POLITICAL SCIENCE, PHILOSOPHY, AND ECONOMICS PROGRAM (PPE)
NIPISSING UNIVERSITY
STAGE 2 PROPOSAL
General Description of the Program
The concept of a degree program in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) originated at
Oxford University in the 1920s; the success of that program has been such that there are now
over 50 PPE programs offered worldwide. There are, however, now two divergent models for
the organization of PPE programs. To borrow a characterization from the PPE program at
Warwick (which began in 2004): on the one hand, the Oxford program represents the “pillar
model,” in which students are required to take a number of courses from each of the contributing
disciplines (which includes sociology, as well) and so to assemble the required distribution of
credits needed to complete the degree; on the other hand, institutions like Warwick, the
University of Pennsylvania, and others, have opted for a “bridging model,” which focuses on the
intersection and interpenetration of the contributing disciplines and so requires that all PPE
students take some number of specifically interdisciplinary course offerings in addition to
distribution requirements within all three core areas.
The following document proposes a “bridging model”, a genuinely interdisciplinary PPE
program, for Nipissing University. The core of the program – and what distinguishes it from a
selection of courses which students might in any case elect to take as part of the new modular
curriculum – is the set of interdisciplinary courses and seminars which provide a sort of capstone
experience within each year of study. These courses will each be focused on issues and themes
that draw on and require the application of philosophical, political, and economic insights and
analysis. It is in these four courses that students will confront the substantial and stimulating
interaction between the contributing disciplines of PPE, which is more often than not concealed
by the traditional organization of the university; it is here that they will develop the
interdisciplinary thinking skills that careers in public service, journalism, law, politics, advanced
research in the social sciences, and, frankly, responsible citizenship in the 21st century all
increasingly demand. Although each course will be interdisciplinary in theme, each component
program will take responsibility for one year, first through third. The fourth-year seminar will be
a research seminar, the topics for which will be determined by students in consultation with
faculty advisors.
PPE at Nipissing would offer students three possible degree paths: a Specialization degree in
PPE; an Honours Major with Specialization in PPE; and an Honours Major with Specialization
in PPE with a Minor Specialization in either Political Science, Philosophy, or Economics.
Because PPE is an interdisciplinary program requiring some minimal background in all three
component disciplines, an interdisciplinary minor (18 credits) or a simple Major program is not
feasible (though both are available in any of the component programs): simply completing the
first-year requirements for each component discipline would exhaust the minor degree, not
including the interdisciplinary seminar; and the 36 credit Major would not even allow students to
complete the first- and second-year requirements.
Overview of the Curriculum
The Political Science, Philosophy, and Economics Program [PPE] is an interdisciplinary degree
program. Successful completion of the first-year requirements, with a minimum average grade
of 70%, is required for continuing in the program. A 70% average is also required for
completion of the Honours Major with Specialization streams. PPE is especially recommended
for students interested in pursuing a degree in law, graduate work in philosophy or the social
sciences, or careers in journalism, politics, or public service.
The degree program requires the completion of 120 credits. Students may pursue one of the
following degree options in PPE: a Specialization in PPE (54 credits), an Honours Major with
Specialization (60 credits), and an Honours Major with Specialization and Minor Specialization
(60 credits in PPE plus 18 additional credits in Political Science, Philosophy, or Economics). All
students are required to take a common set of introductory courses in all three constitutive
subject areas (1000- and 2000-level), as well as an interdisciplinary core course at each level
(exclusive of the fourth-year seminar for the 54-credit Specialization degree). Students
completing the PPE Honours degrees must also take 3 credits in each of Philosophy, Political
Science, and Economics at the 3000- level; students taking the PPE Honours with Specialization
and Minor Specialization must complete an additional 18 credits within their area of
specialization (Political Science, Philosophy, or Economics), including at least 6 credits at the
fourth-year level.
New Courses
Because PPE draws primarily on existing resources in Political Science, Philosophy, and
Economics, the creation of the PPE degree requires just five new courses:
(1) [PPE 1xxx] Interdisciplinary course, year one: “Who is a Good Citizen? Citizenship and
Dissent”
(2) [PPE 2xxx] Interdisciplinary course, year two: “Must Politics be Ethical? Ethics,
Politics, and the Space in Between”
(3) [PPE 2xxx] Research Methods
(4) [PPE 3xxx] Interdisciplinary seminar, year three: “The Great Debate: Production,
Consumption, and the Role of the State”
(5) [PPE 4xxx] Interdisciplinary seminar, year four: Interdisciplinary Research Seminar
New Course Descriptions
(1) [PPE 1xxx] “Who is a Good Citizen? Citizenship and Dissent”
Citizens of a state play a variety of roles in relationship to the state, and so the standards
by which “good” citizenship are judged are similarly diverse: What does it mean to be a
good or responsible political agent? What does it mean to be an economically productive
and responsible member of society? What do we even mean when we use the term,
“good”? To what standards do we appeal in such a judgment? This course brings
philosophical, political, and economic analysis to bear on the idea of good citizenship;
however, the focus will be on political questions.
