This is an ARCHIVED version of the Kwantlen University College Calendar for
2004-2005 and is provided for historical reference only. See the current version of the
Calendar for updated information.
The on-line version of the University College Calendar is the Official version.
In the event of conflict between the printed version and the online version, the
on-line version will prevail.
Effective date of this course calendar information, unless otherwise indicated, is Sept. 1, 2004 to Aug. 31, 2005.
Political Science
These courses are reading, writing and research intensive.
POLI 1125 is strongly recommended as a first general introductory
course to all other Political Science courses.
POLI 1123 cr-3
Municipal Politics
Students will study evolution of politics at the municipal level in
Canada, including the local government’s management of services,
labour relation, political parties, lobby groups, budgeting, policy
making and media relation. They will also study the relationships
between municipal governments, and Provincial and Federal
government. Students will prepare research essays on given topic
which will then be discussed and defended in seminar format.
Students will study basic terms and concepts relevant to the study
of institutions and processes in government. They will acquire an
understanding of Canadian government and politics and will
compare Canada to other countries in order to further a broad
understanding of the effect of politics and government on the
population.
Students will study and critically analyze the political ideologies
that have played an important role in shaping the 20th century and
the present political landscape, and that have influenced the
political attitudes and actions of individuals, groups and societies.
Students will study the structures and processes of government in
the Canadian Prairie Provinces. Students will study the role of the
national government in shaping the Prairies and will analyze the
theoretical approaches to federalism and regionalism. Comparisons
with other Canadian provinces will enhance student awareness of
different political traditions and allow them to develop reasoned
judgements about politics and government in their home province
as well as the country as a whole.
Students will study the concepts of rights and freedoms as they
have been treated historically in Canada, and will analyze the place
of rights in Canadian law prior to the entrenchment of the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms. They will examine the Charter and the
role of the courts with emphasis on the Supreme Court, and will
discuss the place of rights and courts in a democratic society.
Students will study the legalization of politics and politicization of
the judiciary to better understand recent developments in Canadian
law and politics regarding rights.
Students will learn the theories of International Relations, from
realism and liberalism to "radical" challengers such as Marxism,
dependency theory, critical theory, postmodernism, and feminism.
Students will explore, debate, and compare theories to develop a
solid grasp of the different perspectives and to establish their own
theoretical preferences.
Students will acquire a detailed factual and conceptual framework
for the analysis of the process of European integration. They will
study the historical origins of the European Union (EU), the
institutions (structure and process) and the challenges of
integration in the 21st century. Students will focus on the political,
social, and economic impacts on the member states, the tension
between nation-state and confederation, supra-national citizenship,
democracy and regional integration, and the role and status of the
EU in world affairs.
Students will be introduced to the government and politics of key
Asian states. They will learn about the dynamics that shape the
character and quality of contemporary Asian political systems, the
underlying assumption being that "they who know only one
country, know no country well." Students will enhance their
understanding of political transformation in a comparative context
will be enhanced by the study of different Asian countries.
Introduction to Comparative Government and Politics
Students will study, and critically analyze, the key topics in the field
of comparative politics, with a special emphasis on understanding
the dynamics that shape the character and quality of contemporary
political systems.
Students will develop the analytical skills with which to explain or
understand world politics. They will be introduced to the
intellectual tools such as core concepts and schools of thought, in
order to make sense of the complex world of international politics.
Students will explore a broad range of contemporary topics,
including the role and importance of various state and non-state
actors, the promotion of international order, and salient features of
the international political economy, including the disparities
between the countries of the North and South.
Students will acquire a detailed conceptual framework for the
analysis of the international political economy. They will study the
dynamic interaction among states, societies, firms, and markets, at
the international level. Students will focus on major “IPE”
perspectives and theories, and learn to apply these to issue areas
including monetary and financial relations, international trade,
foreign investment, foreign debt, and development finance.
