Course coordinator
Dr Nicholas Heron
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Politic Sc & Internat Studies
The course examines the economic importance of politics in Australia and elsewhere. Literature on the institutional determinants of economic performance will be presented in the context of the key institutions of economic policy advice and key economic policy debates. Students will be provided with an empirical background that will allow evaluation of conflicts over economic management and industrial restructuring and 'new' forms of decision making, as well as associated conceptual controversies in political economy and state theory.
This course studies the evolution of liberal-capitalist economies over the past century and how they are governed through a combination of markets and state activity. Specifically, the course charts the rise in influence of neoliberal thought and studies its consequences. It examines the historical backdrop to the emergence of this school of thought, analyses its recent dominance, surveys the problems it has generated and outlines some major challenges to it. Finally, it asks whether neoliberalism remains the dominant paradigm in contemporary economic governance. Broadly speaking, the course is framed around a basic question regarding the extent of government intervention in the economy.
Course requirements
Assumed background
This course does NOT assume that you have any previous knowledge of economics.ﾠEconomic concepts will be introduced, gently and without fuss,ﾠprogressively throughout the course.
Recommended prerequisites
We recommend completing the following courses before enrolling in this one:
2 units POLS-coded course
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
GT261
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Nicholas Heron
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
The course consists of 12 lectures (commencing in Week 1) and 8 tutorials (commencing in week 2 and finishing in week 10).
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to help students better understand how mainstream economists think and how they advise governments and other organisations involved in public policy and broader governance issues.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand the concepts and debates of economics and mainstream economic analysis as applied to governance and public policy
LO2.
Understand debates on the limitations of mainstream economics and the rationales for alternative policy viewpoints
LO3.
Apply ideas to contemporary issues
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tutorial/ Problem Set | Tutorial Exercises | 16% Each tutorial exercise = 2 marks |
Tutorial exercises commence in Week 2 31/07/2024 5:00 pm Tutorial exercises finish in Week 10 2/10/2024 5:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Essay plan (500 words) | 10% |
30/08/2024 2:00 pm |
| Essay/ Critique | Research Essay (2500 words) | 45% |
18/10/2024 2:00 pm |
| Performance | Oral Assessment (5 mins) | 29% |
4/11/2024 - |
Assessment details
Tutorial Exercises
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Tutorial/ Problem Set
- Weight
- 16% Each tutorial exercise = 2 marks
- Due date
Tutorial exercises commence in Week 2 31/07/2024 5:00 pm
Tutorial exercises finish in Week 10 2/10/2024 5:00 pm
Task description
Students are required to complete a worksheet prior to each tutorial (eight in total, each worth two marks). The worksheets consist of four reading comprehension questions and two speculative questions. The questions will be available on the Blackboard site. Answers to the reading comprehension questions should be short (one to two sentences in length) and should refer to a specific passage in the text. Answers to the speculative questions should be more expansive (a short paragraph). These questions will form the basis of tutorial discussions.
To be awarded the two marks for each tutorial, you must:
a) Upload your responses to Turnitin by the Wednesday (5pm) before the relevant Thursday tutorial.
b) Correctly answer at least two of the short answers and produce answers of appropriate length and quality to the longer questions.
c) Attend the tutorial and participate meaningfully in class discussion.
There will be no part marks, i.e. your mark each week will be either 2 or 0 (your score will be treated as a proxy for the quality of your participation).
Missed tutorials due to illness will be counted if a doctor’s certificate is provided. If you are unable to attend due to technical issues or other unavoidable circumstances, then you may submit a 500-word summary for the set reading, along with the worksheet. Please note that there will be a limit to the number of summaries that can be submitted in lieu of participation.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Essay plan (500 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
30/08/2024 2:00 pm
Task description
Produce a plan for the research essay (500 words maximum). The plan will observe a prescribed format (see the model essay plan located on Blackboard).
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Research Essay (2500 words)
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 45%
- Due date
18/10/2024 2:00 pm
Task description
Choose two thinkers from the course and compare/contrast how they construe the relationship between politics and the economy. The two thinkers can be chosen from anywhere in the course, but it is highly recommended that you either compare:
i) One thinker from Part 1 (Weeks 2-3) with one from Part 2 (Weeks 5-8)
ii) Two thinkers from Part 2 (Weeks 5-8)
iii) One thinker from Part 2 (Weeks (5-8) with one from Part 3 (Weeks 9-12).
It will be necessary to narrow the basis of your comparison to make the topic manageable. The essay plan is a preliminary step that will help to prepare for this aspect. Possible research topics will be included with the model essay plan on the Blackboard site.
