Introduction to Politics and Government (11235.1)

Please note these are the 2026 details for this unit
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Introduction to Politics and Government
Available teaching periods Delivery mode Location
View teaching periods On-campus
Online real-time
 Bruce, Canberra
EFTSL Credit points Faculty
0.125 3 Faculty Of Business, Government & Law
Discipline Study level HECS Bands
Canberra School Of Politics, Economics And Society Level 1 - Undergraduate Introductory Unit Band 2 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021)
Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905)
This is an introductory unit providing students with an overview and understanding of the theory, institutions and processes of politics and government in Australia in an international context. The unit covers historical background, the Constitution, the High Court, federalism, political executives, parliament, political parties, corporate and business power, the media, national security and indigenous politics.

Learning outcomes

After successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
1. Identify the nature and significance of politics and government as human activities;
2. Apply concepts and theories in the study of politics and government to the analysis of political ideas, events, institutions and practices, relative to the historical and contemporary context;
3. Assess how politics is mediated and evaluate different interpretations of political issues and events;
4. Utilise knowledge creatively to construct a reasoned argument, identify conclusions and communicate these persuasively orally and in writing; and
5. Collaborate with others to achieve common goals through problem based group work.


Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
2. UC graduates are global citizens - adopt an informed and balanced approach across professional and international boundaries
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - be self-aware
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development


Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

None.

Equivalent units

None.

Assumed knowledge

None.
Availability for enrolment in 2026 is subject to change and may not be confirmed until closer to the teaching start date.
Year Location Teaching period Teaching start date Delivery mode Unit convener
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 On-campus Dr Max Halupka
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 03 February 2025 Online real-time Dr Max Halupka
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 On-campus Dr Mary Walsh
2025 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 28 July 2025 Online real-time Dr Mary Walsh
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 Online real-time Dr Max Halupka
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 1 16 February 2026 On-campus Dr Max Halupka
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 On-campus Dr Max Halupka
2026 Bruce, Canberra Semester 2 10 August 2026 Online real-time Dr Max Halupka
The information provided should be used as a guide only. Timetables may not be finalised until week 2 of the teaching period and are subject to change. Search for the unit timetable.

Required texts

Evans, M., Dunleavy, P., & Phillimore, J. (2024). Australia's Evolving Democracy: A New Democratic Audit.

Free download here: https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/95806

Submission of assessment items

Extensions & Late submissions

All assessment items must be submitted via the drop boxes set up on the Canvas site (in the modules week 7 for critical readings and week 12 for final research essay).

Special assessment requirements

n/a

Supplementary assessment

There is no supplementary assessment in this unit.

Students must apply academic integrity in their learning and research activities at UC. This includes submitting authentic and original work for assessments and properly acknowledging any sources used.

Academic integrity involves the ethical, honest and responsible use, creation and sharing of information. It is critical to the quality of higher education. Our academic integrity values are honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility and courage.

UC students have to complete the Academic Integrity Module annually to learn about academic integrity and to understand the consequences of academic integrity breaches (or academic misconduct).

UC uses various strategies and systems, including detection software, to identify potential breaches of academic integrity. Suspected breaches may be investigated, and action can be taken when misconduct is found to have occurred.

Information is provided in the Academic Integrity Policy, Academic Integrity Procedure, and University of Canberra (Student Conduct) Rules 2023. For further advice, visit Study Skills.

Learner engagement

Each three credit point unit assumes an overall 150 hours of student engagement over the semester. This includes listening to lectures, attending tutorials, reading, writing and engaging in research.

Inclusion and engagement

Students are encouraged to approach Inclusion and Engagement if they have any disability or medical condition that requires additional support to complete their assessments.

Participation requirements

Students are expected to attend lectures and participate in tutorials.

Required IT skills

Students must submit all work in the required electronic formats. All written work must contain references. The preferred referencing style is the Harvard method which requires in-text references and a reference list at the end of the essay. Referencing requirements will be provided in the week 5 lecture on assessment items in the unit.

In-unit costs

None.

Work placement, internships or practicums

None.

Additional information

Unit Outline: This unit outline is a formal document and it is the student's responsibility to read the document in its entirety. Students can avoid incorrectly submitting assessment items and other issues which may affect the student's grade simply by reading this document. If you have any questions about the unit outline, ask your unit convenor.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all lectures and most tutorials in this unit will be delivered remotely (on-line). There is an option to attend tutorials face to face on Thursday at 12.30 & 13.30 (at this stage, unless circumstances change). Please wear a mask for face to face teaching.

Where to Submit Assignments: All essays are to be submitted online via the unit Canvas site in Microsoft Word. Essays submitted elsewhere or in any other file format will not be considered as submitted and will attract a mark of zero.  Students are responsible for ensuring they have Canvas access during the semester. Inability to access the internet will not be considered as grounds for an extension.   

By submitting assignments to the Canvas site, students are making the following declaration:

I certify that:

  • the attached assignment is my own work and no part of this work has been written for me by any other person except where such collaboration has been authorised by the lecturer/s concerned;
  • material drawn from other sources has been fully acknowledged as to author/creator, source and other bibliographic details according to unit-specific requirements for referencing; and
  • no part of this work has been submitted for assessment in any other unit in this or another Faculty except where authorised by the lecturer/s concerned.