This course will be cross-listed to the Political Science Program.
(2) [PPE 2xxx] “Must Politics be Ethical?” Ethics, Politics, and the Space in Between”
What is the relationship between politics and ethics? Is it possible, or perhaps even
necessary, to judge politics by ethical norms, so that we might say that ethics is the basis
of legitimate politics? Or are ethical norms somehow inappropriate for politics, which is
governed instead by its own norms, or perhaps simply by the clash of interests? This
course will treat such questions and, in addition, may consider particular issues which
involve ethical norms and their impact political and economic institutions, such as the
problem of equality and inequality, the liberalism-communitarian debate, so-called
“values issues” in legislation, and so on. Although the course is interdisciplinary in
character, the focus will be on moral-philosophical questions.
This course will be cross-listed to the Philosophy program.
(3) [PPE 2xxx] Research Methods
An introduction to the assumptions and methods of empirical social scientific research,
with special attention paid to research methods in economics and political science. The
course is intended to provide the basic knowledge necessary to design and conduct their
own research projects and to understand the research of others critically in light of the
methodology employed.
This course will be cross-listed to both Economics and Political Science.
(4) [PPE 3xxx] Interdisciplinary seminar, year three: “The Great Debate: Production,
Consumption, and the Role of the State”
This course focuses on a critical examination of the role of the state in markets and in the
macroeconomy. It reviews contrasting theories for and against state involvement in the
economy and also examines, using elementary economic principles, the positive and
negative implications of state involvement in the economy. Taxation, subsidization,
regulation, income redistribution, as well as macroeonomic policies are critically
reviewed. The course illustrations draw principally from the current global economy
(recession, debt crisis, US housing market, etc). Although the course is interdisciplinary
in character, the focus will be on economic questions.
This course will be cross-listed to the Economics Program.
(5) [PPE 4xxx] Interdisciplinary Research Seminar
The first half of this seminar will involve the discussion of some potential issues,
approaches, and examples related to interdisciplinary social research; themes will be
determined by the research interests of faculty and students. Students will be expected to
conduct their own interdisciplinary research, the topic for which must be chosen before
the winter break. The second term will consist of independent research by students,
followed by seminar-style presentations by each student of their completed research.
Programmatic Focus by Year
Year 1
The primary focus of the first year is to provide students with a strong, general overview of the
basic concepts and methods of each of the contributing PPE disciplines. Thus, students will be
required to take:
PHIL 1115
POLI 1005
ECON 1006
ECON 1007
Introduction to Philosophy (6 credits) [satisfies Humanities breadth
requirement]
Introduction to Political Science (6 credits) [satisfies Social Science
breadth requirement]
Introduction to Economics I (3 credits) [with ECON 1007, satisfies Social
Science breadth requirement]
Introduction to Economics II (3 credits)
First year students will also have the opportunity to begin to synthesize and mediate between the
disciplines by their (required) participation in the first-year interdisciplinary course:
PPE 1xxx
Who is a Good Citizen? Citizenship and Dissent (3 credits)
Political Science will have primary responsibility for offering this course; the content discussed,
however, will concern the intersection of politics, economics, and philosophy.
Additional courses in the first-year: 6 credits in Science (breadth requirement); 3 elective credits
Year 2
The second year of program, like the first, continues to introduce students to basic concepts and
methods in each of the component programs. With a few exceptions, students who satisfy the
second-year requirements for PPE will also have satisfied all of the requirements for a major in
any of the contributing programs, should they decide to so specialize. At the second year,
required courses include:
PHIL 2505
POLI 2106
POLI 2107
PPE 2xxx
Reasoning and Logical Argument (6 credits)
Great Political Questions I (3 credits)
Great Political Questions II (3 credits)
Research Methods (3 credits)
Students would also be advised to consider enrollment in the following third year course, which
is required for PPE:
ECON 3066
Principles and Concepts of Economics Development (3 credits)
Once again, all PPE students will be required to enroll in an interdisciplinary course offering
which will treat of a theme which concerns political science, philosophy, and economics. At the
second-year level, primary responsibility for this course lies with Philosophy:
PPE 2xxx
Must Politics be Ethical? Ethics, Politics, and the Space in Between (3
credits)
Additional courses in the second-year: 9 elective credits
Year 3
At the third-year level, students will begin to move toward their chosen degree trajectory,
including any specialization within the PPE fields. They are required to take 3 credits in each of
the component disciplines which, in the case of economics, must be or include:
ECON 3067
Problems and Policies of Economic Development (3 credits)
In addition, students in PPE are required to enroll in the third-year interdisciplinary seminar, the
offering of which will be primarily the responsibility of the Economics Program:
PPE 3xxx
The Great Debate: Production, Consumption, and the Role of the State (3
credits)
Additional courses in the third-year: 18 elective credits
Year 4
In their fourth-year, students specializing in one of the component areas of PPE will be engaged
in advanced studies in that area; in addition, PPE students will be required to enroll in a more
demanding and intensive interdisciplinary research seminar, in which they will conduct and
present their own research:
PPE 4xxxx
Interdisciplinary Research Seminar (6 credits)
The first half of the course will be oriented by themes or examples relevant to the interests of
faculty involved in teaching it; but the primary aim will be to familiarize students with the
process of producing high-quality independent research. In the second half of the course,
students will take on their own interdisciplinary research project, guided by their own interests
and specialization, which they will present to their peers at the end of the term. Students will
also be strongly encouraged to present this research at the Nipissing University Undergraduate
Research Conference.
