Fall 2020 - POL 121 D100
Political Engagement: From the Streets to the Ballot Box (3)
Class Number: 7139
Delivery Method: Remote
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 9 – Dec 8, 2020: TBA, TBA
Burnaby -
Exam Times + Location:
Dec 14, 2020
Mon, 12:29–12:29 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Michael Laurence
mla277@sfu.ca
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
An introduction to political action and behaviour. Politics involves the struggle for power and influence. Nowhere is this more evident than when individuals mobilize and engage in political action, whether in a revolution to overthrow an authoritarian regime, protesting on the street against the government, or voting on Election Day. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.
COURSE DETAILS:
Class Time: Asynchronous via Blackboard
Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)
This course offers an introduction to the different forms of political engagement and participation that exist in advanced democracies like Canada and the United States. The aim is to help students understand how citizen (and non-citizen) behaviour and action drives democratic processes. Political engagement occurs through both institutional and non-institutional channels, through ballots and through protest. This course examines these different modes of engagement. Major course themes include voting and voter turnout, the function of political parties and ideologies, the role civil society, contentious politics, revolution, and the rise of digital forms of political engagement.
The objective is to prepare students for further coursework in political science, while helping them gain the knowledge they need to make sense of the complex political reality in which they are situated.
Grading
- Short Essay 25%
- Take-home Mid-Term Exam - due Oct. 26th at 12:29 PM 25%
- Tutorial Participation 15%
- Take-home Final Exam - due Dec. 14th at 12:29 PM 35%
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Russell J. Dalton. Citizen Politics: Public Opinion and Political Parties in Advanced Democracies. Seventh Edition. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2019.
ISBN: 978-1544351780
Additional readings will be available on Canvas.
Department Undergraduate Notes:
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.
Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html
TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2020
Teaching at SFU in fall 2020 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.
Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).