This course analyses the American federal system and the institutions and processes of government in the United States.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics

This course focuses on selected policy issues in the United States.
Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics; Public Policy

This course explores the gendered impact of economic Globalization and the various forms of resistance and mobilization that women of the global south have engaged in their efforts to cope with that impact. The course pays particular attention to regional contextual differences (Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East) and to the perspectives of global south women, both academic and activist, on major development issues.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics

This course examines the origins of, and political dynamics within, states in the contemporary Middle East. The first part of the course analyses states and state formation in historical perspective - examining the legacies of the late Ottoman and, in particular, the colonial period, the rise of monarchical states, the emergence of various forms of "ethnic" and/or "quasi" democracies, the onset of "revolutions from above", and the consolidation of populist authoritarian states. The second part of the course examines the resilience of the predominantly authoritarian state system in the wake of socio-economic and political reform processes.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics

This course examines various forms of protest politics in the contemporary Middle East. The course begins by introducing important theoretical debates concerning collective action in the region - focusing on such concepts as citizenship, the public sphere, civil society, and social movements. The second part of the course examines case studies of social action - examining the roles played by crucial actors such as labour, the rising Islamist middle classes/bourgeoisie, the region's various ethnic and religious minority groups, and women who are entering into the public sphere in unprecedented numbers. The course concludes by examining various forms of collective and non-collective action in the region from Islamist social movements to everyday forms of resistance.
Area of Focus: Comparative Politics

The course explains why financial markets exist, and their evolution, by looking at the agents, actors and institutions which generate demand for them. We also consider the consequences of increasingly integrated markets, the causes of systemic financial crises, as well as the implications and feasibility of regulation.

Area of Focus: International Relations

This course provides an opportunity to design and carry out individual or small-group research on a political topic. After class readings on the topic under study, research methods and design, and research ethics, students enter "the field" in Toronto. The seminar provides a series of opportunities to present and discuss their unfolding research.

This course provides an opportunity for students to propose and carry out intensive research on a Political Science topic of the student’s choosing under the supervision of faculty with expertise in that area. In addition to research on the topic under study, class readings and seminar discussions focus on the practice of social science research, including methods, design, ethics, and communication.

This seminar course investigates the most urgent topics in the field of International Security, including American hegemonic decline, rising Chinese power, Russian military actions in Eastern Europe, great power competition, proxy wars, and international interventions. The readings for this course are drawn from the leading journals in International Relations, which have been published within the past five years. The major assignment for this course is the production of an original research paper on any topic in international security, which would meet the standard of publication in a reputable student journal.

Area of Focus: International Relations

This course challenges students to address global wicked problems that have catastrophic consequences for human life, such as climate change, extreme poverty, war, and famine. Students will select a wicked problem affecting human survival in one target region and will commit to tackling that problem for the entire academic year. This is neither a seminar nor lecture course, but an ideas incubator where students will work together in interdisciplinary teams to develop and stress test ideas for increasing human resilience in the most fragile parts of the world, using both design thinking and strategic analysis. In the first semester, students will engage in extensive library research in their respective fields of study, equal to the volume of a supervised reading course. The second semester focuses more heavily on group collaborations and project deliverables, which will require approximately 4 hours of work per week outside the classroom.  

This course will introduce students to the ideas and methods that guide judges and lawyers in their work. How does the abstract world of the law get translated into predictable, concrete decisions? How do judges decide what is the “correct” decision in a given case? The class will begin with an overview of the legal system before delving into the ideas guiding statute drafting and interpretation, judicial review and administrative discretion, the meaning of “evidence” and “proof,” constitutionalism, and appellate review. Time will also be spent exploring the ways that foreign law can impact and be reconciled with Canadian law in a globalizing world.

Areas of Focus: Public Law, and Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

This course will offer senior students the opportunity to engage in a mock court exercise based around a contemporary legal issue. Students will be expected to present a legal argument both orally and in writing, using modern templates for legal documents and argued under similar circumstances to those expected of legal practitioners. The class will offer students an opportunity to understand the different stages of a court proceeding and the theories that underpin oral advocacy and procedural justice. Experiential learning will represent a fundamental aspect of the course, and expertise will be sought from outside legal professionals in the community who can provide further insight into the Canadian legal system where available.
Area of Focus: Public Law

Is the Canadian state racist? Is the law a tool of anti-racist resistance or a tool of racial oppression? Is racial categorization in public policy inherently inequitable or strategically necessary? This seminar course explores the complex relationship between racism, the law, and public policy within the context of Canadian institutions. Students will engage with critical race theory, case law, state policy documents, race-based data collection, and Canadian political science scholarship.
Areas of Focus: Public Law and Public Policy

This course examines the challenges of governing business in a global context. Focusing on Canada and Canadian corporations, the course first introduces students to business governance in a national context, exploring how law regulates business and foundational concepts like legal personality and the rights and obligations of corporate entities. The course then examines multinational businesses and the myriad efforts to govern these transnational actors, including through international law and corporate self-regulation. Using real-world examples and case studies of corporate crime, corruption, and wrongdoing, students will uncover the governance gaps that can emerge as corporations operate across borders.
Areas of Focus: International Relations and Public Law

Topics and Area of Focus will vary depending on the instructor.

