Dr. Mark Paradis

POLI 203 — Introduction to Comparative Politics

This course provides an introduction to the field of comparative politics, exploring how and why countries differ in their political systems, institutions, and outcomes. We'll begin by examining the foundations of comparative politics and the various methods used in the field. Throughout the semester, we'll analyze key concepts such as the state, political institutions, and the role of ideas in shaping political life. The course will compare different types of regimes, including democracies, authoritarian regimes, and hybrid regimes, and investigate the processes of democratization and democratic backsliding. We will also explore the relationship between the state and society, the role of political culture and identity, and the impact of contentious politics. The class will draw on a variety of required and optional academic readings to provide a comprehensive understanding of these core topics.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: Comparative Politics

Years Taught: Fall 2025

POLI 205 — Introduction to International Relations

This course provides an introduction to the study of international relations (IR). Three of the fundamental questions in International Relations are: 1) why do states go to war, 2) what are the alternatives to war, and 3) how do states cooperate? In order to answer these questions, this course presents theories about the actions and interactions of individuals, institutions, and states. The course begins by presenting the most prominent theories and approaches in IR. Once students are familiar with these theories, we will examine some current issues in IR, including terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, ethnic conflict, and environmental security. Throughout the course, we will have lectures, readings, discussions, and simulations. This course prepares students for more advanced courses in international relations and provides students with the analytical skills required to understand current events in the world.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: International Relations

Years Taught: Fall 2017–2018; Summer 2021–2022; Fall 2023

POLI 301 — Social Movements and Protest Politics

Social movements and political protests have played a prominent role in shaping society and politics today. Non-violent movements have toppled regimes. Violent movements have reshaped the security discourse of the world. Environmental, anti-globalisation, identity-based, nationalist, populist, anti-colonial, and other movements have gradually (and sometimes suddenly) changed our identities, our notions of what is political, and what are acceptable strategies of political dissent. In this course, some of the issues we will examine will include: What are social movements? What is political protest? How can they bring about social and political changes? How are they organised and structured? What strategies do they employ and what strategies are used to counter them? What role does technology play in social movements?

Fields: Political Science; Sociology; Psychology

Subfields: International Relations; Comparative Politics

Years Taught: Summer 2022; Fall 2024

POLI 302 — International Security

This course examines the causes of insecurity in the international system, including interstate war, intrastate war, terrorism, environmental change, and human insecurity; and the prospects for peace. The course begins with an examination of theories of interstate war. These theories are organised as system-level theories, dyadic theories, domestic-level theories, and individual level theories. We then examine theories of international security that move beyond interstate war. We will discuss feminist theories of security; civil wars and ethnic conflicts; terrorism; environmental security; and human security. Finally, we conclude the course by examining the impact of technology on international security. In particular, we will discuss the spread of nuclear weapons and the impact of new technologies on international security. The course is focused on developing the analytical skills required to understand and explain world events.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: International Relations

Years Taught: Fall 2017

POLI 304 — Theories of Foreign Policy Making

This course introduces students to the field of Foreign Policy Decision Making (FPDM). FPDM focuses on how states formulate foreign policies. We will look at the process of foreign policy making rather than foreign policy outcomes. Students will learn about the different factors influencing foreign policy decision making at different levels of analysis. After an introduction to foreign policy analysis and foreign policy decision making, students will learn about the role of international constraints, domestic institutions, domestic interest groups, public opinion, and individual leaders on foreign policy. While the majority of the course will focus on democracies, we will also compare decision making in democracies to decision making in non-democracies. While the course will have a heavy emphasis on theory, students will get the chance to apply their knowledge through in class case studies and discussions.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: International Relations; Political Behaviour

