Political Science (POLI)

This course explores the multi-faceted nature of contemporary politics, and, in so doing, introduces students to various aspects of the Political Science discipline. The aim of the course is to convey how ideas, frameworks, institutions and actors relate to current political debates and ongoing democratic challenges, both locally and globally. Through a critical examination of significant political theories and practices students will develop a broad and general understanding of the nature, scope and range of political action in the contemporary world.

An introduction to political ideologies (including liberalism, conservatism, socialism, fascism, feminism, anti-racism and green ideology) and their role in shaping modern political life. Particular attention is given to the meaning of “ideology” in general and its place in contemporary politics, as well as to the emergence of new ideologies and their relationship to social, economic and cultural forces.

An introduction to the theoretical approaches and techniques used in analyzing political events and claims. Emphasis is placed on critical and institutional perspectives, as well as on debates over various approaches to political analysis and to the question of the interpretation of political issues and conflicts.

An examination of the practical and theoretical connections between law and politics. The course will concentrate on contemporary public law issues and constitutional reform in liberal-democracies.

This course will introduce students to the political, economic, social and cultural processes which commonly fall under the term globalization. The objective is to introduce students to some of the central global forces that are shaping our contemporary political world.

Students examine the politics of the relationship between the Global North and Global South. Students study various aspects of Political Science and International Development by exploring the themes of global flows – that of ideas, peoples, and goods.

This course introduces students to the institutions, ideas and identities which structure and shape Canadian governance in the 21st century. Political features and forces are outlined, grounded historically and considered in light of current developments. Shifting political as well as economic, social and cultural climates are examined. Throughout, fundamental representational and democratic challenges are evaluated.

A survey of significant developments in Western political thought from the classical period of Athens to the 20th century through a focus on major Western political theorists. Key thinkers may include Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant, Wollstonecraft, Marx, Goldman and Nietzsche.

Students are introduced to the field of Comparative Politics with an emphasis on the core concepts, government institutions, and political regimes around the world. The nature of political authority, democratization processes, and social and economic transformations are explored in the context of domestic politics in a number of different countries.

Students are introduced to the field of International Relations with an emphasis on the main political actors, the dominant international structures, and central global processes of international and world politics.

Students examine a wide range of political, social and economic issues related to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Students draw upon a selection of primary and secondary sources directly related to better understanding what is euphemistically known as “The Troubles”.

The study of politics is about the study of power. The overall objective of this course is to show how power infuses gender in ways that focus on sexuality. Students explore the connections between politics, gender and sexuality by looking at such topics as rape, sexual violence, pornography, prostitution and trafficking.

Students examine the theories of public policy analysis by addressing key concepts, problem definition, policy instruments and design, and policy implementation within the context of modern governance.

This course is a critical analysis of selected public policies, associated policy communities and networks, and their impacts upon society. A case study approach is used to examine selected public policies, apply theories and models of public policy analysis, and contextualize them in terms of political, economic and social forces.

Students examine the fundamental concepts of democratic theory, including rights, equality, freedom, and sovereignty. Students will become familiar with classic democratic principles and will learn to distinguish between democratic dissent, neoliberal democracy, populism, and authoritarian forms of governance.

An analysis of the dynamics and structure of selected provincial government in Canada. Provincial political parties, voting behaviour, legislatures, bureaucracies and policy formulation constitute the core of this course. Inter-provincial and federal-provincial relations are examined.

An examination of the influence of the media, and the impact of government policy, especially as set out in federal and provincial legislation, on the growth and operation of the mass media in Canada. Particular attention will be given to the continuing debate over television and radio regulation and ownership, restraints on film and the press, and issues raised by new technology.

An analysis of the American political system, its political culture, social base, constitutional order, governmental structure and policymaking processes. Special emphasis is placed on the party system, voting behaviour, and the Presidency.

Students examine politics and development in selected countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, or the Middle East.

This course is an introduction to the study of Canadian foreign policy. Straddling the subfields of Canadian politics and international relations, this course provides students with tools to analyze Canada’s role in the global and globalizing context.

Students review the origins and development of the European Union (EU) with a focus on its institutions, policy-making processes and the challenges inherent in the creation and functioning of a supranational political regime. Students examine theories of integration as they pertain to the EU.

The politics of the Middle East Region are addressed, including a survey of the regional states and non-state actors, the international dynamics of politics within and among the Arab states, Turkey, Israel, and Iran, as well as the impact of Western interactions with the region.

Students examine the tensions between emerging forms of global governance and existing structures of inter-governmentalism. Students explore international organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and topics such as international peacekeeping, humanitarian law, international trade, and civil society.

This course explores the theory and practice underlying the political forces structuring the global economy. Particular attention will be paid to interactions between the global economy and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

A study of the structure and operation of the administrative branch of government, both in theory and practice. Included will be an examination of the evolution of the Canadian federal public administration and public service, with some attention for comparative purposes to related experiences in other nations. The administrative responsibilities and powers of the modern state will be assessed and a sampling of recent organizational theories will be undertaken.

Students examine Indigenous politics with a focus on political legacies, contemporary challenges, and future political opportunities and constraints. Students explore Indigenous politics vis-à-vis legislatures, courts, and international bodies through broader notions of governance and justice, movement mobilization and protest. The focus is on Canada, but may include comparative political dimensions.

The course examines theories of Comparative Politics that focus on the role of ideas and interests in modern politics. Students explore theories that explain the phenomena that are part of conflictual politics: social movements, civil disobedience, civil wars, insurgencies, and protests. The course includes modules on political violence, environment, and the role of religion and identity (class, gender, sexuality, race, and ethnicity).

Students explore the field of International Relations with emphasis on how ideas, identities, and borders shape our understanding of international and world politics.

