Undergraduate courses

POLI 240 - International Politics

Summer 2024: July 3 - August 16
Instructor: Dr. Michael Carpenter
Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

International politics does not only occur in distant countries, the backrooms of capital cities and global centres, or at the United Nations. In a globalized world, international politics occurs all around us and is fundamentally connected to issues that affect our daily lives, the structure of our societies and the form of our economies.

At its root, the study of international politics is the study of power: who has it, who seeks it, and how it is used. This course provides students with a general introduction to both international politics and the discipline of International Relations (IR).

Course outcomes/objectives

• identify the major theoretical approaches to IR and the differences between them
• develop a basic knowledge of key issues in international politics
• apply IR theories to key issues in global politics, and critically reflect upon the merits and limitations of the different theoretical approaches
• participate in informed discussion about key issues in world politics
• write a research essay that contains a clear central argument, sufficient evidence and correct citation practices

Topics may include

• international systems and governance
• climate change
• migration
• conflict and security
• human rights
• international law

POLI 300B - Early Modern Political Thought

Summer 2024: May 13 - June 28
Instructor: Neil Montgomery
Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 a.m.-noon
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Prerequisite

Complete POLI 103 or 202; or permission of the department

Course description

This course explores the concepts and arguments of early modern political thought and examines how these ideas shaped modern states, imperial expansion, understandings of citizenship, exclusion and equality, property, labor, colonialism, slavery and gender subordination.

We will read major works by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and J. J. Rousseau, texts written by women and people of colour and several revolutionary documents.

Questions we consider include:

• Is political society natural or artificial?
• What constitutes legitimate government?
• What is the relation between human beings and non-human nature?
• Can land be owned?
• Are social inequalities based on nature or convention?
• If all men are equal, is slavery justified? Why are women subordinate?
• What is the relation between ideas of reason, rule over children and justifications of slavery?
• What is the relation between ideas of labour, justifications of private property and colonialism?

Course outcomes/objectives

• recognize and reconstruct central concepts, problems and arguments of social contract theory
• evaluate and criticize theoretical arguments
• construct and advance your own arguments
• listen to your peers, connect your ideas to theirs, and advance your arguments in dialogue with them
• apply these concepts to new contexts, both current and historical
• identify issues in current events that have motivated social contract theorists and their critics

Topics may include

• state of nature
• social contract
• equality and exclusion

POLI 323 - Issues in Politics: Political Psychology

Summer 2024: May 13 - June 28
Instructor: Dr. Joseph Fletcher
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30 a.m. - noon
Delivery: Online synchro

Course description

Looking for insight into the waves of populism, authoritarianism and polarization sweeping the globe? The fast-growing field of political psychology offers useful perspectives on these phenomena. The course focusses on these topics via an examination of classic and contemporary work in political psychology.

About the instructor

Dr. Joseph Fletcher is professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto. He teaches political psychology and research methods at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Course outcomes/objectives

• Develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• Develop critical analytic and synthetic skills needed to interpret social and political life
• Gain an understanding of many conceptual tools useful in understanding our world
• Gain insight into the strengths and limitations of contemporary social science

Topics may include

• populism

• authoritarianism

• political polarization

• social and political psychology

POLI 349 - Issues in International Relations "Great Power Politics in the 21st Century"

Summer 2024: July 3 - August 16
Instructor: Husnain Iqbal
Schedule: Tuesday and Thursdays 1:30 - 4 p.m.
Delivery: Online synchro

Course description

The spectacular rise of China and the re-emergence of Russia as a great power has announced the end of the ‘unipolar moment’ and the arrival of a world with many powerful states competing for influence. This course explores the dynamics of this new international political reality.

The course is divided into three sections. The first part of the course engages with theoretical works to understand the multipolar context of international politics and explores whether the future would be any different from the past, and how. The second part looks at the political dynamics between the most powerful states of the international system from secondary states’ points of view which are often overlooked by the mainstream analyses of great power politics. The third part goes beyond the traditional focus of IR on states and explores the impact of great power competition on non-traditional domains of international politics such as gender, environment, international economy and trade.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop knowledge about key concepts and dynamics of recent shifts in international politics
• apply concepts and theories to emerging competition between great powers
• think strategically about how secondary states would (or should) respond to great power competition
• understand how political dynamics between great powers affect other global issues
• explore a specific dimension or an issue area of great power politics by working on a research paper

Topics may include

• great powers

• multipolarity

• competition and rivalries

• alliances

• conflict and security

• secondary states

• non-traditional security

POLI 350/ADMN 311 - Introduction to Public Administration

Summer 2024: May 8 - August 2
Instructor: TBA
Delivery: Online

Course description

Public administration encompasses a changing structural and value context within which public officials work. This course explores external and internal factors affecting contemporary public sector management in Canada. We will discuss the various legislative, executive and judicial processes which engage public officials and citizens.

The course sets the theoretical and institutional context and examines emerging trends in public administration. We then proceed with an analysis of how various layers of the public sector function. This includes federal, provincial, local and Indigenous forms and modes of governance. We will examine current and emerging debates about public institutions, laws, policies and diversity. Course material includes a range of text and visual materials that integrate diverse perspectives on how to advance public goods and interests. We will examine the functioning of various institutions and their responses to the contemporary challenges of our time.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• debate and evaluate techniques of public administration
• understand the policy-making process, forms of engagement and decision-making
• understand the various approaches, processes and organization of public administration

Topics may include

• Westminster model

• public service

• decision making models

• levels of government including local government

• Indigenous governance

POLI 369 - Issues in Canadian Politics "Canadian Elections"

Summer 2024: July 3 - August 16
Instructor: Dr. Taylor Green
Schedule: Tuesday and Thursdays 9:30 a.m. - noon
Delivery: Online synchro

Course description

Elections are core aspects of democratic life. They allow for citizens to voice their approval or disapproval, to select their legislator, and, in some instances, to vote directly for their head of state/head of government.

