Courses

Dr. David McGrane currently teaches five courses for St. Thomas More College in the Political Studies Department of the University of Saskatcheawn. These courses are generally only offered in the Fall and Winter Semesters. Below you will find a description of each course and course outlines.

Political Studies 327: Political Marketing

Political marketing is a sub-field of political science that applies concepts from business marketing literature to the study of politics. It explores the use of marketing techniques by political parties to win elections, governments to 'sell' their policies to citizens, and social movements to sway public opinion in their favour and lobby decision-makers. In this course, students will learn the basic concepts of political marketing and apply these concepts to examples from Canada and around the world. Course Outline.  

Political Studies 111: Democracy in Canada and the United States

 This course is intended to introduce students to the study of politics through focusing on the theme of “Democracy in North America.” Several key concepts in political studies are discussed such as ideologies, the state, political institutions, electoral systems, societal cleavages, the law, public policy, and the bureaucracy. Specifically, these concepts are examined through a comparison of Canada and the United States to illustrate how these two countries are both different and alike in several ways. It is hoped that students gain an understanding of political studies that will be useful both in their future academic endeavours and in their lives as citizens. Course Outline.

Political Studies 305: Provincial Politics and Policy

This course examines provincial politics in Canada using a comparative approach. The objective of the course is to expose students to each of the major areas of research in Canadian provincial politics. It is hoped that students gain an overall appreciation of the study of provincial politics and find a particular area which is of interest to them for further study. The politics of Saskatchewan is a special focus of the class and considerable time is devoted to exploring Saskatchewan politics and comparing Saskatchewan to other Canadian provinces.  Course Outline.

Political Studies 349: Politics of Canadian Diversity

Provides an analysis of the factors that affect diversity and diversity management in Canada. Special attention is devoted to issues and options related to various diversity management policies and programs such as immigration, multiculturalism and interculturalism, anti-racism, human rights, and employment equity. It also examines Canadian diversity management issues and options within the context of various nation-building projects and rights regimes espoused by governments and groups in Canada. This course contains a community service learning component where students can choose to volunteer to teach immigrants and refugees preparing to take their Canadian citizenship test at the Saskatoon Open Door Society. Course Outline.

Political Studies 404: Canadian Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations

Understanding federalism is crucial to comprehending the dynamics of Canadian politics. This course examines the impact of federalism on the Canadian polity through studying such subjects as the Constitution, Québec, First Nations, federal-provincial relations at the executive level, the welfare state, courts, the environment, political economy, and cities. It is illustrated how each of these important elements of Canadian politics are dramatically affected by the operation of our federal system of governance.  Course Outline.

Political Studies 405/807: Canadian Elections and Political Parties

Elections and political parties are crucial components of Canadian democracy. This course explores the ideology and organization of Canadian political parties as well as how these parties interact with the media and the role they play in our parliamentary institutions. The course will also examine various aspects of Canadian elections such as vote choice, political marketing, party financing, campaign strategy, social media, and electoral regulations.  Course Outline.