Topic Courses - 2012-2013

POL SCI 3B03 (T2) - Honours Topics In International Relations And Global Public Policy

Dr. Richard Stubbs

This course examines the main overarching themes in international relations since the Second World War, such as the Cold War, Embedded Liberalism, De-Colonization, Globalization and Securitization, and explores the ways these general themes have influenced particular policies at the state, regional and international level. Specific attention will be paid to the rise and subsequent evolution of the developmental state, the varieties of capitalism debate, and issues surrounding interventionism versus non-interference.

POL SCI 3I03 (T2): Topics In American Politics

Dr. George Breckenridge

The Political Process in Washington.  This course examines the central institutions in the political process in Washington DC and their interaction in the making of US public policy: Congress, presidency, executive branch, courts, political parties, interest groups, the media, and public policy. The working of the American separated system is compared to the Canadian parliamentary system. Current events are used to illustrate the operation of the political and policy process.

POL SCI 3J03 (T2): Honours Topics In Canadian Politics And Canadian Public Policy

Dr. Greg Flynn

Environmental issues have come to the forefront of the policy-making agenda in Canada over the course of the last decade as governments struggle to deal with a multitude of issues that have an environmental impact, including climate change, water and air quality, alternate power generation sources, alternative fuel sources and the use and exploitation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources.  This course will examine the evolution of environmental politics and policy-making in Canada over the course of the period from 1960 to current.  Topics to be covered include identification and consideration of the government and non-governmental actors and institutions involved in the making of the environmental policy at the local, regional, national and international levels as well as an in-depth investigation of specific policy issues dealing with air, land and water pollution.  The primary method of instruction will be a combination of lecture and seminar-based classes where students will have the opportunity to undertake research on an environmental issue of their own choice and interest and to present their findings to the class.

POL SCI 4GG3 (T1): Conceptual Issues In Global Politics

Dr. Marshall Beier

This course considers what and who count as meaningful agents from a range of conceptual positions in International Relations.  Moving beyond the field's traditional focus on and enduring privileging of the state, political subjecthood is explored with reference to Indigenous peoples, social movements, children and others.  The aim of the course is to reveal something of what is missed in approaches to International Relations with narrowly construed notions of the political subject and how this affects our understanding even of traditional disciplinary areas of inquiry such as diplomacy and war.

POL SCI 4GG3 (T2): Conceptual Issues In Global Politics

Dr. Andrew Lui

This course takes an indepth look at the core concepts and competing theoretical approaches to the study of global politics.  The course begins by considering how students of global politics might better understand and explain global politics.  Major theoretical approaches and key concepts are then considered in each of the subsequent weeks.  Amongst others these include:  realism, liberalism, constructivism, neo-Marxist, neo-gramscian, feminism and ethics in global politics.  The course then considers recent developments in global politics and the related theoretical and conceptual issues.  These include, amongst others:  globalization, global governance, the internationalization of global politics and neo-medievalism.  This course's consideration of these conceptual issues is undertaken against the backdrop of the history of global politics and contemporary events.

POL SCI 4KK3 (T1): Advanced Issues In Global Security

Dr. Peter Nyers

The Politics of Borders: This seminar investigates emerging theoretical and empirical developments in border control, security and surveillance. While securing the territorial border remains a politically significant issue in international relations, the actual practices and techniques of border patrol have moved well beyond policing the 'border line'.  The seminar will investigate the variety of practices that occur in the borders, frontiers, zones, and camps of the contemporary era, including technologies of risk management, biometric controls, preemptive practices, irregular migration, and humanitarian interventions.  Students will read and come to understand a variety of scholarly writings on the global politics of borders as well as develop a critical appreciation of the historical emergence, transformation, experience, and contestation of borders.  Students will also improve and refine writing and research skills through short and long essay format as well as develop group leadership and discussion skills through seminar presentations and participation.  

