Government and Politics of Hong Kong

Course Coordinator: Dr Stephan Ortmann, MA (Erlangen-Nuremberg), PhD (magna cum laude Erlangen-Nuremberg)

Course Developers: Elfed Vaughan Roberts, The University of Hong Kong; Mary Hogan, The University of Hong Kong; and Peter Lovelock, The University of Hong Kong

Advisory prerequisite(s)
You are advised to have already studied SOSC A101 or POLS A201.

Aims
The primary purpose of the course is to provide students with analytic tools for understanding and explaining the evolution of the political system of Hong Kong. The course will explore theoretical frameworks, introduce relevant concepts and describe the institutional structures of Hong Kong's political system. It will also examine the interactions between those elements and the wider political environment. In the later stages of the course, students will be able to apply the above to analyse some of the pressing political issues of the day. This course concentrates on the evolution of Hong Kong as a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China.

Contents
The course covers the following topics:

• Introduction and historical development of Hong Kong's political system
• The constitutional framework
• The executive branch
• The legislative branch
• The administration
• Local politics
• Informal actors
• The political culture and public opinion
• The external environment
• Conclusion

Learning support
There will be two supplementary lectures and 10 two-hour tutorials.

Assessment
There are five assignments and a final examination. Students are required to submit assignments via the Online Learning Environment (OLE).

Set book(s)
To be confirmed.