Course Descriptions

API5100 Economics for Public Management and Policy

This course covers the foundations of macroeconomics and microeconomics required for completing more advanced courses in public management and policy. Topics covered in microeconomics include: the consumer and the firm; supply; demand and the role of prices; competition and the invisible hand; imperfect competition; coordination failure and incomplete information; public goods and externalities; transaction costs and property rights; income distribution and the tax system; free trade. Topics covered in macroeconomics include: unemployment, inflation and the monetary system; fiscal and monetary policy; growth, development, and living standards. This course also improves skills in quantitative analysis.

This course prepares students for required courses in economics offered in the Master’s in Public and International Affairs and in the Master’s in Globalization and International Development. It is for students who have not completed at least 6 credits in economics at the undergraduate level or lack basic mathematical skills required for economics courses. Grading: S (satisfactory) / NS (non-satisfactory).

API5105 Concepts and Issues in International Affairs (3 cr.)

Critical analysis of the key concepts and theories used to explain contemporary international affairs. Through an examination of the historical development of the dominant issues in international relations and security, and an exploration of their possible future directions, these concepts and theories will be related to concrete problems and recent developments in international affairs.

API5106 Globalization and Governance (3 cr.)

Influence of globalization on national and international governance as well as on the formulation of public policy across a range of policy fields. Topics include the multiple dimensions of globalization, the impact of globalization on international institutions, the internationalization of domestic public policy, the challenges and opportunities of globalization for policymakers, case studies in several policy fields (e.g. health, crime, trade and finance).

API5115 The Politics of the Policy Process (3 cr.)

Political factors and dynamics shaping public policy. Topics include the role of public opinion and agenda-setting, interest groups and the policy process, intergovernmental relations as well as the influence of experts and discursive politics on policy-making. Examining cases from several policy fields, the course will place Canada in a comparative perspective.

API5116 Democratic Governance and Public Management (3 cr.)

Examination of the political institutions in democratic societies and their implications for the formulation and implementation of public policy. Study of Canada in a comparative perspective. Topics include the organization of the executive and decision-making in government, the relationship among the political executive, the Public Service and the legislature, and policy implementation by the Public Service. Current trends in public management, such as new modes of service delivery, citizen engagement and consultation, and performance-based management.

API5125 Macroeconomic Policy (3 cr.)

Focus on the power and limitations of macroeconomic policy in promoting long term growth and in stabilizing short run fluctuations. Topics include the determination of output, employment, investment, inflation, interest rate, balance of payments, and the exchange rate. Analysis of the local and global economic consequences of fiscal and monetary policies implemented by governments. An examination of the actual conduct of fiscal and monetary policy by governments will place the Canadian experience in a comparative perspective.

API5126 Microeconomics for Public Policy (3 cr.)

Systematic exposition of the principles and techniques of microeconomic theory that are most useful in analyzing public policies. Topics include the theory of the consumer, the theory of the firm, market mechanisms and general equilibrium analysis. The course will offer a general framework to improve the understanding of the resource allocation and welfare consequences associated with policies such as taxes, subsidies, regulation, and government transfers. Case studies of government intervention in the economy will be used to illustrate the concepts and theories examined.

API5135 Ethics and Moral Reasoning for Public and International Affairs (3 cr.)

Examination of ethics and moral reasoning applied to the study of public policy and international affairs. Current debates in moral philosophy and how they help better understand contemporary controversies in public and international affairs. Examination of a number of current policy debates, such as issues of justice in social and environmental policy, the use of military intervention in international affairs, and the accommodation of religious and ethnic differences in liberal democracies.

API5136 Research Methods for Public Policy (3 cr.)

Introduction to the various methods used in policy research and to use of multivariate quantitative methods to conduct a research project. Research design, data sources and analysis. The qualitative methods examined include the use of focus groups and interviews; quantitative methods include simple and multiple regression, logistic regression, and factor analysis.

API6311 Public Economics (3 cr.)

