Current Courses

This course is an introduction to the study of politics. It has two objectives. The first is to give students a sense of the meaning and importance of politics. The second is to study a number of the concepts essential to the study of contemporary politics: the state, sovereignty, legitimacy and authority, law, power, equality, democracy, nationality, freedom and citizenship are typically covered. The specific content and readings used vary from section to section.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of the regime, authority, the rule of law, citizenship, and political obligation. It does so through a consideration of the institutions of Canadian government and covers the following topics: the framing of the constitution, federalism, parliamentary government, the Charter of Rights, the judiciary, political parties, public opinion, interest groups, and constitutional reform.

This course will examine fundamental disagreements at the core of the Canadian polity that have plagued constitutional debate since its creation. Special attention is paid to the constitutional implications of conflicting conceptions of individual, provincial, ethno-linguistic, and multi-national equality.

This course introduces students to the comparative study of governments in the industrial and post-industrial societies. It examines the question of how various political systems are classified, dealing with such issues as organization of the state, governance and policy-making, representation, and political legitimacy. Prerequisite: 3 credits in Political Science.

This course introduces students to International Relations theory, with a focus on the mainstream theories in the field, namely realism and its variants, liberalism and constructivism. These theories are illustrated and developed through the use of case studies and examinations of the institutions and structures of the international system. Prerequisite: POLS 1013, POLS 1603, or permission of the instructor.

This course will introduce students to seminal texts in political philosophy focussing on the ancient and early medieval period. Texts may include: Plato's Apology, Plato's Republic, Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle's Politics, Bible, and St. Augustine's City of God.

This course will focus on the impact our constitution has had on civil liberties in Canada. The course will proceed primarily by means of class discussion of leading constitutional decision and student presentations.

This course examines the foreign policy of the United States of America. It examines the roles of the Presidency, bureaucracy, and Congress in the making of foreign policy. The history of American foreign policy will be studied to contextualize present foreign policy and likely future scenarios. The impact of U.S. economic policy in an era of globalization will be explored. Central to the course will be an investigation of the relationship of the U.S. to other major powers and to international institutions.

This course examines the formation and present politics of the European Union (EU), a unique community of democratic countries that agreed to delegate some of their sovereignty to common institutions. The course will look at the history of European integration, the key institutions and policies of the EU, and ongoing debates about European identity, EU enlargement, and economic developments in the Euro zone.

The focus of this course is on the problems modern political philosophy has confronted in attempting to show how nature can be used as a standard for judging the best life and the just political order. The writings of one or two of the following authors will be considered: Machiavelli, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, Burke, Jefferson, Nietzsche, and Heidegger. Prerequisite: POLS 2803 and 2813 (or 2806) or permission of the instructor.

An introduction to quantitative research methods and descriptive statistics as applied to the study of political phenomena. In addition to covering basic statistical principles, the course focuses on key issues related to research design, sampling and case selection, measurement and operationalization, data collection and analysis, and the communication and interpretation of results. Pre-requisites: At least 9 credit hours in Political Science or permission of the instructor.

This course is intended to serve as a capstone seminar for majors and Honours students in Political Science. The course is an investigation of the perennial issues involved in the study of politics. We shall examine critically the dominant approaches in Political Science with the aim of understanding how the method utilized affects the substance of any account of political phenomena.

This course provides an introduction to the concepts of nation and state, sovereignty, forms of government, and political conflict. It does so through consideration of issues in world politics, such as human rights and social justice, ecological imbalance, economic inequalities, war, global governmental institutions and organizations.

This course introduces students to the comparative study of governments in the developing world. It focuses on such issues as the politics of development, modernization, and the interplay of political and social forces in selected developing nations. Prerequisite: 3 credits in Political Science.

This course introduces students to the critical and non-mainstream variants of International Relations (IR) theory. These include Marxism, Gramscianism, feminist theories of IR, and other forms of critical theory. These theories are illustrated and developed through the use of case studies and examinations of the institutions and structures of the international system. They are also contrasted with mainstream IR theories. Prerequisite: POLS 1013, POLS 1603, or permission of the instructor.

This course will introduce students to seminal texts in political philosophy focussing on the medieval, early modern and modern periods. Texts may include: Aquinas' Treatise on Law, Machiavelli's The Prince, Hobbes' Leviathan, Locke's The Second Treatise on Government, Rousseau's Discourses, Hegel's Introduction to the Philosophy of History. Prerequisite: POLS 2803.

This course examines the intersection of political science and science fiction, using speculative worlds to explore real-world questions of power, governance, identity, and justice. From dystopian surveillance states to post-apocalyptic survival societies, science fiction serves as a lens to analyze political ideologies, citizenship, technology, and global crises. The course uses a range of media including novels, films, and television series to engage with themes such as authoritarianism, democracy, climate change, artificial intelligence, and biopolitics. Through critical discussions and written analysis, students will investigate how science fiction challenges, reinforces, or reimagines political structures, offering both cautionary tales and radical alternatives for the future. No prior background in political science or science fiction is required.

This course reviews the modern history and politics of the Israel-Palestine conflict. It pays particular attention to the events leading up to and following the Israel-Palestine conflict of 2023 and the effects of that struggle on numerous areas of international relations, including the impact on international human rights law, the Western world's political influence in the world, and the global hegemonic role of the United States. The course also considers Canada's response to the conflict and the domestic and international implications. Prerequisites POLS 2613, 2623, or permission of the instructor.

This course will prepare students for participation in a Model United Nations, either Canadian or American sponsored. In a model UN simulation, students represent an assigned country's foreign policy on assigned issues on the UN agenda. The course will begin with an examination of the UN and its procedures. Subsequent topics will include researching the assigned UN issues and the assigned country's policy on them: preparation of working papers and motions, and strategies for effective conference participation. Fund raising for the trip required: half credit course, but sometimes meets first and second terms; limited enrolment.

Designed as an upper-level seminar for students of Political Science, this course will focus on theories of comparative politics and their application to a major issue of interest to the discipline. Prerequisite: POLS 2303 and 2313, or permission of the instructor.