Governance, Power and Accountability

Essay question
Discuss the impact of a significant case of national security whistleblowing that has revealed rampant criminality by a large and powerful state or corporation. Using a real- world multi-jurisdictional example to illustrate your arguments, examine how your example of whistleblowing was vital for exposing this instance of serious state or corporate criminality.

In your essay and with specific reference to your example and arguments, please include a discussion of the

• the need for accountability, particularly in situations where powerful states or multinational / transnational corporations commit crimes,
• the adverse impacts on societal stakeholders who are affected by the criminality.
• the adverse long-term consequences for societal stakeholders in the home country of the powerful state or corporation that committed the crime.

Your essay must
• use an Australian, New Zealander, British, Swiss, French, or American state party or corporation as the example to illustrate your key arguments.

Please do not include a title for the essay. Just use the question above as your title.

When discussing impact, this essay requires you to prioritise discussion of the detriment to civil society stakeholders affected by the crimes.

• It is important to include a discussion of power imbalances and how institutional safeguards failed to protect civil society stakeholders
• It is also important to choose an example where the information may not have been available to societal stakeholders or those affected by the crimes, were it not for the whistleblowing
• It is expected that you will discuss the burdens on civil society stakeholders in the affected jurisdiction. If multiple jurisdictions are affected, then it is important to examine the power relationships and safeguards in the relevant jurisdictions
• In and through this discussion your essay should include an examination of the public interest

Please do not include a title for the essay. Just use the question above.

Word count: Minimum 3000 words. Maximum 3100 words excluding bibliography, references, footnotes and appendices. Please do not include an abstract or a summary.

Referencing and plagiarism:
University of Reading guidelines for referencing and avoidance of plagiarism apply. All essays are subject to manual and electronic checks for originality and plagiarism.

Front page: Please include a page at the start with your name, student number, module code, exact word count (excluding bibliography, references, footnotes and appendices), and full essay question as above.

Due date: Electronic submissions are due by 12 noon on 20th May 2025 via Turnitin on Blackboard. The Turnitin link will be made active 1 week prior to the deadline.

Feedback: Written feedback will be provided to you on or before 15 working days from the submission deadline.

Assessment criteria and guidance:
To do well in this assessment, you must:
• select an appropriate example of a relevant state party or corporation in the correct jurisdiction from the options above
• demonstrate a good conceptual understanding of
o stakeholder detriment
o accountability
o disclosure
o transparency
o power
o whistleblowing vis-a- vis other tools for accountability
o national security whistleblowing
• demonstrate that you have fully understood why and how civil society stakeholder detriment occurs in the context of the example(s) you have selected
• explain why the whistleblowing was critical for accountability in this context
• evidence all of the above overtly and specifically through the development of your arguments
• demonstrate that you have critically engaged with a range of scholarly references in a credible manner
• use a suitable essay structure and appropriate grammar and relevant subject- specific vocabulary to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject matter

Marks will be awarded on an overall basis taking into account the essay as a whole covering:
• essay content
• quality of critical analysis
• quality and depth of engagement with scholarly references
• essay structure and development of arguments.
Please remember that the content, critical analysis and engagement with scholarly works forms the focus of marking but it is often quite difficult to develop a well-directed and well-argued essay if there are weaknesses in structure, editing or phrasing. So please allocate enough time not just to do the research but also to write up and review your essay

Diversity and Inclusion:
Please remember to contact Disability Advisory Services and your module convenor right away if you have specific needs or requirements that might require our intervention. This is important so we can provide you with the right advice and assistance.