Public economics studies how government intervention affects the economy. Topics covered include the efficiency of he competitive equilibrium, departures from efficiency, externalities and public goods, imperfect competition and asymmetric information; issues in political economy, including rent-seeking; and the inter-temporal issues of social security and economic growth. Case studies of policies will be drawn from Canada and other countries.

API6312 Public Finance (3 cr.)

Public expenditures and taxation, mainly in Canada. Topics covered include social welfare programs; employment insurance; public pensions: old age security and the Canada pension plan; health care; education; personal income tax; consumption taxation; taxes on wealth and property; corporate tax; fiscal federalism in Canada including equalization payments among provincial governments.

API6313 Multi-level Governance and Public Policy (3 cr.)

Impact of federalism, intergovernmental relations (IGR), and multi-level governance on the policy process in Canada; comparisons will be made to other federations (e.g., Australia) and quasi-federations (e.g., the European Union). The course looks at both the growing role of municipal and Aboriginal governments in the policy process, the impact of multi-level governance for policy and program efficiency and effectiveness, and the implications for accountability, transparency and citizen engagement in governance.

API6314 Health Policy (3 cr.)

Examination of the development of health policy in Canada and selected other OECD countries. Issues covered include the funding of health-care, the role of public, non-profit, and private organizations in the delivery of health care, intergovernmental relations in this field, disease prevention and health promotion, and the impact of government policy generally on the health status of the population.

API6315 Social Policy (3 cr.)

Examination of the development and transformation of the welfare state in Canada and other OECD countries. Topics covered include poverty and income support, unemployment insurance, child care and family policy, as well as pensions. The course examines the political, economic, and demographic factors that have shaped social policy.

API6316 Environmental Policy (3 cr.)

Examination of the development of environmental policies in Canada and selected other OECD countries. Topics covered include sustainable development, water and atmospheric pollution, the protection of species-at-risk, biotechnology, and climate change. The course examines the political and economic factors that shape environmental policy, including the interplay between domestic and international factors.

API6317 Immigration, Diversity and Public Policy (3 cr.)

Issues of immigration and diversity with an emphasis on public policy. Topics covered include the impact of immigration on Canada’s population and economy, its implications for public policies, diversity and conceptions of citizenship in Canada, the United States and the European Union, and attitudes towards immigration and diversity, including discrimination.

API6319 Special Topics in Public Policy (3 cr.)

No description available.

API6331 International Finance (3 cr.)

Analysis of international financial markets and the environment in which they operate. Topics covered include foreign exchange markets (spot, forward, currency futures and options markets); purchasing power parity and the interest rate parity conditions; the exchange rate systems -- past to present (Bretton Woods and post-Bretton Woods periods); special topics such as currency and financial crises, the pricing of currency derivatives, the need for a new international financial architecture, the volatility/overshooting models of exchange rates, the European monetary system and the target zones and realignment models; the European economic and monetary union and the theory of optimal currency areas; the relative merits of fixed, flexible and hybrid exchange rate regimes.

API6332 International Trade (3 cr.)

Theoretical and empirical aspects of international trade. Topics covered include the gains from trade; the causes and consequences of trade; the alternatives to free trade (tariffs, quotas and non-tariff barriers, customs unions); factor movements, growth, and the theory of direct foreign investment; Canadian trade and foreign investment policies.

API6333 International Law and Ethics (3 cr.)

Issues in international affairs from a legal and ethical perspective. The course investigates the obligations and rights of actors in the international system, as well as the ethical and legal dimensions of specific important issues in international affairs, such as the legitimacy of the use of force, humanitarian crises and the ”responsibility to protect”, the international debt of developing countries, and the protection of the commons (e.g. oceans, atmosphere).

API6334 Regionalism and Integration (3 cr.)

Theories and practice of regional cooperation and integration. Topics include different forms of regionalism, including economic, political and security cooperation, in the European Union, North America, and other regions of the world. The course also addresses the implications of regionalism and integration for Canada’s foreign and domestic policy.

API6335 Canadian Foreign Policy (3 cr.)

Historical and contemporary analysis of Canada’s foreign policy. Topics include the emergence and growth of Canada as an actor on the world stage, its evolving priorities and roles in international affairs, the relationship between foreign and domestic policies, the management of Canadian foreign policy, and current issues and challenges.