Writing style: All written assignments are to be written in full prose, that is, full sentences using the generally-accepted academic essay format.

Referencing: All words taken from any source must be presented within quotation marks and acknowledged with a reference using the harvard style of referencing. All written assignments are to include a reference list at the end of the assignment. A reference list is a list of the references actually cited in the essay, presented in alphabetical order by author surname. Dot points or numbered reference lists are not acceptable. Failure to follow this convention will result in a lower mark for the relevant assessment item.

DO NOT use lecture notes or tutorial discussions as references for assessment items – you must undertake your own study and reference the main source. Use of lecture and tutorial discussions as references is unacceptable and may contribute to a lower mark for the relevant assessment item.

Students are expected to look for material which is additional to the readings on Canvas in preparing their assessment items, and over-reliance on one reading or the Internet for sources may reduce the marks awarded.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment criteria are outlined in lectures, tutorials, online discussions and on the unit website.  Additional information relating to assessment is outlined below:

Grade Descriptors

High Distinction: Work of outstanding quality on the learning outcomes of the unit, which may be demonstrated in areas such as criticism, logical argument, and interpretation of materials or use of methodology. This grade may also be given to recognise particular originality or creativity, provided the work follows academic conventions and is of a high academic standard.

Distinction: Work of very good quality on the learning outcomes of the unit, demonstrating a sound grasp of content, together with efficient organisation and selectivity.

Credit: Work of good quality showing more than satisfactory achievement on the learning outcomes of the unit, or work of very good quality on some of the learning outcomes of the unit.

Pass: Work shows a satisfactory achievement of the learning outcomes of the unit.

Fail:      Work showing an unsatisfactory achievement of one or more learning outcomes of the unit.

Additional Criteria

In addition to the above, criteria used to assess your work will include:

  • Evidence of reading relevant material, including different points of view.
  • Evidence of understanding the essay question.
  • Discussion and critical analysis of relevant concepts, theories and issues.
  • Logical arrangement of material relevant to the question asked, reflecting understanding of the issues and the relationships between elements of the unit.
  • Use of relevant facts or empirical information to develop and substantiate critical analysis and argument.
  • Clarity and correctness of writing (for example grammar, punctuation including use of capital letters and spelling).
  • Proper referencing, acknowledgement and citation of sources - you must use a recognised Author/Date system of referencing. A list of references actually cited in the essay is required, presented in alphabetical order by author surname. Do not number or bullet-point the reference list.

Moderation Procedures

All written assignments are independently moderated in this unit. When a mark or grade is awarded that places the student in jeopardy of a Fail in the whole unit, more than one member of academic staff will be involved in the decision.

Obtaining Advice on Assignments:

Advice on written assignments can be obtained from Academic staff for specific advice on structure and content – do not expect the lecturer or tutors to read a draft of your essay. Students are strongly encouraged to use the Academic Skills Centre, or the UC Library for additional assistance (details are provided on the University website and in the unit Canvas site).

Announcements on Canvas:

Announcements made on Canvas are deemed to be made to the whole group. The lecturer and tutors will not provide individual notices or materials to students who have failed to attend scheduled classes or read discussion forums. Such information may be available on the unit website, but ultimately it is the student's responsibility to attend tutorials or keep abreast of material provided online.

Late Assignments and Extensions Policy:

Late submissions of the essay will be penalised at the rate of 2 marks per day (5%), including weekends.

Unless appropriate documentary evidence is provided, marks will be deducted for late submissions of all assessment items. All requests for extensions must be made to the UNIT CONVENOR via email before the submission time and must include a scanned copy of the relevant documentation.

Sending an email to the UNIT CONVENOR just before the submission deadline does not constitute the granting of an extension. Extensions will only be considered if medical certificates, letters from counsellors or other appropriate documentation are submitted with the request. Generally, assignment extensions will not be accepted after the submission deadline.

Special consideration:

Students requiring special consideration are to contact the relevant authorities within the University well before the assessment submission deadline. Failure to follow the instructions presented in this unit outline or given during lectures, tutorials and/or online does not constitute grounds for special consideration.

Students should contact the unit convenor if they require special consideration due to COVID-19 for any assessment items.

Keep copies of your assignments: Students are to keep a separate copy of all assessment items that are submitted. This is the student's responsibility and failure to do so will not constitute grounds for reassessment in any circumstances.

Individual work and plagiarism: No tolerance: Work by students' suspected of containing plagiarised content will be submitted to the Associate Dean (Education) of the Faculty for immediate investigation. It is taken for granted that assessment items give evidence of background reading, intelligent criticism, keen observation and the development of a line of argument to support any particular stance adopted.  It is also assumed that, unless explicitly stated otherwise, each assignment is entirely the work of the individual submitting it and is produced specifically for the unit AND the relevant semester in question. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any item of assessment found to contain plagiarism by the Associate Dean (Education) may attract a sanction including a fail grade for the assessment item or the whole unit.

Good scholarship necessarily requires building on and borrowing from the work of others but this use must be acknowledged.  Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values of respect for knowledge, scholarship and other scholars. Presenting another person's ideas or arguments by reproducing, paraphrasing, summarising or other altered forms without acknowledgement is plagiarism.  Plagiarism includes submitting work prepared by another author, including another student, as your own and includes the use of an essay you have previously submitted for another unit or a previous attempt at this unit.

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