This course examines how political parties compete in elections and how institutions (e.g., the electoral system, federalism and national diversity) structure party competition. We will explore both national level and provincial elections and ask “What is an election?” We will also consider candidate nomination, primaries and leadership selection.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand how historical and Institutional contexts impact and shape Canadian elections.
• explore factors which shape voter choice and participation including identity, the economy and partisanship.
• learn about the role of party leadership and patterns of political candidacy.
• explore strategic party behaviour.
• participate in informed discussions about key issues in electoral politics

Topics may include

• electoral systems

• national and provincial elections

• political parties

• partisanship

POLI 373 - African Politics

Summer 2024: May 13 - June 28
Instructor: Dr. Smith Oduro-Marfo
Schedule: Mondays and Wednesdays 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
Delivery: Online synchro

Course description

This course offers a broad overview of the trajectory of politics and economic development in sub-Saharan Africa. It does so by addressing significant themes that relate to the continent as a whole, while drawing on case studies from several countries. We explore the legacy of colonial rule and neo-colonialism and the role of corporations, international institutions, domestic social movements and African governments in shaping political and economic systems, struggles and the development processes in the contemporary period. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• identify some of the general characteristics of Africa’s pre-colonial social, economic and political formations
• define colonialism, settler colonialism and neo-colonialism, and discuss the legacies of the slave trade and colonialism in current
• identify and discuss some of the contemporary issues and topics in politics and the political economy of development in Africa
• develop core undergraduate skills such as effective writing, research and analysis

Topics may include

• colonialism, settler colonialism, neo-colonialism

• nation-building

• social movements and political struggles

POLI 391/GDS 391 - Politics of Environment and Development (Field School)

Summer 2024: April 29 - May 3 (on campus), May 6-29 in Thailand
Instructor: Dr. Will Greaves

Spend two weeks in northern Thailand learning about local economic development and environmental challenges, specifically those issues that highlight the importance of inclusivity, equitability and sustainability in community development and resilience movements. Through community visits, conversations with civil society groups, museum visits, and travel throughout Thailand, students will learn about the impacts of environmental challenges on everyday life and on rural and urban landscapes. They will also learn about community resilience and innovative approaches to such environmental challenges, and strategies aimed at advancing sustainable community development. Topics and site visits may include: mining and the impact of extractive growth strategies on the local environment and on communities; deforestation and local experiences of climate change; grassroots anti-poverty initiatives; community resistance to environmentally damaging economic growth strategies and community resilience; and, legal rights and political movements of ethnic minorities. Finally, we will consider the intersection of some of these issues with local and international supports to refugee and undocumented communities in Northern Thailand.

Through classroom learning, site visits and direct engagement with communities and NGOs in Thailand, students will acquire a deeper understanding of the interconnections between humans, development policies and practices, and the environment. Students will also learn about how communities organize to resist harmful practices that affect livelihoods and the environment, and about community struggles, and the politics and processes of resilience.

Learn more about the field school

Course requirements and expectations

• attendance and participation in all pre- and post- departure training and classroom work.
• completion of all course requirements, including in-country (Thailand) activities, and one blog post for the CAPI website. Details will be provided in the course outline.
• profile picture and bio for the CAPI website.
• completed GSO pre-departure form and final narrative report (on an external portal). Details to be provided once program participants are identified.

This course will take place from approximately May 1 – 31. Pre-departure training and classroom lectures will take place from Monday 29 April. The in-country component of the field school will take place for 3 weeks in May. 

POLI 456 - Politics of the Internet

Summer 2024: May 13 - June 28
Instructor: Dr. Simon Carroll
Schedule: Tuesdays 1:30 - 4 p.m. and Thursdays 6-8:30 p.m.
Delivery: On campus - face-to-face

Course description

This seminar addresses political economy of the internet, and combines theoretical discussion with contemporary political, social and legal issues. The overriding question is to what extent the Internet can still be arena for democratic engagement and free speech, or whether governmental and corporate interests have now overwhelmed the essential and original potential of the medium.

The course is situated within some broader theories of technology and politics. We address the historical evolution of the Internet and its current governance structures and political-economic context. A series of global, interrelated policy issues are then discussed; censorship and free speech; surveillance and privacy; and intellectual property and the intellectual commons; the internet and social movements; misinformation as political strategy and, the rise of authoritarian politics.

Course outcomes/objectives

• compare how different jurisdictions are integrated into a global digital political economy and have responded to challenges posed by the internet
• understand how states attempt to manage and govern technological change
• explore the impact of information and communications technologies on civil liberties, human rights and social justice struggles
• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion

Topics may include

• online free speech and censorship

• behavioural advertising

• hacking and cybersecurity

• privacy and surveillance

• intellectual property

• intellectual commons

• hegemony and digital culture

• financial capital and the internet

• Silicon Valley as the global hub of digital economy

POLI 101 - Canadian Politics

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Justin Leifso
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Course description

This course will explore some of the major divisions and fault lines in Canadian politics, with a particular emphasis on understanding conflicts over sovereignty and the ways in which traditional assumptions of Canadian politics have been challenged in recent decades.

We begin by examining the colonial history and machinations that led to Confederation. After discussing the idea of a distinctive Canadian political culture, the course then looks at the contours and conduct of partisan politics at the official level, focusing on Canadian elections, parties and party systems. The remainder of the course studies the country’s central societal debates and divisions, starting with what the political scientist Peter Russell calls Canada’s constitutional odyssey.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop knowledge of Canadian politics including the conflicts with an emphasis on the debates surrounding sovereignty and self-determination
• explore themes of identity and equity
• expand critical thinking skills including the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret and evaluate ideas, information, situations and texts
• develop and practice academic writing skills
• develop and practice research skills related to the discipline of political science

Topics may include

• Quebec nationalism
• Indigenous peoples and settler colonialism
• feminism and gender
• racialization and multiculturalism
• globalization

POLI 103 - Worlds of Politics

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Michael Carpenter
Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:30 -11:30 a.m.

Course description 

What is politics and what is political science? Political science deals with political activity and behaviour which can be found in a vast array of areas and contexts. The first that comes to mind are systems of government in Canada and across the globe. But politics also appears in everyday actions such as the consumer choices that you make about food to eat or what products to buy and the modes of communication that you use.

Using case studies and readings, we will organize the course into four units: an introduction to political science and its research methods; political theory; comparative politics; international relations.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand basic concepts and areas of study in the discipline of political science
• apply political ideas, institutions and outcomes within different settings
• analyze, interpret and evaluate ideas, information, situations and texts
• develop and practice academic writing skills
• develop and practice research skills related to the discipline of political science

Topics may include

• research methods
• key ideas, theories and historical examples
• current affairs
• Indigenous politics
• populism 

POLI 101 - Canadian Politics

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Matt James
Schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 - 6 p.m.

Course description

This course will explore some of the major divisions and fault lines in Canadian politics, with a particular emphasis on understanding conflicts over sovereignty and the ways in which traditional assumptions of Canadian politics have been challenged in recent decades.

We begin by examining the colonial history and machinations that led to Confederation. After discussing the idea of a distinctive Canadian political culture, the course then looks at the contours and conduct of partisan politics at the official level, focusing on Canadian elections, parties and party systems.

