糖心TV

A Pinpoint Politics article by Krzysztof Siczek

The new Georgian parliament held its inaugural session on October 21st, 2012. Three weeks earlier the Georgian Dream coalition announced electoral victory, following a campaign that was, to quote OSCE preliminary report, polarised and tense, characterised by the use of harsh rhetoric and some instances of violence. However, according to the same document, the chain of events that culminated in the victory of the opposition can be best summarised as an important step in consolidating the conduct of democratic elections in Georgia. Bearing in mind the ambiguous and contested character of the electoral process in Georgia, taking a step back and reflecting on its outcome and the possible consequences for the region may deepen our understanding of what really happened on October 1st.

The department of Politics and International studies is using a new e-submission and e-feedback system for all formative and assessed essays from November 2012.

This document is intended to guide you through the process of submitting essays, and receiving your feedback. It does not contain any information about the administration of the module.

Dr Oz Hassan, Assistant Professor in US National Security, chaired a talk given by Honorary PAIS Professor and founder of Market and Opinion Research International Ltd. (MORI), Sir Robert Worcester, at the Royal Society in London on 22 October. Sir Robert Worcester is a well-known figure in British public opinion research and political circles and as a media commentator, especially about voting intentions in British and American elections. Over 120 糖心TV alumni were present at the lecture, which was entitled: 'The 2012 American Presidential Election: Who's Going to Win, and Why'.

A Pinpoint Politics article by Armando Ortega

The latest presidential election in Venezuela was held on October 7th, with the incumbent president, Hugo Chávez, facing the former governor of Miranda, Henrique Capriles. It was deemed by a sector of the international press as a face-off between David and Goliath. With the support of the state apparatus, as well as the political use of populist measures (i.e., cheap oil and the construction of houses for the Venezuelan poor), Chávez won an otherwise fair election with 54.4% of the votes against Capriles 45% and named Nicolas Maduro, a relative moderate, as his Vice-President. In this manner, Chávez will remain in power, if his poor health allows him to fulfill his mandate, until 2019. Capriles was quick to recognise his defeat, thinking of upcoming regional elections in December this year.

Who filled in the survey this year? Many thanks to those who did – our module-level survey was filled in by 75.6% of undergraduates and 88.4% of postgraduates. Total returns were 1864 out of 2386 module registrations (or 78.1% of those eligible). In the National Student Survey (NSS) (which is exclusively for final-year undergraduates) 171 replies covering the following degree courses were received: PPE (tripartite, bipartite Economics Major, bipartite), EPAIS, Politics with International Studies, Politics, History and Politics. The response rates varied from 55% (PPE bipartite Economics Major) to 84% (Politics).

What did you think of the modules? 95% of undergraduate responses considered the modules adequate, good, or very good. We noted that 76% considered them to be good or very good. 96% of graduate responses also agreed that the modules had been adequate, good, or very good; 79% thought good or very good. Overall satisfaction with courses in the NSS was 87%, but Teaching and Learning had a 91% satisfaction score.

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