Course Syllabus
Athabasca University
Governance (GOVN) 301
Governance, the Public Sector and Corporate Power
Revision 1 closed May 23, 2008, replaced by current version.
Delivery mode: Individualized study or grouped study.
Online-enhanced.
Credits: 3 - Social Sciences
Prerequisite: None; however, a previous course in political science, public policy, public administration/management is recommended. This is a senior course and as such students are expected to have advanced analytical and writing skills.
Centre: Centre for State and Legal Studies
GOVN 301 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Challenge evaluation.
Course Web site
Overview
GOVN 301: Governance, the Public Sector and Corporate Power explores the changing relationships between business, society and government in contemporary Canada. It examines the changing patterns of governance; the privileged position of corporate Canada in society's power structure; the phenomenon of globalization and the international extension of business power; the role of the mass media in shaping culture and dominant ideas within society; the restructuring of economic and social policy; constitutional change; the marketization of the state; the transformation of citizen into customer; the increased threat to social cohesion and also considers the future of the public sector in Canada.
Outline
The course consists of the following eight units.
Unit 1: Introduction—Changing Patterns of Governance: Exploring the Course Themes
Unit 2: The Business-Government-Society Relationship: The Foundations of Business Power and Influence
Unit 3: Free Trade, Globalization, and the Internationalization of Corporate Domination
Unit 4: The Mass Media and the Shaping of Ruling Ideas: Does Ownership Matter?
Unit 5: Regulation, De-regulation, and State Restructuring
Unit 6: Marketization of the State: The New Public Management and the Citizen as Consumer
Unit 7: Civic Society, Partnerships and the Third Sector
Unit 8: Governance in a Global Era: The Future of the Canadian Public Sector and the Threat to Social Cohesion
Evaluation
To receive credit for GOVN 301, you must complete all of the assignments, achieve a mark of at least 50 per cent on the final examination, and obtain a course composite grade of at least “D“ (50 per cent). The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
| TME 1 | TME 2 | TME 3 | Final exam | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | 15% | 20% | 50% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbook
Stephen McBride and John Shields. 1997. Dismantling a Nation: The Transition to Corporate Rule in Canada. Halifax: Fernwood.
Other materials
The course materials include student manual, study guide, reading file, online enhancements, and forms.