Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2018 - POL 322 J100

Canadian Political Parties (4)

Class Number: 10179

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 3 – Apr 10, 2018: Mon, 5:30–9:20 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 16, 2018
    Mon, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
    Vancouver

  • Prerequisites:

    Six lower division units in political science or permission of the department.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Development of the Canadian party system. Party ideologies, organization, campaigns and elections.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course analyzes the contribution of political parties to Canada’s democracy.  How do political parties organize to serve divergent interests?  Which individuals are more likely to join political parties?  How democratic is the process by which candidates are nominated and the national party leaders are selected?  Regulations pertaining to party financing have been recently changed.  Have these changes enhanced representative democracy?  How strongly do Canadian voters identify with a particular party, and what impact does the perception of the leader have on voter choice?  What is the nature of the relationship between parties and the media?  What explains the remarkable turnaround in the 2015 election for the Liberal Party? What is the impact of digital technologies on political parties in Canada? How has conservatism evolved over time and taken divergent regional interests into account? Why has a country with a first-past-the post electoral system produced so many electorally effective third parties, such as the NDP and the Green Party?  

There will be one four-hour lecture/seminar per week.

Grading

  • Participation 10%
  • Synopsis 10%
  • Term paper proposal 10%
  • Small-group exercises 20%
  • Term paper 20%
  • Final exam 30%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Canadian Parties in Transition ed. Alain-G. Gagnon and A. Brian Tanguay, 4th edition (University of Toronto Press 2017)

Heather MacIvor, Election (Emond Montgomery 2009)


Justin Trudeau, Common Ground (HarperCollins 2015)

Custom courseware package

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The Department of Political Science strictly enforces a policy on plagiarism.
For details, see http://www.sfu.ca/politics/undergraduate/program/related_links.html and click on “Plagiarism and Intellectual Dishonesty” .

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/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

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS