POLI Structures of Canadian Parliamentary Government Department of Political Science Dalhousie University Summer 2015

Transcription

1 POLI Structures of Canadian Parliamentary Government Department of Political Science Dalhousie University Summer 2015 Instructor: Michelle Coffin Class Time: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9:05 11:55 Location: LSC 216 Office Hours: by appointment only Course description The objective of the course is to introduce students to the institutions and political actors in Canadian Parliamentary democracy. Some say Canadian politics is boring; we are going to learn it is not during the next three weeks. In doing so we will contemplate these questions and many more: Who has power in the House of Commons? Who should have power in the House of Commons? Does the Prime Minister really make most of the decisions? Why did the Parliamentary Budget Officer sue the federal government? Why is a bill not a law until the Queen s representative gives it Royal Assent? Should tens of millions of taxpayers dollars be spent to advertise government decisions? Should Canada abolish the Senate? Should Canadians elect Senators? Who should decide? Should judges have the power to strike down legislation passed by democratically elected MPs? The course spends considerable time covering the major debates and contestation present in contemporary Canadian politics. At times our discussions will focus on theoretical understandings of our system, while other times we will tackle practical issues that confront and challenge our system of governance daily. Required reading There is no required text for the course. However, the course does rely heavily on a few sources that are available locally and online at a reasonable cost. Course evaluation Grading In-class group assignments: Group presentation: Formal paper: Final Exam:

2 Assignments The course has considerable group work. During five classes you will organize yourselves into predetermined groups where you will discuss a series of questions provided. Attendance and active participation are expected and will be noted by me and your group members. To guide your discussions and evaluate your work a template will be provided. The group is expected to answer the questions and submit the work at the end of class. Each group will have a spokesperson who will articulate the group s findings during the last minutes of the classes. I will strongly encourage a different group spokesperson each month. The last two classes will be dedicated to group presentations. Topics must be approved in advance and must address a theme discussed during the course. Presentations must be accompanied with a formal paper. Final Exam The last hour of the final class will be devoted to the final exam. All material covered during the course will be represented on the exam. Student Accessibility and Accommodation Students may request accommodation as a result of barriers related to disability, religious obligation, or any characteristic under the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act. Students who require academic accommodation for either classroom participation or the writing of tests and exams should make their request to the Office of Student Accessibility & Accommodation (OSAA) prior to or at the outset of each academic term (with the exception of X/Y courses). Please see for more information and to obtain the Request for Accommodation Form A. A note taker may be required to assist a classmate. There is an honorarium of $75/course/term. If you are interested, please contact OSAA at for more information. Please note that your classroom may contain specialized accessible furniture and equipment. It is important that these items remain in the classroom so that students who require their usage will be able to participate in the class. Academic Integrity and Plagiarism All students in this class are to read and understand the policies on academic integrity and plagiarism referenced in the Policies and Student Resources sections of the academicintegrity.dal.ca website. Ignorance of such policies is no excuse for violations. Any paper submitted by a student at Dalhousie University may be checked for originality to confirm that the student has not plagiarized from other sources. Plagiarism is considered a serious academic offence which may lead to loss of credit, suspension or expulsion from the University, or even to the revocation of a degree. It is essential that there be correct attribution of authorities from which facts and opinions have been derived. At Dalhousie there are University Regulations which deal with plagiarism and, prior to submitting any paper in a course, students should read the Policy on Intellectual Honesty contained in the Calendar or on the Online Dalhousie website. The Senate has affirmed the right of any instructor to require that student papers be submitted in both written and computer-readable format, and to submit any paper to be checked electronically for originality. Course Topics and Assigned Reading

