Fall 1996
Course Outline and Syllabus
Professor C. Alexander and Professor M. Conley
Professor Conley’s Office: BAC 317 e-mail:
conley@acadiau.ca
Professor Alexander’s Office: BAC 318 e-mail:
cynthia.alexander@acadiau.ca
Course Description
This course offers you the opportunity to move beyond the 'ten second sound byte' impressions of politics and government in Canada and elsewhere. If you are interested and your battery is charged and adaptable to different currents in ideas and issues, this course will help you get a grip on the new wired world. Globalization, interdependence, rapid technological change...all of these and other developments have implications on the political systems of the world.
In every field of knowledge students must cope with at least three kinds of intellectual activity: normative, empirical and practical. The things which we will do in this course, both individually and collaboratively, are intended not only to put you through each one of these intellectual activities but also, to expose you to some of the implications of the three processes for gaining an understanding of the institutions and processes of politics from a Canadian and an international perspective.
Perplexing problems face governments everywhere as we head toward the twenty-first century. The demands on government range from creating jobs, to stimulating economic growth, to protecting the environment, to safeguarding democratic values such as privacy and enforcing human rights codes. Simultaneously, governments are asked to reduce their budgets, lower taxes, and attract investors. What can governments do? What should they do? What influences the allocation of scarce resources in the public sector? How are competing interests reconciled, if at all? By the end of the course, you may not have all the answers, but you will have the ability to broach these and other questions!
In this course, we will use a variety of resources, including the Internet. You will have a chance to interact with the two professors, with other each, and with students at other universities via the new technology, both inside and outside the classroom. Using the computer resources available at Acadia you will have access to the world, making your textbook only one part of your learning experience.
This is a half term course which concentrates on institutions and processes. The information and knowledge acquired in this course is invaluable for anyone who seeks to understand issues such as: what Quebec wants; the fragility of democratic processes at the end of the 20th century; globalization; the influence of public opinion polls on the way you vote; the 1996 U.S. Presidential election; the power struggles between Ottawa and the provinces; the effects of economic stagnation on women and minorities, and the so-called "have-not" provinces. The companion course, POLS 1403, will examine policy issues from a Canadian and international comparative perspective. In the winter term, we will examine issues such as: the implications of budget cuts for the quality of health care and education; environmental policy; defence and foreign policy; and first nations’ land claims.
Key Learning Objectives of this Course
Ø Describe how the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government operate on the national, provincial, and municipal levels, assess who holds power in these branches, and describe the basic resources of the power holders.
Ø Describe how the citizen, working through various political institutions and using diverse political strategies, can gain access to the political system.
Ø Recognize the differences among statements which are essentially normative, empirical, and practical as well as analyse political problems from these three perspectives.
Ø Develop political strategies and examine them critically.
In addition, by the time each student has competed the course, he or she will have had the opportunity to acquire the following:
Ø An increased awareness of some Canadian political and policy issues. A more indepth appreciation of policy issues--such as Canada’s foreign policy, the implications of budget cuts to hospitals and schools, the democratic implications of increasing concentration in the media--are explored in the companion course, Politics 1403.
Ø A perspective on the international system.
Ø A greater interest and confidence in personal political participation.
To Do Well:
a) Check out the course outline which is being used for the first-ever "Acadia Advantage" Wired Introductory Politics Course (POLS 1006 AO). You will find valuable resources at this course website and the one for POLS 1006A0, including:
· an online textbook companion for one of your texts, People, Politics and Government; · news and media links from around the world on the World Wide Web; · Dr. Alexander and Dr. Conley’s final exams for the introductory politics courses they taught last year.
You will be able to find the course via the signposts located at: http://socrates.acadiau.ca/courses/pols/home.htm
By the end of this course, you will have gained the opportunity to:
| A. Build Your Knowledge Base | B. Improve Your Analytical and Research Abilities | C. Hone Your Communication Skills |
| What’s eco-feminism?
What is liberalism? What’s post-modernism? What do Plato, Locke or Rousseau have to do with the 21st century, anyway? |
What distinguishes representative from direct democracy?
You will be able to assess key political concepts. |
What’s the difference between a thesis and a statement of intent?
Why didn’t I learn about semi-colons before this? You will learn how to communicate your ideas in writing effectively. |
| What’s the difference between the powers of the U.S. President and
the Canadian Prime Minister?
What is ‘globalization’ and how does it affect Canada’s international competitiveness? |
If elderly women are among Canadians poorest, what are the implications
for them of introducing a user-fee for emergency health services?
You will be able to draw links between different issues and ideas, and recognize political/policy patterns and relationships. |
How can I write about this in-depth subject in one page?
In both government and in industry, decision- makers don’t have time to read very much. In whatever career you choose to enter, you will need to learn how to express your ideas and your argument succinctly. |
| Do women vote differently than men in Canadian federal elections? In
U.S. presidential elections?
