Political Science Faculty
List
Chair: TBA Email: socscichair@utsc.utoronto.ca Political Science is the study of enduring issues of power and authority,
citizenship and governance, justice and legitimacy, and patterns of
conflict and co-operation that arise around these issues from ancient
to modern times. The field of Political Science is divided into the
following sub-fields: Canadian Politics, Comparative Politics (Developing
and Developed Countries), International Relations and Political Theory.
In the area of Canadian Politics, students learn about the political-institutional
foundations, political processes and public policies of Canada. Courses
in comparative politics deal with the problems of political change
and development in areas such as Asia, Europe, Latin America, and
the Middle East. Political participation and mobilization, transitions
to democracy and ethnic and religious conflict are some of the themes
dealt with in comparative politics courses. International relations
is devoted to studying the foreign policies of particular nation-states
and the patterns of conflict and co-operation among states. Political
theory explores the ideas, such as justice and legitimacy, that are
fundamental to political thought and practice, giving special attention
to reading and interpreting the classic expositions of politics from
ancient Greek philosophers to post-modern social theorists. Political Science ProgramsSPECIALIST PROGRAM IN POLITICAL SCIENCE (ARTS)Program Requirements
Program Requirements
Program Requirements
The Major Program in Public Policy equips students with the analytical
and methodological skills to secure employment as policy analysts
in government, business, and non-governmental sectors, or to continue
to graduate training in public policy. 1. 1.0 full credits at the A- or B-level in Anthropology, City Studies, Geography, Health Studies, IDS, or Sociology. At least 0.5 credits in A-level Political Science are recommended. We also recommend interested students to take introductory courses in departments like City Studies, Economics, Environmental Science, Health Studies, and IDS that may reflect their particular substantive interests. 2. Canadian Politics (1.5 credits) 3. Fundamentals of Public Policy (1.0 credits) 4. Economics for Public Policy (1.5 credits) 5. Research Methods (1.0 credits with at least 0.5 credits in quantitative
methods)
6. Applications of Public Policy (2.0 credits) from the list of relevant Public Policy or other courses with the approval of the supervisor of studies. Of these, 1.0 credits must be from C or D level courses in Political Science. * Many of these courses have prerequisites, please plan accordingly. In addition, we recommend taking methods courses from within your disciplinary major program. MAJOR (CO-OPERATIVE) PROGRAM IN PUBLIC POLICY (ARTS)Co-op Contact: askcoop@utsc.utoronto.ca Political Science CoursesPOLA11H3 Labels, Attachments and Identities: From Apple to 'Zed' Working with faculty, students will design an original survey of
the public to measure opinions towards consumer brands, political
parties, and personal identities. This survey will bridge the boundaries
between marketing and political science, to find commonalities and
reveal distinctions between consumer attitudes and political opinions. This course examines some issues critical to the well being of Canadian
democracy. The issues may change from year to year but will normally
include citizen participation, ethical conduct in political life,
national unity, and North American regionalism. This course is an introduction to political, social and economic
themes arising from imaginative literature. Authors and topics covered
will vary from year to year. This course examines political and social attitudes towards war,
and their underlying causes, during the 19th and 20th Centuries, as
portrayed in film, literature, and historical writing. Wars examined
include the War of 1812, World Wars I and II, and the Vietnam War. This course provides a study of the causes and patterns of emigration
in the twentieth century. The course examines the variety of political
factors (war and revolution, ethnic / racial discrimination, poverty,
dilemmas of conscience) that triggered emigration in the twentieth
century. Sources include political and historical works, novels and
films. This course introduces students to a series of issues in global politics
and their consequences for Canadian citizens, including the globalizing
economy, terrorism, and environmental degradation. The course probes
how these major issues are beginning to change the landscape of world
politics and present challenges to political authority and collective
identity. This course turns to questions of governance in the context of an
increasingly globalized world. The course examines the legitimacy
and accountability of international organizations, such as the World
Trade Organization, and focuses on the rise of new forms of political
activism, such as citizen groups and NGOs. This course uses basic tools in comparative political analysis to
examine the origins, dynamics and relationship between corruption
and violence in less developed countries. Discussion will be placed
in the context of recent developments in the global economy and of
their political and social consequences within a variety of country
case studies. The course will conclude with some reflections on non-violent
alternatives to political action. This course introduces fundamentals of data analysis for political
science and public policy. Students will complete multiple computer-based
exercises using statistical techniques commonly employed by political
scientists to study public opinion and government policies. No prior
knowledge of university-level math is required, as the emphasis of
the course will be on the application and interpretation of the data.