Additional courses in the fourth-year: 24 elective credits
Comparative Data
As the majority of the proposed PPE curriculum consists of already existing courses, the data
which follows cover only those courses which would be new to Nipissing and which have been
described above. However, although there are over fifty PPE programs internationally, there
have been relatively few in Canada: at Wilfred Laurier, University of Western Ontario, King’s
College University (Alberta), and UBC Okanagan. Prominent international programs are found
at: Oxford, Warwick, York (UK), LSE, University of Pennsylvania, and UNC Chapel Hill/Duke
University (a joint program), among many others. The relatively infrequency of PPE programs
in Canada makes it difficult to generate comparative data within the system of Ontario
Universities and, as a result, the charts that follow are mostly empty. Accordingly, before
turning to the standard comparative data sheets, I’ve provided brief descriptions of relevant
features from three national and international PPE programs, particularly concerning the role of
interdisciplinary courses.
1) Warwick (UK)
Like many universities internationally, the first-year of study at Warwick involves fairly
little choice and so students begin to pursue majors in the second-year. The second-year
program at Warwick thus corresponds to our first-year program at Nipissing: it involves
distribution requirements within the three component disciplines. In the more advanced
years which follow, students in PPE at Warwick are required to take two “keystone”
interdisciplinary modules which are loosely described as “Principles of Political
Economy” and which “integrate the different disciplinary perspectives by focusing on
important areas of application: ethics, politics, and economics of, for example, the
governance of the global economy, whether goods should be provided by the state or the
market, policies on climate change, etc.” Each module is team-taught by one member
from either Philosophy, Politics, or Economics, with the specific combination varying
from year to year. Because of the large faculty at Warwick, they are able to offer several
such modules each year from which students choose; the topics vary.
2) University of Pennsylvania
The PPE program at UPenn requires four interdisciplinary course courses, each of which
is cross-listed to the contributing department, and all of which must be completed by the
third-year of study. They include: Strategic Reasoning (a course on game theory, broadly
speaking), Public Policy Process (“This course integrates economic, ethical and political
perspectives”), Behavioral Economics and Psychology (“applies psychological research
to economic theory”), and Philosophy of Social Science.
There is also a required interdisciplinary capstone course, to be taken in the fourth-year,
in which students are expected to produce high-level independent research, the content
for which varies by year and instructor. Recent topics include: Behavioural Ethics,
Equality and Distributive Justice, The Politics of Contemporary Iraq, and Fairness and
Altruism, among many others.
3) UBC Okanagan
This program here is a “pillar” model of the Oxford type, neither requiring nor offering
any interdisciplinary courses; instead, PPE students at UBC Okanagan are required to
take a larger number of distribution requirements within the three component programs,
particularly at the third- and fourth-year levels. As I’ve mentioned at the outset, because
of the size of the contributing programs at Nipissing, this model is unattractive.
YEAR 1
COURSE 1
A) Descriptive Data: Please provide as much detail as possible.
Course code:
PPE 1xxx
Course title:
Who is a Good Citizen? Citizenship and Dissent
Short title:
(maximum 29
characters)
If this course
belongs to a major
that has course
groupings, please
indicate which
group the course
belongs with:
Course
Prerequisites:
Course Corequisites:
Antirequisite:
Who is a Good Citizen?
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar)
Breakdown of
Hours
36 hours
3 hours of lectures per week
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and
one hour of laboratory work per
week for one term.)
Course Credits:
Course Description:
(as it will appear in
the academic
calendar)
Program
Implications:
Cross-listing or
3-credits
Citizens of a state play a variety of roles in relationship to the state, and
so the standards by which “good” citizenship are judged are similarly
diverse: What does it mean to be a good or responsible political agent?
