TRINITY WESTERN UNIVERSITY
POLS 234 O1 Course Syllabus
Introduction to Canadian Government and Politics in Comparative
Perspective
Spring 2012 Online
Instructor: Dr. John H. A.
Dyck DPHIL (Oxford)
Email: john.dyck@twu.ca
Office:
Upper RNT 204
Office Hours: contact by email
Telephone: (604) 513-2121 ex 3470
Lectures: posted online in mycourse
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------PREREQUISITES: none
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Provides the student with an overview of the Canadian system of government in a
comparative approach that includes study of British, American, and Canadian political
and government institutions and practices. A comparative study of how basic concepts,
principles, and institutions associated with different expressions of liberal-democratic
governments highlight the diversity of political experience, reveal the interdependence of
political systems and show the uniqueness of Canada's political system. Particular
attention is given to the manner in which Parliament attempts to facilitate and develop
public policy that reflects the diverse interests and aspirations of its citizens.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To introduce students to the fundamental structures and processes of Canadian, American
and British government and politics.
2. To provide students with the basic concepts and terms associated with Canadian
parliamentary government and politics.
3. To develop in students an understanding of how worldviews shape political ideas and
encourage specific political action.
4. To provide the concepts and skills needed to critically assess the nature and significance
of current political issues in Canada, the U.S. and Britain.
5. To facilitate the development of verbal and written skills through oral and written
presentations.
REQUIRED TEXT(S):
Stephen Brooks, Canadian Democracy, 7th ed. 2011. This is the main text. Lectures will
normally follow text table of contents.
Charles Taylor, The Malaise of Modernity, (Concord, Ontario: Anansi Press, 1991).
Jean Bethke Elshtain, Democracy on Trial, (Concord, Ontario: Anansi Press, 1993)
Coursepack available in Bookstore
Daily reading of Globe & Mail, The National Post, Vancouver Sun or other Canadian
Newspapers on Canadian politics. Read in Library or online.
There will be additional assigned readings, handouts and my-course readings.
Lectures will generally follow the outline of the Brooks text. Students will also be
responsible for specific other information not in the texts. American and British
government content will be available online at e-course. This spring marks the start of the
Presidential election campaign in the United States. Lecture content will supplement
texts. Students are responsible for keeping up-to-date with the readings in the texts and
other assigned readings. PPT lectures will be available on My-course.
IV. Politics on the Net
General scholarly information: http://aldaily.com/
Government websites:
(1) Canada: www.canada.gc.ca - go to the ‘about government’ listing and then to
‘Government at a Glance;’
(1) Britain: www.open.gov.uk - go to specific government sites and departments;
(2) United States - http://www.usa.gov/ go to ‘officials and agencies’ and then select ‘find
government agencies’.
(3) Each chapter of the texts has specific web sites for more detailed information.
Newspapers online
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
The Globe & Mail: www.globeandmail.com
New York Times: www.nyt.com - you need to register for this paper but there is no cost;
Washington Post: www.washingtonpost.com
London Times: www.londontimes.com - you need to register for this paper but there is no
cost
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Assignments
Because this is an online course and I recognize that your schedules for the
course period may vary, the dates assignments are due is calculated to
distribute the workload over the semester. There is some flexibility for the
due dates of written work, but you must inform me prior to the due day of a
specific assignment when you will get it in. Otherwise the penalty listed
below will apply.
All assignments that are submitted by email must have the name of the student and the
title of the assignment in the subject heading of the email. Attachments need to have a
title page, pages must be numbered and your name and student number must be on the
title page. You should first try to submit the assignment online at Mycourses in the
appropriate assignment box.
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N.B. A penalty of 2% will be charged to late papers each day. An extension without
penalty will be granted only for a relevant reason beyond the student’s control. Please
keep in regular contact re work on papers. I will provide suggestions for topic
refinement and sources.
