POLS 1502 – INTRODUCTION TO POLITICAL STUDIES, A01
CRN: 62608 (WINTER, 2026) 3 CREDIT HOURS
LECTURE TIMES: T, TH, 1:00 – 2:15 PM
FORMAT: LECTURES (AND LABS)
LECTURE LOCATION: 208 ARMES
PROFESSOR: DR. TAMI AMANDA JACOBY
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment: [Link]@[Link]
Teaching Assistants: Andrea Canada, Betina Dahmer, Zachary Lodon
COURSE CONTENT & DESCRIPTION:
POLS 1502 introduces students to the fascinating world of politics through training in
critical thinking and theoretical pluralism. Students will learn about power and its use,
and the differences between pivotal and transient events. The study of politics is not
intended to describe facts that one can easily Google, but rather to develop skills by
which to interpret the facts according to different theoretical perspectives in the
discipline of Political Science.
This course is not intended to persuade or change students’ minds but rather to situate
students within broader political frameworks, strengthen their argumentative skills, and
raise consciousness about their places in structures of power and identity. POLS 1502
is a foundation course for a major or minor in Political Science, as well as an Honours
Program or graduate degree.
The content of this course is also useful for those who plan to take only one or two
electives in Political Science since politics affects everybody.
REQUIRED TEXTS:
1. Garner, Ferdinand, Lawson & MacDonald (Eds.), Introduction to Politics, Third
Canadian Edition, Oxford University Press: Oxford, 2022 (for lectures), Print copy
$131.99 + taxes or Digital copy $55.95 + taxes.
2. Additional readings may be posted on the Class Schedule as URLs or on the
POLS 1502 UMLearn Website under Content, Course Readings
For any library-related issues please contact Matthew Renaud,
[Link]@[Link], the Political Studies librarian at the Elizabeth Dafoe
library.
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COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Test #1 (multiple choice)
20% January 29
Graded by Professor
Test #2 (essay)
20% March 3
Graded by TAs
Attendance & Participation
(in labs) 20% Running dates
Graded by TAs
Critical Outline
10% March 19
Graded by TAs
Final Exam
30% During official exam period
Graded by professor
GRADING SCALE:
A+ 90+ Outstanding
A 80-89 Excellent
B+ 75-79 Very Good
B 70-74 Good
C+ 65-69 Adequate
C 60-64 Mediocre
D 50-59 Marginal
F 49- Fail
EXPLANATION OF GRADING SCALE:
A to A+: The work is excellent to exceptional. It missed or misinterpreted no major
points and has made insightful comments on your topic. In addition, the comments go
well beyond the course material in significant ways. All controversial claims in the
answer receive support.
B to B+: The work is good to very good but needs improvement. It may have missed or
slightly misrepresented some minor points on your topic. The comments display some
misunderstanding of the key issues and tend not to go far beyond commentary on the
seminar material. Some controversial claims are made in the assignment that do not
receive proper support.
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C to C+: While the work is adequate to satisfactory, it misses or misrepresents some
(but by no means all) important points on your topic. The answer displays a basic but
flawed appreciation of the main positions and lines of argument. The comments are also
in need of some re-working and do not go beyond the course material. There is a need
to focus more thoroughly on supporting controversial claims in the answer.
D: This work is of marginal quality. It misses the mark on the topic as often as it hits the
mark; it requires significant re-thinking. Still, the answer appears to have grasped the
crucial points. It needs to be better at supporting its claims.
F: The work displays a serious misunderstanding of crucial topics. It is inadequate and
the student should contact the instructor about individual issues concerning
performance on this answer.
During the course (from the first class to the calculation of final grades), students may
consult with the professor or the TAs on whatever they do not understand. The team will
make ourselves amply available for assistance. However, once the final grade has been
calculated, there is nothing ‘more’ to do. Grades are not changed for reasons other than
administrative error or miscalculation. Needing a higher grade to apply to law school, as
an example, is an insufficient reason for changing a final grade.
Please note final grades with decimal points will be rounded up from .5 and rounded
down from .4. This means if you earn a 79.4%, the final grade will be 79% and remain a
B+. If you earn a 79.5%, the final grade will be 80%, which rounds the grade up to an A.
This computation is strict and will not be subject to ‘special cases’, in fairness to all
other students.
RULES:
Policy on Unclaimed Term Work: Any term work that has not been claimed by
students will be held for four (4) months from the end of the final examination period for
the term in which the work was assigned. At the conclusion of this time, all unclaimed
term work will become property of the Faculty of Arts and be destroyed according to
FIPPA guidelines and using confidential measures of disposal.
Student Resources: The Academic Learning Centre is in 201 Tier Building. Advisors
provide a wide range of services focused on improvement of academic learning skills. In
addition to individual consultations, the Centre offers workshops on test-taking, note-
taking, essay and term paper writing, and listening skills.
[Link]
Writing Tutors operate from both the Elizabeth Dafoe Library and the Academic
Learning Centre and can be accessed by appointment. Check scheduled hours of
availability on-line through the Learning Assistance Centre site or the Elizabeth Dafoe
Library site.