What does it mean to be an economically productive and responsible
member of society? What do we even mean when we use the term,
“good”? To what standards do we appeal in such a judgment? This
course brings philosophical, political, and economic analysis to bear on
the idea of good citizenship; however, the focus will be on political
questions.
cross-coding
POLI 1xxx
(please indicate if this
course is approved for
either cross-listing or
cross-coding, and to
which discipline)
B) Comparative Data: Please list course numbers and titles. Course descriptions are not
necessary.
University
Brock
Equivalent Course(s) and Titles
NA
Non-Equivalent but 50% or
more overlap
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Carleton
Guelph
NA
Lakehead
NA
NA
NA
Laurentian
NA
POL SCI 2D03: Canadian
Citizenship: Institutional
Foundations
An introduction to institutions
delimiting the practice of
citizenship in Canada and of the
political values they embody.
NA
NA
NA
PHIL 153: The State and the
Citizen
An introduction to political
philosophy which explores the
relationship between state and
citizen. Issues include: civil
disobedience, nationalism, the
welfare state, anarchism and the
capitalist state.
NA
McMaster
Ottawa
Queen’s
NA
Ryerson
NA
Toronto
POL200Y1: Political Theory:
Visions of the Just/Good Society
NA
A selective presentation of critical
encounters between philosophy
and politics, dedicated to the quest
for articulation and founding of the
just/good society.
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Trent
Waterloo
Western
Wilfrid
Laurier
Windsor
York
C) Statement of Need
The interdisciplinary seminar is necessary for two reasons: first, it is essential to provide students
with the opportunity to draw on the knowledge acquired in their disciplinary courses in a
genuinely interdisciplinary way, to see how political science, philosophy, and economics can be
used to illuminate complex, multi-faceted social issues; second, the course is necessary in order
to create the conditions for a strong sense of belonging among students in the PPE program and,
in particular, among each cohort of majors.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
YEAR 2
COURSE 1
A) Descriptive Data: Please provide as much detail as possible.
Course code:
PPE 2xxx
Course title:
Must Politics be Ethical? Ethics, Politics, and the Space in Between
Short title:
(maximum 29
characters)
If this course
belongs to a major
that has course
groupings, please
indicate which
group the course
belongs with:
Course
Prerequisites:
Course Corequisites:
Antirequisite:
Must Politics be Ethical?
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar)
Breakdown of
Hours
36 hours
3 hours of lectures per week
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and
one hour of laboratory work per
week for one term.)
Course Credits:
Course Description:
(as it will appear in
the academic
calendar)
3-credits
What is the relationship between politics and ethics? Is it possible, or
perhaps even necessary, to judge politics by ethical norms, so that we
might say that ethics is the basis of legitimate politics? Or are ethical
norms somehow inappropriate for politics, which is governed instead
by its own norms, or perhaps simply by the clash of interests? This
course will treat such questions and, in addition, may consider
particular issues which involve ethical norms and their impact political
and economic institutions, such as the problem of equality and
inequality, the liberalism-communitarian debate, “value issues” in
legislation, and so on. Although the course is interdisciplinary in
character, the focus will be on moral-philosophical questions.
Program
Implications:
Cross-listing or
cross-coding
PHIL 2xxx
(please indicate if this
course is approved for
either cross-listing or
cross-coding, and to
which discipline)
B) Comparative Data:
University
Brock
Equivalent Course(s) and Titles
NA
NA
Carleton
Non-Equivalent but 50% or
more overlap
POLI 3P04: Politics, Law and
Justice
Contrasting accounts of the role of
justice and other moral principles
in political life and in the conduct
of political leaders and states.
(a) PHIL 3350: Philosophy, Ethics,
and Public Affairs
Advanced study of a set of public
policy issues, a particular theory or
group of theories, or a particular
philosopher, concerning
philosophical and ethical aspects
of public affairs.
(b) PSCI 3109: The Politics of Law
and Morality
Politics of moral regulation in
Canada, the United States and
other jurisdictions. The treatment
in law and public policy of such
human rights issues as: capital
punishment, sexual orientation,
euthanasia, abortion, new
reproductive technologies, racial
discrimination, religious and
equality rights
NA
Guelph
PHIL3230: Issues in Social and
Political Philosophy
Social or political philosophy is
the area of philosophy concerned
with the morality of major social
institutions such as the state, the
economy, and the family. This
course may engage in the detailed
examination of one or more of the
following questions: what justifies
the state's claim to authority? What
are the proper dimensions of
individual liberty? What levels of
material and social equality are
required for a society to be just?
These questions will be pursued
through reading historical and/or
contemporary philosophical texts.
