COURSE NUMBER: NREM 306 / POLS 334
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Tracy Summerville
OFFICE: Admin 3067
E-MAIL: summervi@unbc.ca
PHONE NUMBER: 960-6637
OFFICE HOURS: 2-4 pm Mondays and Wednesdays
This syllabus and other information regarding Political Science at UNBC can be found at:
This course is directed at upper division students with an interest in natural resource policy and politics in Canada. Resource Politics focuses on political decision making processes and the actors involved in those processes, for example, government, corporations, individuals, communities, and interest groups. The course looks at the central role of the resource industry in Canadian life and the effects of both the institutional and cultural framework within which decisions regarding resource management decisions are made.
Students will:
· become familiar with the concepts (actors, policy networks, policy communities, etc.) used in the study of resource and environmental policy making
· be able to complete a policy analysis
· become familiar with models for policy analysis
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997.
VanNijnatten, Debora and Robert Boardman. Canadian Environmental Policy: Context and Cases. Second Edition. Ontario: Oxford University Press, 2002.
COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADE WEIGHTING
|
Assignment |
Due Date |
Grade Weighting |
|
Abstract Assignment |
January 28th |
10 |
|
Progress Meetings |
scheduled throughout course |
5 |
|
Mid-term |
February 2nd |
15 |
|
Exam |
March 21st |
15 |
|
Scrapbook |
March 28th |
20 |
|
Presentation |
to be scheduled in class |
20 |
|
Presentation Debate and Evaluations |
each class from March 28th- April 8th |
15 |
|
Total |
|
100 |
|
|
|
|
Extensions on assignments are not permitted, except in case of illness or due serious extenuating circumstance. In the event of illness or serious extenuating circumstance, the student must inform the instructor before the due date, and documentary evidence of the illness or serious extenuating circumstance must be provided to the instructor. In addition, the student must also provide the instructor with a draft of his or her assignment at the time of the illness or serious circumstance that indicates that substantial progress has already been made towards a final product. Assignments that are not submitted on the due date receive a grade of zero.
Exam Policy Please note that the term ends on the final day of the exam period NOT on the last day of classes. Students are advised not to make arrangements to travel on a date prior to the date of the final exam as scheduled by the Registrar. The instructor will not hold early exams for the purpose of accommodating travel requests.
PLAGIARISM is extremely serious and will not be tolerated by the Instructor, the Program or the University. Students should consult the UNBC Calendar or ask the Instructor for a complete description of plagiarism.
Assignment 1
Students are required to read one of the three bolded readings in the course schedule from the VanNijnatten, and Boardman book and complete the exercise below.
Reading and understanding an academic paper can often be daunting. How often have you read an assigned reading and after finishing find that you are not really clear as to the paper’s purpose or conclusions? This assignment is designed to help you learn to better read a social science paper. Read the assigned article and answer the following questions in one sentence (two at the most).
(a) what is the background of problems, facts or observations that led to the problem,
(b) the objectives of the study
(c) the methods used to answer the objective/question
(d) the main finding (conclusions) and
(e) what they mean (i.e. to the world)
The objective is to be brief and concise. Then, from these sentences create an abstract for the paper. I will correct the assignment and return it for revisions. Students will be able to revise and resubmit the assignment.
Exams The mid-term will include all the material up to and including the class prior to the examination. The second examination will be on the policy cycle.
Scrapbook Students will work in groups (the group size will be determined by course enrollment) and will follow one of the following issues over the course of the term. The issue topics will include: oil and gas development, the seal hunt, climate change, fish farming, pine beetle, Students will determine the actors in the policy community and follow their position of the issue using web sites, media, position papers etc. Each student will hand in a scrapbook. We will meet in the course as groups periodically in order to discuss the scrapbook and presentation projects. This is the time to discuss problems in the group or to work out issues.
Presentations Students will be required to: draw a policy community diagram, classify the policy community and the policy network according to the taxonomy in the Hessing and Howlett text and set the discussion in the socioeconomic and institutional context set out at the beginning of the course. Students will also provide 3 topics for debate from their presentation. If students need technological support for their presentation i.e. for PowerPoint, they must arrange this with Educational Media Services (3rd floor of the Library Building) in advance of the class.