POL SCI 4KK3 (T2): Advanced Issues In Global Security

Dr. Marshall Beier

This course will inquire into changing understandings of war from a number of contending theoretical perspectives. Following on critical engagement with debates concerning what constitute war and peace, we will consider a range of explanations of war and of the conditions for peace as well as critiques highlighting the weaknesses of each. The course will introduce students to watershed developments in warfare and military affairs more generally while seeking to reveal something of the less visible politics that underwrite them.

POL SCI 4NN3E (T2): Topics In Global Political Economy

Alex Diceanu

This seminar-based course will explore the global political economy from the vantage point of the global city.  Global cities are key sites of the global political economy and as such, are sites of many of the processes and contradictions of contemporary globalization.  The first part of the course will examine the global city approach through a discussion of key theoretical contributions and debates.  The second part of the course will look at global cities as command centres for the global economy and sites of global networked production.  This will be followed by a discussion of the forms of labour and the workers that produce the global city.  The last section of the course will focus on the contradictions and inequalities that mark global cities and the politics that are emerging around such issues as precarious work, migrant labour, gentrification, citizenship, and competing claims to the city.

POL SCI 4PP3 (T1) - Issues in Global Political Economy

Dr. Richard Stubbs

This course will examine some of the key issues that currently confront the global economy.  Special attention will be paid to what is happening in East Asia and the world's other emerging economies.

POL SCI 4QQ3E (T1): Topics In International Politics

Michael Di Gregorio

 The Psychology of International Relations:  Our discussion in this seminar will focus on what can very generally be called the "Psychological Turn" in International Relations.  Our aim and chief concern will be the various ways in which the experiences of individuals have become a new/renewed point of emphasis in international politics, and what this lens means for the study and practice of International Relations. 

We will begin by considering research in the contemporary and traditional approaches to political psychology (broadly defined) in IR, and the ways that these approaches put the grand questions of international politics into a new frame.  We will consider the role that the emotions and passions play in IR, and the challenge that these non-rational insights pose to the more familiar "grand theories".  Other discussion topics will include the role of trauma and memory in politics, motivation in political decision-making and foreign policy, the psychology of security and anxiety in international politics, and other related and relevant issues.   In short, our goal is to use the introduction of political psychology in IR to broaden our horizon for interpreting, explaining, and understanding contemporary events in international politics.

POL SCI 4QQ3 (T2): Topics In International Politics

Dr. Andrew Lui

China Rising:  Power and Change in International Relations.  China's rise has been nothing short of profound.  With its relentless economic growth, China has emerged as a great power that is changing the political landscape of international relations unlike any other state today.  China's growing power is thus having far-reaching consequences on a host of global issues from miltary affairs and financial regulation to human rights and the environment.  No international actor or institution is left unaffected by China's rise - including those that continue to garner little or no attention from the West.  China's mark on diplomacy, international relations and global governance will ultimately be an indelible one.  But how, specifically, will an emerging China change the norms and institutions of the international order in the short to long-term?  How are these changes being perceived around the world?  And what are the limits to Chinese power?  This course seeks to answer these questions and others by exploring the origins of China's contemporary predominance and the key determinants of Chinese foreign policy that, taken together, provide an analytic outlook on China's grand strategy.  The course proceeds by examining how the rise of China is affecting a series of critical issue-areas in international relations as well as vital relationships with various state and non-state actors.  No prior knowledge of China is necessary to enroll in this course.  

POL SCI 4T06 (T3): Topics In Canadian Politics

Nicole Goodman

Political Participation in Canada: This course addresses whether there is a democratic deficit in Canada by focusing on political participation, with special emphasis on young people and the Internet.  Many traditional methods of engagement, such as voting, political party membership and involvement in community groups and associations have noted significant decline in recent decades.  Levels of civic duty, political trust, knowledge and efficacy are also significantly lower.  There is debate as to whether citizens are increasingly becoming removed from political processes or whether the nature of engagement is changing and people, especially the young, are turning to unconventional approaches and online opportunities for participation.  Together we will examine the ways in which citizens can engage with the state and civil society while assessing the effectiveness of conventional and unconventional methods of political participation and the impact they have on democracy in Canada.  Key topics include:  elections and voting, our electoral system, political parties, political consumerism, groups and social movements, social media and Web 2.0 applications, Internet voting, Citizens' Assemblies and referendums, among others. 