Years Taught: Winter 2021

POLI 315 — International Organisations

This course is an introduction to the topic of international organisations, which encompasses both formal international institutions — such as the UN — and informal international regimes — such as the gold standard. While international relations take place within an anarchic system, state and non-state actors are able to work together in numerous issue areas in hopes of achieving mutually beneficial outcomes. Therefore, the study of international organisations relies heavily on the study of international cooperation, in which states collaborate to manage interstate relations. We will discuss the key concepts and theories that address international organisations. We will examine the development, structure, and processes of security, economic, and human rights organisations. We will discuss organisations whose membership is limited to state actors, as well as those that include members of civil society. While students will be expected to understand the structures of these organisations, the main goal of the course is in understanding how they shape international relations.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: International Relations

Years Taught: Summer 2018; Winter 2025

POLI 394 — Globalisation and Sustainable Development

This course is an introduction to the linkages between globalisation, sustainable development, and global environmental politics. The course begins with a discussion of globalisation, focusing on its defining characteristics, opportunities, and challenges. We then build on the development challenges posed by globalisation to examine the politics of development and different approaches to development. One of these approaches, sustainable development, is the next topic in the course. We discuss the definition, measurement, and implementation of sustainable development. Finally, in order to understand the challenges in sustainable development, we turn to global environmental politics. After an introduction to the topic, we examine global governance of the environment, environmental social movements, public opinion on the environment, and the role of business in addressing environmental issues.

Fields: Political Science; Economics

Subfields: International Relations; International Political Economy

Years Taught: Fall 2022

POLI 400 — Advanced Seminar in International Relations Theory

This course addresses central questions of international relations theory. More than the other political science disciplines, IR research is guided by paradigms. However, this course is not organised around them. Instead, we will embrace analytical eclecticism as we explore important questions and issues in IR. Questions will include: what was the 'true' historical development of the field? How is the international system organised? Why do actors do what they do? What role do domestic and international institutions play in international relations? What is the role of individuals in explaining outcomes? How does international bargaining take place? What explains intrastate conflict? Rather than going theory by theory, we will take honest looks at what realism, liberalism, constructivism, rationalism, critical theory, and non-paradigmatic theories have to say about these issues. We will also push beyond Anglo-American and masculine IR, to examine issues of race and gender in IR, as well as non-western theories of IR.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: International Relations

Years Taught: Fall 2018–2021

POLI 408 — Public Opinion and Public Policy

This research seminar is focused on the role of public opinion in shaping public policy. This course offers an overview of scholarly debates and research on public opinion, political communication, and public policy. Topics include: political reasoning with limited information; voter rationality and self-interest; framing and priming; partisanship; ideology; personality, values, and morality; emotions; voting and representation; polarisation; and tolerance. We will use research drawn from Canada, the United States, and Europe to explore public opinion and public policy in Canada and Québec.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: Canadian and Quebec Politics; Political Behaviour; Comparative Politics

Years Taught: Fall 2022

POLI 412 — Comparative Social Policy

This seminar examines various explanations for the development and retrenchment of the welfare state in different countries. It analyzes typologies developed to conceptualize welfare-state regimes and examines, in a comparative fashion, key social policies such as health, pensions, and employment.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: Comparative Politics; Public Policy and Administration

Years Taught: Winter 2025

POLI 421 — Transnational Politics

This seminar examines the activities of non-state actors, including NGOs, social movements, corporations, and individuals, and their roles in creating global society, building international institutions, and shaping foreign policy. While many theories have been proposed to address aspects of transnational politics, this course is not organised around them. Instead, we will embrace analytical eclecticism as we explore important actors and issues in the study of transnational politics. After an introduction to transnational politics and the spread of norms, we will explore the role of transnational actors, including international organisations (IGOs and NGOs), regional organisations, international civil society, multinational corporations, transnational terrorists, and transnational organised crime. We will also explore multiple transnational issues, including technology and civil society, environmental politics, corporate responsibility, private transnational regulation, and transnational violence.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: International Relations

Years Taught: Fall 2019; Summer 2021; Winter 2024, Fall 2025

POLI 486 — Advanced Seminar in International Relations: International Orders in Turbulent Times