API6336 Defense Policy and Military Affairs (3 cr.)

Processes and outputs of defense policy in key Western states, including Canada. The course begins with an overview of the threats to security in the modern world and then examines models of defense policy making, before moving on to a more detailed analysis of the defense policies of selected states and how they are made.

API6337 Peace Operations and Post-Conflict Reconstruction (3 cr.)

Concepts and practice of peacekeeping, peace-making and post-conflict reconstruction. Topics include the history and development of peace operations before and after the Cold War, preventive diplomacy, conflict resolution, humanitarian emergencies, the role of military and civilian actors in peace operations, and the rehabilitation of countries after civil war.

API6339 Special Topics in International Affairs (3 cr.)

No description available.

API6351 International Economics and Developing Countries (3 cr.)

Introduction to the economic analysis of developing countries. The course will address the different tools used to measure economic development as well as the obstacles to growth and development in the Third World. Issue areas considered include macro-economic adjustment, financing development, population growth, human capital, technological progress and facilitating institutions.

API6352 Political Economy of Development (3 cr.)

Major political economy theories used in the study of development. Examination of the manner in which development policy trends since the Second World War have been shaped by different economic theories and problems. Contemporary issues in the political economy of development, such as poverty and inequality, the role of multinational corporations, population health, and women in development.

API6353 Human Rights and Democratization (3 cr.)

The politics of human rights in the context of countries in the process of democratization. Topics include the historical evolution of the meaning of “human rights”; the philosophical foundations of the concept of human rights; formal mechanisms for protecting human rights; experiences of implementation of human rights legislation and enforcement; rights-based approaches to international development; the activities and policies of non-governmental organizations promoting human rights; transitional justice and institutional reform in the context of democratizing countries.

API6354 Migration and Development (3 cr.)

Examination of the complex links between migration and development, and the impact of global migration flows on relations between the “North” and “South”. The course will study theories of migration and the evolution of migration patterns; international and local legal norms and statutes addressing migration; humanitarian interventions in complex political emergencies; and the application of principles of development to situations of forced migration. Issues arising from the impact of migration on development financing and transnational social problems including criminal, drug, and terrorist networks.

API6355 Foreign Aid Policy (3 cr.)

Examination of the role of official development assistance in economic and social development. The course will address the moral, political and economic justification for foreign aid, as well as challenges in the design and implementation of effective foreign aid policies. The course will examine the range of organizations (multilateral, national, civil society) operating at both the advocacy and operational level. A particular emphasis will be placed on the practices of Canadian development agencies and non-governmental organizations.

API6356 Environment, Natural Resource Management and Development (3 cr.)

Examination of the relation among natural resource management, environmental protection, and development. Topics include the factors shaping the management of natural resources in developing countries, the impact of environmental and natural resources policies on the development of countries, the importance of environmental issues in the development policies of international organizations, and the impact of environmental issues on the prospect for a sustainable form of development.

API6357 Conflict and Human Security (3 cr.)

Examination of the relationship between conflicts and development, and exploration of the concept of human security as an approach to both development and peace-building. Students will become familiar with key theories of conflict, with particular attention to recent theories of “new wars” in the context of globalized economies and transnational networks. Exploration of the relationship between conflict and development outcomes using case studies.

API6359 Special Topics in Development Studies (3 cr.)

No description available.

API6399 Capstone seminar (3 cr.)

No description available.

API6001 Internship (6cr.)

Experience in a workplace setting. Graded S (satisfactory) / NS (not satisfactory) by a professor in the program based on the written report and the evaluation of the internship supervisor. Prerequisite: permission of the graduate studies co-ordinator. / Expérience en milieu de travail. Noté S (satisfaisant) / NS (non satisfaisant) par un professeur du programme selon les résultats du rapport écrit et l'évaluation du superviseur de stage. Préalable : permission du responsable des études supérieures.

API6002 Internship (6cr.)

No description available.

API6999 Research Paper (6 cr.)

No description available.

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