The remainder of the course studies the country’s central societal debates and divisions, starting with what the political scientist Peter Russell calls Canada’s constitutional odyssey.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop knowledge of Canadian politics including the conflicts with an emphasis on the debates surrounding sovereignty and self-determination
• explore themes of identity and equity
• expand critical thinking skills including the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret and evaluate ideas, information, situations and texts
• develop and practice academic writing skills
• develop and practice research skills related to the discipline of political science

Topics may include

• Quebec nationalism
• Indigenous peoples and settler colonialism
• feminism and gender
• racialization and multiculturalism
• globalization

POLI 103 - Worlds of Politics

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Will Greaves
Schedule: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 10:30 -11:30 a.m.

Course description 

What is politics and what is political science? Political science deals with political activity and behaviour which can be found in a vast array of areas and contexts.

The first that comes to mind are systems of government in Canada and across the globe. But politics also appears in everyday actions such as the consumer choices that you make about food to eat or what products to buy and the modes of communication that you use.

Using case studies and readings, we will organize the course into four units: an introduction to political science and its research methods; political theory; comparative politics; international relations.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand basic concepts and areas of study in the discipline of political science
• apply political ideas, institutions and outcomes within different settings
• analyze, interpret and evaluate ideas, information, situations and texts
• develop and practice academic writing skills
• develop and practice research skills related to the discipline of political science

Topics may include

• research methods
• key ideas, theories and historical examples
• current affairs
• Indigenous politics
• populism 

POLI 202 - Introduction to Political Theory

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Mara Marin
Schedule: Mondays and Thursdays 2:30 - 4 p.m.

Course description

This course introduces students to political theory as an essential component of the study of politics. Political theory involves paying close attention to the concepts, language and the basic problems of politics as we try to understand and judge our political institutions and practices. We will read a variety of texts of social and political philosophy and ask the following questions:

• What is justice?
• What is a political community? Is it natural or conventional?
• Who is included, who is excluded and why?
• Is it compatible with private property?
• Who is responsible for raising children?
• Is democracy the best regime? What are the constraints and opportunities of political rulers?
• How are exclusion, marginalization, subordination, dispossession and slavery justified?
• What is colonialism?
• What is the relation between politics and the economy? In what forms have we inherited these political ideas?

Course outcomes/objectives

• read and understand complex texts
• recognize and reconstruct concepts and arguments in these texts
• evaluate and criticize theoretical arguments
• construct and advance your own arguments
• listen to your peers, connect your ideas to theirs and advance your arguments in dialogue with them
• become familiar with central concepts and problems of social and political thought and identify these in current events
• develop your ability to apply these concepts to new contexts, both current and historical

Topics may include

• Plato; Machiavelli; Marx; Baldwin
• development of political traditions
• diversity of political thought
• the history of political thought

POLI 211 - European Integration and the EU

Instructor: Dr. Amy Verdun
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9:30-10:20 a.m.

Course description

This course introduces the history, policies and challenges facing the European Union (EU). It examines the basic structures and processes of EU governance. Special emphasis is placed on the rationale for integration (theoretical concepts and approaches), institutions, actors, policies and policy-making.

We will also examine a number of current events and recent challenges facing the EU including:

• Brexit
• enlargement of the EU (recent past and future)
• the migrant crisis
• the Covid-19 pandemic
• the financial crisis and related economic considerations

The course will follow the political and economic developments taking place within the EU throughout the duration of the course and students are encouraged to follow the news during the semester.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand the historical context that led to the formation of the EU
• understand the theoretical political science concepts of European integration and consider their applicability over time;
• demonstrate the ability to discuss and analyze critically, both verbally and in writing;
• develop the necessary tools and skills for writing a good research paper

Topics may include

• Covid-19 Pandemic

• energy and the environment

• European neighbourhood policy

• migration issues

• policy-making and governance

• security and defence

• trade and monetary policy

POLI 217/GDS 201 - Global Development

Instructor: Dr. Marlea Clarke
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Course description

This course introduces students to theories, policies, debates, and struggles for equitable and sustainable development both historically and within the current global system and examines the following questions:

• What is ‘development’?
• Why are some countries labelled ‘undeveloped’ while others are labelled ‘developed’?
• How have colonialism and imperialism shaped global patterns of poverty and inequality?
• How have international development organisations (e.g. NGOs, the World Bank) and other sources of ‘aid’ addressed and therefore shaped poverty, inequality, food security, conflict, environmental degradation and other challenges?

Course outcomes/objectives

• explore theories, policies, debates, and struggles for equitable and sustainable development both historically and within the current global system
• analyze, synthesize, interpret and evaluate ideas, information, situations and texts
• develop and practice academic writing skills
• practice research skills related to the discipline of political science

Topics may include

• Imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism

• Development ‘aid’ and national development agencies

• Environment, climate change and migration

POLI 240 - International Politics

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Colin Chia
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Course description

International politics does not only occur in distant countries, the backrooms of capital cities and global centres or at the United Nations. In a globalized world, international politics occurs all around us and is fundamentally connected to issues that affect our daily lives, the structure of our societies and the form of our economies.

At its root, the study of international politics is the study of power: who has it, who seeks it, and how it is used. This course provides students with a general introduction to both international politics and the discipline of international relations (IR).

Course outcomes/objectives

• identify the major theoretical approaches to IR and the differences between them
• develop a basic knowledge of key issues in international politics
• apply IR theories to key issues in global politics, and critically reflect upon the merits and limitations of the different theoretical approaches
• participate in informed discussion about key issues in world politics
• write a research essay that contains a clear central argument, sufficient evidence and correct citation practices

Topics may include

• international systems and governance
• climate change
• migration
• conflict and security
• human rights
• international law

POLI 263 - Politics of Indigenous Peoples

Course description

In this introductory course, we will survey the politics of Indigenous peoples living within the territories presently claimed by Canada – while remaining fully cognizant that the constructed nature of this scope doesn’t actually reflect the web of Indigenous relationships that supersede state borders.

Key insights will be drawn from an historically-informed approach to contemporary Indigenous politics; noting that Canadian colonialism is reproduced through co-constitutive regimes of racialization, sexism and heterosexism, capitalism, ableism, etc. We will pay attention to the ways in which both the enduring reality of Indigenous peoples’ political authority and the colonial project are experienced and undertaken at different times and in different places.

Course outcomes/objectives

• place contemporary Indigenous politics within a broad historical context, so that the continuities and breakages of colonization will become more readily apparent
• develop critical reflections on how colonialism, anti-colonialism, and the endurance of Indigenous peoples’ political authorities is always already differentially distributed along various intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality, disability, etc.
• link theories and practices on settler-Indigenous relations in present-day Canada

Topics may include:

• Indigenous governance
• treaties
• The Indian Act (1867 - present)
• resurgence
• residential schools 

POLI 201 - Canadian Institutions of Government

Course description

Canada’s governing institutions, including colonial, liberal-democratic, federal, and parliamentary, have a long history marked by both continuities and changes. Whatever opinion you may have about them, understanding how they operate is useful. This course introduces these institutions, their origins, and conceptual frameworks for understanding them.

