Recent events in global politics have forced the memory of empire into the public domain. Equally, changes in the international system have prompted analysts of various stripes in the public domain to refer to the US, China, Europe or Russia as ‘empire’. These changes have been reflected in political science with American Empire Debate, a turn toward history and critical voices calling for the decolonisation of the discipline and a call for a recognition of the importance of empire in shaping global politics. A sub-discipline of comparative empire studies has emerged that overlaps history with IR and calls for ‘epistemic decolonisation’ have arisen alongside scholarship which offers colonisation as a viable policy option. With the disciplines of the social sciences being largely oriented around the state, this course takes as its focus empire as its referent object and asks: why has political science paid it so little attention? What is an empire and how do we theorise it and study it? What does the introduction of empire as a field of study mean for political science and how we understand the international system? This course takes empire as its object of inquiry and provides students with a map for the various ways it has been theorised and understood. The aim of the course is to examine and assess in comparative frame the different kinds of analytical tools and methodological problems that might be applied to the study of empire. It will pose the theorisation of empire as a problem which will be explored conceptually, methodologically and empirically. Finally, we explore what empire as a political form or category of analysis contributes to our understanding of global politics.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:

1. have an improved world historical understanding of the role that empire has played in shaping contemporary politics;
2. have an improved inter-disciplinary understanding of empire as multi-faceted, multi-scaler and multi-sited object of inquiry;
3. develop an ability to compare and assess different theoretical and normative perspectives on empire; and
4. have developed some inquiry based skills in research practices of conceptualisation, theorisation and understanding methodological problems.

Staff Feedback

Students will be given feedback in the following forms in this course:

• Written comments
• Verbal comments
• Feedback to the whole class, to groups, to individuals, focus groups

Student Feedback

ANU is committed to the demonstration of educational excellence and regularly seeks feedback from students. Students are encouraged to offer feedback directly to their Course Convener or through their College and Course representatives (if applicable). The feedback given in these surveys is anonymous and provides the Colleges, University Education Committee and Academic Board with opportunities to recognise excellent teaching, and opportunities for improvement. The Surveys and Evaluation website provides more information on student surveys at ANU and reports on the feedback provided on ANU courses.

Other Information

Recent events in global politics, such as the Black Lives Matter Movement, have forced the memory of empire into the public domain. Equally, changes in the international system have prompted analysts of various strips in the public domain to refer to the US, China, Europe or Russia as ‘empire’. These changes have been reflected in political science with an ‘American Empire Debate’, a turn toward history and critical voices calling for the decolonisation of various disciplines and a call for a recognition of the importance of empire in shaping global politics. A subdiscipline of comparative empire studies has emerged that overlaps history with IR and calls for ‘epistemic decolonisation’ have been accompanied by scholarship that argues in favour of colonisation as a via policy option. With the disciplines of the social sciences being largely oriented around the state, this course takes empire as its referent object as asks: why has political science and international relations paid it so little attention? What is an empire and how do we theorise it and how do we study it? What does the introduction of empire as a field of study mean for political science and how we understand the international system? This course provides students with a map for the various ways theoretical and methodological approaches to empire as an focus of inquiry. The aim of the course is to examine and assess in comparative frame the different kinds of analytical and methodological tools that might be applied to the study of empire. Finally, we explore what empire as a political form or category of analysis contributes to our understanding of global politics.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Introduction
2	Empire and the International System
3	Empires in Comparative Perspective
4	Empire as Polity or Structure
5	Patterns of Empire: The longitudinal approach
6	Classical Theories of Imperialism
7	Empire and Finance: Contemporary Theories of Imperialism
8	Empire, Philosophy and Knowledge
9	Anti-Colonial Nationalism, Postcolonial Theory & the Decoloniality School
10	Empire, Communications and Cultural Imperialism
11	Empire and World Order? Global Citizenship, Global Governance and the 'rules based' international system
12	Conclusion

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Learning Outcomes
Essay Outline (500 Words) 15%	15 %	2, 3, 4
Research Essay (3000 words) 50%	50 %	2, 3, 4
Applied Case Study (1500 Words) 20%	20 %	2, & 4
Workshop Participation 15%	15 %	1, 2, 3, 4

* If the Due Date and Return of Assessment date are blank, see the Assessment Tab for specific Assessment Task details

Policies

ANU has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and implement them. Students are expected to have read the Academic Misconduct Rule before the commencement of their course. Other key policies and guidelines include:

• Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure
• Special Assessment Consideration Policy and General Information
• Student Surveys and Evaluations
• Deferred Examinations
• Student Complaint Resolution Policy and Procedure

Assessment Requirements

The ANU is using Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website Students may choose not to submit assessment items through Turnitin. In this instance you will be required to submit, alongside the assessment item itself, hard copies of all references included in the assessment item.

Moderation of Assessment

Marks that are allocated during Semester are to be considered provisional until formalised by the College examiners meeting at the end of each Semester. If appropriate, some moderation of marks might be applied prior to final results being released.

Assessment Task 1

Essay Outline (500 Words) 15%

The major research essay comprises half the course evaluation. Therefore to enable students to write the best essay possible, essay titles will be supplied up front and the essay plan will be a form of summative assessment for students to check their comprehension of theory and course content, and to receive feedback and guidance on their research ideas. 