POL SCI 4T06E (T3): Topics In Canadian Politics

Chelsea Gabel

The Politics of Canadian Aboriginal Peoples:  A long renegotiation of relationships between Aboriginal peoples and Canadian public institutions began four decades ago.  This course considers the forces that led to renegotiation, and the renegotiation itself in its many institutions.

Many areas of Canadian politics are of interest to Canada's Aboriginal peoples, including governance, land, resources, social policy, health policy, environment, international relations, culture, language and others.  In this course, we will build a foundation for understanding the key debates in such policy fields by focusing first on matters of land, property, treaties and identity.  We will then consider the key public policy documents in Aboriginal affairs in historical context.  Finally, we will explore several possible paths for the future, in topic areas of interest to members of the class. 

The subject matter for this course is both deep and wide; there is much knowledge to gain and understanding to develop, before one can speak with confidence.  This course outline is designed to provide a snapshot and to prepare you for further research and thinking on these themes.  There is some (limited) space for the course to be adapted to your interests.

The second half of the course will explore the meanings, roles and interactions of the state and civil society with respect to health care in Canada.  This part of the course will examine the ways in which our notions of "health" and "health care", and the "appropriate roles of the state, civil society and individuals" in defining these ideas and creating public policy are contested and resolved (or not) in public policy, public discourse and emerging models of public participation.  Students will gain an understanding of the Canadian health care "system", an appreciation for the politics of health, as they extend beyond formal health care systems, and knowledge about several substantive issues as well as about some of the theories used to frame them. 

Topic Courses - 2011-12

POL SCI 3B03 (2) - Honours Topics In International Relations And Global Public Policy

Dr. Richard Stubbs

• This course examines the main overarching themes in international relations since the Second World War, such as the Cold War, Embedded Liberalism, De-Colonization, Globalization and Securitization, and explores the ways these general themes have influenced particular policies at the state, regional and international level. Specific attention will be paid to the rise and subsequent evolution of the developmental state, the varieties of capitalism debate, and issues surrounding interventionism versus non-interference.

POL SCI 3H03E (1) - Honours Topics In Comparative Politics And Public Policy

Dr. Ahmed Shafiqul Huque

• In a globalized environment, countries in both the developed and developing world are confronted with challenges that are intricately related to the nature and process of governing.  This course intends to examine and compare a number of issues that present formidable challenges to Canada and India.  Using a comparative approach, the course will seek to identify the sources of problems and conflicts, responses by the governments, and the policy directions adopted to accommodate minority interests, mediate between national and regional demands, improve public service delivery, and promote participation and representation of citizens in the political process. 

POL SCI 3I03 (2): Topics In American Politics

Dr. George Breckenridge

• The Political Process in Washington.  This course examines the central institutions in the political process in Washington DC and their interaction in the making of US public policy: Congress, presidency, executive branch, courts, political parties, interest groups, the media, and public policy. The working of the American separated system is compared to the Canadian parliamentary system. Current events are used to illustrate the operation of the political and policy process.

POL SCI 3J03 (2): Honours Topics In Canadian Politics And Canadian Public Policy

Dr. Greg Flynn

• Environmental issues have come to the forefront of the policy-making agenda in Canada over the course of the last decade as governments struggle to deal with a multitude of issues that have an evnironmental impact, including climate change, water and air quality, alternate power generation sources, alternative fuel sources and the use and exploitation of renewable and non-renewable natural resources.  This course will examine the evolution of environmental politics and policy-making in Canada over the course of the period from 1960 to current.  Topics to be covered include identification and consideration of the government and non-governmental actors and institutions involved in the making of the environmental policy at the local, regional, national and international levels as well as an in-depth investigation of specific policy issues dealing with air, land and water pollution.  The primary method of instruction will be a combination of lecture and seminar-based classes where students will have the opportunity to undertake research on an environmental issue of their own choice and interest and to present their findings to the class.