Topics may include the imperial legacy, crown sovereignty, parliament, the prime minister and cabinet, the courts, federalism, the police, and the charter of rights. We also look at key turning points in Canadian history, when new elements of the constitutional framework arose out of political debates and decisions and took their modern form. This course also provides some limited training and assignments to enhance students’ academic writing skills. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• identify the history, structure, and functions of key Canadian governing institutions
• develop an understanding of liberal-democracy and other concepts as they are defined, debated and assessed in distinct and sometimes conflicting ways
• develop analytical reading, speaking and writing skills
• practice research, reasoning and presentation skills

Topics may include

• liberal democracy
• parliamentary government
• federalism
• settler-colonialism
• constitutional law and convention
• Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• policing and the judicial system

POLI 202 - Introduction to Political Theory

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. SImon Glezos
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

Course description

This course introduces students to political theory as an essential component of the study of politics. Political theory involves paying close attention to the concepts, language and the basic problems of politics as we try to understand and judge our political institutions and practices. We will read a variety of texts of social and political philosophy and ask the following questions:

• What is justice?
• What is a political community? Is it natural or conventional?
• Who is included, who is excluded and why?
• Is it compatible with private property?
• Who is responsible for raising children?
• Is democracy the best regime? What are the constraints and opportunities of political rulers?
• How are exclusion, marginalization, subordination, dispossession and slavery justified?
• What is colonialism?
• What is the relation between politics and the economy? In what forms have we inherited these political ideas?

Course outcomes/objectives

• read and understand complex texts
• recognize and reconstruct concepts and arguments in these texts
• evaluate and criticize theoretical arguments
• construct and advance your own arguments
• listen to your peers, connect your ideas to theirs and advance your arguments in dialogue with them
• become familiar with central concepts and problems of social and political thought and identify these in current events
• develop your ability to apply these concepts to new contexts, both current and historical

Topics may include

• Plato; Machiavelli; Marx; Baldwin
• development of political traditions
• diversity of political thought
• the history of political thought

POLI 210 - Comparing Politics around the World

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Michelle Bonner
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9:30 - 10:30 a.m.

Course description

Comparative politics, one of the major sub-fields of political science, offers insights into the internal political dynamics of countries around the world, including the similarities and differences in how state institutions are structured and variation in political practices.

We will examine basic concepts in comparative politics such as:

• regime types
• human rights
• media
• elections
• political parties
• social movements.

We will also explore how such key political science concepts as democracy are practiced in different countries and how to make generalizations about the concept and practice of democracy. This course provides background for further studies in comparative politics at the 300 and 400-level.

Course outcomes/objectives

• explore the concepts and themes of comparative politics and understand how and why comparison is conducted
• build critical thinking skills including the ability to analyze, synthesize, interpret and evaluate ideas, information, situations and texts
• develop and practice academic writing skills
• develop and practice research skills related to the discipline of political science

Topics may include

• democracy and Democratization

• state structures and opposition

• political accountability and corruption

POLI 240 - International Politics

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Michael Carpenter
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Course description

International politics does not only occur in distant countries, the backrooms of capital cities and global centres or at the United Nations. In a globalized world, international politics occurs all around us and is fundamentally connected to issues that affect our daily lives, the structure of our societies and the form of our economies.

At its root, the study of international politics is the study of power: who has it, who seeks it, and how it is used. This course provides students with a general introduction to both international politics and the discipline of international relations (IR).

Course outcomes/objectives

• identify the major theoretical approaches to IR and the differences between them
• develop a basic knowledge of key issues in international politics
• apply IR theories to key issues in global politics, and critically reflect upon the merits and limitations of the different theoretical approaches
• participate in informed discussion about key issues in world politics
• write a research essay that contains a clear central argument, sufficient evidence and correct citation practices

Topics may include

• international systems and governance
• climate change
• migration
• conflict and security
• human rights
• international law

POLI 300A - Ancient and Medieval Political Thought

Prerequisite

Complete POLI 103 or 202; or permission of the department

Course description

This course examines political thinkers and themes running through the eras of ancient Greece, late antiquity, high medieval Europe, and classical Islam. The figures we will focus on – Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Ibn Khaldûn – asked fundamental political questions imaginable, addressing such matters as the nature of justice, the structure and life cycle of ideal (and essentially flawed) states and societies and the ultimate character and aims of law.

They pursued these questions within the context of philosophical and religious schemas that have helped to construct the basic architecture of what might be termed (albeit not un-problematically) ‘the Western mind,’ and that have been immensely influential in non-‘Western’ settings, as well. We explore these thinkers’ political ideas in their specific historical settings and we will trace the DNA not only of our own notions of what constitutes good or valid forms of social and political order, but also our ideas about what constitutes reality itself.

Course outcomes/objectives

• through close reading of texts, develop analytical and critical-thinking skills
• understand how these influential texts inform current political debates
• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion

Topics may include

• politics and morality

• the ideal state

• citizenship

• hierarchy and power

• the influence of classical Greek thought on contemporary politics

POLI 300B - Early Modern Political Thought

Prerequisite

Complete POLI 103 or 202; or permission of the department

Course description

This course explores the concepts and arguments of early modern political thought and examines how these ideas shaped modern states, imperial expansion, understandings of citizenship, exclusion and equality, property, labor, colonialism, slavery and gender subordination. We will read major works by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and J. J. Rousseau, texts written by women and people of colour and several revolutionary documents.

Questions we consider include:

• Is political society natural or artificial?
• What constitutes legitimate government?
• What is the relation between human beings and non-human nature?
• Can land be owned?
• Are social inequalities based on nature or convention?
• If all men are equal, is slavery justified? Why are women subordinate?
• What is the relation between ideas of reason, rule over children and justifications of slavery?
• What is the relation between ideas of labour, justifications of private property and colonialism?