What does "political efficacy" mean? Why do Ontario citizens feel it more strongly than Newfoundlanders? |
How does Germany’s immigration policy differ from Canada’s? How does
the United States’ industrial strategy differ from Japan’s?
You will gain a foundation for undertaking comparative analysis. |
What’s a lateral map?
Organizing ideas and identifying appropriate links between them is a strategic necessity in any endeavor. Lateral maps are one way to identify and relate ideas and issues to one another. |
| Should we privatize some universities in Canada?
Why are aboriginal peoples in Canada demanding self-government? What defines post-Cold War politics? |
Who is the President of France?What are the key issues in the ‘96 U.S.
Presidential Election? How well has Prime Minister Chretien lived up to
the Liberal’s Red Book?
You will recognize key political actors and be aware of current and emerging political and policy issues. |
Politics on a chip: off in cyberspace.
Computer-related skills are a new power resource which you will begin to acquire in this course. You will: search the web for related data and information; use the latest computer software to generate effective lateral maps; create a web page to share your information resources, essays, and questions. |
| What are the demographics of immigration flows in the 1990s in Canada
and the U.S.?
What is the "new face of poverty" in western industrial nations? What was the GNP in Germany in 1995? In Italy? In which industrial nations is capital punishment allowed in 1996? |
Where can you find information about emigration flows from in Hong
Kong in 1995?
Half the challenge is knowing where to look for the most timely and accurate information. You’ll be aware of the difference between media sources, including the Internet, and you’ll be able to find your way through government documents, academic journals, and other resources. |
What do you mean by...?
There’s an art to listening effectively as well as to expressing your viewpoints articulately. |
Course Materials
TEXTS: There are only two required texts for this course:
Ø James John Guy. People, Politics and Government, 3rd edition (Scarborough: Prentice Hall, 1995).
Ø Thomas M. J. Bateman, Manuel Mertin, David M. Thomas. Braving the New World: Readings in Comtemporary Politics (Toronto: Nelson, 1995).
REFERENCE MATERIALS:
Ø In addition to the required texts, you will likely find it useful to acquire several reference materials, including:
COMPUTER RESOURCES:
Ø You will be expected to make full use of the computer resources available to you at Acadia University. You will find the that computer technology will be useful to: access additional information resources on the Internet; to prepare and present lateral maps; to prepare and present essays; to communicate with each other, with students at other universities, and with the two of us and your teaching assistants. In addition, computer simulations will be used when they are available and instructive.
RESERVE READINGS IN THE LIBRARY:
Ø The required readings are drawn from the texts as well as useful documents and articles which have been placed on reserve in the library. Doing the required readings prior to class is essential. While subjects addressed in the readings will be discussed during the lectures we will typically go beyond the readings, bringing alternative perspectives and additional issues to your attention. Your comprehension of the lectures is dependent upon being well-prepared for class.
GUEST SPEAKERS, FILMS:
Ø Videos and films will be shown on appropriate topics.
Ø Guest speakers will invited to address the class when possible.
The Overall Grading Scheme:
| Overall Seminar and Studio Work Breakdown:
Five one to two page essay assignment: one bonus essay assignment offered to replace lowest mark, if student wishes
Five "lateral maps:"one bonus lateral map assignment offered to replace lowest mark, if student wishes Participation in Seminar Discussion Groups and "Studio" Workshops Policy Roundtable Participation (winter term) "Personal Web Presence" (PWP) |
50% |
| Quizzes: Surprise quizzes may be held at any time to ensure that you have mastered the content of the assigned reading and weekly lectures. Since we learn best in small doses, it is important to master material as the course progresses. The probability is that there will be three to five quizzes during each term. Checklists of key issues and ideas will be posted periodically on the course website which will allow you to assess your own progress and assist in preparing for the quizzes. | 50% |
IMPORTANT NOTE: A STUDENT MUST COMPLETE EACH COMPONENT OF THE COURSE REQUIREMENTS BEFORE A FINAL GRADE WILL BE ISSUED.
One to Two Page Essay Assignments
You will be asked to prepare four one page essay assignments, the subject of which will be given to you the week before each one is due. No additional research will be required. The essays will be based on some issue raised in the text or lectures. This exercise is designed with several objectives in mind:
In general, grading of the one page assignments will be based on:
Important Notes: 1) If your one-page essay assignment has more than two spelling mistakes, it will not be graded. 2) Late one-page essay assignments will not be accepted.
Lateral Map Assignments
Cognitive Overload: One of the challenges of the so-called Information Age, is the rapid flow of a flood of data and information. How can one manage such an onslaught? The following quotation from an article in the June 1996 issue in Equinox, entitled Are Computers Changing How We Explore?, clarifies the need for organizing information in new ways.