POL SCI 4GG3 (1): Conceptual Issues In Global Politics

Dr. Marshall Beier

• This course considers what and who count as meaningful agents from a range of conceptual positions in International Relations.  Moving beyond the field's traditional focus on and enduring privileging of the state, political subjecthood is explored with reference to Indigenous peoples, social movements, children and others.  The aim of the course is to reveal something of what is missed in approaches to International Relations with narrowly construed notions of the political subject and how this affects our understanding even of traditional disciplinary areas of inquiry such as diplomacy and war.

POL SCI 4GG3 (2): Conceptual Issues In Global Politics

Dr. J.A. Sandy Irvine

• This course takes an indepth look at the core concepts and competing theoretical approaches to the study of global politics.  The course begins by considering how students of global politics might better understand and explain global politics.  Major theoretical approaches and key concepts are then considered in each of the subsequent weeks.  Amongst others these include:  realism, liberalism, constructivism, neo-Marxist, neo-gramscian, feminism and ethics in global politics.  The course then considers recent developments in global politics and the related theoretical and conceptual issues.  These include, amongst others:  globalization, global governance, the internationalization of global politics and neo-medievalism.  This course's consideration of these conceptual issues is undertaken against the backdrop of the history of global politics and contemporary events.

POL SCI 4KK3 (1): Advanced Issues In Global Security

Mark Williams

• The "Global War on Terror":  This seminar will inquire into the politics of security during the so-called GWOT, its historical context, and its aftermath.  Topics under consideration include relations between Islam and the West, terrorism, the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, human rights, border security, and regional security in the Middle East, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.  Throughout the course we will investigate how security is pursured through domestic and foreign policy, the limitations and failures of policy, and what role(s) culture might play in global security.

POL SCI 4KK3 (2): Advanced Issues In Global Security

Dr. Marshall Beier

• This course will inquire into changing understandings of war from a number of contending theoretical perspectives. Following on critical engagement with debates concerning what constitute war and peace, we will consider a range of explanations of war and of the conditions for peace as well as critiques highlighting the weaknesses of each. The course will introduce students to watershed developments in warfare and military affairs more generally while seeking to reveal something of the less visible politics that underwrite them.

POL SCI 4NN3 (1): Topics In Global Political Economy

Alex Diceanu

• This seminar-based course will explore the global political economy from the vantage point of the global city.  Global cities are key sites of the global political economy and as such, are sites of many of the processes and contradictions of contemporary globalization.  The first part of the course will examine the global city approach through a discussion of key theoretical contributions and debates.  The second part of the course will look at global cities as command centres for the global economy and sites of global networked production.  This will be followed by a discussion of the forms of labour and the workers that produce the global city.  The last section of the course will focus on the contradictions and inequalities that mark global cities and the politics that are emerging around such issues as precarious work, migrant labour, gentrification, citizenship, and competing claims to the city.

POL SCI 4PP3 (2) - Issues in Global Political Economy

Dr. Richard Stubbs

• This course will examine some of the key issues that currently confront the global economy.  Special attention will be paid to what is happening in East Asia and the world's other emerging economies. 

POL SCI 4QQ3 (1): Topics In International Politics

Dr. J.A. Sandy Irvine 

• The Politics and Practices of Managing International Migration:  This course focuses on liberal democratic states' responses to international migration.  States' efforts to manage their borders through domestic public policy and international cooperation highlight the importance of the intersection between domestic and international politics and goes to the heart of core questions about citizenship, rights, state sovereignty, national security and humanitarian action.  Using a variety of theoretical and ethical frameworks introduced in the course, students will critically analyze central aspects of the politics and practices of managing international migration from international and comparative perspectives. 