NA
Lakehead
NA
NA
NA
Laurentian
NA
NA
POL SCI 4DD3: Discourse and
Disagreement
An examination of the politics of
discourse and disagreement, with
emphasis on how diverse societies
create justice without domination
NA
NA
NA
NA
PHL 306: Freedom, Equality,
Limits of Authority
In light of our moral concepts and
theories, this course critically
examines current controversies
concerning individual freedom and
responsibility, social equality, and
the limits of governmental
authority. Topics are drawn from
issues like the following:
censorship of hate literature,
pornography, and advertising;
prohibition of drugs, gambling,
and prostitution; group-
McMaster
Ottawa
Queen’s
Ryerson
differentiated rights concerning
aboriginal peoples, cultural
sovereignty, affirmative action,
and pay equity.
NA
Toronto
(a) PHL271H1: Law and Morality
Justifications for the legal
enforcement of morality; particular
ethical issues arising out of the
intersection of law and morality,
such as punishment, freedom of
expression and censorship,
autonomy and paternalism,
constitutional protection of human
rights.
(b) POL330Y1: Politics and
Morality
The relationship between the
individual's quest for the good life
and the political order. The role of
the wise person in civil society.
Study of a small number of texts.
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
Trent
Waterloo
Western
Wilfrid
Laurier
PX300: Normative Issues and the
Role of the State
A course designed to develop a
critical perspective on the manner
in which normative issues in
politics and economics intersect
with the workings of larger
political institutions, especially the
state. Two broad questions
structure the course. First, what is
the best way to characterize the
relation between the individual and
the state, and how does this
relation affect our understanding of
the obligations each has to the
other? Second, how should the
state respond to the unequal
distribution of benefits and
burdens among the members of the
relevant political community?
NA
34-226: Law, Punishment and
Morality
An introduction to the
philosophical issues related to
understanding the nature of law
and legal obligation, the relation
between law and morality, and the
purpose of punishment. The
theoretical points and distinctions
will be illustrated by their
applications to particular current
issues
NA
Windsor
NA
York
C) Statement of Need
The interdisciplinary seminar is necessary for two reasons: first, it is essential to provide students
with the opportunity to draw on the knowledge acquired in their disciplinary courses in a
genuinely interdisciplinary way, to see how political science, philosophy, and economics can be
used to illuminate complex, multi-faceted social issues; second, the course is necessary in order
to create the conditions for a strong sense of belonging among students in the PPE program and,
in particular, among each cohort of majors.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
COURSE 2
A) Descriptive Data: Please provide as much detail as possible.
Course code:
PPE 2xxx
Course title:
Research Methods
Short title:
(maximum 29
characters)
If this course
Research Methods
belongs to a major
that has course
groupings, please
indicate which
group the course
belongs with:
Course
Prerequisites:
Course Corequisites:
Antirequisite:
NA
NA
NA
NA
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar)
Breakdown of
Hours
36 hours
3 hours of lectures per week
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and
one hour of laboratory work per
week for one term.)
Course Credits:
Course Description:
(as it will appear in
the academic
calendar)
3-credits
An introduction to the assumptions and methods of empirical social
scientific research, with special attention paid to research methods in
economics and political science. The course is intended to provide the
basic knowledge necessary to design and conduct their own research
projects and to understand the research of others critically in light of
the methodology employed.
Program
Implications:
Cross-listing or
cross-coding
ECON 2xxx, POLI 2xxx
(please indicate if this
course is approved for
either cross-listing or
cross-coding, and to
which discipline)
B) Comparative Data: Please list course numbers and titles. Course descriptions are not
necessary.
University
Brock
Equivalent Course(s) and Titles
NA
Non-Equivalent but 50% or
more overlap
(a) POLI 3P92: Qualitative
Political Analysis
Selected qualitative techniques in
research design and political
analysis: interviewing and focus
groups, content and document
analysis, comparative and case
study methods, direct observation,
ethical issues.
(b) ECON 3P10: Research
Methods in Economics
Locating economic data and
published research, planning the
project and defining a hypothesis,
reasoning and argument in
economics, uses and abuses of
theory and quantitative methods,
selection of appropriate methods,
presentation of the findings
NA
Carleton
NA
Guelph
NA
Lakehead
PSCI 2701: Introduction to
Research Methods in Political
Science
Introduction to the logic and
design of research. Measurement
and inference in qualitative and
quantitative political science.
POLS 3180: Research Methods I:
Political Inquiry and Methods
Students will be introduced to
some of the major paradigms of
political science research that
shape inquiry into political and
social phenomena. Students will
learn how to: define research
problems and construct questions
for political inquiry; develop
theory to explain, predict or
interpret the political world; and
formulate research designs. A
variety of quantitative and
qualitative methods will be
explored.
PS 4110: Research Methodology
Both qualitative and quantitative
approaches to political research are
analyzed with emphasis on
research design, covering topics
such as specifying research
problems, structuring socialscientific inquiries, designing
questionnaires, and collecting data.