3 Date June 3 June 4 June 8 June 9 June 10 June 11 Topic and Readings Introduction to the course and course administration Parliament The Fundamentals Eric Mintz et. al. (2013), Canada s Politics, Second Edition, Toronto: Pearson. Chapter 16 Parliament Constitutional Conventions and the Westminster Parliamentary Tradition Peter Aucoin et.al. (2011), Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government, Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications, Chapter 2 Responsible Government: Theory and Practice and Chapter 3 When Conventions Fail: Constitutional Governance Without Clear Rules Brian Slattery (2009), Why the Governor General Matters, in Peter Russell and Lorne Sossin (eds.), Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis, Toronto: UTP. Lorne Sossin and Adam Dodek (2009), When Silence Isn t Golden: Constitutional Conventions, Constitutional Culture and the Governor General in Peter Russell and Lorne Sossin (eds.), Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis, Toronto: UTP. The Executive Eric Mintz et. al. (2013), Canada s Politics, Second Edition, Toronto: Pearson. Chapter 15 The Executive Peter Aucoin et.al. (2011), Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government, Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications, Chapter 4 The Prime Minister and the House of Commons: The Democratic Deficit Donald J Savoie (1999), The Rise of Court Government in Canada, Canadian Journal of Political Science, 32 (4). GROUP DISCUSSION 1 Opposition in the House/House Organization/Electoral Systems Peter Aucoin et.al. (2011), Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government, Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications, Chapter 5 Letting the People Decide: When Elections Aren t Enough David E. Smith (2013), Across the Aisle: Opposition in Canadian Politics, Toronto: UTP Chapter 1 Opposition: Somebody has to do it Chapter 6 Opposition, More or Less Chapter 9 The Problem of Parliamentary Opposition Today Lawrence Luduc (2009), Coalition Government: When it Happens, How it Works, in Peter Russell and Lorne Sossin (eds.), Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis, Toronto: UTP. Peter Russell (2009), Learning to Live with Minority Parliaments, in Peter Russell and Lorne Sossin (eds.), Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis, Toronto: UTP. Officers of Parliament Parliament of Canada, (2014) Officers and Officials of Parliament found at: rliament.aspx David Pond, (2010) The Impact of Parliamentary Officers on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy: A Study of The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development & The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario,

4 Canadian Parliamentary Study Group June 15 June 16 June 17 June 18 GROUP DISCUSSION 2 Constitutional Authority and Parliament Eric Mintz et al (2015), Politics, Power and the Common Good, Fourth Edition, (Toronto: Pearson). Chapter 11 The Constitution and Constitutional Change Eric Mintz et al (2015), Politics, Power and the Common Good, Fourth Edition, (Toronto: Pearson). Chapter 12 The Charter of Rights and Freedoms Heather McIvor (2013), Canadian Politics and Government in the Charter Era, Don Mills, ON: Oxford. Chapter 6 Parliament and the Courts in the Charter Era Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Executive Federalism Ian Robinson and Richard Simeon (2004), The Dynamics of Canadian Federalism, in James Bickerton and Alain-G Gagnon (eds), Canadian Politics, (Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press. Martin Papillon and Richard Simeon (2004), The Weakest Link? First Ministers Conferences in Canadian Intergovernmental Relations, in Canada: The State of the Federation, Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen s University Press. GROUP DISCUSSION 3 Public Management Gregory Inwood (2012), Understanding Canadian Public Administration, Fourth Ed, Toronto: Pearson. Chapter 2 Public Administration and Democracy Chapter 5 Public Administration and Institutions: The Real World of Civil Society, Media and Parliamentary Actors Miriam Smith (2005), Arenas of Influence: Parliament, Parties and Elections, in A Civil Society?: Collective Actors in Canadian Political Life (Peterborough, ON: Broadview Press), pp Lisa Young and Joanna Everitt (2004), Talking to Governments, in Advocacy Groups, (Vancouver: UBC Press), pp Kirsten Kozolanka (2014), In Whose Interest? Government Communication and Public Accountability, in Kirsten Kozolanka (ed.), Publicity and the Canadian State: Critical Communication Perspectives, (Toronto: University of Toronto Press). Paul Nesbitt-Larking (2014), The Politics of Public Opinion, in Kirsten Kozolanka (ed.), Publicity and the Canadian State: Critical Communication Perspectives, (Toronto: University of Toronto Press). Ken Rubin and Kirsten Kozolanka (2014), Managing Information: Too Much Publicity, Not Enough Public Disclosure, in Kirsten Kozolanka (ed.), Publicity and the Canadian State: Critical Communication Perspectives, (Toronto: University of Toronto Press).

5 GROUP DISCUSSION 4 June 22 Parliamentary Reform Part 1 Peter Aucoin et.al. (2011), Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government, Toronto: Emond Montgomery Publications, Chapter 6, Conclusion: Reforming Responsible Government Grace Stogstad (2009), Western Canada and the Illegitimacy of the Liberal-NDP Coalition Government, in Peter Russell and Lorne Sossin (eds.), Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis, Toronto: UTP. Jennifer Smith (2009), Parliamentary Democracy versus Faux Parliamentary Democracy, in Peter Russell and Lorne Sossin (eds.), Parliamentary Democracy in Crisis, Toronto: UTP. June 23 Parliamentary Reform Part 2 David E. Smith (2003), The Canadian Senate: What Is to Be Done? in The Canadian Senate in Bicameral Perspective, Toronto: UTP Bruce M. Hicks and Andre Blais (2008), Restructuring the Canadian Senate through Elections, IRPP Choices, 14:15, November Jennifer Smith (2013), Abolishing the Senate: the NDP s Bad Idea, Quebec: The Federal Idea. Found at: June 24 June 25 GROUP DISCUSSION 5 GROUP PRESENTATIONS FINAL EXAM