UBC Okanagan

Course Descriptions

Political Science, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

POLI: Political Science

POLI 100 (3) Introduction to Politics

Introduction to the broad field of political science. Noteworthy issues from the subfields of political science will be addressed, including Canadian politics, global politics, comparative politics and political philosophy. [1.5-0-1.5]

POLI 202 (3) The Government of Canada

Examination of the institutions and processes of Canadian government. Credit will be granted for only one of POLI 202 or POLI 101. [3-0-0]

POLI 220 (3) Introduction to Comparative Politics

Comparative analysis of foreign governments. Specific countries to be covered will vary according to section. [3-0-0]

POLI 221 (3) International Politics

Study of the emergence and organization of the modern international system of states, including an examination of the ends and means of interstate relations. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: Second-year standing.

POLI 222 (3) International Politics II

Modern aspects of international politics emphasizing international political economy, foreign policy analysis, and security issues. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: Second-year standing.

POLI 223 (3) Introduction to Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)

The relationship of ethics, economics and politics to the advocacy, formulation, legislation and administration of public policy. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits in each of ECON, PHIL and POLI and an average of at least 70% in each discipline.

POLI 240 (3) Currents of Political Thought

Critical introduction to some major ideologies and traditions of Western political thought that examines their philosophical origins as well as their implications for political life. [3-0-0]

POLI 303 (3) Federalism in Canada

Theory and practice of federalism; cultural duality, social stresses, and problems of flexibility. The constitution and role of the courts. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 310 (3) Topics in European Politics

Comparative survey of government and politics in major European democracies and their relationship to post-Soviet republics. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 220 and third-year standing.

POLI 311 (3) Topics in Middle East Politics

[3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 lower-level POLI credits and third-year standing.

POLI 313 (3) Topics in European Integration

Continuation of POLI 310, with special attention to the economic, monetary, and political integration of Europe. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 314 (3) Topics in Comparative Politics: China

Comparative study of Chinese politics, including an analysis of Chinese society, the Chinese Communist party, government structure, and political and economic reform. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 220 and third-year standing.

POLI 315 (3) Topics in Comparative Politics: Northeast Asia

Comparative study of the politics of Northeast Asia including an analysis of the regional economic system, the Korean experience, the Taiwanese experience, self-reliance, and democracy. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 lower-level POLI credits and third-year standing.

POLI 317 (3) Politics of sub-Saharan Africa

Politics and society in sub-Saharan African states since independence. Themes include the colonial legacy, nation-building strategies, economic development and underdevelopment, authoritarianism and democracy, war and conflict, and the status of African women. Credit will be granted for only one of POLI 317 or POLI 391 when on the same topic. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 220 and third-year standing.

POLI 318 (3) Politics of Mexico and Central America

Analysis of politics in Mexico, Central America, and selected Caribbean countries. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 319 (3) Issues in South American Politics

Analysis of politics in South America. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 220 and third-year standing.

POLI 323 (3) South Asian Government and Politics

Comparative analysis of politics and government in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Imperial legacies and nationalist movements; political institution-building amidst socio-cultural diversity; parties and interest groups; elections and leadership crises; military intervention; ethnic and class conflicts; foreign policy. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 220 and third-year standing.

POLI 334 (3) Government and Politics of the United States of America

The institutions, behaviour, and policies of the political system of the US in a comparative context. The constitution and the major institutions of government and public policy. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 lower-level POLI credits and third-year standing.

POLI 336 (3) Government and Politics of the United States of America II

Continuation of POLI 334, with special attention to the relationship between domestic politics and foreign policy. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 334.

POLI 352 (3) Comparative Politics of Public Policy

Policy-making across industrialized democracies, with a focus on North America and Europe. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 220 and third-year standing.

POLI 354 (3) History of Political Ideas I

Ideas of leading political philosophers from Plato to Hobbes. Credit will be granted for only one of POLI 340 or POLI 354. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 240 and third-year standing.

POLI 356 (3) History of Political Ideas II

Ideas of leading political philosophers from Locke to Marx. Credit will be granted for only one of POLI 340 or POLI 356. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: POLI 240 and third-year standing.

POLI 358 (3) Politics and Religion

Perspectives, arguments, and questions at the intersection of political and religious thought and practice. Works in various religious and political-philosophical traditions will be considered. Credit will be granted for only one of POLI 358 or POLI 391 when the subject matter is of the same nature. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 362 (3) The Great Powers and International Politics

Examination of the changing nature of Great Power relations, including procedures and institutions for managing their conflicts, in the pre-Cold War, Cold War, and post-Cold War international systems. [3-0-0]

POLI 363 (3) Canadian Foreign Policy

Analysis of Canadian foreign policy on important international issues since the 1960s, and of the policy-making process. Defence commitments, economic relations, activities of international organizations, and relations with the US, Europe, USSR, Asia, and the Third World. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 364 (3) International Organizations

Analysis of the activities and influence of modern international organizations in international security, economic, and social issue areas. Organizations associated with the United Nations; other world and regional bodies will also be analyzed. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: One of POLI 221, POLI 222. And third-year standing.

POLI 366 (3) International Political Economy

Analysis of governmental policies and international political bargaining in regard to such issues as international investment, trade, and monetary relations. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: One of POLI 221, POLI 222 and third-year standing.