Other topics will include
organizing and analyzing
quantitative and qualitative data
using computer applications
NA
Laurentian
NA
McMaster
POLI-2127EL: Research Methods
in Political Science
An introduction to research design
techniques, including hypothesis
formulation, data collection
methods, data processing and
methodological issues in political
science
(a) ECON 3F03: Methods of
Inquiry in Economics
This course develops skills for
investigating a research question in
economics, through workshops and
the subsequent application of the
skills to an economic issue.
(b) POL SCI 3N06: Research
Methods, Statistics, and
Political Analysis
An introduction to the study of
concept and theory formation, and
an overview of the scope, research
methods and statistical techniques
of political science.
NA
Ottawa
POL2156: Foundations of
Research in Political Science
Introduction to the fundamental
dimensions of research.
Presentation of several
epistemological approaches and
the questions they raise. Study of
diverse logics of enquiry and their
modes of inference. Introduction to
some techniques and methods.
NA
Queen’s
NA
Ryerson
NA
Toronto
Elaboration of a research project
covering all of the required steps.
(a) Strategies of Political
Research
An exploration of major issues and
schools of thought in the
philosophy of social science and
an examination of contemporary
approaches to the study of politics.
(b) POLS 385 Quantitative
Approaches to Political Studies
An introduction to the role of
quantitative analysis, statistical
software and computers in
empirical political research. The
operationalization of concepts, the
collection of data, data analysis,
the logic and uses of statistical
techniques, and the political
assumptions that form the basis of
much statistical work and
philosophical debate. Minimal
mathematical background is
assumed.
POG 230: Research and Statistics
As an introductory course, no
familiarity with the fundamental
elements of research or statistics is
assumed. The course gives Politics
students the practical methods
needed to statistically describe and
analyze phenomena and to present
those results. Emphasis throughout
the course is on practical uses and
application of these techniques,
rather than on their mathematical
derivations.
POL242Y1: Research Methods for
Specialists
This hands-on course aims at
helping Political Science
specialists and other interested
students to use some of the
quantitative methods and research
approaches now widely employed
throughout the discipline.
NA
Trent
NA
Waterloo
NA
Western
NA
Wilfrid
Laurier
NA
Windsor
NA
PSCI 315: Research Design in
Political Science
Introduction to the logic and
limitations of experimental and
non-experimental research designs.
Selected studies of politics are
examined to demonstrate how
plausible threats to validity are
made less plausible with
appropriate design and data
analysis.
3324F/G: Introduction to Research
Methods in Political Science
PO217: Introductory Methods in
Political Science I
45-275: Introduction to Research
Methods
Introduces students to quantitative
and qualitative social research.
Looks at how surveys and focus
groups are used and abused for
political and commercial purposes.
Examines what field and archival
research can teach us about human
behaviour and social, political, and
economic trends.
NA
York
UBC
Okanagan
NA
(a) POLI 380 Quantitative Methods
in Political Science
(b) ECON 326 Methods of
Empirical Research in
Economics
An Additional Note: In many larger economics department, the themes proposed for this course
are distributed between several more technical courses involving statistical method, game theory,
econometrics, and mathematical methods in economics. This is why much of the comparative
data uses political science courses, where research methods are typically taught in one or two
courses. As described above, the course proposed here will be cross-listed to both Economics
and Political Science.
C) Statement of Need
Knowledge of empirical research methods is essential for students in PPE, both because it
enables them to develop and conduct their own, original interdisciplinary research and, just as
significantly, because it enables them to critically understand the research results of others in
light of the methodology employed.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
YEAR 3
COURSE 1
A) Descriptive Data: Please provide as much detail as possible.
Course code:
PPE 3xxx
Course title:
The Great Debate: Production, Consumption, and the Role of the State
Short title:
(maximum 29
characters)
If this course
belongs to a major
that has course
groupings, please
indicate which
group the course
belongs with:
Course
Prerequisites:
Course Corequisites:
Antirequisite:
Economics and the Role of the State
NA
ECON 1006, ECON 1007
NA
NA
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar)
Breakdown of
Hours
36 hours
3 hours of lectures per week
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and
one hour of laboratory work per
week for one term.)
Course Credits:
3-credits
Course Description:
(as it will appear in
the academic
calendar)
This course focuses on a critical examination of the role of the state in
markets and in the macroeconomy. It reviews contrasting theories for
and against state involvement in the economy and also examines, using
elementary economic principles, the positive and negative implications
of state involvement in the economy. Taxation, subsidization,
regulation, income redistribution, as well as macroeonomic policies are
critically reviewed. The course illustrations draw principally from the
current global economy (recession, debt crisis, US housing market,
etc). Although the course is interdisciplinary in character, the focus
will be on economic questions.
