Business and Politics

Module description

This module provides an overview of the various approaches to business and politics: political science and power; comparative political economy and interest intermediation; political economy and revolving doors; management and corporate political activity; public management and public-private governance. Students will learn about the origins of business as a (global) political actor. Through hands-on case studies, students will also apply analytical skills to study how business designs and implements effective lobbying strategies, as well as how the government designs and implements public policy with the collaboration of business.

Assessment details

3,000 word essay (90% of overall module mark)

Participation (10% of overall module mark)

Educational aims & objectives

This module introduces the study of business and government, aiming to:

• Provide students with an authoritative understanding of the main concepts in business and government, drawing from different disciplines: the concept of power in political science; interest intermediation in comparative political economy; revolving doors in political economy; corporate political activity in management; public-private governance in public management
• Explore in a critical fashion the evolution of business as political actor in different political systems: from nation states, to regional (e.g, European Union) and global international organizations (e.g. World Trade Organization)
• Discuss the different interactions between business and government from different perspectives: how business designs and implements effective lobbying strategies; how the government designs and implements public policy with the collaboration of business

Learning outcomes

On completion, students will be able to:

• Understand and critically apply the main analytical concepts used to study business and politics, by drawing from different disciplines
• Trace the evolution of business as political actor in different political arenas
• Critically assess the effectiveness of business political strategies in different political environments
• Critically assess the effectiveness of public-private partnership arrangements in different political environments
• Transfer to skills they learned to a work environment

Teaching pattern

1-hour weekly lecture and 1-hour weekly seminar

Module description disclaimer

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

Please note that modules with a practical component will be capped due to educational requirements, which may mean that we cannot guarantee a place to all students who elect to study this module.

Please note that the module descriptions above are related to the current academic year and are subject to change.