Course outcomes/objectives

• recognize and reconstruct central concepts, problems and arguments of social contract theory
• evaluate and criticize theoretical arguments
• construct and advance your own arguments
• listen to your peers, connect your ideas to theirs, and advance your arguments in dialogue with them
• apply these concepts to new contexts, both current and historical
• identify issues in current events that have motivated social contract theorists and their critics

Topics may include

• state of nature
• social contract
• equality and exclusion

POLI 306 - Introduction to Marxism

Course description

The course explores the origins of the revolutionary tradition in the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, most notably in Marx’s Capital. It also examines some traditions and debates that grew up in their wake, primarily in various Western and some Global-South schools of thought. At the centre throughout are key concepts and ideas of historical dialectical materialism, its critique of political economy, its political theory, and its philosophy.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written and verbal communication skills through academic writing and class discussion
• critically assess complex texts of Marx and subsequent scholarship (including orthodox, western, black, indigenous, and feminist engagements with Marx)
• recognize and reconstruct central concepts, problems, and arguments in Marxist political economy
• explore the transformation of Marxist ideas in different times and places, as well as over time

Topics may include

• primitive accumulation

• capitalism and imperialism

• social reproduction

• marxist internationalisms

POLI 319 A01- Issues in Comparative Politics: "Populism and Authoritarianism"

Course description 

The course examines populism and authoritarianism as two key and contested concepts of politics today. Studying examples of autocratic regimes around the world, we will explore the conditions under which authoritarian regimes come to be, their features, the way they function, as well as the factors affecting their endurance and their collapse. We will also examine the meaning(s) of populism as a term that has recently gained significant prominence in media and political debates, while discussing its influence in paving the way for authoritarian rule.

• How are autocracies of today are different from those of the past? 
• How are these regimes different and how to recognize the practices that characterize them?
• What are some key elements that distinguish these regimes from liberal democracies?
• How to explain populism’s role with respect to these types of regimes and how is this role related to the state and health of liberal democracy?

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand the structures and practices of authoritarian regimes in a comparative perspective
• explore how and why the concept of ‘authoritarianism’ has changed over time
• understand the different varieties of ‘populism’ and its connection to authoritarian regimes and the crisis of liberal democracies
• develop reading and analytical skills through required readings
• develop academic writing and communication skills

Topics may include

• theories of authoritarianism

• varieties of populism

• hybrid regimes

• political parties, leaders and non state actors

POLI 319 A02 - Issues in Comparative Politics: Peace and Conflict in the Middle East

Course description 

This course introduces students to basic issues of peace and conflict in the Middle East, including political-historical background and common analytical lenses. Contemporary issues include Western military interventions, Israel/Palestine, the Syrian conflict, the Saudi/Iranian cold war and how they interconnect.

Conceptual frames include human security, Orientalism, postcolonialism, political Islam, popular politics and the international state system. By the end of the course, students are expected to demonstrate a working knowledge of the major political alignments and fractures of the region and the different ways of thinking about them

Course outcomes/objectives

• explore the major political fault lines in the Middle East
• understand the legacies of colonialism
• develop reading and analytical skills through required readings
• develop academic writing and communication skills

Topics may include

• colonialism
• orientalism
• Nasserism and pan-Arabism
• Muslim brotherhood

POLI 320 - Canadian Constitution

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Matt James
Schedule: Mondays, Thursdays 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Course description 

This course examines the constitution of Canada:  the formal rules and informal understandings that govern—or are supposed to govern—the making of policy, application of law, and distribution of rights and freedoms in this country.  We will study Indigenous-settler relations, Quebec-Canada relations, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, federalism, and more. 

Constitutions are always changing and that this change tends to be shaped by socio-political conflict and struggle. What this emphasis on conflict and change means for the course is that we will place significant emphasis on the socio-political struggles that have helped to bring about key changes in the Canadian constitution and in its interpretation and application.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand Canadian governing structures, rules, conventions and principles of rule interpretation
• explore the socio-political conflicts that inform the constitutional aspects of Canadian contemporary politics
• develop written and verbal communication skills through essay writing and a mock constitutional conference
• build independent research skills

Topics may include

• Charter of Rights and Freedoms

• Quebec

• capitalism

• diversity

• social movements and equality

• Indigenous self-determination and land

POLI 322 - Sweatshops and the Politics of the Clothing Industry

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Marlea Clarke
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Course description 

This course will explore the contemporary clothing industry and its history to investigate the complexities and tensions of one of the world’s largest and most important industries. The global clothing industry presents a conundrum.

On one hand, the industry offers potential benefits in terms of creating employment and economic growth for individual countries. On the other hand, the industry is notorious both for exploiting workers, especially women and racialized workers, and for the environmental degradation that overproduction and overconsumption of ‘fast fashion’ exacerbates.

We will explore the political and economic challenges of trying to monitor and regulate a global industry, and explore specific examples where the clothing industry has promoted employment and economic growth as well as problematic examples of “sweatshop” labour and lax environmental regulation. Through a focus on the clothing industry, we will examine broader trends in workers’ rights and resistance, capitalism and consumption.

Prerequisite 

2nd year standing recommended

Course outcomes/objectives

• examine the roots of exploitation in clothing production by tracing its origins and outlining the contemporary global dimensions of the industry
• compare the role of state and global institutions in shaping the industry, working conditions in factories and global trends in production and trade
• develop basic hands-on skills in ‘auditing’ (assessing clothing and retail companies performance in terms of workers’ rights and the environment)

Topics may include

• ‘sweatshop’ practices

• consumer behaviour and patterns of consumption

• labour standards and regulation

• trends in workers’ rights and resistance

POLI 323 - Issues in Politics: U.S. Election 2024

Course description 

POLI 323 tracks, in real time, with the intensely contested 2024 United States presidential election campaign between Democratic incumbent Joe Biden and the Republican challenger, former President Donald Trump. Integrating diverse perspectives, the course explores key dimensions of U.S. politics, the candidates’ policy platforms as well as personas and the overall global context and implications for the election. As the campaign’s outcome emerges during the final month of class, we will consider the significances and future prospects.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand mechanisms of U.S. politics that are key to presidential elections, such as the Electoral College
• examine the policy platforms and personas of the competing candidiates for the 2024 U.S. presidential election
• integrate the significance of unfolding developments such as the presidential and vice-presidential campaign debates, and U.S. domestic and global affairs, as they occur through the fall
• assess broader global implications of the election campaign and its eventual outcomes

Topics may include

• history and contemporary status of U.S. political institutions

• political interests and allegiances of various segments of the U.S. electorate

• U.S. political culture, including considerations of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and economic status

• U.S. domestic and global affairs

• global populisms, including questions about the use and/or critique of social and “legacy” media

POLI 338 - Approaches to Political Analysis

Course description 

This course introduces students of political science to a variety of approaches in the social sciences. It is designed to help students to design their research projects by developing some familiarity with current methodological debates and by asking a fundamental question: how and to what extent is it possible to combine different perspectives into a coherent research design?

This course underscores the fact that there is no single approach to political science, and, there is no unique ‘best’ approach to understanding and explaining complex political phenomena. There is an on-going debate among political scientists regarding the validity of several competing and complementary approach. Instead, we will learn in this course that there is a plurality of approaches and we ought to consider the validity of each approach.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop familiarity with current methodological debates
• understand plurality and validity of approaches to understanding complex political phenomena

Topics may include

• theories of approaches and methods

• research design

POLI 344 - International Political Economy

Fall 2024
Instructor: Dr. Colin Chia
Schedule: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Course description 

This course is an advanced introduction for students to key debates, concepts and themes of International Political Economy (IPE). IPE is a field of study that examines the interrelations of economic and political structures, actors and processes to understand how world order is organized.