Students will have a choice of writing a final paper or a final term
test. The final paper will require students to produce an original
piece of research using quantitative methods. This course examines the institutional foundations of Canadian government.
The constitution, the executive, Parliament, the public service, the
federal system, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the courts
are discussed, with emphasis on their role in democratic and responsible
government. This course examines the participatory vehicles and processes through
which Canadian citizens seek to render their government responsive
and responsible. Political parties, the electoral system, interest
groups, new social movements, Québec nationalism and aboriginal
self-determination are given attention. This course examines central political texts from the ancient Greeks
to the Renaissance, including Plato's Republic, Aristotle's
Politics, Machiavelli's The Prince. This course examines texts from the Glorious Revolution to the French
Revolution, including Hobbes' Leviathan, Locke's Second
Treatise, Rousseau's Social Contract and the Discourse on
Inequality. This course examines different approaches to international relations,
the characteristics of the international system, and the factors that
motivate foreign policies. This course examines how the global system is organized and how issues
of international concern like conflict, human rights, the environment,
trade, and finance are governed. This course examines the historical and current impact of the international
order on the development prospects and politics of less developed
countries. Topics include colonial conquest, multi-national investment,
the debt crisis and globalization. The course focuses on the effects
of these international factors on domestic power structures, the urban
and rural poor, and the environment. This course examines the role of politics and the state in the processes
of development in less developed countries. Topics include the role
of the military and bureaucracy, the relationship between the state
and the economy, and the role of religion and ethnicity in politics. This course explores the origins of modern political institutions
in Europe through an examination of revolutions, democracy, and authoritarianism
in Europe since 1789. Specific case studies include the French Revolution,
democratization in Britain and Spain, the Russian Revolution and the
rise of the Nazis in Germany. This course explores post-Cold War politics in Europe through an
examination of democratization and ethnic conflict since 1989 - focusing
in particular on the role of the European Union in shaping events
in Eastern Europe. The first part of the course will cover theories
of democratization, ethnic conflict as well as the rise of the European
Union while the second part of the course focuses on specific cases. This course will cover Chinese politics and society from 1949 to
the present, with an emphasis on the period since 1989. A central
theme will be the tensions, challenges and debates that drive decision-making,
policy implementation, and social reactions in contemporary China. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are radically different countries,
but can be referred to as the 'Malay World' by virtue of their common
linguistic heritage. This course provides an introduction to the politics
and society of these three countries from colonization to the present,
focusing on the period since 1945. This course examines theoretical debates about the extent of moral
and political obligations to non-citizens. Topics include human rights,
immigration, global poverty, development, terrorism, and just war. Topics will vary depending on the instructor. Topics will vary depending on the regional interests and expertise
of the Instructor. This course examines the ideas and success of the environmental movement
in Canada. The course focuses on how environmental policy in Canada
is shaped by the ideas of environmentalists, economic and political
interests, public opinion, and Canada's political-institutional framework.
