Why Study Politics?

Why Study Politics?

Why study Politics?

Studying Politics means studying the world around us and developing the skills to make sense of or interpret that world. Few academic subjects are as central to our everyday lives as Politics. Politics dominates or affects nearly all aspects of our lives regardless of our career paths. For example, political decisions have to be made to determine how we are educated, housed, cared for in hospital and kept secure from crime and violence. Consider some of the key questions in Political Science:

 Why do we have governments?
 Why do we need laws?
 How are political decisions made?
 What are the rights and obligations of citizens?
 Is there any need for social security/welfare support/grants?
 Should education be free or paid for?
 Is democracy the ‘least bad’ of all political systems?
 Why does (political) conflict occur, and how is it resolved?
 What type of world do we live in, and how can we understand it?

These and many other questions make the study of Politics relevant and incredibly interesting. In dealing with these questions, students of Political Science develop academic skills (analytical ability for a certainty!), personal management and teamwork skills which are invaluable in whatever career you choose. Therefore, the study of Politics will equip you well for the competitive job market.

What’s on offer in the first year?
There are two Political Science modules in the first year:

1) Politics 101: Introduction to Political Science
This module introduces students to basic ideas, concepts, institutions and processes in Political Science. It enables students to critique and apply political science concepts and issues to real life events that shape our understanding of political life. The second half of the module teaches students how to explore different forms of government as well as how to analyse and interpret political phenomena and events with particular reference to politics in Britain, India,...

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