Using an IPE perspective, the class will examine the relations of power that construct global, national, and subnational institutions and social change, and how they are contested. Students will also examine both key historical and contemporary topics of investigation in IPE to understand how theoretical and empirical topics have arisen and their implications for knowledge production.

Prerequisite

POLI 240, or permission of the department

Course outcomes/objectives

• introduce IPE as a field of study, including its histories, theories and topics of inquiry
• understand the relationship between politics and the global economy
• build an ability to think, read, and communicate logically and critically from an IPE perspective
• develop a self-reflexive approach to understanding how various assumptions and values are shaped and their implications for world events
• enhance verbal and written communication skills through your class participation, class presentations, and written work

Topics may include

• historical political and economic structures and transformations

• actors in IPE including the state, global governance institutions, corporations, and civil society organizations

• globalization

• global finance

• international trade

• environmental governance

• neoliberalism

POLI 350/ADMN 311 - Introduction to Public Administration

Fall 2024
Instructor: TBA 
Schedule: Online

Course description 

This course explores external and internal factors affecting contemporary public sector management in Canada. We will discuss the various legislative, executive and judicial processes which engage public officials and citizens. The course sets the theoretical and institutional context and examines emerging trends in public administration. We then proceed with an analysis of how various layers of the public sector function. This includes federal, provincial, local and Indigenous forms and modes of governance.

We will examine current and emerging debates about public institutions, laws, policies and diversity. Course material includes a range of text and visual materials that integrate diverse perspectives on how to advance public goods and interests. We will examine the functioning of various institutions and their responses to the contemporary challenges of our time.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written communication through essay writing
• debate and evaluate techniques of public administration
• understand the policy-making process, forms of engagement and decision-making
• understand the various approaches, processes and organization of public administration

Topics may include

• Westminster model
• public service
• decision-making models
• levels of government including local municipal government
• Indigenous governance

POLI 351- Public Policy Analysis

Course description 

This course introduces students to the fundamental skills of policy analysis, the structure and operation of the civil service, and to real-world challenges involved in identifying and solving public policy problems. Throughout the term there will be opportunities for students to examine what it is to be a civil servant, the role of government in society, and consider how members of the bureaucracy interact with elected officials.

In addition to examining the role of the public service in analysing, proposing, and administering government programs, students will also build practical skills relevant to work as an analyst, including identifying policy problems, researching and evaluating policy alternatives, and making recommendations through briefing notes and presentations. Throughout the term, emphasis will be on systematic and transparent analysis, and writing and presenting materials in a manner that is appropriate for the intended audience.

Course outcomes/objectives

• identify and describe policy problems
• identify multiple solutions to policy problems and complete transparent and unbiased analysis to determine which is most appropriate
• prepare briefing notes and other materials that are well researched, clear, concise, and appropriate for their intended audience

Topics may include

• public policy frameworks

• approaches to public policy

• consultation and stakeholder analysis

• policy instruments

POLI 364 - Canadian Public Policy

Course description 

This course examines, assesses and applies theoretical perspectives to the study of policy-making in Canada. We will address both where and how decisions are made (or not) across levels, scales and locales of government. Given that numerous actors such as interest groups, lobbyists, the public and the media affect public policy, this course will emphasize both structure and agency, key terms and concepts associated with how government functions.

This course will also discuss processes of governance. The first section of the course introduces various approaches to public policy in Canada. We will follow this by applying these approaches to selected policy domains in Canadian politics, including health, environment, ethnicity, race, risk and security. The final portion of the course will focus on the applied craft of policy-making.

Course outcomes/objectives

• introduce theoretical approaches and concepts concerning public policy
• explore crucial components of the public policy processes
• allow participation in public policy development and engagement
• provide a knowledge and skill set that students can expand in the workplace
• learn how to write a policy brief and a position paper
• develop analytic, writing, research and presentation skills that are fundamental to working in both public and not-‐for-‐profit sector environments

Topics may include

• policy paradox
• intersectionality
• policy networks and communities
• policy domains

POLI 300B - Early Modern Political Thought

Prerequisite

Complete POLI 103 or 202; or permission of the department

Course description

This course explores the concepts and arguments of early modern political thought and examines how these ideas shaped modern states, imperial expansion, understandings of citizenship, exclusion and equality, property, labor, colonialism, slavery and gender subordination. We will read major works by Thomas Hobbes, John Locke and J. J. Rousseau, texts written by women and people of colour and several revolutionary documents.

Questions we consider include:

• Is political society natural or artificial?
• What constitutes legitimate government?
• What is the relation between human beings and non-human nature?
• Can land be owned?
• Are social inequalities based on nature or convention?
• If all men are equal, is slavery justified? Why are women subordinate?
• What is the relation between ideas of reason, rule over children and justifications of slavery?
• What is the relation between ideas of labour, justifications of private property and colonialism?

Course outcomes/objectives

• recognize and reconstruct central concepts, problems and arguments of social contract theory
• evaluate and criticize theoretical arguments
• construct and advance your own arguments
• listen to your peers, connect your ideas to theirs, and advance your arguments in dialogue with them
• apply these concepts to new contexts, both current and historical
• identify issues in current events that have motivated social contract theorists and their critics

Topics may include

• state of nature
• social contract
• equality and exclusion

POLI 300C - Post-Enlightenment Political Thought

Course description

The goal of studying the political thought of the post-enlightenment period is to examine the foundations of the ideologies that have shaped our lives the 20th and 21st centuries.

In a very direct way, the major movements of the contemporary era have their roots in the political and intellectual thought of the post-enlightenment era, whether we are discussing Liberalism (in both its classical or ‘Neo’ variety), Marxism, Cosmopolitanism or Feminism.

An exploration of these earlier thinkers and texts give us a stronger understanding of the ideas and forces that have shaped the world around us.

Prerequisite 

POLI 103 or 202 or permission of the department

Course outcomes/objectives

• explore the foundations of ideologies which have shaped the 20th and 21st centuries
• examine the early investigations of ‘progress’ and they give us an understanding of our own place within history.
• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• through close reading of texts, develop analytical and critical-thinking skills
• understand how these influential texts inform current political debates

Topics may include

• Kant and Marx
• progress
• enfranchisement
• liberalism

POLI 311/EUS 311 - Governments and Politics in Europe

Course description

We study the development of European states, their institutions, and policies in comparative perspective, examining the differences and similarities across European states, and whether or not they persist in the face of European integration. The material is laid out thematically, rather than country-by-country, and focuses on comparative governance structures.