POL SCI 4QQ3 (2): Topics In International Politics

Dr. Andrew Lui

• China Rising:  Power and Change in International Relations.  China's rise has been nothing short of profound.  With its relentless economic growth, China has emerged as a great power that is changing the political landscape of international relations unlike any other state today.  China's growing power is thus having far-reaching consequences on a host of global issues from miltary affairs and financial regulation to human rights and the environment.  No international actor or institution is left unaffected by China's rise - including those that continue to garner little or no attention from the West.  China's mark on diplomacy, international relations and global governance will ultimately be an indelible one.  But how, specifically, will an emerging China change the norms and institutions of the international order in the short to long-term?  How are these changes being perceived around the world?  And what are the limits to Chinese power?  This course seeks to answer these questions and others by exploring the origins of China's contemporary predominance and the key determinants of Chinese foreign policy that, taken together, provide an analytic outlook on China's grand strategy.  The course proceeds by examining how the rise of China is affecting a series of critical issue-areas in international relations as well as vital relationships with various state and non-state actors.  No prior knowledge of China is necessary to enroll in this course.  
  

POL SCI 4T06 (3 - first half): Topics In Canadian Politics

Dr. Peter Graefe

• The Politics of Contemporary Quebec: This course covers recent developments in Quebec politics in order to investigate the interplay of nationalism, multiculturalism and federalism, on the one hand, and of class, nationalism and public policies on the other. 

POL SCI 4T06 (3 - second half): Topics In Canadian Politics

Dr. Greg Flynn

• The second half of the course will examine the constraints and opportunities that the institutional structures of the Canadian state provide for various policy-making actors in Canada, both within and external to government.  In particular, it will employ a neo-institutional focus to investigate how political and policy actors pursue their policy-related goals and the behaviours and strategies they utilize to overcome impediments or to take advantage of opportunities provided by the existing institutional and policy environments in Canada. In this regard, it will examine some of the current debates reform debates at the federal level, including issues such as Senate reform, the role of the Courts in the legislative process, the centralization of power in the Prime Minister’s Office and electoral reform at the national and provincial levels.

POL SCI 4T06E (3): Topics In Canadian Politics

Chelsea Gabel

• The Politics of Canadian Aboriginal Peoples:  A long renegotiation of relationships between Aboriginal peoples and Canadian public institutions began four decades ago.  This course considers the forces that led to renegotiation, and the renegotiation itself in its many institutions.
• Many areas of Canadian politics are of interest to Canada's Aboriginal peoples, including governance, land, resources, social policy, health policy, environment, international relations, culture, language and others.  In this course, we will build a foundation for understanding the key debates in such policy fields by focusing first on matters of land, property, treaties and identity.  We will then consider the key public policy documents in Aboriginal affairs in historical context.  Finally, we will explore several possible paths for the future, in topic areas of interest to members of the class. 
• The subject matter for this course is both deep and wide; there is much knowledge to gain and understanding to develop, before one can speak with confidence.  This course outline is designed to provide a snapshot and to prepare you for further research and thinking on these themes.  There is some (limited) space for the course to be adapted to your interests.
  
• The second half of the course will explore the meanings, roles and interactions of the state and civil society with respect to health care in Canada.  This part of the course will examine the ways in which our notions of "health" and "health care", and the "appropriate roles of the state, civil society and individuals" in defining these ideas and creating public policy are contested and resolved (or not) in public policy, public discourse and emerging models of public participation.  Students will gain an understanding of the Canadian health care "system", an appreciation for the politics of health, as they extend beyond formal health care systems, and knowledge about several substantive issues as well as about some of the theories used to frame them. 

Topic Courses - 2010-11

POL SCI 3B03 (1) - Honours Topics In International Relations And Global Public Policy

• This course examines the main overarching themes in international relations since the Second World War, such as the Cold War, Embedded Liberalism, De-Colonization, Globalization and Securitization, and explores the ways these general themes have influenced particular policies at the state, regional and international level. Specific attention will be paid to the rise and subsequent evolution of the developmental state, the varieties of capitalism debate, and issues surrounding interventionism versus non-interference.

