Ryerson University

DEPARTMENT OF POLITICS AND SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

POG 100: Introduction to Politics and Governance
Fall 2007

Course Director: Grace-Edward Galabuzi

Class Time: Tuesday 2:00-4:00pm
Class Location: EPH 242
Office : Room 719, Jorgenson Hall
Office Hours: Tuesday 12:00pm – 2:00pm or by appointment
Telephone: (416) 979-5000 ext. 6189 E-mail: galabuzi@ryerson.ca

Course Description

This course introduces students to the study of politics and governance and the
fundamental issues and challenges that politics deals with. Broadly defined, governance
is a study of how societies and peoples govern themselves or are governed. We look at
the multiple forms of governance and the political ideas, processes, institutions,
structures, actors involved. During the course, we will review different approaches to the
study of politics and governance. We will consider historical and contemporary
approaches, mainstream and critical perspectives, democratic challenges and challengers.
Among others, we will survey, Canadian politics, political theory, comparative politics,
international politics, public administration, public policy and political economy.

Course Objectives

The course has three interrelated objectives: First, students will be introduced to the
study of politics and will be able to develop a broad and general understanding of the
field. They will be introduced to comparative perspectives of the field, comparing
Canadian political processes to those in other countries in the global North and South.
Various experiences from the three theatres will be discussed as unique and interrelated.
Second, students will learn or strengthen their ability to think critically about everyday
issues and experiences that define the processes of governance. They will learn to
articulate informed and substantiated opinions on a vast array of political issues, concerns
and debates. Third, students will acquire tools to enable them to participate effectively in
the political process as engaged citizens, employees or consultants in a changing,
globalizing world that is best understood as a political, economic and socio-cultural
phenomenon.

Course Format

This course will be delivered by the instructor and tutorial leaders. It will include a two
hour lecture and a one hour tutorial. Lectures will link the topics listed for the week to
the assigned readings and related issues in the political science literature. From time to

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time during the lectures, we will deal with key current political issues in the news. Come
prepared to discuss key issues in the news each week. Regular attendance is required.
Tutorials will be run in seminar format, featuring student presentations and more in-depth
discussion of the material from the lectures. This is also the place to clarify your
understanding of the readings, and to get help with assignments. The participation
grading will depend largely on your attendance and active participation in the tutorial
(and the lecture). Students will be expected to make presentations in the tutorials as
determined by the tutorial leader. You will therefore be expected to attend tutorials and
participate actively in the discussion of the readings. Note again: the participation
grade will depend on your regular attendance and participation in the tutorial and
lecture, as well as periodic in-class assignments.

Course Materials: Required texts:

Text: Janine Brodie & Sandra Rein. Critical Concepts: Introduction to Politics, 3rd
Edition. Toronto: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2005
Complementary course reader: George MacLean & Brenda O’Neill. Ideas, Interests
and Issues: Readings in Introductory Politics. Toronto: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006

Course Evaluation:

You will be required to complete four (4) commentaries or reaction papers over the
course of the term. These will be selected by you from among the tutorial readings
assigned from the Course Reader in the three weeks immediately preceeding the date
they are due. There will not be a term paper but the reaction papers will test your ability
to synthesize the assigned readings and articulate arguments coherently and clearly. They
should be not more than four (4) pages long each. Written assignments will be assessed
on demonstrated comprehension, critical analysis, strong articulation of your
viewpoint and grammar. Be sure to introduce the subject matter, providing a summary
of the key issues or arguments in the reading, followed by a critical reaction to the key
issues or arguments based on your ‘informed’ opinion and your conclusion. As part of
your analysis, you will be expected to draw on the relevant theoretical concepts
introduced in the lecture.

Student will also have to write a mid-term quiz and a final exam. The quiz will cover key
concepts discussed in the lectures and from required readings in weeks 1-6. You will
have an hour to provide answers to two short essay questions that demonstrate your
understanding of the material. The final exam will be a 2-hour sit down exam covering
all the material from the term and requiring students to respond to four (4) essay
questions. The Professor will assign in-class exercizes from time to time and also grade
the exams. Your tutorial leader will mark the reaction papers and participation in the
tutorial. To be successful you should try and find out what they expect from you.

Evaluation scheme:
Critical Commentary papers (best 3 out of 4) 30%
Mid term Quiz 15%

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Participation/Attendance 15%
In class assignments 10%
Final Exam 30%
Lecture Schedule and Topics

Sept 04: Introductions and presentation of course outlines

Film: A Force More Powerful!

Sept 11: Lecture Topic: Introduction: What is politics? Political power,

Political regimes and the Commons

Readings: Chapter 1: Power and Politics Pg 2-10

Chapter 7: Political Regimes

Tutorial Discussion. Andrew Johnson. Democracy, Prosperity,

Citizens and the State. (MacLean: 177)

Sept 18: Topic: Approaches to the study of politics

Readings: Chapter 1: Power and Politics. Pg 11-20

Chapters 4: Democracy

Film: The Bottom Line: Privatizing the World

Tutorial Discussion: Theodoulou & O’Brien. Where We Stand
Today: The State of Modern Political Science (MacLean: 64)

Sept 25: Political ideas, old and new

Readings: Chapter 5: Liberalism

Chapter 6: Radical Politics

Film: The Prophets and promise of classical capitalism

Tutorial Discussion: Carol Gould. Socialism and Democracy.
(MacLean:89)

First reaction paper due in tutorial

Oct 02: Dimensions of Governance: Local government and community

Readings: Chapter 17: Local Government

Chapter 11: Community

Tutorial Discussion: Schmitter & Karl: What Democracy is ….And

is not (MacLean: 166)