This is a research essay, which means that you are required to engage with the primary texts of your two thinkers and to provide evidence for your claims from these writings. Secondary research will also be required to help situate the arguments and relevant scholarly debates.
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin.
In uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
When you successfully submit your assessment to Turnitin after previewing the uploaded document (to make sure that you have chosen the correct file), you should see the “Submission Complete!” message. After this, a downloadable Digital Receipt will display on your Assignment Dashboard. It is your responsibility to download the Digital Receipt as proof of submission. Turnitin will not send this receipt to you automatically.
If you don’t see the downloadable receipt on your assignment dashboard, you should regard your submission as unsuccessful.
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again, then email your course coordinator immediately.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Unless an extension is granted, penalties for late submission apply. Students are penalised 10% of the maximum possible mark allocated for the assessment item for every calendar day that an assessment item is late.
Marks will be deducted each day for up to 7 calendar days, at which point the submitted item will not receive any marks unless an extension has been approved. Each 24-hour block is triggered from the time the submission is due.
Oral Assessment (5 mins)
- Mode
- Oral
- Category
- Performance
- Weight
- 29%
- Due date
4/11/2024 -
Task description
Students will be allocated a time during the examination period to meet with the course coordinator. At the beginning of the oral assessment, the student will nominate two texts studied during the course and the course coordinator will pose the question to be answered.
The question will be in the following form: "What would the author of text A make of the arguments in text B?."
Students will formulate their response using a specific template. Following the presentation, two additional questions will be asked that will be intended to allow the student to amplify/clarify their answer and demonstrate their mastery of the texts. None of the questions will be intended to trick or intimidate.
At least one of the text’s authors must be different to those that were the topic of your research essay.
We will build presentation skills and confidence throughout the semester.
Note: presentations will be recorded (audio only).
Assessment tasks are intended to evaluate a student’s abilities, skills, and knowledge. Unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assessment instructions, assessments are to be completed without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT). Failure to comply with this direction may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Fail 1 - 19%</p> |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Fail 20 - 44%</p> |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: <p>Fail 45 – 49%</p> |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Pass 50 - 64 %</p> |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Credit 65 - 74 %</p> |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>Distinction 75 - 84 %</p> |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: <p>High Distinction 85 - 100 %</p> |
Additional course grading information
Grades will be awarded on the following basis:
- Failﾠ 1 - 19%
- Failﾠ 20 - 44%
- Failﾠ 45 – 49%
- Passﾠ 50 - 64 %
- Creditﾠ 65 - 74 %
- Distinctionﾠ 75 - 84 %
- High Distinctionﾠ 85 - 100 %
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Word Length Penalty
Unless otherwise indicated, in the case of written submissions with a specified word count, you are given a +10% leeway on the lower/upper word limit.
Students should note:
• The Author-date in-text referencing system will count toward the word length
• References in the Footnote referencing system will not count toward the word length. If you are using footnotes, any content included in footnotes beyond the specific text reference will count towards the word length.
Marking Criteria/Rubric
Marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Essay Guide
The School of Political Science and International Studies Essay Guide can be downloaded from the School’s Student Support webpage.
The Guide sets out guidelines you should follow in preparing written assignments.
Essay Writing Assistance
The School of Political Science and International Studies schedules regular “drop-in” sessions designed to provide one-on-one advice and assistance in essay planning and writing.
There is no need to make an appointment and you are encouraged to bring your essay with you.
The day and time of these sessions will be finalized at the beginning of each semester and published on the Student Support webpage.
Student Services
Student services offer a variety of short courses during the semester which will help you improve your study, research and writing skills and thus your academic performance in this course.
Library Resources
UQ Library offers training in software, assignment writing, research skills, and publishing and research management.
The University’s library holdings for Political Science and International Studies are primarily located in the Central Library.
There is a help desk in the Library. Students are also welcome to contact the BEL/HASS Librarians for assistance.
Email: librarians@library.uq.edu.au
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
1. Introduction |
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
2. The End of Laissez-Faire |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 1: Keynes |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
3. Between Laissez-Faire and Collectivism |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 2: Röpke |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
READING WEEK No lecture/tutorials this week (Ekka holiday) |
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
4. Spontaneous Order |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 3: Hayek |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
5. Limited Government |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 4: Friedman and Friedman |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
6. Human Capital |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 5: Becker |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
7. Public Choice |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 6: Buchanan |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
8. Nudge |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 7: Thaler and Sunstein |
|
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
9. Undoing Democracy |
Tutorial |
Tutorial 8: Brown |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
10. Inequality |
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
11. Financial Instability |
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Lecture |
12. Conclusion |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.