This is the recommended introductory course for students intending to pursue a specialization in Political Science. An introduction to the basic concepts of politics, such as liberty, equality, social justice, constitutionalism, sovereignty, federalism, parliamentary versus presidential government. The course will emphasize the meaning and use of these terms within Canada in the context of other political systems.

This course examines contemporary issues through the lens of different political and ideological perspectives. How do interest groups, social movements, politicians, journalists, social media commentators, bureaucrats, judges and other actors approach the most pressing issues we face today? Where do they agree and disagree? How can we analyze these debates to help us better understand, explain, and predict political events? This course will involve a variety of professors and practitioners, including university alumni, to introduce students to these debates and challenges.

An examination of the fundamental patterns of international politics, focusing especially on the major issues and contemporary events at the root of international conflict. As well, the reality of globalization and interdependence is assessed in terms of the alternative patterns of international cooperation in the contemporary world.

A study of the philosophic and ideological developments which have led to the emergence of the modern state and contemporary politics.

The course provides an introduction to key concepts used in comparative political analysis.

This course introduces students to competing approaches to gender and politics. Students will examine the interrelationship of gender, politics and the state, focusing on its implications for political mobilization, representation and participation, public policy, global gender issues in international relations, and cultural and regional differences in gender politics. The course provides the student with the conceptual and analytical tools for upper-year courses on politics in general and on gender, sexuality and politics in particular.

An introduction to basic theories and concepts in the study of international relations, including an analysis of power, national interest, security, survival, nationalism, sovereignty, decision-making, interdependence, integration, and transnationalism.

The course introduces students to public policy, including the differences between applied and explanatory policy analyses, within the larger context of politics and government. Case studies of different policy areas are used to illustrate the challenges of developing, implementing, and explaining policy in various (and often interrelated) contexts from the local to the global.

The course explores, from both practical and theoretical perspectives, planning and implementation of programs and services through government departments and agencies and "alternative" processes and structures, sometimes involving non-governmental actors. The course critically evaluates the changing role of bureaucracy; financial and human resource management; and the evolving concepts of responsibility and accountability.

This course explores the core institutions of Canadian government, including parliamentary government, federalism, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and electoral systems. How these institutions shape and are shaped by political parties and social forces, as well as current issues like Quebec nationalism, identity politics and Indigenous governance, are covered.

This course will consider law as both the output of political action and as the structure in which political action occurs. It will introduce students to core legal concepts, explore the impact of law on private and public actors, and help students develop legal research skills.

This course offers an introduction to the principles of inquiry in political science. Students will study the crucial components of research and engage subjects such as theorization, research ethics, conceptualization, operationalization, research design, case selection, and both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection.

Africa in the 20th Century has been the scene of rapid political and economic change. This course analyzes African politics in the light of contemporary problems of development and modernization.

The course explores the nature of international law and organizations and critically analyzes theories and evidence about the relationship between international law and state and non-state actors. Topics covered may include international criminal law, use of force, the environment, trade, human rights, and aid and development.

This course provides an introduction to the electoral process in Canada. It will explore factors that explain citizens' vote choices and the strategies used by candidates and their campaigns to win these votes. The course integrates literature on the electoral system, campaign financing, political parties, political communication, and voting behaviour.

Students will examine the political dynamics of selected states and societies (e.g. Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel, Jordan and Algeria) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Issues to be covered: the impact of early Middle Eastern/North African history upon today's politics; class structures in the MENA countries and their impact on politics; the rise of Arab nationalism; Zionism; the politics of oil; the status of women; the political impact of economic restructuring; Islamic movements; state-building; and political liberalization and democratization in the Middle East and North Africa.

An exploration of Latin American politics from a multidimensional perspective. It analyzes the interaction among contemporary political structures, ideologies and processes in the context of socio-economic change.

This course emphasizes the study of the judicial system as a branch of government and highlights the interaction between the judiciary, law, the political process and public policy. Issues such as judicial selection and Charter of Rights decisions by courts will be explored. Comparisons with the judicial process in other countries will supplement the focus on the Canadian judicial process.

This course examines the legal and political effects of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Issues to be examined may include the Charter's influence on Canadian political culture and identity, interest groups and social movements, the power of the courts, and public policy. Analysis of specific Charter sections and judicial decisions along with comparisons to other countries will be used to aid the analysis.

