Course overview
Politics affect you every day - the conditions you live and work under, your identity, your security, the values and fears you possess, and ultimately your expectations as a citizen and your place in the world. This course will provide an introduction to the Australian political system in its social and economic context. Students will also be introduced to relevant theoretical debates in a range of areas. Topics covered include: power, national identity, political parties, interest groups, the media, class, gender, race, ethnicity, technology, the impact of economic globalisation, political institutions, democracy and elections. The course will address the major forces that are influencing and shaping the Australian political environment. There is a particular emphasis on the applied and practical aspects of how and why government policies are brought into being as well as the social, political and economic factors that enable or constrain their introduction.
Course learning outcomes
- Critically analyse some of the key concepts in Australian political science.
- Participate in group discussions about contested concepts with confidence and with tolerance for other points of view.
- Evaluate subjective claims about Australian politics.
- Argue in written and oral formats about these claims using the basic terminology of social science.
- Navigate the large amounts of research material available in this subject through both traditional academic sources and through the use of information technology.
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The Student Contribution amount displayed below is for students commencing a new program from 2021 onwards. If you are continuing in a program you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, or are commencing an Honours degree relating to an undergraduate degree you commenced prior to 1 January 2021, you may be charged a different Student Contribution amount from the amount displayed below. Please check the Student Contribution bands for continuing students here. If you are an international student, or a domestic student studying in a full fee paying place, and are continuing study that you commenced in 2025 or earlier, your fees will be available here before enrolments open for 2026.