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University of Ottawa School of Political Studies
Universitė d’Ottawa École d’études politiques
Introduction to Political Science
POL1101 D: Winter 2018 Jan. 8​th​ to April 11​th​.
Location: DMS 1160
Professor: ​Wolfgang Koerner
Office Hours: Monday 2:00 – 6:00
Location: FSS 7012
Phone: 613-822-3341
E-Mail: ​wkoerner@uottawa.ca
Not on Virtual Campus
Course Outlines: These will be distributed in class and not electronically.
Important Dates:
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Course dates: Jan. 8​th​ – April 11
Exam Period: April 13​th​ to 26​th​.
Reading Week Feb. 18​th​. To 19​th​.
Easter Break March 30​th​ to April 2​nd​.
Friday March 30​th​ classes move to Tues April 10​th​.
Course Evaluations March 19​th​ to 30​th​.
Distribution of questions for the final exam: Week of March 26.
First essay due: Feb 26​th​.
Second essay due: April 9​th​.
Final Examination:​ Students must sit the final examination. No exceptions will be made for
holiday planning, family events, early bookings for flights home, etc. Please familiarize yourself
with the university guidelines governing these matters.
Review of Assignments:​ Students may request a review of their assignments and examinations,
whether marked by the instructor or teaching assistants. However, upon review, the instructor
reserves the right either to Raise or Lower the grade.
Policy on language quality and late submissions:
Class attendance is necessary to successfully complete this course.
You will also be judged on your writing abilities. It is recommended to take the appropriate
measures to avoid mistakes such as spelling, syntax, punctuation, inappropriate use of terms,
etc. You may be penalized up to 15%, at the professor’s discretion.
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Late submissions are not tolerated. Exceptions are made only for illness or other serious
situations deemed as such by the professor. ​There will be a penalty for late submissions.
University regulations require all absences from exams and all late submissions due to illness to
be supported by a medical certificate.
Absence for any other serious reason must be justified in writing, to the academic assistants of
the Faculty, within five business days following the date of the exam or submission of an
assignment. The Faculty reserves the right to accept or refuse the reason. Reasons such as
travel, jobs, or any misreading of the examination timetable are not acceptable.
Policy on sexual harassment:
The University of Ottawa does not tolerate any form of sexual violence. Sexual violence refers
to any act of a sexual nature committed without consent, such as rape, sexual harassment or
online harassment. The University, as well as student and employee associations offer a full
range of resources and services allowing members of our community to receive information and
confidential assistance and providing for a procedure to report an incident or make a complaint.
For more information, visit ​www.uOttawa.ca/sexual-violence-support-andprevention​.
Electronic Devices:​ Please keep cell phones turned off and no “texting during class.”
Bibliography:​ Assignments, other than formal in class exams, need to contain a bibliography
and proper citations. Students may use whichever citation method they feel most comfortable
with. Lectures should also be cited. Simply provide date of lecture. (E.g. Lecture May 10, 2017).
Student Services:​ There are a variety of student services available to help students with writing
skills and personal issues. Students are encouraged to familiarize with these resources. The
Student Services Centers aim to fulfill all sorts of student needs: ​http://www.community​.
Students are also expected to familiarize themselves with the rules regarding plagiarism. For
more information, refer to the: ​Student’s Guide to Academic Integrity
http://web5.uottawa.ca/mcs-smc/academicintegrity/documents/2011/academic-integrity-stude
nts-guide.pdf​. And ​Academic Integrity Website (Office of the Vice-President Academic and
Provost)​ ​http://web5.uottawa.ca/mcs-smc/academicintegrity/home.php​.
E-Mails​: These will be answered as quickly as possible—normally within a day or two. However,
nuisance e-mails will not be entertained. For example: could you send me a copy of the course
outline, where is the exam being held, could you review my essay or exam before I hand it in,
could you give me pointers on the questions being asked on the take home, etc. Questions
concerning course content should be asked in class.
Official Course Description: Comparative study of the ideas, concepts and issues leading to an
understanding of political phenomena and of their impact on the lives of individuals and
societies. Examined will be concepts such as power, citizenship and political participation.
Introduction to research tasks (e.g. bibliographic research, writing a research paper or report).
General Course Objectives: To provide students with enough of an introduction to the
discipline to enable them to comfortably continue their studies in specialized courses. To enable
them to have a critical and balanced understanding of the political environment and significant
public policy issues.
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Course Evaluation:​ Course evaluations will consist of two analytical papers, each to be between 7 – 8
pages in length. ​Papers will be worth 30% each of the final grade.​ In addition there will also be a final
3 hr. examination during the final examination period, ​worth 40% of the over- all grade.