This course will introduce students to theories and concepts of gender justice and women's political empowerment in the Global South, the Global North, and across borders. It will also examine selected topics and cases such as political representation, gender and culture, religion, nationalism, gender and disability, household authority, and reproductive rights.

Canada's constitution and its federal system lie at the heart of the ongoing crisis facing the Canadian Confederation. This course examines the major features of our constitutional development, how the current system of intergovernmental relations has evolved, and the challenges posed by Canada's cultural diversity, pressures for decentralisation, and the maintenance of national sovereignty.

This course explores the impact of modern science and technology, and its impact on the western tradition of justice from the seventeenth century to the twentieth century. It will explore this theme in writers such as Thomas Hobbes, Jonathan Swift, J-J Rousseau, Edmund Burke, Friedrich Nietzsche and George Grant. The exact selection of thinkers will vary from year to year and students are advised to check the course outline.

This course covers the dominant theories that explain the origins and character of public policy in Canada, and other countries. The focus will be on both governmental and nongovernmental actors.

Municipal governments are major spenders of public funds in Canada, and are also the level of government closest to the people. In this course, students will examine the major problems confronting urban government in Ontario.

The course provides an overview of the policy process and outcomes of the Canadian criminal justice system. Particular emphasis is placed on examining, using various public policy and public management perspectives, the practices and interactions of governmental agencies within the system, such as police agencies and boards, departments of Justice, Solicitor-General, corrections and parole agencies, courts and the legal profession.

This course examines the motivations and mechanisms by which industrialized states have designed and implemented foreign aid programs and policy, primarily since the end of the Second World War. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of multilateral, bilateral and nongovernmental organizations in the delivery of development assistance and humanitarian relief.

This course provides an overview of the relationship between the Canadian state and Indigenous peoples by critically analyzing key historical and contemporary legal, political, and social developments in this evolving relationship.

The course compares legal systems and judicial processes (such as judicial selection, decision-making, and accountability) across jurisdictions and explores similarities and differences in legal and judicial systems. The course critically analyzes the implications of these differences, such as in terms of judicial power, access to justice, and the protection of rights.

The course explores how societies emerging from periods of conflict and repression respond to the legacies of massive and serious human rights violations. It critically analyzes the theory of transitional justice, and its operation in practice, surveying measures to provide truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence. The course considers post-conflict and post-authoritarian situations, as well as settler colonial contexts like Canada.

This course examines environmental politics and governance in Canada as well as in comparative and international contexts. This is accomplished by surveying how various political, legal, administrative, and private-public actors and processes influence the development and implementation of environmental policy.

This course analyzes race from a comparative perspective. It discusses theories of race and racial formation, underpinning their ideological, structural and instrumental basis. The course also empirically examines the various strategies racial/racist states have employed against racialized groups, including ethnic cleansing, assimilation and control, and how these groups have responded and resisted.

This course involves a treatment of the basic principles and institutions of national government and politics in the United States as well as the making and execution of public policy at the national and state levels.

This course will introduce students to the phenomenon of political corruption and the study of its incidence. Attention will be paid to historical examples, contemporary scandals, and analytical articles, dealing with the nature, causes and effects, and proposed cures of political corruption, and the ethical dilemmas inherent in political life.

Europe has forged a new form of political organization, the European Union, in addition to its variety of national democratic forms. This course offers a comparative examination of selected national governments, as well as an exploration of this new supra-national organization.

The public and private sectors in Canada have become more and more interrelated in recent years as evidenced by tax and expenditure policies, the role of regulation and public enterprise, and the increasing emphasis on consultation and co-ordination. This course examines the evolving relationship between governments and the private sector in Canada, including business (both large and small), organized labour, specific sectors such as agriculture and consumer affairs and voluntary organizations.

This course will examine the growing body of literature which considers violent conflict and its management. Materials are organized to reflect the trajectory of many contemporary conflicts: from explanations for violence, to identifying conditions and means to resolve conflict and, finally, to post-conflict governance.

This course examines quantitative research methods of data analysis used in political science. Students learn how to apply basic descriptive and inferential statistical procedures to research political problems and test hypotheses. In lab, students will acquire the skills to perform data analysis

This course examines the political factors that shape the policymaking process. Using the major theoretical perspectives, the course compares public policies in different countries. Empirically, the focus is on a variety of pressing issues that societies currently face.

This course introduces students to the politics surrounding the regulation of sex and sexuality. It analyzes how the distribution of power through formal and informal political institutions determines how we understand sex, who is considered a sex agent and what types of sexual behaviour are legally and ethically acceptable. Special attention is given to the relationship between sex, gender and sexual orientation.