1. Online Student Forum—Continuous through the course 15%
During each week, students are required to access the course discussion Forum area and
ask at least 1 question on the material covered in the chapters of the Brooks textbook or
on Taylor, Elshtain, or on readings in the course pack/mycourses. Students are also
required to respond every week to 2 of the questions posted by fellow students. This is
the minimum requirement. Students are encouraged to participate regularly and enrich the
discussions. Questions and answers should demonstrate serious attempts to understand
the chapter material and take into account relevant domestic political news in either the
Globe & Mail, The New York Times Online; or The London Times. Students must
demonstrate significant interaction on the discussion Forums, just as they would be
required to interact in a small classroom discussion. As the professor I will participate but
only to affirm the dialogue, expecting you as students to keep the dialogue active. One
topic we will be discussing is the recent public uproar over the “Robocalls”
conducted on behalf of the Conservative Party during last May’s Canadian Federal
Election. A second topic which is currently being raised in Ottawa and around the
country is whether the Government deliberately mislead Parliament last spring
prior to the Election in May on the full lifetime cost of the F-35 jet fighters and has
lied to the public since. Look in the National Post, Vancouver Sun, Ottawa Citizen
and Globe and Mail for articles and commentaries beginning in April 2012.
2. Position Paper: Due Tuesday May 20 15%
The rationale for writing a position paper is to develop the technical and practical skills needed to assist
government officials in solving real problems. Every public official (including volunteer community
members, school trustees, municipal officials, university official, etc) and business leaders constantly face
policy problems. They ask their staff for information about the problems and for recommendations on how
to solve them.
This paper, of approximately 1750 words, about 7 word-processed, double-spaced pages,
should represent a serious attempt to provide guidance to a busy decision maker on how
to solve a policy problem.
In researching the chosen topic, books, scholarly journal articles, government documents,
online sources, and relevant policy papers should be consulted. Evaluation of the position
paper will be based on clarity of the problem, presentation of alternative solutions,
organization of paper, evaluation of the alternative approaches, clarity of the
recommended course of action, as well as writing style and the use of correct English.
Important information on Format of Paper
The position paper must have an executive summary page immediately following the title
page and must list the sources at the end in a Reference List or Bibliography. The
Position paper should be carefully proofread, be free of grammatical and spelling errors,
and footnoted in a consistent and acceptable style (consult Scott and Garrison, The
Political Science Student Writer's Manual, Third Ed). Students should keep an extra
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copy of the position paper for their own files. Papers will be accepted as Word text or
RTF document in My-course.
There are 6 components to the Position paper:
title page (with title, author, student number, course number and date)
1 page executive summary and recommendation (must be one page or less)
Statement of problem and its context
Presentation of the three options
Summary and Recommendation
Appendix (if applicable) and bibliography
Examples of successful position papers written in the past include: policies affecting
drinking and driving, speeding, illegal parking, etc; local transportation problems;
inefficient use of funds for specific projects; local problems affecting students personally;
environment issues: (earthquake preparedness, use of genetically modified food, etc);
policies affecting individuals in societies, sporting clubs: (safety, membership), policies
affecting bullying, hazing, gender, racial discrimination. (See your Course Pack for an
example of a position paper.)
3. Comparative Book Review: Due Tuesday, June 06
15%
The rationale for writing a comparative book review of these two books is that both
authors address some fundamental problems associated with modern society. Their
analysis of the ills facing liberal-democratic societies should encourage reflection and
reassessment of your concerns about contemporary society.
Students will be required to write a (7 page) comparative book review of Charles
Taylor’s The Malaise of Modernity, (Concord, Ontario: Anansi Press, 1991) and Jean
Bethke Elshtain’s, Democracy on Trial, (Concord, Ontario: Anansi Press, 1993).
Title page must include book titles, authors, city, publisher, date, # of pages, price
A useful book reviews answers the following questions:
What are the authors of the books trying to communicate?
How clear and persuasive are the authors in getting this message across to the
reader?
Were the books worth reading? Why is one book better than the other and/or are
the authors addressing different parts of the same issue?
The review must have the following component parts:
a) Enticement – first sentence should “hook” the reader into reading your review
b) Examination – Tell the reader what the books is about by explaining main
arguments of the books (use in-text documentation when you cite the author)
c) Elucidation – Clarify the books’ value and contribution to the field of Political
Studies by defining what the authors are trying to do
d) Evaluation – Having explained what the authors are attempting to do in the
books, you should tell the reader how successful the authors were in that objective. Can
you tell whether Charles Taylor and Jean Bethke Elshtain have a Christian perspective on
the matter and what difference if any it makes to their analysis?
4. Midterm Multiple Choice Test online in Quiz in the Assignment box
June 3-5 10%.
