| Case Study | A tutorial discussion of the characteristics of Green parties in Western Europe and the main reasons for their emergence | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Activity | Group discussion with prior material preparation | |
| Skills Developed | Development of analytical skills | |
| Context | Module | West European Politics |
| Level | 5 | |
| Number of Students | 50 students (12 per tutorial group) | |
In the previous tutorial students are given a set of instructions for the following week. They are asked to
write an election manifesto for a Green Party in an imaginary West European country.
This requires defining the main characteristics of that country such as the type of electoral system,
the type of government, the nature of the party system and any other variables they feel are relevant,
including the name of their imaginary country.
They must bring a printed copy of their manifesto to the next class.
Each student provides the group with a quick summary of the characteristics of their imaginary country's
political system and their Green Party and runs through the key points of their Green Party's manifesto.
The tutor uses a flip chart to pick up the key ideas from the different manifestos and makes a special
note on the characteristics of the students' chosen political systems.
This enables comparisons to be made. For example, it becomes clear that those who chose a PR
electoral system for their political system will have a Green Party with a stronger presence in the
legislature than those who chose a more majoritarian electoral system.
The tutor then introduces Strom and Muller's concept of the typologies of political parties. The students
are divided into groups of three or four and asked to decide which of their own examples could be
classified as a vote-seeking, influence-seeking, office-seeking and policy-seeking party. Following the
discussion of this typology in small groups, the students report back to the class. The tutor summarises
the key characteristics of these types of parties.
This exercise helps students to fully engage with the topic of Green parties. They learn to link features
that seem very small or insignificant to the wider characteristics of the political system. They develop an
understanding of how the type of electoral system can affect the number of parties present in the
legislature and therefore the strength of Green parties. Writing their own manifestos helps the students to
appreciate the differences that exist within Green parties across Western Europe.
The exercise also has a clear theoretical link. By applying the Strom and Muller typology to their own
Green Party the students develop a greater understanding of the key concepts involved and are more
likely to retain this understanding after the tutorial.
This activity could be easily applied to other subject areas.
Tutorial Handout: This provides instructions for the task and lists some of the key variables students may
wish to consider when creating their own Green Party.
Example of a manifesto produced by a student.
| Contact |
Cristina Leston-Bandeira Lecturer in Legislative Studies University of Hull |
|---|---|
| C.C.Leston-Bandeira@hull.ac.uk |