School of Slavonic and East European Studies SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT 2022–23
Page 1 of 2 SESS0017
SESS0017
Understanding Politics II: How Politics Works
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Instructions:
Define TWO concepts in Section A AND respond with shorts essays
to TWO questions in Section B.
Word limit: 2,000 words overall (see suggested word counts for
particular sections, which are guidelines).
NOTE: Extra credit will be awarded for including: a) material that did not
feature prominently in the lectures, including country cases beyond the
US and UK; and b) direct references to scholarly works to support claims
made, with appropriate referencing.
Feel free to refer to the definitions you provide in Section A in your essay
responses in Section B, rather than repeat content – but there is no
requirement to pick concepts and essay questions that align.
School of Slavonic and East European Studies SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT 2022–23
Page 2 of 2 SESS0017
Section A
Define, briefly dis
cuss, and illustrate TWO of the following concepts
(around 200 words each – recommended):
Anarchy Political regime Revolution
State capacity Democracy Institution
Party system Civil society Social cleavage
Section B
Answer TWO of the following nine questions with a short, separate
essay each (around 800 words each – recommended):
1. To what extent have the factors influencing state formation varied over
space and time
2. Is there a “crisis” of political participation in contemporary politics
3. Are presidential constitutions “perilous” for democracy
4. Why might some functions of parties be more important than others
5. Why are some legislatures more powerful than others
6. What (if anything) makes political science “scientific”
7. How do the functions of legislatures differ between democracies and
non-democracies
8. What role does political culture play in how politics works
9. How do we know whether a particular political regime is democratic or
not