Summer Timetable
POL300H1F L5101
Topics in Comparative Politics
Debating the Welfare State
Themes
This course introduces students to the major debates surrounding the welfare state in the Western industrialized world. The first section of the course covers the basic moral debates around the welfare state, as well as theories of its emergence and variation across countries. The second section looks closely at some of the central debates, including the impact of taxation on incentives and economic growth, labour market policy and unemployment, and welfare states’ impact on social mobility and poverty rates. The final section of the course involves structured, moderated debates between students in four areas of Canadian social policy: pensions, health care, unemployment benefits, and child care.
Texts
Coursepack, TBA.
Format and Requirements
Short essay, team debate presentation, final exam.
Prerequisites
1.0 POL credit
January 29, 2024
The winners of the 2022-2023 undergraduate awards were announced at the annual celebration, held this year on the evening of January 25. Presiding over the award ceremony were Undergraduate Director...
January 26, 2023
Congratulations to our 2021/22 undergraduate award & scholarship recipients! Following a two-year hiatus, the department was delighted to return to hosting our undergraduate awards in-person this year to celebrate our...
June 3, 2021
In a bid to motivate her students in what has been a very difficult academic year, Professor Rebecca Kingston decided to give those enrolled in the winter 2021 term of...
May 21, 2020
Congratulations to undergraduate student Cheryl Cheung who has received a University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA). Going into her third year majoring in political science, with minors in visual studies...
January 29, 2020
Congratulations to all our amazing undergraduate students who picked up one the department’s twenty-three awards and scholarships at our annual undergraduate awards ceremony. In attendance were Dean of Arts &...