Studying at York
The European Far Right - POL00044H
Module will run
| Occurrence | Teaching period |
|---|---|
| A | Semester 2 2024-25 |
Module aims
One of the key developments in contemporary European politics is the emergence and persistence of far right parties whose ideology and agenda seeks to profoundly challenge the political system. Structural changes to European democracies, including the transfer of the locus of power and decision-making away from the nation state to international organisations, such as the European Union, have brought about tremendous changes in traditional representative politics and, by extension, in the predominant belief systems of European citizens. Far right politics are a symptom of a general feeling of malaise, political dissatisfaction with mainstream political parties, fear of globalisation, weakening electoral alignments, increased anti-government sentiment, and protest. This course aims to provide students with a systematic introduction to key academic debates and empirical realities in the comparative analysis of far right politics in Europe. To do so, it will develop comparisons across a range of countries in both long-established Western democracies and some newer democracies in Central and Eastern Europe, for example, among others, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Greece, and Hungary.
Module learning outcomes
By completing this module, students will:
- Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of fundamental theories related to far right politics;
- Evaluate and assess issues relating to the ideology, policy positions, electoral campaigning of far right parties;
- Critically assess different models of voting for the far right in European countries such as Britain, Switzerland and the Netherlands;
- Analyse the dynamics of electoral behaviour and party competition, particularly juxtaposing Eastern and Western European countries;
- Explore and assess the broader implications of far right politics for democratic politics in contemporary Europe.
This module will also equip students with a range of key transferable skills, including the ability to:
- Apply independently theoretical knowledge to a number of European cases in both long-established Western democracies and newer democracies in Central and Eastern Europe;
- Construct well-rounded and balanced arguments;
- Critically assess what type of information is needed in order to construct an argument;
- Show independent research skills and evaluate the appropriateness of different research methods in the study of far right politics;
- Write essays that reflect a critical engagement with the literature and the empirical evidence;
- Work individually and as part of a team;
- Improve their communication skills by participating in class discussions.
Module content
Likely structure to include:
1 Intro
2 The state of the far right in Europe
3 The demand and supply framework
4 Far right party ideological principles
5 Far right party policy positions
6 Far right party campaigning
7 Far right voter 1
8 Far right voter 2
9 Party Competition
10 Beyond Europe
Indicative assessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Special assessment rules
None
Indicative reassessment
| Task | % of module mark |
|---|---|
| Essay/coursework | 100 |
Module feedback
Students will receive written timely feedback on their formative assessment. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s feedback and guidance hours.
Students will receive written feedback on their summative assessment no later than 25 working days; and the module tutor will hold a specific session to discuss feedback, which students can also opt to attend. They will also have the opportunity to discuss their feedback during the module tutor’s regular feedback and guidance hours.
Indicative reading
Art, D. (2011) Inside the Radical Right: The Development of Anti-Immigrant Parties in Western Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Hainsworth, P. (2008) The extreme right in Western Europe, London: Routledge
Mudde, C. (2007) Populist radical right parties in Europe, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Norris, P. (2005) Radical right: voters and parties in the electoral market, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Mudde, C. (2019) The far right today. Cambridge: Polity.