After covering crucial background on tsarist Russia and the Soviet system, the course considers the legacies of Soviet rule. We then address questions of identity politics in Russia, the country’s changing political economy, the shape of authoritarian institutions, the dynamics of protest and repression, how the authoritarian regime in Russia manages flows of information, and the nature of colonialism in the Russian context.

How are laws, policies, and social norms affected by the overwhelmingly multicultural character of contemporary societies? This course examines how the realities of contemporary multiculturalism have reshaped civic life, both in Canada and in other societies. The course will attempt to cover both empirical and theoretical-normative approaches to these issues.

This course offers a comparative and transnational analytical approach to the historical foundations of nation and state building as well as patterns of regime change in Latin America. Specific topics may include revolutions, populism, (neo)colonialism, “racial democracy,” Indigenismo, dependency, among others.

This course surveys a range of important issues in contemporary Latin America with a focus on the promises and failures of democracy under neoliberalism and post-neoliberalism. Specific topics may include Indigenous politics, Black politics, feminist politics, class conflict, “iron fist” regimes, the War on Drugs, among others.

This course exposes students to the tensions between the mobility of people across international borders, and the hardening regimes of governance facing migrants. The course pays special attention to the intersections of class, race and gender at stake in the politics of migration.

This course examines the various interventions that have marked the development of feminist political thought from the mid-20th century onward. These include efforts to complicate the category 'woman', to understand gender in its intersections with race and class, to develop queer feminist accounts of ‘sex’ and ‘sexuality’, and to investigate the meaning of 'feminism' as a political project in and of itself.

An introduction to gender and politics that examines women as political actors and their activities in formal and grassroots politics.

This course identifies natural resource exploitation as a prominent focus in discourses and policies concerned with African countries in the post-independence era (~1960s onwards), particularly when dealing with issues of conflict, democratization, economic development, poverty and regime crisis.

This course examines the contemporary relationship between politics and media.

This course explores how political actors such as political parties, pressure groups and governments use media to secure their political objectives.

Students will examine the political dynamics of selected states in the Middle East and North Africa. Issues to be covered include: state-building; Arab nationalism; Zionism; Islamism; tribalism; gender; the politics of oil. Specific themes relevant to contemporary politics will vary from year to year.

NOTE: In some years, students may have the option of participating in an international learning experience during Reading Week that will have an additional cost and application process.

Content of course will vary from year to year. Consult the UTM Timetable.

Content of course will vary from year to year. Consult with the Political Science Handbook.

Content of course will vary from year to year. Consult the UTM Timetable.

Content of course will vary from year to year. Consult the UTM Timetable.

Content of course will vary from year to year. Consult the UTM Timetable.

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their third year to work in the research project of a professor in return for POL399H course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. SeeExperiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides a richly rewarding opportunity for students in their third year to work in the research project of a professor in return for POL399Y course credit. Students enrolled have an opportunity to become involved in original research, learn research methods and share in the excitement and discovery of acquiring new knowledge. Participating faculty members post their project descriptions for the following summer and fall/winter sessions in early February and students are invited to apply in early March. See Experiential and International Opportunities for more details.

This course provides students with the basic skills and knowledge necessary to complete a major independent research paper. The course will have a broad theme (power, equality, justice, federalism, etc.) and students will pursue a research project of their own interest that relates to the course theme. This Y course will meet weekly in the first semester and every other week in the winter semester. Under the course instructors’ supervision, students will identify potential research questions, acquire methodological and research skills appropriate for addressing the research questions, and conduct primary research. Students will present their paper in an open forum late in the second term. This course is intended for students with a strong academic background who intend to pursue graduate studies.

Content of course will vary from year to year. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L,S,T,P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. Consult the UTM Timetable.

Content of course will vary from year to year. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L,S,T,P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total.Consult the UTM Timetable.

Covers 20th- and 21st-century political theory. Topics will vary by faculty offering the course and may include but are not limited to topics in feminist political theory, post-colonial and de-colonial political theory, and political economy.

Through a part-time, unpaid internship (150 hours), students apply the knowledge and skills gained through previous coursework in political science. Participants will develop skill sets through a professional setting combined with class meetings that include workshops, writing, oral presentations, reading and reflection. Placements are made in both the public and private sectors, such as local or regional government offices, law firms, civil society organizations or non-profit agencies.

Normally, the 150 hours will be completed by attending the work placement one full day each week from September to April. Students must confirm internship arrangements well in advance and secure departmental approval for their internship position prior to the start of term. Students will be admitted to through an online application.

This course provides a theoretical and empirical overview of the role played by violent non-state actors in international politics. Examining insurgents, criminals, and warlords, the course explores why these actors resort to violence, the strategies and tactics they employ, and the connections that link them together.

What can we learn about global politics from an oil or a mining contract? Who are the main actors in such contracts? What are key differences between oil and mining contracts? What is the future of oil and mining contracts? This course addresses these questions, by examining the complex politics of oil and mining contracts. Key theoretical concepts and themes explored in this course are sovereignty, ownership, resistance, and the future of resource extraction.

This course is a critical study of the meaning and value of work in social and political life. Sources include both historical and contemporary political theories of work and labour.

Content of course will vary from year to year. The contact hours for this course may vary in terms of contact type (L,S,T,P) from year to year, but will be between 24-36 contact hours in total. Consult the UTM Timetable.

The political order, largely imposed or supported by the Soviet Union in the wake of World War II, throughout Eastern Europe, promised positive revolutionary change in all political, economic and social interactions, and indeed in restructuring peoples' psychology. By 1989 it was evident that the revolution and its promises had not materialized and the dissatisfaction and disillusionment of the populations in the region led to regime implosions in a domino-like fashion in state after state, setting the stage for a new fundamental transformation.

The struggle for democracy in an expanded new Eastern Europe, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union itself, created great opportunities for the fundamental transformation of the political, economic and social order, but it also has been painful and unpredictable. There have been impressive successes but also problems of break-ups and integration and occasionally, retrenchment. At the same time the region has also been a laboratory for fundamental transition.

Looking at uprisings and protests in the Middle East and North Africa, students will examine different theories of contentious politics to better understand why and how uprisings happen in the region. The course will focus on the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings/revolutions in addition to recent uprisings in countries that did not experience the Arab Spring.