Assignments must not be submitted to the departmental secretariat. Should you submit your
assignment to the department it will not be graded! As well late submissions will be penalized a full
grade for each class day they are late. (i.e., if you do not hand in your assignment on the due date
then the next day submissions will be accepted will be the day of the following class.)
Note: Papers must be handed in at the beginning of class on the day they are due. Do not put them in
any kind of special folder. Simply staple them together in the top left hand corner. Be sure to sign the
submission form, which will be provided, when handing in your assignment. ​Submissions must have a
proper cover page containing the following:
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Course code and title
Term (i.e. Winter 2018
Student name and student number
Due date for submission
Essays should be double spaced and contain a proper bibliography and citations (references).
Students may use whichever form of citation they are most comfortable with. The number of
references will depend on the nature and scope of the topic; 5 should be the norm.
Final exam protocols:​ A list of questions will be distributed to students well before the exam. This list
will consist of ​7​ questions of which ​5​ will appear on the final exam. ​You will be expected to answer 3 of
the 5 questions appearing on the exam.​ You may also bring a “cheat sheet” or “aide memoire” to the
exam. This can be one page, single-spaced, one-sided, and no smaller than 11pt. font.
Protocols for Essays: ​Students are encouraged to choose their own topics, which must fall within the
general scope of the course material. Choosing your own topic demonstrates that you have thought
about the course material and developed a particular interest in one of its elements. If you are
uncertain about your choice of topic, consult the instructor. The instructor will also offer suggestions
throughout the course. You are also encouraged to consult the professor during office hours to discuss
your topic, the approach you intend to take, research sources as well as the basic thesis of the paper.
The Basic Elements of an Analytical Essay:​ An Analytical Essay entails more than simple summary and
description. Rather than merely describe the situation or problem, an analytical essay requires that you
examine the information and “evaluate” it. That is, the analytical essay does not simply ask what, where
and when it asks why and how. It is an in depth analysis of a focused topic. An Analytical essay should
contain the following:
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Introduction (with thesis statement), body and conclusion.
Thesis statement: A thesis statement is a succinct summary of the entire argument. It can be
one or two sentences or an entire paragraph.
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It is impossible to write successfully about a topic that is too general, even for a very long
essay. Keep narrowing and refining until you have found a specific angle – a ​thesis.
There is no fixed format for this type of essay; the number of paragraphs will depend on the
argument.
Use headings when appropriate. These are not absolutely necessary.
Conclusion: A conclusion has several functions:
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Tell the reader conclusively that the piece is over.
Leave the reader with a clear sense of the main point.
Satisfy the reader that you crafted the ending rather than just stopped.
Resonate – the best endings stay with you and make you think a bit.
What to keep in mind when writing:
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Develop a clear, focused thesis statement and keep the focus throughout the essay.
Each paragraph should contribute to the development of your argument; avoid tangents.
Present your ideas in a clear, coherent and logical order.
Use evidence or examples to buttress your arguments.
Requirements will be discussed in detail in class.
Required Text: ​George A. Maclean and Duncan R. Wood, ​Politics: An Introduction.
The text may be purchased at Benjamin Books, 122 Osgoode St. (613-232-7495)
General Reading and Organization:
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Origins of Political Thought: p. 54-58; p. 29-51; p. 99-104; p. 310-312.
● The Ancient Greeks
● The unique nature of political thinking
● Participation
● Authority
● The public realm vs. the private
The State and Politics: p. 228-247; p. 92-119.
● Legitimacy
● Obedience
● The Nation State and Sovereignty
Government and Institutions: The nature of constitutions: p. 124 – 148; p. 152 - 176
● The nature of constitutions
● Parliament and Congress
● The Legislative Process
● The Role of Legislative Committees
International Politics: P. 306 – 361
● War and Political Violence
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● The Canadian tradition
● Terrorism
● Failed States
● The Responsibility to Protect
Political Ideology and Mass Society: p. 54 - 87
● Liberalism
● Conservatism
● Socialism/Marxism
● Mass Society
Citizenship and Political Culture: p. 200 – 224
● Citizenship
● Traditional and modern views
● Canadian Political Culture
Political Parties and Interest Groups: p. 180 – 198; p. 217 – 221
● Types of Political Parties
● Origins and Functions
● Interest Groups and Lobbying
● Different types of electoral systems
● Issues affecting elections
Teaching Methods:
● This course is built around lectures and reading materials from the assigned text. During
the course of lectures and class discussion other readings may also be suggested but
these are not compulsory; they are meant to provide a more detailed understanding of
certain issues of interest to students. The lectures are not a repetition of what is in the
course text, rather, they are meant to provide a more in depth analysis and discussion of
the subject matter. It is therefore important for students to digest both lectures and
assigned readings. In this way it is hoped that students and instructor can engage in an
instructive dialogue. Students are encouraged to ask questions and to challenge not
only their fellows but the instructor as well.
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