We will look at central issues and political processes, to include political parties, ideologies, electoral systems, interest groups, and institutions. We examine more current events and debates in a comparative manner, to include (but not limited to) regional integration, secessionist movements, economic policies, human migration, and security. Students will learn how to select cases that allow for meaningful comparisons in order to evaluate the political structures of different countries in an informed and informative way.

Prerequisite

Complete POLI 211, or permission of the department

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand the historical context of Europe as a continent
• explore the concepts of European political institutions and governmental organization
• develop a comparative framework of European countries and institutions
• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion

Topics may include

• regional governance

• evolution of ideologies and interests in European states

• secessionist movements

• nationalism

• human migration

• international relations

• security and defense

POLI 321 - Introduction to Research Methods in Political Science

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Feng Xu
Schedule: Mondays and Thursdays 2:30-4 p.m.

Course description 

This course introduces students of political science how to conduct research and critically assess research results and design. The course will teach students how political scientists ask answerable questions:

• how we define key political concepts
• how we formulate hypotheses and theories about political dynamics
• how we measure the phenomena we want to study
• how we think about and assess relationships of cause-and-effect
• how we report our findings to the world.

This course also develops skills that will help students know how to write up, present and discuss empirical research findings. Students will learn by using employing the concepts, ideas and methods on a topic of their choosing.

Prerequisite 

A minimum third-year standing, declared honours or major in political science or permission of the department

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand the scientific method and basics of philosophy of science
• distinguish between qualitative and quantitative research methods
• understand the basic principles of various research methods
• understand how variability influences data and outcomes
• become familiar with very basic statistics
• develop written and verbal communication skills through group projects and individual assignments

Topics may include

• political behaviour
• voting
• public opinion
• social movements
• public policy coordination

POLI 323 - Issues in Politics: Misinformation and Social Media

Info: TBA

POLI 329 - Political Foundations of International Law

Course description 

This introductory course will explore the analytical and theoretical foundations of international law and how they relate to the field of international relations. The course begins with analysis of the origins of international law, which is richly entwined with the history of western international society. Different approaches to the study of international law and international politics that derive from distinctive analytical and theoretical traditions are reviewed. We will examine the developments that are breaking the frames of traditional understandings of law and politics, and the critical approaches that reject international laws’ foundations as colonial, oppressive, and exploitative in advancing private regimes of appropriation and dispossession.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand how the international legal system operates
• regulation of human rights, use of force, criminality and the global political economy
• understand the main players in the international legal system
• develop core undergraduate skills such as effective writing, analysis, and argumentation

Topics may include

• relationship between international law and international relations

• watersheds in the development of international law

• influence of forces of globalization on international law

• international legal institutions

• human rights and criminality

• use of force

• private transnational governance

POLI 350/ADMN 311 - Introduction to Public Administration

Spring 2025
Instructor: Dr. Sean Darling
Schedule: Wednesday 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Course description 

This course explores external and internal factors affecting contemporary public sector management in Canada. We will discuss the various legislative, executive and judicial processes which engage public officials and citizens.

The course sets the theoretical and institutional context and examines emerging trends in public administration. We then proceed with an analysis of how various layers of the public sector function. This includes federal, provincial, local and Indigenous forms and modes of governance. We will examine current and emerging debates about public institutions, laws, policies and diversity. Course material includes a range of text and visual materials that integrate diverse perspectives on how to advance public goods and interests. We will examine the functioning of various institutions and their responses to the contemporary challenges of our time.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written communication through essay writing
• debate and evaluate techniques of public administration
• understand the policy-making process, forms of engagement and decision-making
• understand the various approaches, processes and organization of public administration

Topics may include

• Westminster model
• public service
• decision-making models
• levels of government including local municipal government
• Indigenous governance

POLI 363 - Indigenous Politics in Canada

Course description 

This course explores prevailing political narratives shaping the relationships between Indigenous nations, settler society, and the Canadian state and considers possibilities for Indigenous futures. Together we will interrogate the stories we have been told about Indigenous politics in Canada and consider our own positioning in relation to those narratives. Heeding calls from Indigenous communities to reject colonial permanence, this course will engage with Indigenous articulations of liberated futures.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• review historical and contemporary context of the Indigenous-state relationship
• explore narratives of liberation and future-building
• examine power and intersections of race, gender, class, sexuality, (dis)ability in relation to governance

Topics may include

• decolonization

• Indigenous governance

• sovereignty

• resurgence movements

• Indigenous futurisms

POLI 368 - Politics of Western Canada

Course description 

In this class, we will study the politics of Canada west of Ontario. We’ll interrogate the history of the West, define what “the West” or "Westerner" means, explore the dynamics of settler-colonialism, gender, sexuality, class, and race in the West, then trace how these undercurrents are articulated in contemporary regional and provincial politics. Some questions we will ask are:

• What is Western Canada?
• Are 'BC-ers' Westerners?
• What distinguishes politics in Western Canada from the rest of the country?
• Why is Alberta like that?

Prerequisite 

POLI 101, 201 or permission of the instructor

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• gain understanding of the political, economic, and social dynamics of Western Canada
• learn to view western Canadian politics (and politics more broadly) through a variety of theoretical frameworks
• develop written and verbal communication skills through academic writing and class discussion

Topics may include

• Canadian regionalism
• settler colonialism in Western Canada
• numbered treaties
• provincial politics of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba

POLI 371/HSTR 365D - Chinese Politics

Course description 

This course examines the domestic politics of the People’s Republic of China. Covering the historical continuity and change of Chinese politics from 1949 to the present, the course is organized into two parts: Mao Zedong’s reign with liberation and the proletarian dictatorship (1949-1976) and the post-Mao eras with reform and refreshed repression. We will consider China as a country case in comparative political perspectives, including comparisons with other communist states, transitional politics in East Asia, authoritarian politics in general, and in terms of political economy of development, the Global South.

Students do not need specialized background knowledge on Chinese politics, but, with the guidance provided by lectures and readings, are expected to experiment imagining of a political system that is perhaps fundamentally different from one in which they live and seizing of the concepts applicable to comprehending and analyzing the Chinese political system.

Course outcomes/objectives

• understand the theoretical perspectives in contemporary Chinese politics
• explore political institutions in revolutionary and transitional Chinese politics
• analyze the dynamics of revolution, reform and repression embedded in state-society relations
• develop core undergraduate skills such as effective writing, analysis, and argumentation

Topics may include

• The Maoist state
• rural reform and governance
• democratization
• socioeconomic change

POLI 388 - Politics of Sports

Course description 

“Shut up and dribble” insisted Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham after Lebron James commented on the Trump presidency. Try as Ingraham might, though, separating sports and politics is not so simple.