Program
Implications:
Cross-listing or
cross-coding
ECON 3xxx
(please indicate if this
course is approved for
either cross-listing or
cross-coding, and to
which discipline)
B) Comparative Data: Please list course numbers and titles. Course descriptions are not
necessary.
University
Brock
Equivalent Course(s) and Titles
NA
NA
Carleton
NA
Guelph
Non-Equivalent but 50% or
more overlap
NA
ECON 3450: Political Economy in
the Modern State
An examination of the role of
government in the economy, with
emphasis on alternate forms of
social coordination and the
advantages and disadvantages of
each form in the Canadian system.
ECON 3610: Public Economics
This course examines the
interventionist role of government
in the economy. It examines
several sources of market failure
which are used to justify
government intervention. These
include public goods, externalities
NA
and redistribution. The course also
evaluates alternative sources of
government revenue from the
perspectives of both equity and
efficiency. These include the
personal and corporate income
taxes, sales taxes and wealth taxes.
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
ECO2110: Microeconomic
Analysis of the Public Sector
Introduction to normative and
positive theories of the role of the
state in the economy. Analysis of
public expenditures: public goods,
externalities, redistribution.
Principles of taxation. Selected
problems in economic policy,
including public expenditure
programs (such as health,
education and welfare), intergovernmental fiscal arrangements
and tax policy issues
ECON 371: Economics of
Regulation
Examines regulated industries such
as electrical utilities,
communication, transportation and
agriculture. Addresses traditional
questions relating to pricing rules
and some recent work in political
economy that attempts to explain
why society has adopted the
particular form of intervention that
has occurred.
(a) ECN 330: Economic Systems
in the New World Economy
Economic activity can be
organized in a variety of ways.
Even amongst predominantly
market economies, there exists a
wide spectrum, ranging from those
Lakehead
Laurentian
McMaster
Ottawa
NA
Queen’s
NA
Ryerson
economies that operate with a
minimum of government
intervention to those with strong
guidance from the government.
The course investigates most of the
various economic systems now in
existence and the changes
occurring in them. The roles of
governance and market failures are
explored in both local and global
markets.
(b) ECN 440: Booms, Busts,
Panics and Manias
This course addresses a historical
tendency for the financial and
stock markets to exhibit periodic
unstable cycles or speculative
booms, followed by market
downturns, instability or in the
extreme, total collapse. These
patterns of cyclical behaviour are
illuminated by focusing on crises,
beginning with the Tulip Mania.
The South Seas Bubble, the 1929
Crash, the Bre-X fraud and
dot.com collapse are included.
Students will be required to play a
stock market speculation game for
part of their course mark.
NA
ECO336Y1: Public Economics
Theory of public goods,
externalities, and the politics of
government policy. Analysis of
equity, incidence and incentive
effects of taxes. An analytical
treatment of the public sector.
NA
NA
NA
ECON 341: Public Economics:
Expenditure
The course focuses on the rationale
for government intervention in a
market economy. The course
Toronto
Trent
Waterloo
NA
Western
NA
Wilfrid
Laurier
NA
Windsor
NA
York
begins with a consideration of
market successes through the
analysis of the first and second
theorems of welfare economics.
The course then considers market
failures through an analysis of
distributional issues, public goods,
externalities, non-competitive
market structures, and asymmetric
information.
Economics 2159: Public Finance –
Expenditure
A survey of the role of government
in a market economy, effects of
public expenditures, and collective
decision-making in a Canadian
setting
EC233: Public Economics:
Expenditure
This course is an introduction to
Canadian public sector institutions
and the theoretical foundations
necessary for evaluating the
government’s role in the allocation
of resources. Areas covered may
include public goods, externalities,
the public provision of private
goods and the redistribution of
income. Canadian federalprovincial relations, health care
and education and voting
procedures may also be examined.
41-386: Public Sector Economics:
Finance
Government taxation, user
charges, borrowing, and the public
debt in theory and practice; use of
taxation as fiscal policy; and
intergovernmental tax relations
(a) ECON 1910: Macroeconomics
for Citizens: Government
Hands-Off or Hands-On?
Introduces macroeconomics as the
basis for making smart choices as
consumers, businesspeople,
investors, and informed citizens
judging government policies.
Focuses on the performance of
market economies - measured by
GDP growth, unemployment,
inflation - and appropriate roles for
government monetary and fiscal
policies. Provides intuitive
fundamentals for economic
literacy without the mathematical
details of AP/ECON 1010
(b) ECON 4070: Public Finance I
Identifies the role of government
in a modern economy and
examines the interaction between
government's attempts to provide
services and the financing of
expenditures through traditional
and non-traditional means
C) Statement of Need
The interdisciplinary seminar is necessary for two reasons: first, it is essential to provide students
with the opportunity to draw on the knowledge acquired in their disciplinary courses in a
genuinely interdisciplinary way, to see how political science, philosophy, and economics can be
used to illuminate complex, multi-faceted social issues; second, the course is necessary in order
to create the conditions for a strong sense of belonging among students in the PPE program and,
in particular, among each cohort of majors.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
YEAR 4
COURSE 1
A) Descriptive Data: Please provide as much detail as possible.
