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.
Introduction to Political Science
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.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
POLI 1145 (formerly 2145) CR-3
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.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
POLI 1150 (formerly 2147) CR-3
Introduction to International Relations
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.
Transferable (refer to transfer guide )
Government & Politics of the Prairie Provinces
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 judgments about politics and government in their home province as well as the country as a whole.
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 or 1120
Charter Politics in Canada
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 or 1120
International Relations Theory
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 1150 and (ENGL 1100 or LPI score 36)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
European Integration
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 or 1150
Comparative Politics of Asia
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 or 1150 or 1145
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
International Political Economy
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 or 1150
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
Contemporary Political Conflict
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 or 1150
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
British Columbia Government and Politics
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.
Prerequisites: (POLI 1120 or 1125 recommended)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
American Government and Politics
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.
Prerequisites: (POLI 1125 or 1120) and ENGL 1100
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
Introduction to Canadian Foreign Policy
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 1120 or 1125
Nationalism in Canadian Politics
Students will probe the intersection of nationalism and ideology in Canadian politics, examining varieties of Canadian nationalism, and the challenges that Quebec and aboriginal nationalisms pose to the Canadian state. They will also engage multicultural visions of Canadian nationhood. Students will gain an enriched understanding of the diversity and complexity of nationalism in Canada, a deeper command of key moments in Canadian thought, and a sharpened sense of the normative problems involved in nationalism.
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 (POLI 1110 or 1120 recommended)
Comparative Transborder Studies
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 2130 or 2131 and (ENGL 1100 or LPI Score 36)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 2140 or 2130
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
Foreign Policies of the Major Powers
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 2150 or 2130
Corequisites: POLI 2147 and ENGL 1100 (or LPI Score 36)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
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.
Prerequisites: POLI 2147 (POLI 2130 and 3100 recommended)
International Organization
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 3240 (formerly 1240) CR-3
Chinese Government and Politics
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.
Prerequisites:POLI 1125 (POLI 2145 strongly recommended)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
Liberal Democracy: Classic and Contemporary Debates
Students will critically examine the relationship between liberal and democratic ideals, as developed by classic and contemporary theorists of liberal-democracy, as well as their conservative and radical critics. They will engage such questions as the nature and foundation of liberal beliefs, affinities and tensions between liberal and democratic ideals, and whether liberal-democracy is, or can be, democratic enough. Students will gain a command of the richness of the liberal tradition and a grasp of the complex linkages between liberalism and democracy.
NOTE: This is a seminar class.
Prerequisites: Any 3000-level POLI course (POLI 1110 strongly recommended)
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
Issues in Public Policy and Administration
Students will acquire a detailed factual and conceptual framework for the analysis of specific topics within the discipline of public policy and administration. They will critically examine such subjects as the role of government, government intervention, the role and structure of government bureaucracies, interest and pressure groups, the management of the political process, and the relationship between public and foreign policy. NOTE: This is a seminar course.
Prerequisites: Any 3000 level POLI course
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
International Human Rights
Students will critically examine a variety of issues relating to human rights, including the theoretical underpinnings of human rights, the categories of rights, the mechanisms available for their implementation, and issues relating to their effectiveness. They will probe the reasons why human rights violations continue to occur in many regions of the world, critically assess the emergence and evolution of the current international human rights regime, and explore the conditions that foster or hinder the implementation of international human rights norms. Note: This is a seminar course.description
Prerequisites: POLI 1125 and 1150
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)
Public International Law
Students will examine conceptual, theoretical, and empirical dimensions of international law. They will explore the distinction between public and private international law, and probe a range of general areas of law, including: human rights and humanitarian law, as well as specialized international law, including criminal; environmental; trade and investment; and space law. Students will analyze the application of international law at the national level, with special emphasis on the incorporation of international law within the law of Canada. They will examine the challenges of international treaty making; legal compliance and enforcement; international dispute resolution; and will explore the relationship between international law and international relations.
NOTE: This is a seminar class.
Prerequisites: 3 credits of 3000 level POLI
Transferable (refer to transfer guide)