Assessment Task 2

Research Essay (3000 words) 50%

This course is a theory based research led course which will examine empire as both an object of inquiry and an analytical framework and it will foreground methodological and inquiry based skills in the endeavour. As a result the major essay for this course will be a substantive research essay in which the students will demonstrate their learning through the engagement with course materials on a topic of their choosing to further explore the issues raised in the course. 

Assessment Task 3

Applied Case Study (1500 Words) 20%

The words empire and imperialism have appeared frequently in the public domain in the last 20 years. Students will be asked to select an article from an online data base which is an example of public use of the term. Students will be asked to write an evaluative assessment of the article's claims for or against empire using one of the theories explored in class. This exercise will also assess student comprehension of the theory and their ability to apply its heuristics to either an empirical case or to critically evaluate the claims made by academics and journalists in the public domain. Like the major research essay, the aim of this assessment is so develop students inquiry based capacity through engagement and evaluation of theory with respect to empirical cases. 

Assessment Task 4

Workshop Participation 15%

Active participation in this course will help students achieve the best results for assessments 1, 2 & 3. There is no examination so assessed participation will ensure that students engage with all topics. Participation will be assess by engagement with course materials and contribution to discussion during class (5%); and two short multiple choice quizzes (5% each) one administered half way and one at the end of the course. This is to ensure breadth of engagement with all course materials.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a core part of our culture as a community of scholars. At its heart, academic integrity is about behaving ethically. This means that all members of the community commit to honest and responsible scholarly practice and to upholding these values with respect and fairness. The Australian National University commits to embedding the values of academic integrity in our teaching and learning. We ensure that all members of our community understand how to engage in academic work in ways that are consistent with, and actively support academic integrity. The ANU expects staff and students to uphold high standards of academic integrity and act ethically and honestly, to ensure the quality and value of the qualification that you will graduate with. The University has policies and procedures in place to promote academic integrity and manage academic misconduct. Visit the following Academic honesty & plagiarism website for more information about academic integrity and what the ANU considers academic misconduct. The ANU offers a number of services to assist students with their assignments, examinations, and other learning activities. The Academic Skills and Learning Centre offers a number of workshops and seminars that you may find useful for your studies.

Online Submission

The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.

Hardcopy Submission

For some forms of assessment (hand written assignments, art works, laboratory notes, etc.) hard copy submission is appropriate when approved by the Associate Dean (Education). Hard copy submissions must utilise the Assignment Cover Sheet. Please keep a copy of tasks completed for your records.

Late Submission

No submission of assessment tasks without an extension after the due date will be permitted. If an assessment task is not submitted by the due date, a mark of 0 will be awarded. OR Late submission of assessment tasks without an extension are penalised at the rate of 5% of the possible marks available per working day or part thereof. Late submission of assessment tasks is not accepted after 10 working days after the due date, or on or after the date specified in the course outline for the return of the assessment item. Late submission is not accepted for take-home examinations.

Referencing Requirements

Accepted academic practice for referencing sources that you use in presentations can be found via the links on the Wattle site, under the file named “ANU and College Policies, Program Information, Student Support Services and Assessment”. Alternatively, you can seek help through the Students Learning Development website.

Extensions and Penalties

Extensions and late submission of assessment pieces are covered by the Student Assessment (Coursework) Policy and Procedure The Course Convener may grant extensions for assessment pieces that are not examinations or take-home examinations. If you need an extension, you must request an extension in writing on or before the due date. If you have documented and appropriate medical evidence that demonstrates you were not able to request an extension on or before the due date, you may be able to request it after the due date.

Privacy Notice

The ANU has made a number of third party, online, databases available for students to use. Use of each online database is conditional on student end users first agreeing to the database licensor’s terms of service and/or privacy policy. Students should read these carefully. In some cases student end users will be required to register an account with the database licensor and submit personal information, including their: first name; last name; ANU email address; and other information. In cases where student end users are asked to submit ‘content’ to a database, such as an assignment or short answers, the database licensor may only use the student’s ‘content’ in accordance with the terms of service — including any (copyright) licence the student grants to the database licensor. Any personal information or content a student submits may be stored by the licensor, potentially offshore, and will be used to process the database service in accordance with the licensors terms of service and/or privacy policy. If any student chooses not to agree to the database licensor’s terms of service or privacy policy, the student will not be able to access and use the database. In these circumstances students should contact their lecturer to enquire about alternative arrangements that are available.

Distribution of grades policy

Academic Quality Assurance Committee monitors the performance of students, including attrition, further study and employment rates and grade distribution, and College reports on quality assurance processes for assessment activities, including alignment with national and international disciplinary and interdisciplinary standards, as well as qualification type learning outcomes. Since first semester 1994, ANU uses a grading scale for all courses. This grading scale is used by all academic areas of the University.

Support for students

The University offers students support through several different services. You may contact the services listed below directly or seek advice from your Course Convener, Student Administrators, or your College and Course representatives (if applicable).

• ANU Health, safety & wellbeing for medical services, counselling, mental health and spiritual support
• ANU Diversity and inclusion for students with a disability or ongoing or chronic illness
• ANU Dean of Students for confidential, impartial advice and help to resolve problems between students and the academic or administrative areas of the University
• ANU Academic Skills and Learning Centre supports you make your own decisions about how you learn and manage your workload.
• ANU Counselling Centre promotes, supports and enhances mental health and wellbeing within the University student community.
• ANUSA supports and represents undergraduate and ANU College students
• PARSA supports and represents postgraduate and research students