This stream structure is for the following students:

• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts and Business, and Bachelor of Media students commencing from 2016
• Bachelor of International Studies students commencing from 2017

The word ‘politics’ often causes people to think of politicians. Certainly they are important as we live in a democracy which is run by political elites. Elites, however, operate within a constitutional framework of institutions such as political parties, legislatures, courts and bureaucracies. And in a democracy political elites are elected by citizens, who can mobilize through social movements and protests and whose voices feed and resonate through the media, including digital media. Since the 1960s a range of new actors and issues have arisen, such as women, indigenes, ethnic and religious minorities, and libertarian groups. All of these actors compete over principles and policies that are articulated through ideas such as legitimacy, authority, obligation, freedom, equality, multiculturalism, human rights, justice, and democracy itself. In turn, political power is always engaged with other forms of power, from economic power to the power of governance structures.

Furthermore, politics doesn’t stop at our border. Australia is connected to the world and to globalization such that what happens in other countries directly affects what happens here. For that reason politics also needs to be studied in comparative and cosmopolitan perspectives. A minor stream in Politics will provide a basic understanding of political issues and the apparatus of government, as well as an overview of contemporary methodological, theoretical and conceptual debates. A minor stream in Politics pairs well with a major stream in International Relations, History, Philosophy, or Sociology & Anthropology.

You should achieve the following learning outcomes upon the successful completion of the stream:

If you wish to gain a minor stream in Politics you must complete 24 units of credit including at least 6 UOC at Level 1, at least 6 UOC at Level 2 and at least 6 UOC at Level 3.

You must complete at least 6 UOC at Level 1:

You must complete at least 6 UOC at Level 2:

You must complete at least 6 UOC at Level 3: