Course subject: Political Science (PSCI)

This course examines the international rules and organizations that have emerged to govern the increasingly global system of food and agriculture. Specific themes to be covered include governance issues related to the rise of global food corporations, agricultural trade liberalization and the WTO, food aid distribution, international agricultural assistance, the global agro-chemical industry, and agricultural biotechnology.

This course analyzes the extent and character of worldwide poverty today by adopting both a global and an historical perspective. The course examines the impact of industrialization and colonialism on poverty and the social and political economy of poverty in the contemporary world. The course examines the relationships between poverty and slums, poverty and underdevelopment, poverty and inequality, as well as poverty and hunger. The course considers various theories about causes of poverty and those public and private actions that seem most likely to reduce the extent of poverty.

This course stretches the definition of who are the actors that conduct the practice of diplomacy, where the sites of diplomacy are located, and what aims are privileged. Conventional diplomacy showcases state-centric activity with an emphasis on hierarchy, protocol, and closed negotiations. Unconventional diplomacy in contrast is open-ended with a focus on transparency, inclusiveness and the pursuit of global governance. The course begins with an overview of the pressures for change in diplomacy, and then moves to a detailed examination of specific areas where unconventional diplomacy has become prominent including think tank diplomacy, humanitarian diplomacy, 'pandemic' diplomacy, and celebrity diplomacy.

This course examines the evolution of Chinese involvement in global governance across different issue areas. We discuss Chinese perspectives on the existing governance mechanisms, and China's role in preserving or changing these mechanisms. We will also explore how China's involvement in global governance has shaped its domestic institutions.

Problems in classical and contemporary political theory.

An examination of the justification and limitations of democratic government, as well as more practical applications of democratic theory to the workplace, judicial review, legal obligations, etc. The focus will be on problems of democratic theory and practice.

New questions concerning justice follow advances in biological science, which brings us closer to a world where we have the ability to manipulate our genetic make-up. We examine how current theories of justice may require revision.

A research seminar in public administration or policy problems growing out of the interests of the participants, especially the research interests of the faculty and students.

An examination of various public policies designed to promote the exploitation and export of Canada's natural resources with an emphasis on the economic, political, social and environmental implications of these developmental strategies.

A comparative survey of public administration in both developed and developing areas. The focus is on the rise of the administrative state in a variety of cultural and political contexts, and on the study of general concepts which can then be applied in a variety of settings. Among the topics to be discussed are: comparison in the study of public administration; bureaucracy as a focus for comparison; the concept of the administrative state; the evolution of national administrative systems; the politics-administration interface and the senior civil service; bureaucracy and democracy; representative bureaucracy; bureaucratic ethics and morality; and the ombudsman and government secrecy.

How do governments deal with transnational crime? Case studies illustrate the dynamic relationships between crime and politics in various countries. Topics include triads and mafia.

A critical examination of the distinctive elements of government and politics in the province of Ontario.

This course focuses on some of the methodological and theoretical problems involved in the conduct of comparative political inquiry.

Rebuilding states in the aftermath of conflict and state failure represents one of the foremost challenges facing the international community. The post-Cold War era has shown that weak states represent as great a threat to international security and stability as strong ones. The transition from war to peace and state failure to stability in these states can be conceptualized as encompassing three separate but interrelated transitions, in the economic, political and security spheres. The course will deconstruct and analyze this triple transition, examine both its theoretical roots and practical application with reference to a number of recent case studies.

This course involves a detailed analysis of ethnic conflict and conflict resolution strategies in a number of important case-studies such as Bosnia, Canada, Israel/Palestine, Kossovo, Northern Ireland, S. Africa, the Soviet Successor States, and the United States. The class will examine why particular strategies were applied in particular settings, comment on the appropriateness of such strategies and, when relevant, explore alternatives. While the course is case-study based, a key focus will be the development of comparative political analysis, i.e., the construction of generalisable theories that allow the application of lessons learned in one setting to others.

The course is a study of international and local responses to human rights abuses in the contexts of economic globalization and proliferation of armed violence. It examines major debates on international human rights. It also deals with specific human rights situations in the developing/transitional countries. Topics include: universalism and cultural relativism, global economic justice, rights to food and health, women's and children's rights, the rights of displaced civilians, human rights and R2P, prospects for transitional justice.

Selected aspects of Canadian national politics.

An exploration of the role that rights and rights discourse plays in public policy development and policy change. Examines Canadian public policy in relation to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and human rights legislation, as well as cases in comparative context.

Public policy in a variety of areas significant for women (including sport, employment equity, violence) sometimes fails to take into account women's experiences and needs. In this course, we will review policy developments, and reflect on the significance of feminist perspectives for policy analysis. The course will focus on Canadian examples, with comparative material included where useful.

This is a seminar in the ontology of security. Security is a contested concept, and in this course we ask what it is and how best to pursue it. What do we mean by security? What are we trying to protect? From what? Why? How do we do it? We begin by considering the concept of security in the abstract, and we then proceed to explore various specific conceptions. Along the way we encounter both traditional and non-traditional approaches to security.

This course reviews critical analytical models for the study of security and covers a range of non-traditional issues including environmental security, public safety, cyber security, and counter-terrorism.

The course examines strategic studies and its premises, the evolution of strategic thinking, the role of national policy of military powers. Strategic concepts are studied with specific reference to military policies of regional powers. Choice of countries may vary each year but a minimum of five countries will be studied.

Diplomacy and foreign policy are usually discussed as though they are synonymous. From a more nuanced perspective, diplomacy is about the set of instruments used in international affairs via techniques of representation, information, communication and negotiation. This course highlights the work of diplomats and the machinery of diplomacy.

Large developing countries like Brazil, Russia, India, and China stand at the centre of much of current international political economy. Their national development efforts profoundly shape their international participation and vice versa. This course will cover theoretical and conceptual debates about the roles of these "middle range" or "emerging" powers, then examine their national economies, before turning to see how they individually and collectively (with the other emerging powers) fit into current global governance.

A survey of the theoretical and public policy debates relating to regulation of the global economy, examined through case studies ranging from international banking an intellectual property rights, to labour and environmental standards and the control of illicit economic activity.