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An image to illustrate Understanding politics: ideas and institutions in the modern world module
What is politics? Who is engaged in politics locally, nationally and internationally? How do we study politics? This online module answers questions like these and explores how political ideas, institutions and processes help govern our world. Using a range of study materials, you'll explore the interrelationships between politicians, pundits and publics. You'll learn the key practical skills that are used to explore and explain how politics, in all its forms, helps order the social world and provides for the governance of persons and the administration of things.
This module is explored in the following six blocks.
Block 1: Introduction

The first block focuses on the core question: What is politics? By examining the many interpretations and impacts of this question, the block addresses ‘who?’ or ‘what?’ is political, exploring the spaces and places ‘where’ politics is conducted and considers ‘how?’ and ‘why?’ politics is best practised or studied.
Block 2: Political concepts

You'll explore political concepts and see how ideas shape how we think about, talk about and practise politics. You'll look at key concepts such as freedom, equality, power, and sovereignty, examine how ideas can influence the social world, and offer helpful answers to urgent political questions.
Block 3: Ideas and ideologies

This block examines how concepts, once turned into ideologies, can be taken up and used by practitioners of politics and the public. By being produced and consumed in a number of ‘public’ and ‘private’ locations, ideologies such as conservatism, liberalism, socialism and feminism offer explanatory frameworks which organise our opinions, help us interpret and navigate the political world, and provide us with some sense of identity.
Block 4: Political institutions in liberal democracies

You'll look at political institutions in liberal democracies, comparing and contrasting the very different political systems of two particular nations, the UK and the US. This block outlines their different executive, legislative and judicial arrangements, explains the structures of their constitutions, and explores the political roles of the Prime Minister and the President, political parties, electoral politics, interest groups and social movements.
Block 5: Global politics

You'll investigate global politics by looking at the interrelationship of the ‘national’ to the ‘international’, the ‘local’ to the ‘global’. The block introduces you to key themes and perspectives in the study of international politics, examining the role of international institutions, non-state actors and issues, exploring the ways in which globalisation is making the world smaller and more interlinked.
Block 6: Revision

The module concludes by revising the key concerns, issues and arguments raised in the previous blocks.
Supporting study materials

The module is delivered online via the module website, which includes all study support, a multiplicity of online text, audio and visual assets, and two printed module books.
You will acquire and apply knowledge and understanding of key political debates, applying these to your understanding of the contemporary social world. This will help you explain and evaluate issues of ethical, social, political, policy and public concern, with the ability to assess their impact on real-world institutions and events.
As well as building your interdisciplinary social science knowledge, you'll develop practical and transferable skills. These include critical thinking report and essay writing, making presentations, ICT skills, collaborative working skills, and synthesising and applying knowledge. You'll also learn how to:
This module offers a comprehensive grounding in the study of politics at OU level 2 and provides opportunities to develop skills that will be relevant to your current or future career.
Studying this module, as part of a social sciences qualification, could open up employment opportunities in a wide range of occupations in politics, business, banking, insurance, education, health professions, administration, law, social services, voluntary and campaigning organisations, the media, public relations, public service organisations and government (national and local) planning and environmental management, the criminal justice system, and social welfare organisations. The module provides a set of transferable skills and aptitudes that are relevant to many other career pathways.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
You’ll be provided with two printed module books and access to the module website, where the majority of the module content is delivered. The website includes:
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
DD211 is a compulsory module in our:
DD211 is an option module in our:
Understanding politics: ideas and institutions in the modern world starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2027.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
This is an OU level 2 module, and you need to have a good knowledge of the subject area, obtained either through OU level 1 study or by doing equivalent study at another university.
We recommend that you start with one of our key introductory modules: You and your world: introducing the social sciences (D112), which will start in October 2026, or its predecessor Introducing the social sciences (DD102) or Global challenges: social science in action (D113). These modules, with their integrated teaching of key study skills, provide a firm foundation for OU level 2 study.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying DD211 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
StartEndRegister byEngland fee
03 Oct 202630 Jun 202710 Sep 2026£4,088
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Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2027. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
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