Combined lecture-seminar format. This course examines relations between provincial and federal governments
in Canada, and how they have been shaped by the nature of Canada's
society and economy, judicial review, constitutional amendment, and
regionalisation and globalization. The legitimacy and performance
of the federal system are appraised. Lecture-seminar format. This course examines intergovernmental relations in various areas
of public policy and their effects on policy outcomes. It evaluates
how federalism affects the capacity of Canadians to secure desirable
social, economic, environmental and trade policies. Lecture-seminar
format. This course focuses on analyzing and influencing individual and collective
choices of political actors to understand effective strategies for
bringing about policy changes. We will draw on the psychology of persuasion
and decision-making, as well as literature on political decision-making
and institutions, emphasizing contemporary issues. During election
years in North America, special attention will be paid to campaign
strategy. There may be a service-learning requirement. This course provides a study of current theories of public policy-making
and the processes that are involved in making public policies. Policy
processes of agenda setting, choosing governing instruments, making
public decisions, and implementing and evaluating governmental programs
are examined using specific cases of public policy-making in Canada. This course is a survey of contemporary patterns of public policy
in Canada. Selected policy studies including managing the economy
from post-war stabilization policies to the rise of global capitalism,
developments in the Canadian welfare state and approaches to external
relations and national security in the new international order. This course will investigate the development of Canadian constitutional
law under the Constitution Act of 1982 and the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms. Specific topics include criminal rights, freedom of expression,
freedom of religion, equality rights, and aboriginal rights. This course is a study of the major political philosophers of the
nineteenth century, including Hegel, Marx, J.S. Mill and Nietzsche. This course is a study of the major political philosophers of the
twentieth century. The theorists covered will vary from year to year. This course examines the principles of research design and methods
of analysis employed by researchers in political science. Students
will learn to distinguish between adequate and inadequate use of evidence
and between warranted and unwarranted conclusions. This course examines the process by which American foreign policy
is formulated. This course examines the foreign policy of the United States by analyzing
its context and application to a number of specific regions and problems
in the world. This course introduces Canadian foreign policy since 1945. This course considers the issues and influences which have determined
Canadian foreign policy. This course examines the rise and the collapse of the first Communist
state. Topics include the Stalinist dictatorship and de-Stalinization,
the planned economy and the black market, ethnic politics and dissent.
Particular attention is paid to the attempt to reform communism before
1991. This course explores the possibilities and limits for international
cooperation in different areas and an examination of how institutions
and the distribution of power shape bargained outcomes. Traditional International Relations Theory has concentrated on relations
between states, either failing to discuss, or missing the complexities
of important issues such as terrorism, the role of women, proliferation,
globalization of the world economy, and many others. This course serves
as an introduction to these issues - and how international relations
theory is adapting in order to cover them. The course examines the attempt to create democracy and a market
economy in post-communist Russia. Topics include federalism and regional
politics, organized crime, the decline of the welfare state, and Russia's
place in the world. This course provides students with a more advanced examination of
issues in development studies, including some of the mainstream theoretical
approaches to development studies and a critical examination of development
practice in historical perspective. Seminar format. This course explores the origins of Latin America's cycles of brutal
dictatorship and democratic rule. It examines critically the assumption
that Latin American countries have made the transition to democratic
government. This course analyses the American federal system and the institutions
and processes of government in the United States. This course focuses on selected policy issues in the United States. This course explores the gendered impact of economic Globalization
and the various forms of resistance and mobilization that women of
the global south have engaged in their efforts to cope with that impact.
The course pays particular attention to regional contextual differences
(Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East) and to the perspectives
of global south women, both academic and activist, on major development
issues. This course examines why countries trade and how international exchange
is affected by domestic and international structures. Grand theories
of international political economy are surveyed for this purpose,
and recent perspectives and issues related to the organization of
world trade are reviewed. This course examines the origins of, and political dynamics within,
states in the contemporary Middle East. The first part of the course
analyses states and state formation in historical perspective - examining
the legacies of the late Ottoman and, in particular, the colonial
period, the rise of monarchical states, the emergence of various forms
of "ethnic" and/or "quasi" democracies, the onset of "revolutions
from above", and the consolidation of populist authoritarian states.
