The Politics & Economics of the Devolved UK

Overview

The first half of the module focuses on the politics of devolution in the UK and discusses the devolution of power to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in a multi-level perspective. It discusses the way power was devolved across the UK and how these settlements have changed over time, the policy impact of devolution, the politics of resources and identity that shape the party systems of the regions and nations of the UK, and the relations between the devolved ‘parts’ and the whole (Westminster and the UK government) and the challenges of intergovernmental relations in an asymmetrical union.

The second half of the module is concerned with the economic experience of devolution/decentralization in the UK, as well as the theoretical models developed by economists to discuss devolved political structures. It will include a survey of economic performance under devolution and a discussion of the relationship between devolution and new institutional economics.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the module, students will acquire knowledge and understanding of
- the political and economic dynamics of devolution in the UK, including the existence of long-running economic unevenness within the UK;
- the asymmetric nature of devolution;
- the opportunities devolution provides for policy transfer and learning across the devolved territories;
- its effects on the party systems of the devolved territories; an understanding of the UK as a union rather than a unitary state;
- the continuing challenges devolution presents to the governance of the UK;
- how the financing of devolution has operated in practice; and the extent to which devolution has affected economic performance in the ‘Celtic Fringe’.

Skills

Key intellectual skills relate to the managing and prioritization of knowledge; analytical and critical thinking and the ability to construct independent arguments. The professional and career development skills include: the ability to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing; to work with others in a team; to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences within the learning environment; the ability to identify and act upon ones own development needs; and to negotiate diverse and competing pressures in order to achieve an effective work-life balance. Technical and practical skills involve the ability to employ relevant ICT, while organizational skills involves working to deadlines; handling information efficiently; and employing evidence-based arguments.

Assessment

NONE