This test will have 50 m/c questions taken from chapters of Brooks
covered by test time as indicated in the syllabus and one quotation
analysis. Each part will be worth 5%
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5. Analytical Research Essay: Tuesday June 20th
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15%
This paper, of approximately 3000 words, about 10 typewritten, double-spaced pages,
will have one primary purpose: to research and analyze fundamental institutions and
practices of Canadian government and politics. There are 5 components in an analytical
research paper in political studies:
Title page
Abstract (look at the abstracts of articles in peer reviewed journals for examples: CJPS)
Text, or body, of the paper
Bibliography: Source citations and references
Appendixes (if appropriate)
Evaluation of the paper will be based on clarity of analysis, the clarity of the thesis
statement, the coherence and strength of arguments in support of thesis, willingness to
engage in both positive and negative argumentation, strength of evidence in support of
arguments, as well as writing style and the use of correct English. The paper should be
carefully proofread, be free of grammatical and spelling errors, and footnoted in a
consistent and acceptable manner. Students should keep an extra copy of the position
paper for their own files.
You SHOULD use the Canadian Journal of Political Science as a chief source for
essays when possible: available in TWU Library and online.
Suggested paper topics are located at the conclusion of the syllabus.
Papers will be accepted as Word/RTF text document in My-course.
Research Essay Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
At least 4 articles in peer review journals must be used as sources for your essays.
The essay must have a thesis that you defend.
Is a majority government better in protecting the “public good” than a minority or
coalition government? Explain. What are the benefits and the problems associated with
minority governments?
Does the Prime Minister have too much power? If not, explain. If so, how might that
power be tempered?
Should there be strict party discipline or should MPs be allowed to vote as they wish
and/or as their constituents wish?
Do judges and the Canadian judiciary system have too much power in exercising their
responsibility to oversee the constitutionality of laws?
Describe and evaluate the Hartz-Horowitz thesis about how Canadian political culture
was formed. What are its strengths and weaknesses? (see “Fragment Theory section in
Brooks and Hartz-Horowitz article online in Mycourses or in Journal of Canadian
Political Science.)
In what respects could Canadian elections be more democratic? Be sure to consider the
electoral method of determining who wins, the technique for counting votes, who runs for
office, who is allowed to vote, who finances political parties and how electoral
boundaries are drawn.
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6. Final Exam online during June Exam Period (June 21-22) 30%
3 sections: 60 multiple choice questions (10%), 1 quotation (5%) and 1 essay (15%)
For help in preparing for the final exam and to
understand the essay topics, a number of research and
reading aids have been provided in Mycourses. See
Lectures (Brooks and Mine), chapter tests for Brooks,
and additional readings.
PROPOSED COURSE OUTLINE:
Module One: April 30-May 16
COURSE OUTLINE
Ongoing Forum = 15%
Part I. Introduction
1. Perspectives on Government and Politics.
2. Is Politics a Game? (Brooks 1; Paul Ricoeur in Course Pack)
Part II. The Societal Context of Politics
3. The Context of Government (Brooks 2; Janine Brodie in Course Pack)
4. The Context of Government (Brooks 3)
5. Regionalism and Canadian Politics (Brooks 4)
Position Paper: Due May 20 15%
Module Two: May 21-June 05
Part III. The Structures of Government
6. The Constitution (Brooks 5)
7. Rights and Freedoms (Brooks 6)
8. Canadian Federalism. (Brooks 7)
Midterm Test: June 3-5 (available online for one attempt) 10%
9. The Machinery of Government (Brooks 8 & readings online)
a. The Executive Branch
b. The Legislature
c. The Courts
10. The Administrative State
Comparative Book Review: Due June 06 15%
Part IV. Participation in Politics
11. Parties and Elections (Brooks 9)
12. Interest Groups (Brooks 10)
13. The Media (Brooks 11)
Module Three: June 06-30
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Part VI. Ethics, Perspectives, Assessments
14. Ethics in Government & Politics (Readings online)
Analytical Research Essay: Due June 20 15%
Final Exam June 21-22 = 30%
DETERMINATION OF FINAL SEMESTER GRADE
Position Paper
15
%
Comparative Book
Review
Midterm Multiple
Choice Test
Student Forum
Analytic Research
Essay
Final Exam
15
%
10
%
15
15
%
%
30
%
TOTAL
100
1
0
0
%
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