Fiscal Politics in Westminster Democracies - Dr Peter Sloman
This module will explore the relationship between fiscal policy, economic management, and electoral politics in three Westminster democracies (the UK, Canada, and Australia) since the 1990s. It will draw on a range of disciplinary perspectives – from fiscal sociology and history to economics and public administration – to explore how governments in these three countries have responded to budgetary crises, rising levels of poverty and inequality, and complex debates over fiscal federalism. Seminars will explore the politics of austerity, public attitudes to tax, spending, and borrowing, and the role of policy costings in elections. The module would be ideally suited to students who are carrying out dissertation research on policy-making or public opinion, or who intend to work in public policy.