Current Courses

This course is an introduction to the study of politics. It has two objectives. The first is to give students a sense of the meaning and importance of politics. The second is to study a number of the concepts essential to the study of contemporary politics: the state, sovereignty, legitimacy and authority, law, power, equality, democracy, nationality, freedom and citizenship are typically covered. The specific content and readings used vary from section to section.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of the regime, authority, the rule of law, citizenship, and political obligation. It does so through a consideration of the institutions of Canadian government and covers the following topics: the framing of the constitution, federalism, parliamentary government, the Charter of Rights, the judiciary, political parties, public opinion, interest groups, and constitutional reform.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of nation and state, sovereignty, forms of government, and political conflict. It does so through consideration of issues in world politics, such as human rights and social justice, ecological imbalance, economic inequalities, war, global governmental institutions and organizations.

This course introduces students to the comparative study of governments in the industrial and post-industrial societies. It examines the question of how various political systems are classified, dealing with such issues as organization of the state, governance and policy-making, representation, and political legitimacy. Prerequisite: 3 credits in Political Science.

This course introduces students to International Relations theory, with a focus on the mainstream theories in the field, namely realism and its variants, liberalism and constructivism. These theories are illustrated and developed through the use of case studies and examinations of the institutions and structures of the international system. Prerequisite: POLS 1013 or permission of the instructor.

This course will introduce students to seminal texts in political philosophy focussing on the ancient and early medieval period. Texts may include: Plato's Apology, Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle's Politics, Bible, and St. Augustine's City of God.

The course offers a comparative view of the Canadian provinces. Provincial cabinets, party systems, legislative development, and economic and social issues are considered. Special attention is directed to the problem of Quebec in Confederation.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of political economy as a subfield of political science. The first part of the course examines main conceptual frameworks in the study of the relationship between states and markets on the basis of classic readings. The second part of the course covers topics in market regulation, politics of development, and international political economy. Prerequisite: 3 credit hours from POLS 1000 level or permission of the instructor.

This course examines politics and society in Russia and Eurasia, focusing on the post-communist transitions, Russia's relations with other post-Soviet states, and the nexus between domestic and international politics of the region. Prerequisite: POLS 2303 or permission of the instructor.

An introduction to quantitative research methods and descriptive statistics as applied to the study of political phenomena. In addition to covering basic statistical principles, the course focuses on key issues related to research design, sampling and case selection, measurement and operationalization, data collection and analysis, and the communication and interpretation of results. Pre-requisites: At least 9 credit hours in Political Science or permission of the instructor.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of nation and state, sovereignty, forms of government, and political conflict. It does so through consideration of issues in world politics, such as human rights and social justice, ecological imbalance, economic inequalities, war, global governmental institutions and organizations.

This course will examine fundamental disagreements at the core of the Canadian polity that have plagued constitutional debate since its creation. Special attention is paid to the constitutional implications of conflicting conceptions of individual, provincial, ethno-linguistic, and multi-national equality.

This course introduces students to the comparative study of governments in the developing world. It focuses on such issues as the politics of development, modernization, and the interplay of political and social forces in selected developing nations. Prerequisite: 3 credits in Political Science.

This course introduces students to the critical and non-mainstream variants of International Relations (IR) theory. These include Marxism, Gramscianism, feminist theories of IR, and other forms of critical theory. These theories are illustrated and developed through the use of case studies and examinations of the institutions and structures of the international system. They are also contrasted with mainstream IR theories. Prerequisite: POLS 1013 or permission of the instructor.

This course will introduce students to seminal texts in political philosophy focussing on the medieval, early modern and modern periods. Texts may include: Aquinas' Treatise on Law, Machiavelli's The Prince, Hobbes' Leviathan, Locke's The Second Treatise on Government, Rousseau's Discourses, Hegel's Introduction to the Philosophy of History. Prerequisite: POLS 2803.

This course examines the formation and present politics of the European Union (EU), a unique community of democratic countries that agreed to delegate some of their sovereignty to common institutions. The course will look at the history of European integration, the key institutions and policies of the EU, and ongoing debates about European identity, EU enlargement, and economic developments in the Euro zone.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the political, economic and security issues related to the rise of China as an emerging superpower in the modern world. The course examines China's domestic economic, social and security policies and issues connected to human rights. The course examines how China's domestic considerations affect its international relations and vice versa. The course analyzes China's relations with its neighbours in the Asia Pacific and its increasingly difficult relationship with the United States. It also examines Canada's evolving interactions with China. The key question considered in the course is how does China's rise affects the organization and nature of the organizing structures that govern the world in the 21st century? Pre-requisites: POLS 2613 or POLS 2623 or permission of the instructor.

This course will prepare students for participation in a Model United Nations, either Canadian or American sponsored. In a model UN simulation, students represent an assigned country's foreign policy on assigned issues on the UN agenda. The course will begin with an examination of the UN and its procedures. Subsequent topics will include researching the assigned UN issues and the assigned country's policy on them: preparation of working papers and motions, and strategies for effective conference participation. Fund raising for the trip required: half credit course, but meets first and second terms; limited enrolment.

The focus of this course is on the problems modern political philosophy has confronted in attempting to show how nature can be used as a standard for judging the best life and the just political order. The writings of one or two of the following authors will be considered: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Burke, Jefferson, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. Prerequisite: POLS 2803 and 2813 (or 2806) or permission of the instructor.

This course is intended to serve as a capstone seminar for majors and Honours students in Political Science. The course is an investigation of the perennial issues involved in the study of politics. We shall examine critically the dominant approaches in Political Science with the aim of understanding how the method utilized affects the substance of any account of political phenomena.