1. Introduction: basic concepts such as politics, government, power, influence, coercion, state, authority, civil society, and democracy, and the rudimentary methods of political science will be discussed.
2. Ideas and politics: great political thinkers will be explored in the context of the development of mass political ideas and ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, socialism, environmentalism, and feminism.
3. State and government: the role and functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches will be explained, and various political regimes such as democratic and authoritarian governments will be explored.
4. Political processes: the role and evolution of electoral systems, interest groups, and political parties will be reviewed and assessed.
5. Governing and policy-making: the function of the civil service and the role of other decisional actors in terms of policy formulation and implementation will be explored.
Instructor presentation of the course will involve the use of formal lectures, structured group work, and in-class discussion of assigned materials. Additional readings may be assigned for each course unit and placed on library reserve or via selected websites. Audio-visual and interactive materials may be used.
The course evaluation will be based on course objectives and in accordance with the policies of Douglas College and the Department of Political Science. A minimum of 40% of the student’s course grade will be assigned to examinations, a minimum of 30% will be assigned to the various components of a formal research essay, and a maximum of 30% will be based upon components such as quizzes, short essays, participation, and class presentations. Specific evaluation criteria will be provided by the instructor in course outlines.
One example of an evaluation system:
Quizzes 10%
Participation 10%
Mid-term exam 25%
Term essay 30%
Final exam 25%
Total: 100%
Upon completion of the course, successful students will be able to:
1. Identify various areas of specialization in political science and the general scope and methods of the discipline at an introductory level;
2. Define selected concepts such as government, law, power, democracy, state, society, freedom, and equality;
3. Explain the basic features of political ideologies such as liberalism, conservatism, and socialism;
4. Identify and describe the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government;
5. Explain basic political processes such as elections and interest articulation, aggregation, and communication;
6. Pursue further studies in subfields such as political theory, Canadian government, international relations and world politics, comparative politics, and American government, among others.
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students:
Textbooks and readers will be selected based on instructor expertise and preference, and in consultation with the Department of Political Science. There are a range of textbooks and readers that can fulfill course objectives. Some examples include:
Dyck, Rand. Studying Politics: An Introduction to Political Science. Third edition (Toronto: Nelson, 2008).
Johnston, Larry. Politics: An Introduction to the Modern Democratic State. Third edition (Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 2009).
Mintz, Eric, David Close, and Osvaldo Croci. Politics, Power and the Common Good: An Introduction
to Political Science. Third edition (Toronto: Pearson Canada, 2012).
No prerequisite courses.
No corequisite courses.
No equivalent courses.
Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.
These are for current course guidelines only. For a full list of archived courses please see https://www.bctransferguide.ca
| Institution | Transfer Details for POLI 1101 |
|---|---|
| Athabasca University (AU) | AU POLI 2XX (3) |
| Camosun College (CAMO) | CAMO PSC 105 (3) |
| Capilano University (CAPU) | CAPU POL 100 (3) |
| Coast Mountain College (CMTN) | CMTN POLI 101 (3) |
| College of the Rockies (COTR) | COTR POLI 100 (3) |
| Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) | KPU POLI 1125 (3) |
| Langara College (LANG) | LANG POLI 1100 (3) |
| LaSalle College Vancouver (LCV) | LCV GE 240 (3) |
| Okanagan College (OC) | OC POLI 101 (3) |
| Simon Fraser University (SFU) | SFU POL 100 (3) |
| Thompson Rivers University (TRU) | TRU POLI 1210 (3) |
| Trinity Western University (TWU) | TWU POLS 1XX (3) |
| University Canada West (UCW) | UCW POLI 102 (3) |
| University of British Columbia - Okanagan (UBCO) | UBCO POLI 100 (3) |
| University of British Columbia - Vancouver (UBCV) | UBCV POLI 100 (3) |
| University of Northern BC (UNBC) | UNBC POLS 100 (3) |
| University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) | UFV POSC 100 (3) |
| University of Victoria (UVIC) | UVIC POLI 103 (1.5) |
| Vancouver Island University (VIU) | VIU POLI 100 (3) |