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Student Accessibility Services (SAS): If you are a student in need of accommodation,
please contact SAS at the start of the semester to arrange a confidential consultation to
learn about the available services:
[Link]
student_accessibility@[Link]
Tel: 204 474 7423
Academic Integrity: Students should acquaint themselves with the University’s policy
on plagiarism, cheating, exam impersonation, (“Personation at Examinations” (Section
5.2.9) and “Plagiarism and Cheating” (Section 8.1)) and duplicate submissions by
reading documentation provided at the Arts Student Resources web site at:
[Link]
Ignorance of the regulations and policies regarding academic integrity is not a valid
excuse for violating them. The minimum penalty for plagiarism on a written assignment
in the Department of Political Studies is F on the paper and may result in an F-DISC
(discipline) in the course. This notation appears on the student’s transcript. For repeat
violations, this penalty can also include suspension from the Faculty of Arts for a period
of up to 1 year. The minimum penalty for academic dishonesty in a test or final
examination in the Department of Political Studies is F for the test/examination, and an
F-DISC (discipline) in the course plus a suspension from the Faculty of Arts for a period
of one year. The F grade and disciplinary notation appear on the student’s transcript.
For repeat violations, the penalty may include suspension from the Faculty of Arts for a
period of up to 5 years.
The Faculty of Arts reserves the right to submit student work that is suspected of being
plagiarized to Internet sites designed to detect plagiarism.
Other Information: Disruptions due to excessive talking or early departures from the
classroom are especially distracting. Please be considerate and respectful of the needs
and rights of others in the class. Students should be aware that persistent disruption
may result in disbarment from the course. Any student who has a legitimate reason for
leaving class early should inform the instructor at the beginning of the class.
PLEASE NO CELL PHONES DURING THE LECTURES
Voluntary Withdrawal Date: March 19, 2026
ROASS requires that students have some sort of evaluation (whether through a test,
Assignment, essay or other) prior to the VW date. Courses that cannot meet this
deadline must receive written consent from the Department Head and must have a
statement on the course outline if you do not plan to provide such information to
students prior to this date.
Professor Jacoby holds copyright over the course materials, presentations and lectures
which form part of this course. No audio or video recording of lectures or presentations
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is allowed in any format, openly or surreptitiously, in whole or in part without permission
of Professor Jacoby. Course materials (both paper and digital) are for the participant’s
private study and research.
It is the general University of Manitoba policy that all technology resources are to be
used in a responsible, efficient, ethical and legal manner. The student can use all
technology in classroom setting only for educational purposes approved by instructor
and/or the University of Manitoba Disability Services. Student should not participate in
personal direct electronic messaging / posting activities (e-mail, texting, video or voice
chat, wikis, blogs, social networking (e.g. Facebook) online and offline “gaming” during
scheduled class time. If the student is on call (emergency) the student should switch
his/her cell phone on vibrate mode and leave the classroom before using it.
The University requires all students to activate an official University email account. For
full details of the Electronic Communication with Students please visit:
[Link]
s_Policy_-_2013_09_01_RF.pdf
Please note that all communication between Professor Jacoby and the student must
comply with the electronic communication with student policy
([Link]
electronic_communication_with_students_policy.html). You are required to obtain and
use your U of M email account for all communication between yourself and the
University.
CLASS SCHEDULE - Introduction to Political Science, Winter 2026
January 2026
Class 1: January 6
Administrations (overview of course)
Class 2: January 8
Introductions to the subject matter
Class 3: January 13
Political Survey (anonymous)
Class 4: January 15
Political Correctness
Read: Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”
[Link]
invisible-knapsack
Moira Weigel, “Political Correctness: how the right invented a phantom enemy”, The
Guardian, November 30, 2016
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[Link]
invented-phantom-enemy-donald-trump
Class 5: January 20
What is Politics and How Should We Analyze it?
Read: 1-18
Class 6: January 22
Politics and the State
Read: 20-40
Class 7: January 27
Political Power, Authority, and the State
Read: 41-56
Class 8: January 29
Test #1 (20%)
Class 9: February 3
Video Documentary
No readings
Class 10: February 5
Democracy and our Relationship to the State
Read: 57-77
Class 11: February 10
Freedom and Justice
Read: 78-98
Class 12: February 12
Traditional Western Ideologies
Read: 99-124
Winter Break: February 16-20
Class 13: February 24
Alternatives Ideologies
Read: 125-150
Class 14: February 26
Institutions and States
Read: 153-176
Class 15: March 3
Test #2 (20%)
7
Class 16: March 5
Video Documentary
No readings
Class 17: March 10
Legislatures and Legislators
Read: 199-222
Class 18: March 12
Voting, Elections and Political Parties
Read: 239-261
Class 19: March 17
Civil Society, Interest Groups, and the Media
Read: 262-286
Class 20: March 19
Video Documentary
No readings
Class 21: March 24
Guest lecture TBA
Class 22: March 26
Guest lecture by Dr. Bryan Peeler
Sovereignty, the State and International Order
Read: 311-330
Class 23: March 31
Political Culture
Read: 287-307
Class 24: April 2
Traditional and Alternative Approaches to IR
Read 331-348 and 349-366
Class 25: April 9
Review