Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Spring 2025 - POL 458 D100

Selected Topics in Local and Urban Governance (4)

Local Democratic Processes

Class Number: 7157

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2025: Mon, 9:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Prerequisites:

    Eight upper division units in political science or permission of the department.

Description

COURSE DETAILS:

Selected Topic:  Participatory Processes and Citizen Engagement in Local Government

Course Description:


This course looks at local government in Canada, and how local democracy can create avenues for democratic participation.  It examines how local processes create opportunities for citizens to participate in what can be otherwise sometimes large and distant representative democracies, and what that local participation can and should look like. Local government processes are deeply rooted in their respective communities, and often utilize engagement processes in local decision-making.  These processes often allow for deeper engagement and are more accessible than provincial or federal democratic processes.  This creates opportunities not only for citizen participation in solving policy problems, but also for innovative democratic processes. 

In this course we will study examples of these local processes and democratic innovations and the frameworks through which we can evaluate them.  This examination will be grounded in a descriptive understanding of local government’s structure and place in Canadian federalism, utilizing local governments in British Columbia as the primary example.

Students will utilize a case study of an engagement or participatory process for their choosing to leverage these concepts into an evaluation of a participatory or engagement process.  To underpin this, the course will explore the ways we can develop frameworks to assess democratic reforms and participatory processes.  This will require a discussion of the normative standards by which we judge both the benefits and pitfalls of representative and participatory processes.

This course is grounded in theory, but will equip students with the practical toolkit to think about these as applied processes, and to design processes that generate effective participation and deliberation.  Students will also produce a written policy memo defining options for processes to address a specific policy problem to demonstrate their ability to both design and evaluate such participatory processes.

Grading

  • Class Participation 10%
  • Written Case Study 35%
  • Presentation – Case Study 10%
  • Policy Memo 35%
  • Presentation of Policy Memo 10%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Fung, A.. (2006). Empowered Participation: Reinventing Urban Democracy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press


REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

The Department of Political Science strictly enforces a policy on plagiarism.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website 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

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.