POLI 371 (3) The Politics of NAFTA

Political and strategic issues associated with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Historical evolution of the trade pact. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 372 (3) Gender and International Relations

The role of ordinary men and women in the national and international arena. Themes include: war and violence, labour and migration, feminism and the politics of women's rights, and diverse conceptions of men and masculinity. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: Two of POLI 220, POLI 221, POLI 222 and third-year standing.

POLI 377 (3) Politics of the Global South

Processes and state-society relations with particular attention to the legacy of colonialism and neo-colonialism, North/South economic relations, and patterns of dictatorship and democracy. Case studies drawn from all major regions of the global South. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: Two of POLI 220, POLI 221, POLI 222 and third-year standing.

POLI 378 (3) The Age of Imperialism, 1800-1914

Modern international relations as determined by imperial competition among established and emerging Great Powers. Changes in state-society relations and the imperial struggle within Europe; the study of Europe's profound impact on Indigenous peoples and cultures of Africa and Asia. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 382 (3) Genocide: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Evolution of genocide. Strategies for intervention and prevention. Case studies. Genocide from the perspectives of psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science/international relations. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: Two of POLI 220, POLI 221, POLI 222 and third-year standing.

POLI 383 (3) Crimes Against Humanity

Crimes against humanity and the evolution of the component crimes (including genocide, slavery, torture, sexual violence, apartheid) as legal concepts, social-historical phenomena, and sites of popular struggle. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 391 (3-9) d Special Topics in Political Science

Examination of selected topics in current political science and/or policy. Topics may or may not vary each time the course is offered. Repeatable for up to 9 credits with different topics. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: 3 lower-level POLI credits and third-year standing.

POLI 402 (3) Law and Politics of the Canadian Constitution

Seminar on the origins and development of the Canadian Constitution: the political aspects of federalism, and the legal consequences of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 432 (3) Contemporary Issues in Law

Basic legal concepts, principles and procedures, categories of law, litigation principles, and alternative dispute resolution. New norms and rules for global governance, international trade, human rights, and environmental issues. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 433 (3) Europe Between the Wars: Seminar

Disintegration of the European political and diplomatic settlement between the Treaty of Paris in 1919 and Germany's invasion of Poland in 1939. Domestic politics and international position of Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and the United States. Designed to provide a basic understanding of the politics and international relations of the great powers in the first half of the twentieth century. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: 6 credits of POLI and third-year standing.
Equivalency: HIST 468.

POLI 435 (3) International Politics on Film

Major themes and conflicts of international politics in the modern age through an exploration of key works of political cinema. [2-0-3]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of 100- or 200-level POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 441 (3) Quantitative Methods in Political Science

Introduction to the logic of quantitative research designs in political science: theory and practical applications. Students will pursue their research interests using the methodology learned in class. [3-0-0]
Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

POLI 462 (3) International Relations Theory

Seminar on major theoretical approaches to the study of international relations. For specific content in a given year, consult the department website. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: Any two courses in International Relations, including one of POLI 221, POLI 222.

POLI 464 (3/12) d Problems in International Relations: Seminar

Seminar in which content varies from year to year. Consult the departmental website. One section (of 3 credits) is reserved for fourth-year students in the Major program in International Relations. May be repeated on a different topic for a maximum of 12 credits during complete program of study. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: Any two courses in International Relations, including one of POLI 221, POLI 222.

POLI 465 (3) International Law: Seminar

The nature, sources, and sanctions of international law; the notion of nationhood with particular reference to the status of the British Dominions; territorial and extra-territorial jurisdiction; diplomatic and sovereign immunities; international delinquency; treaties; settlement of disputes; international organizations. This course may not be taken for credit in both Arts and Law. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: One of POLI 100, POLI 221, POLI 222 and third-year standing.

POLI 472 (3) War and the Modern State

Evolution of military conflict from 1789 to the present. Case studies illustrate development of modern states, progress of industrial and scientific innovation, implications of hyperbolic inter-state violence, and the limited war in the nuclear age. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: 3 credits of POLI and third-year standing.

POLI 476 (3) Statecraft and International Affairs: Seminar

Discussion of the ethical dimension in international affairs. Historical and contemporary case studies in which moral questions influence the spirit and content of political choice in relations between states. Topics include: public opinion; cultural tradition; government effectiveness; pacifism and just war tradition, the ethics of intervention and covert action; disarmament and nuclear deterrence; human rights and the global market; sovereignty and self-determination. [0-0-3]
Prerequisite: Third-year standing.

POLI 486 (3) Student Directed Seminar

Self-directed, collaborative studies, in a group-learning environment, initiated and coordinated by senior undergraduate students with the supervision of a faculty sponsor. Course structure, enrolment and delivery methods will comply with the Student Directed Seminars Guidelines. At least third-year standing and permission of the Department are required. [0-0-3]

POLI 491 (3) Directed Studies in Political Science

Supervised investigation of a topic agreed upon by the supervising faculty member and the student, and approved by the dean of the faculty. Significant amount of independent reading and analysis, and a major term paper.
Prerequisite: Fourth-year standing, 12 credits of POLI; a minimum grade average of 72% in all completed POLI courses; and permission of the department head.

POLI 497 (3) Directed Studies for PPE Majors

Students will undertake a supervised investigation of an assigned topic in public policy. They will be expected to do a significant amount of independent reading and analysis and to produce a major term paper at the end of the course.
Prerequisite: Minimum fourth-year standing in the PPE major program with an emphasis in Political Science (option B); and permission of the instructor.