This module provides a broad introduction to the institutional context of contemporary government and politics in Wales, contextualising it within UK and European politics, as well as historically and sociologically. In addition to the impact of devolution on policy and broader governance, particular attention will be given to the dynamics of partisan competition in Wales.

Knowledge and Understanding:

·        Understand the system of government that has been established in Wales since 1999, and in particular the institutional features and practices of the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Government.

·        Comprehend the complex inter-relationship between the Welsh and UK level of government, as well as the interaction between Wales and the European Union.

·        Understand the dynamics that drive partisan competition and voting behaviour in contemporary Wales.

·        Comprehend the main policy developments in Wales since devolution.

·        Lectures and seminars

Students are also strongly encouraged to attend Wales Governance Centre events during the course of the semester.

Intellectual Skills:

·        Critically assess the constitutional design and current practices of the institutions of government established in Wales since 1999 as a result of the devolution process.

·        Critically assess the direction of policy development in Wales since devolution.

·        Critically assess the relationship between politics at the devolved, Welsh level with politics the central, UK level, as well as the particular Wales-focused features of UK level institutions (the Wales Office, the Welsh Affairs Select Committee etc)

·        Critically assess the inter-relationship between Wales as a ‘European region’ and the institutions of the European Union.

·        In all of this, developing the ability to locate Wales within a broader comparative framework of both practice and scholarship.

Transferable Skills:

·        Comparative analysis of evidence and arguments.

·        Logical development of arguments.

·        Application of theory to practical issues.

·        Oral communication, presentation and defence of arguments.

Assessment is by:

·        One 2000 word essay worth 50% of final mark

·        One 1.5-hour exam, answering two questions from six, worth 50% of final mark

There is no single book that covers the full range of material discussed in this module but the following covers much of it:

• Richard Wyn Jones & Roger Scully, Wales says Yes: Devolution and the 2011 Welsh Referendum (University of Wales Press, 2012)

For a VERY general overview you might also want to read:

• Roger Scully & Richard Wyn Jones, ‘Territorial Politics in Post-devolution Britain,’ in R. Hefferman, P. Cowley and C. Hay (eds), Developments in British Politics 9 (Palgrave, 2011), 113-129

To ensure a good general base of historical knowledge I suggest that you read either:

• Kenneth O. Morgan, Rebirth of a Nation: A History of Modern Wales (various editions)

or,

• John Davies, A History of Wales (various edition)

The best book so far on devolution in general is:

·         James Mitchell, Devolution in the UK (Manchester University Press, 2009)