This course examines major features of the contemporary international political economy, treating major theories and concepts within this approach to international relations (hegemony, globalization, interdependence, world systems theory, etc.) and focusing on the operation of key international institutions and regimes (i.e. communications, trade and transport policy).

This course allows students to reflect upon their involvement in some form of politically related activity, including simulations, volunteer programs, or internship work with government or non-government organizations. The student must find a faculty member from the Department of Political Science willing to act as a supervisor for the course. See the Political Science website for the learning contract and other requirements that must be completed in advance of registering for this course.

The course is designed to provide a survey of the history, society, culture, politics, government, bureaucracy and foreign relations of India.

This course is a detailed study of the political history of modern China and its current politics. The main objective is to assess the extent to which the Chinese Communist Party has fulfilled its mandate, which is to build a sovereign and united China as well as to modernize the country within a socialist framework.

Readings and research in selected areas of the discipline not covered by regular course offerings. Students present a proposal and seek approval from a member of the department in the semester previous to enrolment in this course. The method of course presentation, emphasis, and evaluation are at the discretion of the instructor.

The seminar critically investigates topics in comparative, transnational, or international law and judicial processes.

This course provides an analysis of selected theories and political issues discussed by prominent 20th-Century thinkers. These contemporary works will be examined as part of the long tradition of political discourse dating back to the classical period.

This seminar critically investigates topics in comparative, transnational, or international law and judicial processes.

This course explores advanced topics in law and politics depending on the interests of the instructor. Potential topics include investigating the law and politics of social change or analyzing debates about the political power of courts in Canada or in comparative perspectives.

This advanced lecture course explores topics in law and politics. Specific topics vary depending on the interests of the instructor. Potential topics include the relationship between law and social change, human rights, the relationship between law and power, judicial decision-making, and the relationship between law, class, gender, race, and sexuality.

The course critically examines the complex relationship between the judiciary and representative institutions. By comparing the treatment of current political controversies (assisted suicide, prostitution, drug treatment), students will better appreciate the often-subtle exchanges between the two institutions and further enhance their research abilities in regards to both legal and legislative processes.

This seminar provides an analysis of the use of the internet and social media in politics. It explores the ways in which digital technologies are changing politics, both theoretically and in current practice, and examines how individuals and institutions in Canada and internationally employ digital technologies as a part of political practice.

This course will use gender-based analysis in examining a series of justice and public policy issues affecting the lives of women, including equality rights, pay and employment equity, domestic violence, sexual assault, family policy, health care policy, and pornography. How do current policies that developed out of neoliberalism influence the lives of women in different ways than men? How can/should they be changed to recognize the different life experiences of women as distinguished from men? The primary focus of the topics covered in this course will be Canadian.

The seminar critically investigates topics in criminal justice and public policy.

The course critically investigates topics in criminal justice and public policy.

This course will explore evolving conceptions of Canadian identity and nationalism through consideration of political culture, institutions and constitutional arrangements. Possible topics include: multiculturalism, Indigenous identity and community, Quebec nationalism, social citizenship, rights and representation, as well as Canada's global role and significance.

This advanced lecture course will explore evolving conceptions of Canadian identity and nationalism through a consideration of political culture, institutions, and constitutional arrangements. Possible topics include: multiculturalism, Indigenous identity and community, Quebec nationalism, social citizenship, rights and representation, as well as Canada's global role and significance.

This course considers the evolving relationship among levels of government in Canada. The growth of cities, the growth of policy responsibilities of provinces, the influence of international organizations, and the development of First Nations government in Canada all challenge the conventional study of federal-provincial relations in Canada. From year to year, this course examines one or several of these contemporary dynamics.

This seminar critically explores the politics of global environmental governance including the role of state and non-state actors.

The course relies on theoretical approaches in international political economy (IPE) to examine relationships between politics and economics across national and regional levels. The evolution of the global political economy and its governance structures is explored, as well as contemporary debates about globalization and state and non-state actors' responses. Issue-areas may include: money and power, technology, trade, development and the environment.

This course will examine various topics related to governance, such as public management reform, public sector leadership, third sector organizations or budgeting and human resources.

This course will examine various public policy issues such as social policy or health care policy in a Canadian or comparative context.