POL SCI 3H03E (1) - Honours Topics In Comparative Politics And Public Policy

• In the preceding decade in Europe, we have witnessed race riots in France, mayhem in Denmark over cartoon depictions of Mohammed, restrictions in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Britain against various forms of Muslim women’s dress, and an overall retreat from policies and practices of cultural accommodation. In Canada, by comparison, public support for multiculturalism appears resilient and policies on immigration and cultural diversity remain strong. Or are they? In this course we consider differences in the politics of multiculturalism, focusing especially on North America and Europe. We examine how particular rules and practices in citizenship and government policy shape and mobilize identities, and how identities in turn shape political practices. We address topics such as the following: How do characteristics of diversity differ between Canada, the US and Europe? How similar or different are national responses to various forms of diversity – e.g., territorial minorities, racialized minorities, religious minorities, immigrants, Aboriginals, and Roma? How do policies shape attitudes toward minorities? What explains the emergence of radical right/anti-immigrant parties in some countries? How similar or different are the post-9/11 policy approaches to security across western states? How integrated socially, economically and politically are minorities across different countries and what explains these differences? In addition, we consider the general explanatory utility of a comparative approach to studying multicultural policy and politics, especially in a world where the role of the state and state boundaries appear increasingly fluid.

POL SCI 3I03 (2): Topics In American Politics

Dr. George Breckenridge

• The Political Process in Washington The course examines the central institutions in the political process in Washington DC and their interaction in the making of US public policy: Congress, presidency, executive branch, courts, political parties, interest groups, the media, and public policy. The working of the American separated system is compared to the Canadian parliamentary system. Current events are used to illustrate the operation of the political and policy process.

POL SCI 3J03 (2): Honours Topics In Canadian Politics And Canadian Public Policy

Dr. Peter Graefe

• The policies and politics of social and economic development in Ontario: Through the middle years of the last century, Ontario became one of the most affluent societies in the world. The past quarter century, by contrast, has been marked by fears of decline in the face of significant social and economic change. This course surveys the social and economic trends that have challenged many polities of the Global North, and seeks to compare Ontario's responses to these with those of other polities, and to understand the politics behind the choice of response.

POL SCI 4GG3 (2): Conceptual Issues In Global Politics

Dr. Peter Nyers

• Governing Mobility: This seminar investigates the significance of mobility and migration in global politics. Topics to be considered include international cooperation on refugees, undocumented migrants, human smuggling, ‘autonomous migration’, and other forms of international movement.

POL SCI 4KK3(1): Advanced Issues In Global Security

Dr. Peter Nyers

• The Politics of Borders: This seminar investigates recent debates regarding conceptual, theoretical, and empirical developments in border control, security and surveillance. Topics to be considered include biometric borders, detention camps, safe third country agreements, and interdiction. The course will also consider contestations of these border controls in the form of anti-deportation/detention campaigns, ‘border camping’, sanctuary cities, etc.

POL SCI 4KK3 (2): Advanced Issues In Global Security

Dr. Marshall Beier

• This course will inquire into changing understandings of war from a number of contending theoretical perspectives. Following on critical engagement with debates concerning what constitute war and peace, we will consider a range of explanations of war and of the conditions for peace as well as critiques highlighting the weaknesses of each. The course will introduce students to watershed developments in warfare and military affairs more generally while seeking to reveal something of the less visible politics that underwrite them.