According to Kosma’s research, many hypertext users report getting "lost in hyperspace," unable to remember how or why they ended up where they did. And some are clearly disoriented by the overwhelming number of choices available. "If you don’t have a lot of prior knowledge," says Kosma, "then you’re going to have a lot of difficulty constructing that relationship--why you’re where you are now when you were someplace else a moment ago."
Most of us tend to remember images better than words. What lateral mapping encourages you to do is to think carefully about what you have read, to identify key concepts and ideas, and to draw linkages between different them. It is a process which helps you move beyond the regurgitation of a reading. Setting out information and ideas on one or two pages in front of you, also helps you to brainstorm and generate new ideas which are relevant to the problem at hand. We care that you absorb the information and ideas we explore in this class as we discuss them and that you build upon them by relating one week’s ideas to the next. Learning how to create lateral maps is an important objective of this course. We will be using them during some of the lectures. We expect that you will find this new ability will assist your work in other courses.
Course Schedule
Weeks 1 and 2
Course Orientation · What is Politics? -politics as behavior; politics as culture; politics as ideology; politics as nation-building; expressing public opinion --distinctions between state, government, politics, and society ·
What is Political Science? The Great Issues of Politics. -the evolution of political science; related fields, inter-disciplinary studies; comparative political inquiry; modern frameworks -the distinctions between politics and policy, policy-making and decision-making -Can an academic discipline such as the one described in this chapter adequately collect and analyze information from the world of politics in a meaningful way? How are political scientists different from journalists in the study of political events and behavior? · Introduction to Some Key Political Issues and Ideas -Canada in Question? -conflict and unity; continuity and change; citizenship in the Nineties; order and disorder; political identity and community -The New World Order or Disorder? -finite resources; population growth; post-Cold War; economic interdependence; surging nationalism...
Reading: Guy, chapters 1 and 2 Bateman, Introduction and Chapter 1
Weeks 2 and 3
Beliefs and Values in the Polity; Political socialization; Agents of political socialization -important variance between cultures -culturally-based ideas of relation of humans to nature (control over environment), character of humans (human potential)... Are the ways we conduct ourselves politically really a cultural phenomenon? How are we different from Americans, Cubans, British, or Mexicans? What are the distinguishing components of these and other political cultures? Can we distinguish components of unique political cultures within Canada?
Reading: Guy, Chapter 3; Bateman, Chapters 2 and 10
Weeks 3 and 4
Ideas and Ideologies: Liberalism and Conservativism
Reading: Bateman, Chapters 4 and 5 Recommended
Reading on Reserve: Don Carmichael, "Political Ideologies and
Values" in T. C. Pocklington’s book, Representative Democracy
Weeks 4 and 5
Ideas and Ideologies: Social Democracy. Populism · Ideas and Ideologies: Feminism, Post-modernism, Deep Ecology...
Reading: Bateman, Chapters 6, 7, 8
Week 6
Democratic Values and Representation -civic virtue; political community and identity... -ideas of order and justice, equity, egalitarianism, freedom, rights and obligations...
Reading: Bateman, Chapters 3 and 11
Required Reading on Reserve: Paul Johnston and T. C. Pocklington, "Democracy
and Representative Government,"
Week 7
Nation, States, Rank, and Power What is a nation-state? -economic capability; military power; strategic policy
Reading: Guy, Chapter 4 Bateman, Chapter 9
Weeks 7 and 8
Constitutional Frameworks and Constitutionalism -dispersion of powers · the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms -the language of rights; minority and majority rights · Law and the Judiciary -the meaning of law; sources of law; law and legal systems in comparative perspective; the judiciary
Reading: Guy, chapters 9 and 10; Bateman, Chapter 12
Recommended Reading on Reserve: Peter Russell, "The Three Dimensions
of Charter Politics," in James P. Bickerton and Alain G. Gagnon (eds.)
book, Canadian Politics
Week 9
What is federalism? -theories of federalism; asymmetrical federalism; comparative federal systems -Canadian federalism in the ‘90s · Intergovernmental Relations · Regionalism -regional politics; regional political culture; -H. A. Innis’ hinterland-metropolis thesis
Reading: Bateman, chapters 14 and 24
Weeks 10 and 11
Sovereignty and Identity · Quebec in Canada: What does Quebec want? -the language of identity; the modern institutionalization of culture; "distinct society" -Meech Lake Accord; Charlottetown Accord; 1995 Quebec Referendum -sovereignty association
Required Reading on Reserve: Roger Gibbins, Conflict and Unity, chapter 4
Week 12
Governments and Legislatures -traditional classifications of government; comparative government; classifying governments · Canadian Federal Parliamentary Institutions -representation; reform initiatives; Triple-E Senate
Reading: Guy, chapter 5