Dr. Peter Jay Smith

Professor, Political Science

Welcome. I am a long-standing member of the Athabasca University faculty becoming a member of staff in 1981. I have overseen much of the development of the political science curriculum during that period. I have written several courses and supervised the development of several others. Recently, I have begun teaching an online graduate course, Political Science 580 (available as an undergraduate course, Poli 480) on "The Politics of Cyberspace," a course that reflects my latest research interest.

My research interests have evolved over the years. I have an interest in political theory and political ideas, particularly the civic republican tradition, within a Canadian context. I have written and published articles on the political ideas surrounding the origins of Canadian Confederation. I also have a continuing interest in issues of public policy and political economy and have published a number of related articles on Alberta's political economy. More recently I have blended my interests in political theory and political economy in an ongoing project on the impact of new information and communication technologies on politics and governance, in particular, the use of the Internet to mobilize people from around the world to challenge the trade and investment policies of the World Trade Organization. Several articles on this research have appeared in books and journals, for example, the following article: Peter J. Smith, "The Impact of Globalization on Citizenship: Decline or Renaissance?" Journal of Canadian Studies, Volume 36, No. 1, Spring 2001, pp. 116-141.