Political Corruption (L2046)
30 credits, Level 6
Spring teaching
“Corruption is the single greatest obstacle to global economic and social development. It distorts the rule of law and weakens the institutional foundation on which economic growth depends” - the World Bank.
Though corruption is a central public concern today, it’s not a new one. For as long as humans have given authority to others, there’s always been the threat of power abuse.
On this module, you’ll explore the “dark side” of politics. You’ll analyse corruption in its various forms and contexts, developing tools to address:
- how definitions of corruption differ across nations
- if corruption is absolute and universal, or context-dependent
- if corruption can ever be a good thing.
You’ll study specific examples of corruption in the developed world, from systematic abuses of power to minor misdemeanours. This will give you a foundation for exploring potential reforms to reduce corruption.
Teaching
67%: Seminar
Assessment
Contact hours and workload
This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 33 hours of contact time and about 267 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.
We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We鈥檙e planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.
We鈥檒l make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.
Courses
This module is offered on the following courses: