Course syllabus

POLITICS 352: New Zealand Parties, Leaders and Elections  SEMESTER 2, 2019 15 points

Explanation - Arguably the most New Zealand thing in New Zealand politics

Lecturer: Lara Greaves - lara.greaves@auckland.ac.nz 201N (HSB/SSB) Room 5.39. My designated office hour is Friday 10am, but I'm also happy to talk directly after the lectures. Email me to try to make a time outside of this if you need to meet up with me.  

ANONYMOUS QUESTION & SUGGESTION BOX: https://auckland.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9StpwTPkrj09RRj

Course delivery format:

2 hour lecture/seminar (Thursday 2pm-4pm Architecture - West, Room 301)

1 hour lecture/seminar (Friday 11am-noon Social Sciences Building, formerly known as HSB, 201N, Room 370)

This class is quite small in size (and all 3 hours is recorded), so I have decided to move towards a more integrated lecture/seminar format (more like a postgrad course). There will be slides/it will be like a lecture, but there will be set discussion questions, set time to think/talk/ask questions about assignments, and  set times to talk about the ideas in the readings. There will be relatively more discussion in the Friday class. 

Summary of Course Description:         

An examination of New Zealand's political parties and the changing party system. Topics will include: the emergence of multi-party politics, candidate selection methods, parties and the media, voter turnout, referenda, political polling, campaigns, and changing patterns of electoral participation and support.

This is a course which will allow students to explore issues in contemporary New Zealand politics at varying levels - the level of the voter, party, and overall system. Upon successful completion of this course, you'll have gained the following (i.e. the course outcomes):

• An understanding of the NZ voter, the NZ party system, and the other forces, such as the electoral system, which shape NZ politics.
• An appreciation of the complexities of the role of Prime Minister/political leadership and how these have changed over time. 
• A sharper ability to critique current social and political issues. These judgments may inform our decisions as voters, as participants in the policy-making and policy-implementation processes, and more generally as citizens/residents.
• Various communication skills. These include skills in meme-making for a defined audience (Assignment 1), in integrating sources from a range of materials (Assignment 2), and in academic writing.

Assessment Summary:

To be submitted to CANVAS ONLY (no paper copy needed)

15% Meme Assignment due at the end of Week 4 (Friday 16th August 4pm; 500 words)

Make a meme, explain the joke, discuss who it is aimed at in terms of their party support, ideology, and demographics. 

20% Political Leadership Assignment due at the end of the second week of the break (Friday 13th September 4pm; 1,500 words)

Apply a theoretical framework of leadership to a NZ Prime Minister or another notable NZ political leader.

25% Traditional Essay due at the end of Week 10 (Friday 11th October 4pm; 2,000 words)

Write a traditional academic essay on one of many NZ politics topics.

40% 2-hour Exam (consists of 2 essays; you will be given the questions before the exam - *this has been changed due to an in-class vote - it is now 4 short answers and 1 essay*)

Weekly Topics:

Note that these are subject to change (in order, not topic).

Recommended Texts: I have not assigned or recommended any particular text. However, there will be a couple of readings each week that I will assume you have read. I have provided a fairly extensive Talis reading list (see Reading Lists tab) with commentary and further sources. 

Generally, please see the Politics Coursework Guide for general assignment guidelines.

Workload and deadlines for submission of coursework:           

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time.

In certain circumstances, such as illness, you may seek an extension but you may be required to provide supporting information before the assignment is due. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension will be penalised by loss of marks. Please email me (Lara) before the assignment due date/time and we can try to work out a suitable extension.

Late Policy (UPDATED): Assignments submitted late without a pre-agreed extension will be subject to penalty on the following sliding scale:
Assignments submitted up to two days late will lose 5 marks
Assignments submitted three to five days late will lose 10 marks
Assignments submitted six to ten days late will lose 25 marks
Assignments submitted more than ten days past the due submission date will not be accepted but contact your lecturer if you wish to be considered for an exception.