Welcome to Governance 403/Global Studies 403: Public Policy in a Global Era. This course has been designed for senior students who are interested in understanding Canadian public policy and, in particular, the forces shaping the character and content of Canadian public policy in this era of “globalization.” There are no formal prerequisites for this course. While it is recommended that students have a previous course in political science or public administration, the course material should be accessible to anyone with the intellectual sophistication and academic maturity expected of senior students.

This course aims to provide students with the conceptual, theoretical and analytical tools required to study and critically assess Canadian public policy. Students will be introduced to the policy-making process at the national level in Canada. They will examine some of the more influential theories that purport to ‘explain’ the character and content of public policy. And, finally, students will explore the dominant policy trend of this global era—that is, the “internationalization” or “globalization” of public policy.

Several of the leading textbooks in the field of policy studies have very little to say about policies that actually exist. They do a superb job of helping us understand trends in policy and policy-making, but lack concrete case studies. Other textbooks aim to provide an overview of the content of Canadian public policy, but review such a broad range of policies that students come away with little more than a superficial understanding of the policy fields discussed. This course aims to follow a path between these two extremes.

The focus of the course is both theoretical and applied. As such, students will spend considerable time exploring alternative answers to the question: How are we to understand and explain the character and content of Canadian public policy in this global era? The course is designed on the assumption that to answer this question students need to be exposed to readings that discuss the content of concrete policies. Thus, virtually every unit of the course includes both theoretical readings and one or more readings that examine the changing character of Canadian public policy. Moreover, to ensure an appropriate balance between developing the depth and breadth of students’ policy knowledge, all the policy-focused readings concentrate on exploring trends in that field of public policy known as social policy.

The value of this approach is that students will have an opportunity to develop the theoretical and analytical skills that are essential to advanced policy studies. They also will become sufficiently knowledgeable of the changing character of Canadian social policy to feel confident assessing and commenting on the social policy decisions of our governments. Thus, whether you aspire to graduate studies, a career in the public service, or merely wish to be a politically aware and independent-minded citizen, you will benefit from this course.

The Student Manual accompanies the course and is designed to supply you with essential information about the course design, the course materials, and the procedures you should follow to complete the course successfully. Before you begin your study of Canadian public policy in a global era, please read the Student Manual through carefully. If you have any questions about the course itself, or how to proceed with your studies, please contact your tutor or the course coordinator.