The main aim of the module is to develop an Advanced Level understanding of contemporary Welsh politics following the establishment of the National Assembly for Wales in 1999. The course will examine the institutional context within which devolution was established; the constitutional underpinnings of devolved governance; the internal operation of National Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government; the nature of partisan competition in post-devolution Wales; and the policy process in devolved Wales. In addition, the module will address the wider UK and European context of devolved governance and the interaction between the various levels of government. Finally, the module will facilitate the development of a critical understanding of the broader theoretical and conceptual issues associated with devolution to Wales.

By the end of the module, students will be able to:

·         Discuss the nature of territorial government in Wales prior to 1999 as well as the historical background and the evolution of efforts to achieve devolution since the late 1960s;

·         Critically assess and evaluate the political dispensation established by the 1998 Government of Wales Act;

·         Critically assess and evaluate the latest devolutionary dispensation established by the 2006 Government of Wales Act (both pre and post the 2011 referendum);

·         Develop an understanding of the structure and organisation the National Assembly and the Welsh Assembly government as well as the nature of partisan competition and the policy process in devolved Wales;

·         Contextualise developments in Welsh politics from a broader UK and European perspective, and understand the nature of relationships between the Welsh, UK and European levels of government; and,

·         Critically reflect on the wider theoretical and conceptual issues that arise from consideration of the Welsh case.

There will be a total of 11 seminars, all of which will last for 3 hours. Attendance is compulsory.

Seminars will be taught by the Module Convenor and/or Professor Roger Scully

In addition to the seminars there will a study trip to Edinburgh and a visit to the National Assembly for Wales.

Students will practise and develop the following skills

Intellectual (thinking) skills:

·         Critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship at the forefront of the field

·         Demonstrate a critical awareness of current problems and/or new issues,

·         Display a comprehensive knowledge of methodologies and research techniques applicable to research in the field,

·         Demonstrate and exercise independence of mind,

·         Reflect on experience of learning and adjust intellectual strategies accordingly

Professional Practical Skills:

·         Deal with, and effectively communicate, complex issues both systematically and creatively,

·         Demonstrate self-direction in tackling and solving problems,

·         Act independently in planning and implementing tasks,

·         Evaluate and integrate theory and practice in a wide range of issues

·         Take responsibility for continuing to develop their own knowledge and skills.

·         Operate effectively as a member of a group and take a leadership role where appropriate

Transferable Skills:

·         Communicate through comprehension, explanation and interaction in written and oral media.

·         Demonstrate self-direction and creativity in tacking and solving problems,

·         The exercise of independence, initiative and personal responsibility,

·         Adapt successfully to a changing environment,

·         Acquire and analyse information; evaluate its relevance and synthesise information in the context of new situations

The opportunity for reassessment in this module

Reassessment is by production of another essay (in the summer) on a different topic to that covered in the original submission. 

The seminars are arranged as follows:

Detailed reading suggestions are provided for each seminar. Except where noted, these readings should all be available from the University library or via the electronic resources available to all students. Any exceptions will be posted on Learning Central and/or distributed to students in advance.

All students should purchase copies of the following (not too expensive, paperback) book, which will be relevant for many seminars:

·         Richard Wyn Jones and Roger Scully (2012), Wales Says Yes: Devolution and the 2011 Referendum (Cardiff: University of Wales Press)

A number of other studies provide invaluable material for anyone seeking to understand Contemporary Welsh Politics, and all students should ensure that they have read them:

·         K. O. Morgan (1998), Rebirth of a Nation: A History of Modern Wales(Oxford: Oxford University Press). Very good on Wales’ pre-devolution political development.

·         James Mitchell (2009), Devolution in the UK (Manchester: Manchester University Press). Excellent on the background to contemporary devolution, and for understanding Welsh developments within a broader UK context.

·         Richard Rawlings (2003) Delineating Wales: Constitutional: Legal and Administrative Aspects of National Devolution (Cardiff: University of Wales Press). A monumental account of the early years of devolution from a leading constitutional lawyer. Excellent stuff – and lots of it!

Sadly, the Devolution Monitoring Reports of UCL’s Constitution Unit came to an end in 2009. But they remain an invaluable resource for the first decade of devolution. The reports for 2006-09 are at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/publications/devolution-monitoring-reports/index.html.

There are also many relevant articles in the journal Contemporary Wales (available from the University library, electronic and hard copy.)

TOP TIP: The Research Staff at the National Assembly maintain a bibliography of Welsh devolution. If you are struggling to find sources on a particular topic then it is certainly worth a look. Whilst not wholly comprehensive (and note also that some material cited in it is now very dated) it is still the most exhaustive bibliography available. See:

http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-assembly-publications-research/bus-assembly-publications-research-publications/bus-assembly-publications-bibliography.htm