Presentation Evaluations and Debate Students will be required to do an evaluation of the student presentations and participate in a debate at the end of the presentations.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
|
Date |
Subject |
Hessing and Howlett Readings |
VanNijnatten, Debora L. and Robert Boardman. Canadian Environmental Policy: Context and Cases. 2nd ed. Ontario: Oxford University Press, 2002 |
|
January 5 |
Introduction |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 1-17; 234-255 |
|
|
January 7 |
The Socio-Economic Context of Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 21-46. |
|
|
January 10 |
The Socio-Economic Context of Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 21-46. |
Mary Louise McAllister “Grounding Environmental Policy…”: 233-252 |
|
January 12 |
The Socio-Economic Context of Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 21-46. |
|
|
January 14 |
Preparation for scrapbook project |
|
|
|
January 17 |
The Institutional Context Part 2 |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 47-70 |
Marcia Valiante “Legal Foundations of Canadian Environmental Policy”: 3-24. |
|
January 19 |
The Institutional Context Part 2 |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 47-70 |
|
|
January 21 |
The Institutional Context Part 2 |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 47-70 |
|
|
January 24 |
The Institutional Context Part 2 |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 47-70 |
Debora L. VanNijnatten “The Bumpy Journey Ahead…”:145-170. |
|
January 26 |
The Institutional Context Part 2 |
|
Kathryn Harrison “Federal-Provincial Relations and the Environment: 123-144. |
|
January 28 |
finish lecture |
|
|
|
January 31 |
Review |
|
|
|
February 2 |
Mid-term |
|
|
|
February 4 |
Progress Reports |
|
|
|
February 7 |
Analyzing Policy: Actors |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 71-91 |
Greg Poelzer “Aboriginal Peoples and Environmental Policy in Canada 87-106. |
|
February 9 |
Analyzing Policy: Actors |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 71-91 |
Jeremy Wilson “Continuity and Change in the Canadian Environmental Movement…” 46-65. |
|
February 11 |
Analyzing Policy: Actors |
|
|
|
February 14-18 |
Winter Break |
|
|
|
February 21 |
Analyzing Policy: Analytical Framework |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 92-102. |
|
|
February 23 |
The Policy Process: Agenda Setting |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 103-134. |
Douglas Macdonald “The Business Response to Environmentalism: 66-86. |
|
February 25 |
Progress Reports |
|
|
|
February 28 |
The Policy Process: Agenda Setting |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 103-134. |
|
|
March 2 |
The Policy Process: Decision-Making |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 155-212. |
|
|
March 4 |
The Policy Process: Decision-Making |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 155-212. |
|
|
March 7 |
The Policy Process: Decision-Making
|
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 155-212. |
G. Bruce Doern “Environmental Canada as a Networked Institution: 107-122. |
|
March 9 |
The Policy Process: Policy Implementation |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 172-192 |
|
|
March 11 |
The Policy Process: Policy Implementation |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 172-192 |
|
|
March 14 |
The Policy Process: Policy Implementation |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 172-192 |
Michael Howlett “Policy Instruments and Implementation Styles”: 25-45. |
|
March 16 |
The Policy Process: Policy Evaluation |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 193-214 |
Bernstein and Cashore “Globalization, Internationalization and Liberal Environmentalism”: 212-230. |
|
March 18 |
The Policy Process: Policy Evaluation |
Hessing, Melody and Michael Howlett. Canadian Natural Resource and Environmental Policy. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1997, 193-21 |
|
|
March 21 |
Exam |
|
|
|
March 23 |
Progress Report |
|
|
|
March 25 |
Easter |
|
|
|
March 28 |
Easter |
|
|
|
March 30 |
Presentations |
Oil and Gas |
|
|
April 1 |
Presentations |
Seal Hunt |
|
|
April 4
|
Presentations |
Climate Change |
|
|
April 6 |
Presentations |
Fish Farming |
|
|
April 8 |
Presentations |
Pine Beetle |
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