This scope course addresses the twin subjects of political leadership and executive government. It approaches these subjects theoretically, methodologically and comparatively. Theoretically, we review the trajectory of the major approaches to the study of leaders and executives that includes institutionalism, feminism and rational choice theory. Methodologically, we will learn about different quantitative and qualitative methods that can be employed to address research questions pertaining to leaders and executives. Finally, we will review the study of leaders and executives comparatively by assessing the leadership and executive experience geographically and institutionally. Additional topics to be addressed may include political communication, non-elected leaders (e.g. advisors and judges) and the executive experience at sub and supranational levels of government.

Learning Outcomes

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

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
1. Describe and critically present the strengths and weaknesses of the major theoretical pillars on which the study of leadership and executive government rests;
2. Be aware of the different methodological approaches available to study leadership and executives and be able to make an informed choice as to which approach is best suited to their research;
3. Broadly understand how political leadership and executives vary across time and space, particularly with respect to style, tradition and institutions;
4. Be able to write an argument-focused Research paper on a topic pertaining to political leadership and executives.

Research-Led Teaching

The ANU is committeed to teaching and training students through a process called research-led teaching. Amongst other things, this apporach involves convenors using their own research and research experience as a pedagogical tool when teaching students. Consequently, I will use examples, data, and methods from my own research on political executives to demonstrate many of the concepts and procedures covered in this course. Further details pertaining to research-led teaching in general, and at the ANU can be found in the links below.

https://services.anu.edu.au/education-support/academic-development/linking-research-teaching-at-anu

http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1161&context=jutlp

Field Trips

NA

Additional Course Costs

There is no required or designated textbook for this class. All readings will be provided either as links to scholarly articles available via the ANU library or readings available via Wattle.

Students will be required to conduct some basic data analysis. Students can use whatever statistical software they wish (R, SPSS, Stata). These software are available through the ANU's software commons. However, if students want to use software outside of the ANU software commons, they may have to incur a cost.

Examination Material or equipment

An online midterm examination will take place on 28 August, 2018 during a designated time slot. The only material required to complete the midterm exam is a stable internet connection to access Wattle. An online final exam will take place during the final exam period.

Required Resources

Commonwealth supported students and domestic full-fee paying students generally must be able to complete the requirements of their program of study without the imposition of fees that are additional to the student contribution amount or tuition fees.

Provided that its payment is in accordance with the Act, a fee is of a kind that is into any one or more of the following categories:

(a) It is a charge for a good or service that is not essential to the course of study.

(b) It is a charge for an alternative form, or alternative forms, of access to a good or service that is an essential component of the course of study but is otherwise made readily available at no additional fee by the higher education provider.

(c) It is a charge for an essential good or service that the student has the choice of acquiring from a supplier other than the higher education provider and is for:

(i) equipment or items which become the physical property of the student and are not consumed during the course of study; or

(ii) food, transport and accommodation costs associated with the provision of field trips that form part of the course of study.

(d) It is a fine or a penalty provided it is imposed principally as a disincentive and not in order to raise revenue or cover administrative costs.

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

Referencing requirements:

All references in submitted assessments should use the Chicago in-text citation style. This is the style employed by the Australian Journal of Political Science (the AusJPS uses a slightly modified version of Chicago style) and it is used by many social science journals around the world. If you have not already done so, I highly recommend that you learn to use and use Zotero as a bibliography manager. This will save you considerable time and stress over the course of your studies.

Class Schedule

Week/Session	Summary of Activities	Assessment
1	Welcome/Syllabus/Introduction
2	Theories of political leadership and executives
3	Researching leadership and executives
4	Gender and leadership and executives
5	Leadership and executives in parliamentary systems
6	Midterm Exam/Essay Discussion	Midterm Exam
7	Leadership and executives in presidential and semi-presidential systems
8	Non-elected elites
9	Ministerial Appointments and Resignations	Essay due
10	Making and Breaking Governments
11	Political communication
12	Wrap up and exam review

Tutorial Registration

Tutorial registration will take place on Wattle during the first week of lectures

Assessment Summary

Assessment task	Value	Due Date	Return of assessment	Learning Outcomes
Tutorial participation	10 %	*	*	1, 2, 3
Midterm Exam	20 %	30/03/2022	20/04/2022	1, 2, 3
Research Paper	40 %	06/05/2022	20/05/2022	1, 2, 3, 4
Final Exam	30 %	*	*	1, 2, 3

* 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.

Participation

Students are expected to engage fully with the course, the convenor and their peers.

Examination(s)

Students will complete an online midterm quiz on the the core concepts and materials covered in the lectures, tutorials and readings prior to the quiz. The midterm quiz will take place on Wattle on 30 March, 2022.

Students will write a final exam during the final exam period. Students are responsible for all of the direct and indirect materials (lecture materials, readings, tutorial discussions) covered during the course. The final exam format and question weighting will be determined in class in consultation with the students and will contain a combination of objective questions and short answer and essays questions.

Assessment Task 1

Tutorial participation

Students are expected to participate in the tutorial through direct engagement and/or through small group problem solving depending on the circumstances.

Assessment Task 2

Midterm Exam

Students will complete an online midterm quiz on the the core concepts and materials covered in the lectures, tutorials and readings prior to the quiz. The midterm quiz will take place through Wattle on 30 March, 2022.

Assessment Task 3

Research Paper

Students will write a 3000-3500 word formal, academic research paper on a topic provided by the course convenor. Students may propose their own essay topics, but the topics must be cleared first with the course convenor. Research paper related materials will be made available via Wattle before the end of Week 3. Research paper writing guidelines will be reviewed following the midterm exam. The research paper is due before midnight on 6 May, 2022 via Turnitin.

Assessment Task 4

Final Exam

Students will write a final exam during the final exam period. Students are responsible for all of the direct and indirect materials (lecture materials, readings, tutorial discussions) covered during the course. The final exam format and question weighting will be determined in class in consultation with the students and will contain a combination of objective questions and short answer and essays questions.

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.

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.

Returning Assignments

Assessments will be returned via Wattle.

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.

Resubmission of Assignments

Assessment submissions are final. Rewrites are not accepted.

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