HIST 2303A: Canadian Political History

Course Description and Objectives

Founded in the 1960s by the well-known political activist Frank Underhill, this course is designed to furnish students with a strong historical sense of the evolution of Canadian federal democracy and the forces driving our political life. The focus is chronological with constant reference to party formation, public policy and ideology together with a lively narrative on the personalities involved in our political life. The course will thus trace Canadian politics from a time in the early nineteenth century when it was the preserve of males and the propertied classes through the twentieth century realization of an inclusive democracy. Within this framework, the course will investigate such themes as the impact of region on federal politics, the coming of women to the political arena, politics and social and economic reform.

Principal lines of investigation:

* party formation and ideology

* the Canadian political class: who has led us?

* the making and meaning of Confederation

* the securing of the federation – regional and racial anxieties

* political adjustments to an urban-industrial world

* the politics of beer, liquor and prohibition

* politics and war in the twentieth century

* regional political protest in Canada

* the political birth of the Keynesian welfare state

* the meaning and making of Trudeau-mania

* the neo-conservative revolution of the late twentieth century

Main readings:

Finlay & Sprague, The Structure of Canadian History, Michael Bliss, Right Honourable Men and Dan Azoulay, ed. Canadian Political Parties plus an extensive Reserve reading list in the CU Library

Grading:

You will be asked to write an in-class test, a 12-page essay (double spaced) and a final examination in this course. There will also be six in-class discussion groups. Your final grade will therefore be comprised of the following components.

In-class Test 25%

Essay (due in early Feb.) 30%

Discussion group 10%

Final Exam 35%