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Oct. 9: The Nation State and the infrastructure of governance: Political
institutions – legislature, executive, judiciary and constitutions

Readings: Chapter 8: The Modern State

Chapter 9: Constitutions & the Rule of Law
Chapter 11: Public Bureaucracy

Tutorial discussion: Janet Hiebert. From Equality Rights to same

Sex marriage: Parliament and the Courts in the Age of the Charter
(MacLean; 121)

Oct. 16: Citizenship, nationalism and civil society

Readings: Chapter 10: Citizens and Citizenship
Chapter 16: Civil Society

Film: Voices of Dissent: Canadians in the Global Game

Second reaction paper due in tutorial

Oct. 23: Mid-term Test

Oct. 30: Representation and political participation

Readings: Chapter 14: Representation

Chapter 13: Elections and Electoral systems

Film: :30 Second Democracy

Tutorial discussion: Elisabeth Gidengil et al. Turned Off or Tuned
Out? Youth Participation in Politics. (MacLean: 224)

Nov. 06: New Politics, social movements and resistance: Culture, Gender,
Race and Environmental politics

Readings: Chapter 15: Political Cultures

Chapter 18: Gender Politics

Film: Acts of Defiance

Tutorial Discussion: Beverly McLaughlin. The Civilization of
Difference. (MacLean: 293)

Nov. 13: Global governance and world orders

Readings: Chapter 20: Global Governance and World
Disorders
Chapter 22: International Relations

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 Film: Globalization : winners & losers.
Tutorial Discussion: Ramesh Thakur. Security in the New
Millennium. (MacLean: 247)

Third reaction paper due in tutorial

Nov. 20: International organizations and international Financial Institutions

Readings: Chapter 23: International Organizations
Chapter 24: International Financial Institutions

Film: Life and Debt

Tutorial Discussion: Daniel Schwanen. Canada and Free trade 15
years on. (MacLean: 281)

Nov. 27: Global inequality, good governance and development strategies

Readings: Chapter 25: Global inequality and Poverty
Chapter 26: Good governance in a globalizing era

Film: Globalization and Human Rights

Tutorial Discussion: Darren O’Byrne. Thinking about Human

Rights. (MacLean: 346)

Fourth reaction paper due in tutorial

EXAM PERIOD

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 FACULTY OF ARTS POLICY ON PLAGIARISM

The minimum penalty for students found guilty of

plagiarism normally will be a grade of “0” on the
assignment in question; however, depending on
the details of the plagiarism, a more severe
penalty may be imposed. The teaching
department will report all cases of plagiarism to
the Registrar and the program department. A
second violation of the Code of Academic conduct
will result in a recommendation of suspension or
expulsion.

WHAT IS PLAGIARISM?
Plagiarism is a form of intellectual dishonesty because you are trying
to pass off the work of others as your own. Thus, it is universally
regarded as grave academic misconduct. Ryerson’s “Student Code of
Academic Conduct,” which is reproduced in the “General Academic
Information” section of each year’s Calendar, says the following about
plagiarism:

1. Academic dishonesty
(e) Plagiarism . . . [is] misrepresenting the work of others as
one’s own. (Plagiarism specifically can be understood as: the act
of copying, reproducing or paraphrasing significant portions of
someone else’s published or unpublished material and
representing someone else’s thinking as one’s own thinking by not
acknowledging the appropriate source of by the failure to use
appropriate quotation marks . . . . In addition, it is inappropriate to
represent as one’s individual writing and/or final product a jointly
written or produced submission of any description. Any co-
authored submission must be clearly identified as such. Students
have the responsibility to learn and use conventions of
documentation, and, if in any doubt, are encouraged to
consult with the instructor of the course, or the department
Chair/Director for clarification.) [emphasis added]

The Faculty of Arts, operating within University policy, offers the

following guidelines (note this is not an exhaustive list and do not

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assume that some instances of plagiarism are too minor to result in a
formal charge and serious penalty):

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DO NOT:
• submit, in whole or in part, a paper researched, written or rewritten by
somebody else, including:
o papers produced from basic research conducted by somebody
else,
o papers written by previous students in the course,
o papers written by essay services, and
o papers downloaded from websites or online essay banks;
• take information word-for-word (or with slight alterations) from any
source without marking it with quotation marks and providing a proper
source citation;
• take someone else’s work and put it into your own words (paraphrasing)
without making clear the extent to which you are paraphrasing someone
else’s work and providing a proper source citation;
• use someone else’s argument, idea, opinion, etc. without proper source
citation.

DO:
• acquaint yourself with Ryerson’s “Student Code of Academic Conduct”
which is reproduced in the “General Information” section of each year’s
Calendar;
• consult with the instructor of the course if you have any doubt or
question about what you are doing;
• pay attention, as you read academic material, to the way in which
sources are cited;
• use the services the University provides if you are having problems
researching, writing, or editing your papers:
o Librarians will help you direct your research,
o The Writing Centre (LIB266A) offers one-on-one tutorial help with
writing,
o Learning Support Services in the Centre for Student
Development and Counselling (JOR418) offers individual sessions
and workshops covering various aspects of researching, writing,
and studying, and
o The Peer Tutoring Service run by Student Services operates from
the Olive Baker Lounge (JOR144);
• use an accepted academic format for your citations (APA, MLA, Chicago/
Turabian or the format specified by your professor;
• be prepared to submit the sources used in writing your assignment if
required;
• be prepared to submit an electronic version of your assignment for
submission to web-based plagiarism checking programs.