POLI 388 explores how power operates through sports. Topics will include the funding of professional sports stadiums, nationalism and cultural institutions such as Hockey Night in Canada, and the politics of international sporting competitions such as the Olympics and World Cup.

Course outcomes/objectives:

• explore the relationship between sports and politics
• explore how discourses of sports are deployed within the context of political interests
• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion

Topics may include:

• nationalism

• cultural institutions

• international sporting competitions

POLI 389 - Borders and Migration

Course description 

Borders and migration have become highly contentious issues in politics and public debate. Among other factors, the 2015/16 ‘refugee crisis’ further contributed to the rise of populist-nationalist forces that mobilize based on anti-immigrant sentiments and a fundamental opposition to mainstream liberal and neoliberal politics.

This course addresses this context as well as the conditions experienced by migrants themselves. While borders are the primary obstacle to the free movement of people, they are also complex filters and interfaces between jurisdictions. Not simply confined to the boundary line, borders are also powerful policy instruments for states to govern migration, not only to prevent it.

• How are borders and migration politicized with a view to debates surrounding irregular migration, refugee policy, security, identity, citizenship, and the integration of newcomers?
• How are borders and migration bound up with the rise of the populist, anti-immigrant right and its effects on democracy?

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• develop reading and analytical skills through required readings
• understand the challenges surrounding migration and its politicization
• explore nuanced theoretical conceptions of borders

Topics may include

• populism and popular politics

• securitizing migration

• citizenship and exclusion

• humanitarian borders

POLI 423 - (Seminar) Neoliberal Canada

Course description  

Neoliberalism has been the prevailing form of governance across much of the world for almost forty years.

It has been located in myriad spaces, from policies like privatization, deregulation and austerity to the ways in which neoliberal citizenship governs how we live our lives. In this course, we will trace the emergence of neoliberal governance in Canada. 

The course includes 3 units that seek to understand exactly what neoliberalism is, how it emerged in Canada and what its (and our) future holds.

We will trace the emergence and growth of neoliberal thought, starting with the context that incubated the ideas of neoliberal thinkers such F.A. Hayek and Milton Friedman, then think about how to best conceptualize exactly what neoliberalism is, focussing on political economy and institutional understandings of neoliberalism versus post-structural perspectives.

Finally, we will take these lessons and deploying them to understand how neoliberalism came to Canada and how it has been articulated here in specific places and in specific ways.

Prerequisites 

Complete one 300-level course in political science or permission of the department

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• have a sound understanding of the history of neoliberal ideas
• be able to identify various theoretical perspectives on neoliberalism
• feel comfortable deploying concepts related to neoliberalism in research

Topics may include

• neoliberalism
• policy
• Canadian politics
• political economy
• governmentality

POLI 433 - (Seminar) Issues in Politics: "Fable, Memoir, Archive: Stylistic Experiments in Political and Social Theory"

Course description

It has frequently been said that the point of theory and philosophy is to make us see the world in new ways; to think new ideas and to be open to new possibilities. Theory and philosophy usually do this through argumentation and analysis. But what happens when a theorist or philosopher finds that current genres of writing are too restrictive; that they need to seek out new forms of expression to help cultivate these new ways of thinking?

In this course we will look at stylistic experiments in theory, looking at works which seek to break out of the expected genres of scholarly writing. We will read texts which incorporate fiction, fable, memoir, archive, poetry, visual art, and photography as well as elements of surrealism, magic realism, horror, fantasy, and science fiction, amongst others. Possible texts include works by Reza Negarestani, Beatriz Preciado, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Avery F. Gordon, Vilem Flusser, Saidiya Hartman, and Lily Ling.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop writing and seminar presentation skills
• consider alternative ways of thinking about politics
• engage critically with texts and ideas related to a variety of fields and theories
• develop engagements through in-class discussions and written assignments

Topics may include

• political theory

• international relations theory

• critical race theory

• queer theory 

• feminist theory

• environmental political theory

POLI 433 - (Seminar) Issues in Politics: "Politics of Civil Disobedience"

Course description

TBA

POLI 401/501 - (Seminar) Advanced Topics in Political Theory "Racial Capitalism"

Course description 

This seminar is an advanced course in political theory that introduces you to the literature on racial capitalism. We will examine historical and contemporary analyses of the capitalist processes that produce or reproduce racial divisions. Topics will include the origins of capitalism, the relation between capitalism and feudalism, enclosure of the commons, ongoing primitive accumulation of capital, expropriation, housewifization, international division of labour and the devaluation of black labour.

Prerequisite

Complete 1 of POLI 300A, POLI 300B, POLI 300C, or permission of the department.

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion
• recognize and articulate the meaning of key concepts in a literature that connects the processes of capitalism with the creation of racial divisions
• reconstruct the role of these concepts in the theoretical arguments advanced in this literature and evaluate the arguments
• advance arguments on these topics in both written and spoken form

Topics may include

• enclosure of the commons

• ongoing primitive accumulation of capital

• expropriation

• colonization

• housewifization

• international division of labour

• slave labour

• devaluation of black labour

POLI 433/533 - (Seminar) Issues in Politics: "Technology and World Politics"

Course description 

This course examines key issues and debates in the regulation and governance of technology, with particular focus on the contexts of world politics and international relations. Specific topics include approaches to the governance of technology, internet and cybersecurity threats, military and industrial innovation and international rivalry over technological industries and production. 

Course outcomes/objectives

• develop writing and seminar presentation skills
• understand the relationship between regulation and governance of technology in world politics
• advance arguments on key topics in both written and spoken form

Topics may include

• cybersecurity threats

• military innovation
• international rivalry
• governance of technology

POLI 463 - (Seminar) Violence to Indigenous Lands and Bodies

Course description 

Indigenous lands and bodies have been constructed as terra nullius, wastelands and criminal spaces, enabling the US and Canada to avert attention from their own illegality. The imposition of colonial law, facilitated by casting Indigenous peoples as savage and in need of civilization and constructing Indigenous lands as lawless spaces absent legal order, have made it possible for the United States and Canada to reduce Indigenous political authority and dispossess Indigenous nations of their lands.

Settler colonial logics operate to keep state sovereignty discursively intact while implementing and mobilizing settler sovereignty in ways that play out on Indigenous bodies and lands. This course is discussion based. You are expected and required to come to class prepared to discuss the readings with a critical lens. This class covers a range of political and legal issues.

Course outcomes/objectives

• examine Indigenous relationships to their territories
• explore Indigenous assertions of sovereignty and resistance to the state
• understand settler colonialism and its enduring impacts including gender violence and policy responses
• develop written and verbal communication through essay writing and discussion

Topics may include

• economies of violence
• colonial space, elimination and containment
• heteropatriarchy
• discourses of reconciliation and healing