Understanding politics: ideas and institutions in the modern world
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.
What you will study
This moduleis 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.
Entry requirements
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), 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.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
Examination
What's included
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:
a week-by-week study planner
module materials
audio and video content
assessment guide
online tutorials and forums.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
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.
Future availability
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 2027, when we expect it to start for the last time.