| CODE | LAS2016 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Lobbying and Campaigning | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | H - Higher Level | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 6 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This is a beginner’s Unit on the purpose, tactics and processes entailed in lobbying policy-making institutions or campaigning for a cause. The Unit is especially intended for activists and members of civil society associations. The Unit begins by examining the prominent place that lobbying and campaigning hold in contemporary policy-making. It explores the way lobbying, particularly, is regulated in democratic polities, as well as the ethical problems that are frequently associated with both lobbying and campaigning, including undue influence, corruption, insensitivity to other interests. The second part of the Unit focuses on the tactics and media that are applied in political lobbying and campaigning. Using case studies, the participants will analyse critical factors prompting success or failure, and draw lessons about good practice – legality, efficiency and effectiveness. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: - Understand the purpose of political lobbying and campaigning, as well as the processes, tactics and instruments that are used by political parties, pressure groups and professional lobbyists; - Identify the ethical issues that are associated with attempts to influence policy choices and policy-makers, explain their causes and likely consequences, assess their ethical correctness or impropriety; - Comment on case studies of lobbying and campaigning from the standpoints of legality, efficiency and effectiveness. 2. Skills: By the end of the Unit the student will be able to give thoughtful, well-informed appraisals of, or advice on, or actually plan a simple political campaign or lobbying strategy, including advice about the expected outcomes of the campaign or strategy, the orientation and instruments employed, the financial costs and sequencing of different stages, and the avoidance of ethical pitfalls. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Debono, F. 1999. The Constitutional Implications of Party Organisation and Finance. LLD Dissertation, University of Malta. - Ewing, K. (ed). The Funding of Political Parties: Europe and Beyond. Clueb. - Formosa, C. 2004. The Internet: A New Medium for Political Campaigning. Dissertation, University of Malta. - Gafa’, A. 2001. An Analysis of Campaign Strategies in Recent General Elections. Dissertation, University of Malta. - Greenwood, J. 2011. Interest Representation in the European Union. London: Palgrave Macmillan. - Hollingsworth, M. 1991. MPs for Hire: The Secret World of Political Lobbying. London: Bloomsbury. - Johnson, D. 2011. Campaigning in the Twenty-first Century: A Whole New Ballgame? Basingstoke: Routledge. - Joos, K. 2011. Lobbying in the New Europe. London: Wiley. - On the Campaign Trail: Political Resource Library (online – http://politicalresources.com). - Zetter, L. 2007. The Political Campaign Handbook: Lessons from the Front Line. Petersfield, Hampshire: Harriman House. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Seminar | |||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Mary Grace Vella |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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