This advanced lecture course examines various topics related to governance, such as public management reform, public sector leadership, third sector organizations, or budgeting and human resources.

The advanced lecture course will examine various public policy issues, such as social policy, health care policy, evnironmental policy, or economic policy in a Canadian or comparative context.

This course critically explores the ethical dimensions of public policy, analyzing how governments address issues of general concern through provision, prohibition, or both. Emphasizing the high stakes nature of policy making, the course examines principles and values through the framework of applied ethics, using ethical theories to assess practical matters. Students engage with ethical theories that enable critical evaluation of contested policy issues.

This course will examine the political and ethical consequences of adopting a human rights framework in national and international contexts by both state and non-state actors. This subject will be explored from a range of historical, theoretical and practical perspectives.

This advanced lecture course will use gender-based analysis in examining a series of justice and public policy issues affecting the lives of women, including equality rights, pay and employment equity, domestic violence, sexual assault, family policy, health care policy and pornography. The primary focus of the topics covered in the course will be Canadian, although the experiences of women in other countries will be covered, particularly as it relates to "best practices" where appropriate.

This advanced lecture course examines the political and ethical consequences of adopting a human rights framework in national and international contexts by both state and non-state actors. This subject will be explored from a range of historical, theoretical and practical perspectives.

The course examines the role of nationalism in contemporary politics. Nationalism as such is understood as a major political force in state-building. Its impact on both global and national politics is assessed in relation to other forms of identity-based politics.

This course considers theories and problems in comparative politics and government in developing and industrialized countries. The geographical and theoretical focus of the course will reflect the interests of the instructor.

This course considers theories and problems in the field of International Relations. The theoretical and/or geographical focus of the course will reflect the interests of the instructor.

This course is designed as an advanced introduction to the international relations of the Middle East. The course focuses on theories of international relations and their applicability to specific case studies of Middle Eastern politics. The course provides a critical examination of conflicts in the region, and contextualizes those conflicts within both realist and neo-realist theories of international relations. The course also provides a critical examination of the Arab-Israeli crisis, with a focus on peace negotiations. The course is offered as a seminar, with a heavy emphasis on class participation. Students participate in a simulation of an Arab-Israeli peace negotiation.

The course explores rights and liberties from various perspectives depending on the interests of the instructor. Potential topics include exploring the political, social, and legal factors and theories that explain the development of rights and liberties; rights and liberties in a comparative and international context; or the philosophical and policy debates surrounding rights and liberties.

This advanced lecture course examines theories and problems in comparative politics and government in developing and industrialized countries. The geographical and theoretical focus of the course will vary depending on the interests of the instructor.

This advanced lecture course considers theories and problems in the field of International Relations. The theoretical and/or geographical focus will reflect the interests of the instructor.

This lecture course explores rights and liberties from various perspectives depending on the interests of the instructor. Potential topics include exploring the political, social, and legal factors and theories that explain the development of rights and liberties; rights and liberties in a comparative and international context; or the philosophical and policy debates surrounding rights and liberties.

The course analyzes the relationship between courts and the elected branches of government in Canada and a comparative perspective. Using relevant examples, the course examines how courts and legislatures participate in constitutional interpretation and explores debates about the appropriate role of courts and legislatures in political life.

This seminar-based course explores a current issue in Political Science. Topics will vary from year to year and will reflect the research and teaching interests of the faculty member directing the course. Information on the topic of the current offering can be found on the departmental website.

This course provides for independent reading and research in selected areas of the discipline not covered by regular course offerings. Prior to enrollment in the course, approval must be obtained from a member of the department willing to supervise the research. Students should approach potential supervisors with a proposal for readings and research, which may include reflection and expansion on a subject matter addressed in previous course assignments.

This course provides for independent reading and research in selected areas of the discipline not covered by regular course offerings. Prior to enrollment in the course, approval must be obtained from a member of the department willing to supervise the research. Students should approach potential supervisors with a proposal for readings and research, which may include reflection and expansion on a subject matter addressed in previous course assignments.

This is Part I of the Honours Essay. Students complete the necessary reading and research for their Honours Essay under the supervision of a department advisor. A research proposal is expected by the end of the semester. Political science majors who wish to pursue an honours thesis must register in this course in their 7th semester. Student selection of an approved subject area and instructor must be completed in the semester previous to enrolment in this course.

This is Part II of the Honours Essay. Students organize and write their essays under the supervision of their advisor. Major honours political science students must register in this course in their 8th semester.