Introduction to Politics: Exploring the Democratic Experience

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Introduction to PoliticsExploring the
Democratic Experience
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THE 1000C/2410C 2005 TEACHING TEAM Instructor
Prof. Sergei Plekhanov Teaching
Assistants Daniel Crow (Tutorials 1 and
8) Lori Crowe (Tutorials 3 and 4) Adam Hanieh
(Tutorials 12 and 13) Chris Hendershot
(Tutorials 6 and 7) Abhinav Kumar (Tutorials 5
and 19) Pamela McKane (Tutorials 9 and
17) Daniel Ross (Tutorials 14 and 15) Hena
Tyyobi (Tutorials 16 and 18)
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS 1. Attending two lectures
and one tutorial seminar each week 2. Reading
regularly from the assigned texts 3. Active
participation in tutorial discussions 4.
Preparation of a reading review and 2 essays (1
in the Fall, 1 in Winter), on topics to be
chosen from the lists provided by the
instructors 5. The final 2-hour exam in April,
date to be set by the University during the
Winter term not to mention a lot of fascinating
travel in cyberspace
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• REQUIRED READINGS
• Brodie, Janine and Sandra Rein (Eds.). 2005.
  Critical Concepts An Introduction to Politics.
  3d edition. Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
• (York Bookstore, basement, section B4)
• McLean, Iain and Alistair McMillan (Eds.). 2003.
  The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics, 2nd
  edition. Oxford University Press.
• (York Bookstore, main floor, Reference section
  over the staircase)
• RECOMMENDED REFERENCE
• Scott, Gregory and Stephen Garrison. 2002. The
  Political Science Student Writers Manual. 4th
  edition. Prentice-Hall.
• (York Bookstore, main floor, Reference section
  over the staircase)

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• ADDITIONAL READINGS
• (SEE THE SYLLABUS)

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THEMES
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• The Fall Term
• Power and Politics
• Individuals, Groups, and Society
• The Origins of the State
• Ethics and Politics
• Democracy
• Political Ideologies
• Political Regimes
• The Modern State
• Constitutions and the Rule of Law
• Citizenship and Community

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• The Winter Term
• Public Bureaucracy
• Elections and Electoral Systems
• Political Cultures
• Civil Society and Local Politics
• Gender Politics
• Political Violence
• International Relations
• Global Governance After the Cold War
• International Political and Financial
  Institutions
• Global Inequality and Poverty
• War and Peace