The University of Toronto prides itself on its illustrious alumni who have distinguished themselves in Canadian public life. Among them are four prime ministers, including William Lyon Mackenzie King, Lester B. Pearson ,and briefly, Stephen Harper; several Supreme Court justices; and two governors general. There are undoubtedly future Canadian leaders among the current U of T students and recent alumni. Some of them may be drawn to political science because of their interest in public life. However, judging from the offerings of the political science department, they will be more likely to study the inner workings of the United Nations than the pressing issues of Canadian politics.
There are fewer courses offered in Canadian politics than in any other subfield in the political science department. This year, 24 courses are offered in comparative politics, 20 in international relations, 15 in development studies, 14 in political theory, and just 10 in Canadian government and politics. This indicates that the department and its faculty place less importance on this subject than on other sub-fields of politics. This is particularly true of fourth-year courses, of which the department offers only two on Canadian politics, compared to two or three times as many in other sub-fields. This leaves students interested in Canadian politics at a disadvantage compared to their peers.
This is especially true if we compare the department’s offerings to those of sister departments at other top Canadian universities. There are only three departments that offer fewer fourth year Canadian politics courses than Toronto’s: Dalhousie University, McMaster University and the University of Western Ontario. Several universities, including the universities of Alberta, British Columbia, and Calgary, offer two to three times as many fourth-year Canadian politics courses. These courses address a much broader variety of issues than those covered by Canadian politics courses in the U of T department, including local and provincial politics, and specific issues of public policy.
Studying Canadian politics is certainly not the only way to enter public life. Indeed, it may not be the ideal way. However, an understanding of Canadian politics is important for the wide variety of careers that political science students embark on. Lawyers need to understand the legislative process and the public policy issues involved in legal disputes. Similarly, public servants need to be able to understand the impact and implications of government policies. Certainly, an understanding of Canadian politics is as important as any other subfield of political science, including political theory.
First, the department should increase the number of Canadian politics courses that it requires students in their programs take. Currently, majors and specialists are required to take one course in Canadian politics. Minors are not required to take any of these courses. This makes it possible for students to graduate from a political science program without more than a cursory understanding of Canadian politics. The department currently requires specialists to take two courses in political theory. They should adopt a similar system for Canadian politics by requiring specialists to take two Canadian courses. They also should consider requiring that minors take one.
Second, the department should find ways to provide more seminars in Canadian politics, which is normally taught in large lecture courses. This prevents students from developing the kind of deep academic interest in Canadian politics that they can in other subfields, such as international relations. The department should consider offering at least one first year seminar focused on a topic in Canadian politics. They might also offer at least one second-year research opportunity course. Where the need for improvement is crucial, however, is fourth year seminars.
Third, the department should also strive to provide more consistent offerings in Canadian politics courses. While there will undoubtedly be some variation in third-year courses because of instructor availability, the lack of a core of courses in Canadian politics can be frustrating. While students can count on regular third-year offerings in other subfields of politics, this is not the case in Canadian politics. Moreover, certain courses, such as Ontario politics and urban politics, have only been offered during the summer in recent years, preventing many students from taking them.
Ultimately, if the University of Toronto wants to establish itself as the educator of Canadian leaders, it needs to commit to offering a first class Canadian political education. Furthermore, it does not reflect well on the university if its political science graduates — even those who do not aspire to a political career — know little about Canadian politics. The political science department must dedicate itself to providing a comprehensive spectrum of quality courses on Canadian government in order to properly educate its students.