This advanced seminar delves into the complexities of the international order in the face of historical and contemporary global challenges. We will analyze the interplay between hierarchy and anarchy in shaping international relations, and explore various historical world orders. A significant focus will be placed on the modern state system, the rise and characteristics of the liberal international order, and the contemporary debate surrounding its potential decline. Students will develop a critical understanding of the key concepts and theories that frame the study of international order and will be encouraged to apply these frameworks to analyze current events and emerging trends.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: International Relations

Years Taught: Fall 2024

POLI 487 — Advanced Seminar in Comparative Politics: Nationalism and Ethnic Identity

This seminar examines political identities, particularly national and ethnic identities, from a comparative perspective. Drawing on theories from political science, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and economics, we will examine the origins and nature of these identities, as well as their effects on politics. We will go in-depth on their effects on democracy, economic development, and conflict. Throughout the course, we will use examples from around the world to better understand the nature and role of political identities.

Fields: Political Science

Subfields: Comparative Politics; Political Behaviour; International Relations

Years Taught: Winter 2024

POLI 644 — Research Methods (Quantitative Analysis)

This course provides graduate students with a rigorous introduction to quantitative research methods as they are used in political science, public policy, and related social science fields. The course is designed to equip students with the conceptual foundations, practical skills, and analytical judgment required to design, conduct, interpret, and communicate quantitative research in a professional and methodologically sound manner.

The course proceeds in two broad stages that reflect the logic of the research process itself. In the first part of the course, students focus on the scientific foundations of social inquiry, including theory construction, concept formation and measurement, research design, and causal inference. Emphasis is placed on understanding how research questions are formulated, how hypotheses are derived from theory, and how different research designs enable—or limit—causal claims. By the end of this stage, students will be able to critically assess quantitative research designs and articulate a feasible research plan of their own.

The second part of the course focuses on quantitative data analysis and statistical reasoning, with an emphasis on applying statistical tools to answer substantive research questions. Students are introduced to data management, visualization, and statistical modeling using the R programming language and RStudio. Rather than emphasizing mathematical derivations, the course prioritizes conceptual understanding, interpretation of results, and substantive inference. Students learn how to describe data, assess uncertainty, test hypotheses, and estimate regression models—including multiple regression and logistic regression—while critically evaluating the assumptions and limitations of each approach.

Fields: Political Science; Social Sciences (General)

Subfields: Methodology

Years Taught: Winter 2026

SOCI 212 — Statistics I

This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of statistics for social scientists. Topics include sampling and measurement; univariate statistics (data visualisation, measures of location, and measures of variation); univariate distributions; and bivariate statistics (data visualisation; correlation and regression; contingency tables; and controls). Students will learn the theory and calculation of these statistics. Students will also learn the implications of these statistical techniques for theoretical understanding of sociology and anthropology by applying these statistics in the lab to real-world data. To aid students gain the strongest possible understanding of statistics, the course will be a mixture of lectures to present theory and exercises to gain greater comfort using these techniques.

Fields: Sociology; Social Sciences (General)

Subfields: Methodology

Years Taught: Fall 2021; Fall 2023; Winter 2026

SOCI 213 — Statistics II

This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of inferential statistics for social scientists. Topics include: the normal and Student's T distributions; correlation and regression; principles of hypothesis testing; t-tests; chi-square; and ANOVA. Students will learn the theory and calculation of these statistics. Students will also learn the implications of these statistical techniques for theoretical understanding of sociology and anthropology by applying these statistics in the lab to real-world data. To aid students gain the strongest possible understanding of statistics, the course will be a mixture of lectures to present theory and exercises to gain greater comfort using these techniques.

Fields: Sociology; Social Sciences (General)

Subfields: Methodology

Years Taught: Fall 2022; Winter 2024

SOCI 424 — Applied Social Statistics

This course explores statistical tools and techniques commonly used in sociological research, and provides an opportunity to work with large databases. The sessions are designed in an applied manner with weekly hands-on applications and/or case studies using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program.

Fields: Sociology; Social Sciences (General)

Subfields: Methodology

Years Taught: Fall 2024