Course code:
PPE 4xxx
Course title:
Interdisciplinary Research Seminar
Short title:
(maximum 29
Interdisciplinary Seminar
characters)
If this course
belongs to a major
that has course
groupings, please
indicate which
group the course
belongs with:
Course
Prerequisites:
Course Corequisites:
Antirequisite:
NA
PPE 1xxx, PPE 2xxx, PPE 3xxx
NA
NA
Total Hours:
(Lecture / Lab / Seminar)
Breakdown of
Hours
72 hours
3 hours of lectures per week
(e.g. Two hours of lecture and
one hour of laboratory work per
week for one term.)
Course Credits:
Course Description:
(as it will appear in
the academic
calendar)
6-credits
The first half of this seminar will involve the discussion of some
potential issues, approaches, and examples related to interdisciplinary
social research; themes will be determined by the research interests
of faculty and students. Students will be expected to conduct their
own interdisciplinary research, the topic for which must be chosen
before the winter break. The second term will consist of independent
research by students, followed by seminar-style presentations by each
student of their completed research.
Program
Implications:
Cross-listing or
cross-coding
(please indicate if this
course is approved for
either cross-listing or
cross-coding, and to
which discipline)
B) Comparative Data: Please list course numbers and titles. Course descriptions are not
necessary.
University
Brock
Equivalent Course(s) and Titles
NA
Non-Equivalent but 50% or
more overlap
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
PX400: Research Seminar
The research seminar will focus on
a topic or area, determined by
students focusing on a
contemporary event or issue. The
research seminar will culminate in
a major research paper, to be
delivered in an annual PPE public
conference.
NA
NA
NA
NA
NA
PHES 495: Senior PHES Seminar
All students graduating from the
Carleton
Guelph
Lakehead
Laurentian
McMaster
Ottawa
Queen’s
RMC
Ryerson
Toronto
Trent
Waterloo
Western
Wilfrid
Laurier
Windsor
York
King’s
University
College (AB)
PHES program are required
to take this course. The course is
designed to integrate the
perspectives and practical
implications of the different
courses encountered in the
program. It intends to prepare
students for the practical
application of their knowledge by
an interdisciplinary and in-depth
engagement with the
Canadian public context in
comparison to other national
contexts and its relationships to a
globalized world. In a
seminar setting, it will use guided
written research inputs
from students, as well as topical
inputs from the instructor, to
hone analytical, rhetorical and
presentation skills.
C) Statement of Need
The interdisciplinary seminar is necessary for two reasons: first, it is essential to provide students
with the opportunity to draw on the knowledge acquired in their disciplinary courses in a
genuinely interdisciplinary way, to see how political science, philosophy, and economics can be
used to illuminate complex, multi-faceted social issues; second, the course is necessary in order
to create the conditions for a strong sense of belonging among students in the PPE program and,
in particular, among each cohort of majors.
D) Statement of Resource Requirements
The interdisciplinary courses which make up the core of the PPE program would be phased in
over the career of the first cohort; it is expected, therefore, that the current faculty in the
philosophy and political science could meet the teaching needs related to the courses for which
they have primary responsibility, at least in the immediate future. In order for Economics to
offer a stand-alone degree as well as to contribute to the PPE program, however, one additional
full-time member is required. This hire would be cross-appointed between PPE and Economics
and would have responsibility for offering the course in Research Methods.
Motions
Motion #1:
That ARCC recommend to the Arts & Science Executive that PPE 1xxx, titled “Who is a Good
Citizen? Citizenship and Dissent”, be added as a new course.
Motion #2:
That ARCC recommend to the Arts & Science Executive that PPE 2xxx, titled “Must Politics Be
Ethics? Ethics, Politics, and the Space in Between”, be added as a new course.
Motion #3:
That ARCC recommend to the Arts & Science Executive that PPE 2xxx, titled “Research
Methods”, be added as a new course.
Motion #4:
That ARCC recommend to the Arts & Science Executive that PPE 3xxx, titled “The Great
Debate: Production, Consumption, and the Role of the State”, be added as a new course.
Motion #5:
That ARCC recommend to the Arts & Science Executive that PPE 4xxx, titled “Interdisciplinary
Research Seminar” be added as a new course.
Motion #6:
That ARCC recommend to the Arts & Science Executive the approval of the program
requirements for the proposed Political Science, Philosophy, and Economic (PPE) programs as
detailed in the stage 2 (curriculum) proposal.