POLI1006 Political Regimes (3 Credits)

The course introduces students to the study of politics. It provides them with a framework from which they can begin to examine and interpret the variety and complex phenomena that make up the contemporary political world. Discussion will include a range of topics: from bureaucracy to worldwide inequalities and poverty.  The course is divided into sections on political ideas, the bases of governance, the locations of politics and global perspectives.

POLI1007 Political Ideal & Political Actors (3 Credits)

The course continues students’ introduction to the study of politics started in POLI1006.  It provides a framework from which students can begin to examine and interpret the variety and complex phenomena that make up the contemporary political world.  This course will focus on media, the development and transformation of media, and the relationship of media to the exercise of power.

POLI1106 Understanding Canadian Politics (3 Credits)

This introductory course will give students an opportunity to expand their understanding of how Canada is governed. We will look at central features of Canadian politics and government including the parliamentary system, federalism, political parties, voting, and the Charter of Rights.

POLI1107 Understanding World Political Problems (3 Credits)

This course provides an overview of current important issues that the world is facing. It examines contemporary world problems such as north-south relations, access to resources, globalization, preservation of global commons and ethnic conflicts. The goal is to help students make sense of complex political phenomena. This course is designed as a systematic and intelligible introduction to understanding international relations with particular reference to Canada's role.

POLI2206 Comparative Politics (3 Credits)

This course will introduce students to the discipline of comparative politics, how it is done properly and what is in fact comparable. Students will learn how different countries rule themselves and what the consequences of these choices are. This course will look at various themes in comparative politics and use specific country examples to help illustrate the differences.  Students may not retain credit for both POLI2206 and POLI2205.

POLI2406 History of Political Thought 1 (3 Credits)

The course introduces students to the study of political theory.  It provides an introduction to concepts such as the state, freedom, equality, justice, democracy, citizenship, difference, victimhood, civil disobedience, and human rights.  The course relates these concepts to political realities by means of actual examples in order to illustrate the contentiousness and passion aroused by ideas.  At the same time, discussion will highlight the relevance of political theory in today’s world.  Prerequisite: POLI1006 and POLI1007 or instructor’s permission. Students may not retain credit for both POLI2405 and POLI2406.

POLI2407 History of Political Thought 2 (3 Credits)

The course continues the introduction to the study of political theory started in POLI2406. The course focuses on the theme of disenchantment as embodied in two important works by Friedrich Nietzsche and Albert Camus. Nietzsche’s text Thus Spake Zarathustra will be examined with an eye to clarifying one source of the critique of the Enlightenment project and industrial-materialist society. Camus’ “The Myth of Sisyphus” will be analyzed in order to resituate critique in post-colonial terms and contexts. Both texts address the issue of meaning and crisis of meaning.  These issues will be addressed through lectures, student presentations, and in-class reading of passages.  Prerequisite: POLI1006 and POLI1007 or instructor’s permission. Students may not retain credit for both POLI2405 and POLI2407.

POLI2616 Introduction to Public Administration 1 (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the major actors and institutions in the realm of public administration – Canadian public administration. We will be examining the institutions, social forces and processes at the heart of Canada’s political system, and a number of current issues in Canadian public policy. Students are encouraged to think about the issues covered in this course in terms of shifting socio-economic relations of power. Students may not retain credit for POLI2605, POLI2606/7 and POLI2616/7.

POLI2617 Introduction to Public Administration 2 (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the concept of Democratic Administration which is broadly concerned with advancing the possibilities for people to govern themselves collectively.  This interest has been fueled recently by two divergent trends.  On the one hand, the spread of neo-liberal policies generally entailing the displacement of the public sphere by the market, together with widespread public cynicism and alienation from the state, has raised concerns about the ‘hollowing out’ of democracy.  On the other hand, growing numbers of citizens and students of public policy have raised demands for more direct public involvement in state policy-making and administrative practices. It is this dynamic that we will examine in this course.

POLI 706 Canadian Government and Politics 1 (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the major actors and institutions in Canadian political life. After examining the institutions, social forces and processes at the heart of Canada’s political system, the course will conclude with an examination of a number of current issues in Canadian public policy. This course is geared to enhance both the student’s knowledge and subjective understanding of the issues surrounding Canadian politics from a social science perspective. This course will lay the groundwork for upper level courses in Canadian and Political Studies.  Students may not retain credit for both POLI2705 and POLI2706/2707.

POLI2707 Canadian Government and Politics 2 (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the major actors and institutions in Canadian political life.  After examining the institutional and political structure of Canadian Politics, the attention is shifted to the social forces and processes at the heart of Canada’s political system.  The emphasis will be on the post-war period.  Students are encouraged to think about politics, political institutions, and representation in terms of shifting socio-economic relations of power. This course will lay the groundwork for upper level courses in Canadian and Political Studies.  Students may not retain credit for both POLI 2705 and POLI 2706/2707.

POLI3206 Selected Problems in Comparative Politics 1 (3 credits)

This course examines selected themes in comparative politics. Prerequisite: POLI2205 or instructor’s permission. Students may not retain credit for both POLI3205 and POLI3206/7.

POLI3207 Selected Problems in Comparative Politics 2 (3 credits)

This course examines selected themes in comparative politics. Prerequisite: POLI2205 or instructor’s permission. Students may not retain credit for both POLI3205 and POLI3206/7.

POLI3256 Areas of Study 1:  Russia (3 Credits)

This course will be a study of the politics, economics, and society of post-Soviet Russia, 1992 to the present, with special focus on Russia in the world arena.

POLI3317 Global Governance:  The UN (3 Credits)

This course will expose students to all aspects of the United Nations. Students will learn how the organization developed, how it functions and what activities it has been involved with. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss what role the United Nations should serve in the Twenty-First Century.  Students may not retain credit for both POLI3315 and POLI3317.

POLI3436 War & Theory (3 Credits)

Drawing upon the resources of classical and contemporary political philosophy, the course examines issues in the political ethics of war and of conduct in war.  Prerequisite: POLI2406 and2407 or permission of the instructor.  Students may not retain credit for both POLI4436 and POLI3436.

POLI3536 Gender & Politics:  Concepts (3 Credits)

An examination of conceptual issues relating to the study of gender and politics, including the debate about gender as an analytic category, feminist critiques of how political science defines politics, and an introduction to feminist political theory.  In this course, students will examine the dynamics between men, women and political practice, explore how key political concepts have been gendered and what this means for the study of politics, and examine some of the political history of women’s emergence into the political public sphere.  Prerequisites: POLI 1005, WOMN 1005 or permission of the instructor.

POLI3656 Introduction to Public Policy (3 Credits)

This course introduces students to the policy process in the public sector. The course will include analyses of current theories of policy-making and will examine Canadian and some international case studies. Topics will include policy formation; the policy communication process; the structural aspects of policy execution; and the human dimensions of implementation and coordination of policies in public sector organizations. Students are encouraged to think about politics, political institutions, and representation in terms of shifting socio-economic relations of power.  Prerequisite: Six credits of first year Political Science, POLI 2706 and POLI 2707 or permission of the instructor.

POLI3657 Canadian Public Policy (3 Credits)

A seminar course exploring selected public policy issues such as health, environment, taxation and immigration, with particular attention to the impact of different models of policy analysis. Prerequisite: Six credits of first year Political Science, POLI 2706 and POLI 2707 or permission of the instructor.

POLI3706 Canadian Municipal Politics (3 Credits)

This course is a study of municipal government and politics in Canada with an emphasis on major metropolitan areas as well as regional government in Ontario.  Prerequisite: Six credits of first year Political Science or permission of the instructor.