3000 words essay, Parliamentary Studies University of Lincoln,

Parliamentary Studies
You are required to write a report of no more than 3000 words on the work of one parliamentary
select committee in the current (2022-23) parliamentary session. You should choose one House
of Commons select committee and examine its work in the session.
Your report should include a brief account of the role of the committee, some discussion of
membership including any significant changes in membership during the session, a brief
summary of inquiries conducted, and an assessment of the committee’s impact: in parliament;
on government, including any changes of policy; and beyond, including for example, in the
media.
Your report should also provide a detailed evaluation of the committee’s work, drawing on the
academic literature on select committees to assess its performance across the session.
The purpose of this assessment if to evaluate your understand parliamentary practices and
procedure, to conduct research using a range of parliamentary sources and to critically evaluate
parliament’s scrutiny role.
Learning Outcomes Assessed:
 Demonstrate a detailed knowledge of the structures, procedures and offices of the
Westminster Parliament;
 Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of the relationship between the Westminster
Parliament and other legislative bodies;
 Apply appropriate theoretical and conceptual tools to the study of Parliamentary activity and
behaviour;
 Critically analyse a range of studies of Parliament including scholarly, journalistic and insider
accounts;
 Demonstrate an ability to access and analyse a range of Parliamentary materials including
debates, questions, select committee reports, using quantitative and qualitative methods.
Knowledge & Skills Assessed:
Subject Specific Knowledge, Skills and Understanding:
 Detailed knowledge of the powers and operation of select committees in the
Westminster Parliament.
 The ability to access and evaluate a range of parliamentary sources.
 An understanding of the challenges involved in evaluating the work and impact of
parliamentary select committees.
 The ability to apply appropriate theoretical and conceptual tools to the study of Parliamentary
select committees.
Professional Graduate Skills:

 Written communication;
 Critical thinking;
 Ability to access and synthesise data from a diverse range of sources;
 Accurate presentation of data and referencing