The second part of the course examines the resilience of the predominantly
authoritarian state system in the wake of socio-economic and political
reform processes. This course examines various forms of protest politics in the contemporary
Middle East. The course begins by introducing important theoretical
debates concerning collective action in the region - focusing on such
concepts as citizenship, the public sphere, civil society, and social
movements. The second part of the course examines case studies of
social action - examining the roles played by crucial actors such
as labour, the rising Islamist middle classes/bourgeoisie, the region's
various ethnic and religious minority groups, and women who are entering
into the public sphere in unprecedented numbers. The course concludes
by examining various forms of collective and non-collective action
in the region from Islamist social movements to everyday forms of
resistance. The course explains why financial markets exist, and their evolution,
by looking at the agents, actors and institutions which generate demand
for them. We also consider the consequences of increasingly integrated
markets, the causes of systemic financial crises, as well as the implications
and feasibility of regulation. This course explores the way the poor and oppressed have organized
and fought for their rights. Special attention is given to the way
in which globalization has affected popular organizing, including
its impact on insurgent movements such as the Zapatistas. This course provides an opportunity to design and carry out individual
or small-group research on a political topic. After class readings
on the topic under study, research methods and design, and research
ethics, students enter "the field" in Toronto. The seminar provides
a series of opportunities to present and discuss their unfolding research. This course provides an opportunity to carry out individual research
on an international relations topic. After class readings on the topic
under study, research methods and design, and research ethics, students
will propose and carry out the research. The seminar provides opportunities
to present and discuss their unfolding research. Topics will vary depending on the instructor. This course studies the theory of constitutionalism through a detailed
study of its major idioms such as the rule of law, the separation
of powers, sovereignty, rights, and limited government. This course examines the interrelationship between organized interests,
social movements and the state in the formulation and implementation
of public policy in Canada and selected other countries. This seminar course explores selected issues of Canadian politics
from a comparative perspective. The topics in this course vary depending
on the instructor. Immigration has played a central role in Canada's development. This
course explores how policies aimed at regulating migration have both
reflected and helped construct conceptions of Canadian national identity.
We will pay particular attention to the politics of immigration policy-making,
focusing on the role of the state and social actors. This seminar course explores some of the major approaches to the
comparative analysis of public policies of industrialized countries.
The course uses a combination of case studies and theoretical literature
to examine selected social and economic public policies and policy
making in Europe, Canada, and the United States. This seminar explores the ways in which political theory can deepen
our understanding of contemporary political issues. Topics may include
the following: cities and citizenship; multiculturalism and religious
pluralism; the legacies of colonialism; global justice; democratic
theory; the nature of power. This seminar course is intended for students interested in deepening
their understanding of methodological issues that arise in the study
of politics. In addition to class readings, students will write critical
reviews of published work and will work to design their own research
projects. This course explores the end of the Cold War and its impact on political
and economic evolution of countries in the developing world. With
a focus on the former Soviet Union and Africa, this course will examine
the nature and impact of new post Cold War pressures for political
and economic change. This course is an introduction to rational choice theories with applications
to the international realm. A main goal is to introduce analytical
constructs frequently used in the political science and political
economy literature to understand strategic interaction among states. This course examines in depth the broad set of new issues on the
international agenda: terrorism, non-proliferation, human security,
women's issues, human rights and others. It emphasizes in-class
participation, and student presentations. Examines the challenges faced by humanity in dealing with global
environmental problems and the politics of addressing them. Focuses
on both the underlying factors that shape the politics of global environmental
problems - such as scientific uncertainty, North-South conflict, and
globalization - and explores attempts at the governance of specific
environmental issues. While domestic and international political factors have discouraged
pro human development public policies in much of the global south,
there have been some important success stories. This course examines
the economic and social policies most successful in contributing to
human development and explores the reasons behind these rare cases
of relatively successful human development. Topics vary according to instructor. A research project under the supervision of a member of faculty that
will result in the completion of a substantial report or paper acceptable
as an undergraduate senior thesis. Students wishing to undertake a
supervised research project in the Winter Session must register in
POLD95H3 during the
Fall Session. It is the student's responsibility to find a faculty
member who is willing to supervise the project, and the student must
obtain consent from the supervising instructor before registering
for this course. During the Fall Session the student must prepare
a short research proposal, and both the supervising faculty member
and the Supervisor of Studies must approve the research proposal prior
to the first day of classes for the Winter Session. Advanced reading in special topics. This course is meant only for
those students who, having completed the available basic courses in
a particular field of Political Science, wish to pursue further intensive
study on a relevant topic of special interest. Students are advised
that they must obtain consent from the supervising instructor before
registering for this course. |
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