Topics and area of focus will vary depending on the instructor and may include global perspectives on social and economic rights, judicial and constitutional politics in diverse states and human rights law in Canada.
Area of Focus: Public Law

Some of the most powerful political texts employ literary techniques such as narrative, character, and setting. This class will examine political themes in texts drawn from a range of literary genres (memoire, literary non-fiction, science fiction). Students will learn about the conventions of these genres, and they will also have the opportunity to write an original piece of political writing in one of the genres. This course combines the academic analysis of political writing with the workshop method employed in creative writing courses.

This seminar examines how legal institutions and legal ideologies influence efforts to produce or prevent social change. The course will analyze court-initiated action as well as social actions “from below” (social movements) with comparative case studies.

Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics and Public Law

This course studies the theory of constitutionalism through a detailed study of its major idioms such as the rule of law, the separation of powers, sovereignty, rights, and limited government.
Areas of Focus: Political Theory and Public Law

Immigration is one of the most debated and talked about political issues in the 21st century. Peoples’ movement across continents for a whole host of reasons is not new; however, with the emergence of the nation-state, the drawing of borders, and the attempts to define and shape of membership in a political and national community, migration became a topic for public debate and legal challenge. This course dives into Canada’s immigration system and looks at how it was designed, what values and objectives it tries to meet, and how global challenges affect its approach and attitude toward newcomers. The approach used in this course is that of a legal practitioner, tasked with weighing the personal narratives and aspirations of migrants as they navigate legal challenges and explore the available programs and pathways to complete their migration journey in Canada.
Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics, and Public Law

This course examines the interrelationship between organized interests, social movements and the state in the formulation and implementation of public policy in Canada and selected other countries.
Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics; Public Policy

This seminar course explores selected issues of Canadian politics from a comparative perspective. The topics in this course vary depending on the instructor.

Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics; Comparative Politics

Immigration has played a central role in Canada's development. This course explores how policies aimed at regulating migration have both reflected and helped construct conceptions of Canadian national identity. We will pay particular attention to the politics of immigration policy-making, focusing on the role of the state and social actors.

Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics; Public Policy

Why do people disagree in their opinions about abortion, same-sex marriage, crime and punishment, welfare, taxes, immigration, the environment, religion, and many other subjects? This course examines the major social scientific theories of political disagreement and applies these theories to an analysis of political disagreement.
Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics, and Comparative Politics

The campuses of the University of Toronto are situated on the territory of the Michi-Saagiig Nation (one of the nations that are a part of the Nishnaabeg). This course will introduce students to the legal, political, and socio-economic structures of the Michi-Saagiig Nishnaabeg Nation and discuss its relations with other Indigenous nations and confederacies, and with the Settler societies with whom the Michi-Saagiig Nishnaabeg have had contact since 1492. In an era of reconciliation, it is imperative for students to learn and understand the Indigenous nation upon whose territory we are meeting and learning. Therefore, course readings will address both Michi-Saagiig Nishnaabeg and Settler contexts. In addition to literature, there will be guest speakers from the current six (6) Michi-Saagiig Nishnaabeg communities that exist: Alderville, Mississaugas of the Credit, Mississaugi 8, Oshkigamig (Curve Lake), Pamitaashkodeyong (Burns/Hiawatha), and Scugog.

This seminar provides an in-depth examination of the politics of inequality in Canada, and the role of the Canadian political-institutional framework in contributing to political, social and economic (in)equality. The focus will be on diagnosing how Canada’s political institutions variously impede and promote equitable treatment of different groups of Canadians (such as First Nations, women, racial and minority groups) and the feasibility of possible institutional and policy reforms to promote goals of social and economic equity.

Area of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics

This course applies tools from computational social science to the collection and analysis of political data, with a particular focus on the computational analysis of text. Students are expected to propose, develop, carry out, and present a research project in the field of computational social science.
Area of Focus: Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis

This course examines the recent rise of ethnic nationalism in western liberal democracies, with a particular focus on the US, Canada, UK and France. It discusses the different perspectives on what is behind the rise of nationalism and populism, including economic inequality, antipathy with government, immigration, the role of political culture and social media.

Areas of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics

An in-depth analysis of the place and rights of disabled persons in contemporary society. Course topics include historic, contemporary, and religious perspectives on persons with disabilities; the political organization of persons with disabilities; media presentation of persons with disabilities; and the role of legislatures and courts in the provision of rights of labour force equality and social service accessibility for persons with disabilities.
Area of Focus: Canadian Government and Politics

This course critically examines the relationship between politics, rationality, and public policy-making. The first half of the course surveys dominant rational actor models, critiques of these approaches, and alternative perspectives. The second half of the course explores pathological policy outcomes, arrived at through otherwise rational procedures.
Areas of Focus: Comparative Politics; Political Theory; Public Policy