Corruption and Public Power (720M3B)
Corruption and Public Power
Module 720M3B
Module details for 2024/25.
15 credits
FHEQ Level 7 (Masters)
Module Outline
Corruption is often understood fundamentally as an abuse of public power for private gain. While the discipline is increasingly engaged with forms of corruption that are not strictly located in the public sector, the notion of public power remains central to our understanding of corruption and the impact it has on the integrity of the institutions that govern us.
We will explore what is meant by public power, and how the way in which this power is held, legitimised, and constrained affects how corruption manifests and the potential strategies for controlling it. We will discuss the changing nature of public power in contemporary governance frameworks, where there is not necessarily a clear dividing line between public and private, and how this also presents challenges for anti-corruption strategies.
We will study the constellations of power in a range of public institutions and institutional contexts and structure our exploration through engagement with the primary sources of public power: the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary and how these institutions are both potentially corruptible, but also a source of anti-corruption control. We will look at a range of public, semi-public, and private institutions that can serve to either corrupt or hold public power to account.
What you'll learn
• What is understood by public power and how it is held, legitimised, and constrained in different political systems.
• The corruption risks inherent in each of the branches of public power are identified and in their relationships with other forms of social and economic power.
• The role that public, semi-public, and private institutions play in both corrupting and controlling the corruption of public power by holding public officials accountable.
Module learning outcomes
Use suitable analytical tools to identify causes and to explain patterns of corruption in the public sphere, including major risk areas and weakness within the three branches of public power.
Critically evaluate legislative and regulatory initiatives to fight corruption in the public sphere.
Demonstrate understanding of ‘real world’ corruption problems in the public sphere by developing a case study on a specific corruption problem.
Demonstrate written analytical skills in the evaluation of key issues related to corruption in the public sphere.
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 100.00% | |
| Coursework components. Weighted as shown below. | ||
| Essay | A2 Week 2 | 70.00% |
| Media | T2 Week 7 (10 minutes) | 30.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring Semester | Seminar | 2 hours | 11111111111 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Dr Rebecca Dobson Phillips
Assess convenor, Convenor
/profiles/307972
Dr Hannah Richter
Assess convenor
/profiles/341320
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