Fall/Winter Timetable

POL410Y1Y L0101

Graduate Course Code: POL2391Y1Y L0101

Topics in Comparative Politics III

Private, Public and the Liberal State

Themes

Liberalism, it is sometimes said, stands or falls with the distinction between public and private. This seminar examines how these terms are conceptualized and how they affect the practice of liberal democracy, especially in Canada and the U.S. We will spend the first term developing a conceptual toolkit that will help us understand some of the ways in which public and private are conventionally understood. We will then spend the second term exploring some of the new (and often unexpected) ways in which public and private are playing out these days in public policy – for instance, in education, health, welfare, multiculturalism, professional sports, and war-making.

Texts

TBA

Format and Requirements

There will be a weekly two-hour seminar. Requirements include four (4) reviews of the weekly readings; a research paper proposal; research paper; and a final take-home test.

Prerequisites

2.0 POL credits in Comparative Politics. See the Department's website for POL courses by area group: http://politics.utoronto.ca/undergraduate/courses/fallwinter-timetable/