge of international relations, but that you also have the skills to apply that knowledge and find solutions to emerging problems.