POL SCI 4M06 (3): Topics In International Politics

Dr. Andrew Lui

• This seminar-based course surveys the major theories, themes and problems within the field of international relations. The course is divided into three eight-week parts. Part I explores foundational approaches to international relations theory including: classical realism; neorealism; neoliberalism; the English School; constructivism; neo-Marxism and critical theory; as well as feminism and postmodernism. This section of the course is meant to expose students to the leading ways of thinking about international relations and to the significant events and debates that have precipitated and sustained the field as a scholarly enterprise. Building on the theoretical foundations of the previous section, Part II surveys the literature on international security studies, which is widely accepted as a cardinal sub-field of international relations. Topics under scrutiny include: the objects and definitions of security; coercive diplomacy, deterrence and compellence; weapons of mass destruction, proliferation and arms control; terrorism; civil wars and intrastate conflict; intervention and peacebuilding; as well as security institutions. Part III then examines a selection of important issues in contemporary international relations that centre on global governance and global problems such as: democratic peace theory; development and international trade; human rights and modern slavery; refugees and international migration; the international relations of the environment; culture, identity and transnational networks; as well as hegemony and global governance."

POL SCI 4NN3 (1): Topics In Global Political Economy

Dr. Tony Porter

• Transnational Business Regulation and Governance: Transnational business actors and institutions, including multinational corporations, trans-border networks of smaller firms, and global financial markets, have come to have an ever more powerful influence over our daily lives, including the food we eat, the money we borrow or invest, our jobs, the environment, entertainment, the cars we drive and the gasoline that fuels them, and the elections in which we choose our governments. Some times these actors create serious damage to people, the economy, or the environment, as evident with the financial crisis or BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In a competitive sovereign state system regulating these actors can be difficult. This course explores the theoretical controversies over whether or how transnational business should be regulated, as well as examining a set of case studies, such as food, finance, intellectual property and file sharing, internet governance, and the environment.

POL SCI 4QQ3 (2): Topics In International Politics

Dr. Tony Porter

• New Developments in Global Governance: In recent decades global governance theories and practices have signaled a shift away from both an earlier more state-centric international system and from a reliance on formal intergovernmental organizations and international law. Today a wide variety of actors, rules, practices, and objects are involved in complex transnational governance arrangements. These are often entangled with political controversies, such as whether informal mechanisms can be effective and accountable or if instead they are manipulated by powerful self-interested actors. The course will start with a brief examination of global governance theories and formal international law, and then explore a set of less traditional governance instruments, which may include networks, private authority, informality and soft law, numerical indices, risk models, new communications technologies, and technical artifacts. The course will also examine cases in which these have been important. These cases will be drawn from both the security and global political economy fields, and will involve institutions such as the G20.

POL SCI 4T06 (1): Topics In Canadian Politics

Dr. Peter Graefe

• The Politics of Contemporary Quebec: This course covers recent developments in Quebec politics in order to investigate the interplay of nationalism, multiculturalism and federalism, on the one hand, and of class, nationalism and public policies on the other.

POL SCI 4T06 (2): Topics In Canadian Politics

Dr. Greg Flynn

• The second half of the course will examine the constraints and opportunities that the institutional structures of the Canadian state provide for various policy-making actors in Canada, both within and external to government. In particular, it will employ a neo-institutional focus to investigate how political and policy actors pursue their policy-related goals and the behaviours and strategies they utilize to overcome impediments or to take advantage of opportunities provided by the existing institutional and policy environments in Canada. In this regard, it will examine some of the current debates reform debates at the federal level, including issues such as Senate reform, the role of the Courts in the legislative process, the centralization of power in the Prime Minister’s Office and electoral reform at the national and provincial levels.

POL SCI 4T06E (2): Topics In Canadian Politics

Dr. Greg Flynn

• The second half of the course will examine the constraints and opportunities that the institutional structures of the Canadian state provide for various policy-making actors in Canada, both within and external to government. In particular, it will employ a neo-institutional focus to investigate how political and policy actors pursue their policy-related goals and the behaviours and strategies they utilize to overcome impediments or to take advantage of opportunities provided by the existing institutional and policy environments in Canada. In this regard, it will examine some of the current debates reform debates at the federal level, including issues such as Senate reform, the role of the Courts in the legislative process, the centralization of power in the Prime Minister’s Office and electoral reform at the national and provincial levels.