Students will study the sources and nature of major contemporary
international and national conflicts, such as disputes between the
great powers, rich nations and poor nations, between Third World
countries and within states. Students will focus on the phenomena
of war, violence, and crime in conflict.
Students will examine British Columbia’s political culture and
various elements affecting it, such as immigration, native land
claims, primary and secondary resource industries, federal-
provincial relations, interest group behaviour, union activity,
environmental issues, political parties, and government policy-
making. Students will prepare research essays on given topics
which will then be discussed and defended in seminar format.
Students will examine Canadian political culture, including the
challenges to Canadian unity posed by those with separatist
sentiments. They will discuss regionalism, multiculturalism, cultural
and linguistic duality, bilingualism, Canadian identity, political
parties and ideologies, the bureaucracy, federalism, the economy,
constitutional change, and other topics of current interest.
Students will examine the institutions and processes associated
with the federal government of the United States. They will study
the executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as the party
system, the electoral system and election finance. Students will
analyze the policy making process in America employing both
foreign and domestic examples to highlight the important roles
played by pressure groups, corporations and the media.
Students will examine the history and current state of the foreign
and defence policies of Canada. They will also study the following
specific areas: domestic and foreign influences on policy,
governmental structures affecting policy, the interplay of trade,
defence and diplomatic decision-making. Students will appraise
recent policy initiatives with a view to developing an understanding
of Canada's place in the global community.
Students will acquire a factual and conceptual framework for the
comparative analysis of transborder regions. They will analyze two
types and two levels of transborders: peaceful and conflictual, and
regional-continental, and local. Students will review a spectrum of
transborder areas in the Americas, West and East Europe, and
Asia. They will address the challenges of multi-level governance in
the 21st century in the context of case studies of peaceful
transborder regions. Students will analyze the political, social,
economic and environmental impacts of transborder integration;
the tension between nation-state, inter-governmentalism and
supra-nationalism; identity, citizenship and democracy; and the
status of transborders in domestic and world affairs.
Transferable: refer to individual agreements with receiving institutions
POLI 3150 cr-3
American Foreign Policy
Students will examine the historical patterns of U.S. foreign policy
and the U.S. Soviet rivalry during the Cold War era. They will
discuss the challenges faced by the U.S., its increasing reliance on
unilateralism, and the response of other great powers to the U.S. in
the post-Cold War era. Students will also examine the sources of
American foreign policy and will explore the linkages among
political institutions, the policy formulation process, and policy
outcomes.
Students will acquire a basic knowledge of the nature, activities,
and problems of international organizations in political, economic,
and social issue-areas. They will analyze the historical evolution,
structural mechanisms, and governance styles of these
organizations in addressing various global problems. Students will
critically examine the most prominent theoretical and conceptual
approaches to the analysis of international organizations, with
particular emphasis on the notions of multilateralism and global
governance.
Prerequisites: POLI 2147 (POLI 2130 recommended)
POLI 3146 cr-3
Government and Politics of India
Students will explore the political economy of South Asia in
general and India in particular. They will also explore some of the
conceptual frameworks in which the politics of the South Asian
region is studied. Students will develop a critical understanding of
similarities and differences in the preconceptions of these
frameworks, their basic tenets and relevant insights. They will be
able to address more specialized issues related to the government
and politics of India within a comprehensive conceptual
framework of development and modernization.
Students will acquire a factual and conceptual comparative
framework of foreign policy as practiced by major powers. They
will analyze the types of powers, various foreign policies, styles of
foreign policy, constellation of the major powers and the target
audience of the major powers. Students will review some case
studies on the challenges arising to, and by, the major powers. They
will explore, debate, and compare theories to develop a solid grasp
of the different theoretical perspectives of the foreign policies of
major powers, and will establish their own theoretical preferences.
Students will learn the characteristics of the Chinese civilization,
the reform and revolution in the pre-Communist era, the
Communist road to power, the development of Chinese politics
from 1949 to the present, and China's international relations.