A study of the features of public international law as they have developed and have been invoked in diplomatic practice, international law adjudication, and national courts.

A comparative analysis of constitutional systems, this course focuses upon the theory and exercise of judicial review, in the context of Canadian, American, European, or other constitutions. It combines lectures, readings, and the case method.

This course focuses on Canadian-American relations since 1945. The course examines different theoretical approaches to the relationship, as well as a variety of case studies to analyze the nature and extent of Canada-U.S. relations both in the bilateral context and in the multilateral context.

The purpose of this course is to identify and explain continuity or change in Canadian party politics. Particular emphasis will be placed on the ability of political parties to adapt to new challenges posed by Canada’s rapidly transforming economic, social and political context.

Students explore various gendered dimensions of Canadian politics. Gender is considered in light of other intersecting identities, and politics is broadly conceived to include both the institutional (or formal) political as well as non-institutional (or informal) politics. Studies of gender and politics in other countries may also be examined to provide a comparative perspective.

This course examines Canadian defence policy and arms procurement strategies. Particular emphasis will be placed on political, economic, and technological challenges to contemporary Canadian defence policy-making.

The objective of this course is to introduce students to how security has been theorized and debated in the field of International Relations and Security Studies. Students will examine different approaches to the study of security and will explore some of the areas of research that are part of the field of Security Studies.

A critical examination of the political ideas and theories that grew out of the modern European Enlightenment. Special attention is paid to Immanuel Kant’s understanding of the nature, role and effects of “public reason” and to his assessment of the conditions necessary for international cooperation and peace. Other thinkers to be discussed may include John Locke, the Baron of Montesquieu, David Hume, G.W.F. Hegel, Harriet Taylor and John Stuart Mill.

A survey and critical investigation of modern responses to liberal Enlightenment thought, from the analyses first undertaken by Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edmund Burke, through to the crucial contributions to this tradition made by Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, and the critical theorists who followed in their wake. Special attention is paid to the critique of individualism and to alternative ideals of community and civil society.

This course is an examination of contemporary methodologies in political science. Included is a discussion of theories and approaches developed by the empirical school of political scientists. Emphasis is placed on the selection of methods as related to theory and research questions.

The historical evolution, as well as the contemporary promises and pitfalls of political parties are critically examined. The party ideal is appraised in relation to changing political and representational realities. Given growing public dissatisfaction with political parties as democratic vehicles, representational alternatives are examined. The focus is on Canada, but party politics and democratic change in other countries will provide comparative insights.

Students gain an advanced level of understanding of the dynamics driving the politics of immigration in liberal-democratic states, focusing primarily on Canada, the United States, Western Europe, and Australia. Students examine the factors that impact immigration policy-making (e.g., history and culture of immigration, public opinion and the media, and key political actors) and the politics of immigrant integration in each national context. The normative challenges that international migration poses for liberal democracies are debated.

This course provides a survey of the theories of and approaches to the study of nationalist thought and practice. Phenomena of nations, nation-states, and nationalist ideologies and nationalist movements are explored.

A comparative examination of selected sources and authorities respecting fundamental law in democratic countries. The course will provide students of constitutional law with a theoretical basis for the analysis of constitutions and relevant judicial decisions.

The objective of this course is to foster a greater understanding of the United Nations (UN). Students may have an opportunity to participate in a university-level Model UN simulation. The goal is to gain an in-depth knowledge of the UN’s organizational structure, activities and rules of procedure by engaging in experiential learning in and outside the classroom.

The objective of this course is to offer students an opportunity for advanced level research on the United Nations. Students must have successfully completed POLI 4402 and attended a university level UN simulation.

This course examines a number of contemporary public policy debates and dilemmas in light of gender, race and class dynamics. The aim is to gain a better appreciation of the complexity of approaches to, and experiences of, various policy areas. The course begins by unpacking the nature and effects of the state and state policies and then moves to explore a range of economic, social, political and legal policy concerns.

Students explore theoretical and empirical issues raised by a “gender-based analysis” of international relations.

A survey of contemporary theories concerning the nature of the state in the present global, ‘transnational’ moment. The diversity of the theoretical field will be emphasized through an examination of liberal, Marxist, structuralist, feminist and continental approaches to state theory.

Students in this advanced political theory seminar will examine Karl Marx’s early political and philosophical writings to explore how he reinterprets and transforms the liberal democratic values of rights, freedom and equality. The focus on primary and selected secondary texts is intended to provide students with an introduction to Marx’s political-philosophical thought.

Students in this upper-level political theory seminar will examine the later writings of Karl Marx, including his advanced political economic theories. Close readings of primary texts, along with an introduction to 20th century developments in Marx scholarship, clarify how Marx’s political, philosophical and economic theory fundamentally challenges the liberal democratic tradition.

Students gain an understanding of the historical and philosophical context in which human rights emerged as a modern political concept. Students consider the evolution of human rights from early modern natural law theory, through the French Revolution of 1789, to the aftermath of 20th century totalitarianism, focusing in particular on the intersections between nature, politics, philosophy and the law.

Students develop an appreciation of the conceptual difficulties related to international human rights in the contemporary context. Recent debates in critical political and legal theory, particularly regarding the issue of international interventions and humanitarian aid are examined.

This course examines global social movements as new political forces within world politics. It will explore the main theoretical perspectives in the field of international relations that have addressed the political significance of global social movements. The course will also examine the forms of interaction between the constituents of global social movements (e.g. non-governmental organizations) and the institutions of global governance.

Through regular meetings with their Honours Supervisor, students will use this course to prepare an honours essay in their major area of study.

The Honours Seminar will examine selected aspects of one of the fields of the discipline: Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations and Political Thought.

The Honours Colloquium will expose honours students to specialized dimensions of the discipline of Political Science, and offer opportunities to develop advanced research and writing skills.