Module:                                 PBT202 Government and Politics in Bhutan

Programme:                         BA Political Science and Sociology

Credit value:                         12

Module tutor:                      

General objective

The module aims to explore the study of governance, governing ideologies, institutions, and groups that constitute the Bhutanese Government and Politics. It will also include the political system covered through the study of the Constitution, legal system, political parties and political milieu.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the module, the learners will be able to:

• Analyze correctly the development of democracy in Bhutan

• Analyze the Constitution of Bhutan.

• Examine major political problems in Bhutan

• Compare the  Bhutanese  constitution  with  the  constitution  of  another constitutional monarchy such as UK and Denmark

• Describe the roles of state and local governments in the Bhutanese Political System

• Evaluate the development, functioning and the consequences of political parties in Bhutan

• Assess the basic legal framework of Bhutan.

Learning and teaching approach

Assessment Approach

A: Assignment: Portion of Final Marks: (30%)

There will be two assignments. First assignment will be during the first half of the semester and 2nd during the second half the semester with weightage of 15 percent (15X2=30%).

Students will write a 1000 word essay on, which will be assessed on the following criteria: 

information)

• 8%   -   Content   (understanding   of   the   subject,   relevance   of
• 5% - Critical evaluation and discussion of evidence with examples
• 2% - Use of proper academic style
• 1% - Grammar and syntax

B: Mid-Semester Examination: Portion of Final Marks: (20%)

Mid-term exam will be conducted in the middle of the semester (after covering half of the syllabus). The questions will be cumulative coverage of the syllabus. The idea is to test the understanding of the subject.

C: Presentation: Portion of Final Marks: (10%)

Students have  to make one  presentation  based  on  the  topic  distributed  by  the module tutor for 20 minutes. Following criteria will be used to assess the written assignments:

• Content and organization – 5 marks
• Delivery/Preparedness – 3 marks
• Audience engagement/Use of visual aids – 2 marks

D: Semester-end Examination: Portion of Final Marks: (40%) Semester end Examination for the duration of three hours.

Overview of the assessment approaches and weighting

D. Semester-end- Examination                                            1                   40%          

Subject matter

• Unit I-Recent Political History
• Importance of Monarchy: History of Monarchy, Contribution of Monarchy, Role of Monarch in democratic transition.
• Religion and Politics: role of religion in public deliberation. 
• Development  of  Democracy  in  Bhutan:  evolution  nature  of democracy in Bhutan, type of democracy in Bhutan

Unit II: The Constitution

• Preamble
• Fundamental Rights and Duties,
• Legislature, Executive and Judiciary,
• Monarchy,
• Election,
• Bureaucracies and Other institutions

Unit III: Fundamentals of the legal system of Bhutan:

• Hierarchy of courts: Supreme Court, High court, Dzongkhag court and Dungkhag court.
• Different types of courts in Bhutan 
• Civil and criminal procedures Acts: Case studies from Bhutan 
• Penal code of Bhutan: Case studies from Bhutan
• Judicial service Act 

Unit IV: Party system in Bhutan

• Genesis  of  party  system:  Historical  development  of  party system in Bhutan
• Type of political party registered under Election Commission of Bhutan
• Nature and structure of political parties
• Similarities  and  Ideological  challenges  of  Party  system  in Bhutan

Unit V: Decentralization and Local Government in Bhutan:

• Dzongkhag:  Nature  and  structure  of  Dzongkhag  Tshogdu, Role and importance
• Thromde: Nature and structure of Dzongkhag Tshogdu, role and importance. 
• Gewog: Nature and structure of Gewog Tshogde, role  and importance

Unit VIII: Politics of three arms of the Government and its impact on governance:

• Local Government Act (2009)
• Tobacco Control Act of Bhutan (2010)
• A case study on politics in action using the Vehicle Tax Act
• Anti-corruption Act 2006
• Cooperative Act 2001

Civil Society Organization and other recent important acts

Unit IX: A comparative study of some constitutional Monarchies:

• Denmark and the United Kingdom

Reading List

Essential reading 

Aris, M. (2005). The Raven Crown: The Origins of Buddhist Monarchy in Bhutan. Chicago: Serindia Publications.

Gupta, B. S. (1999). Bhutan Towards a Grass-root Participatory Polity (1 edition). Delhi: South Asia Books.

Kinga, S. (2009).Polity, Kingship and Democracy; A biography of the Bhutanese States.

Parmananda (1991).The Politics in Bhutan, Sage Publications, Delhi.

Phuntsho, K. (2013). The History of Bhutan (1 edition.). Vintage Books/Random House India.

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan, 2005 Centre for Bhutan Studies publications and Government Documents.

Additional readings:

Kohli, M. S. (2004). Bhutan A Kingdom in the Sky (1st edition). New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House.

Sinha, A. C. (2002). Himalayan Kingdom Bhutan. New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company

Date December 2015