Courses Offered
Spring 2011
POL 391 – Comparative Constitutionalism: U.S. and Canadian Structures
John Borrows
This course covers the basic constitutional design of American government, and compares this design to the Canadian constitution. The course materials are primarily Supreme Court cases; thus there is a heavy focus on the Supreme Court case-law method for analyzing constitutional law. The course includes an introduction to judicial review, congressional/parliamentary power, federalism, executive power, and rights. With each issue and doctrine covered in the course, comparisons will be made to Canadian constitutional law.
POL 463 – Indigenous Peoples and the Law in the United States and Canada
John Borrows
This course will survey U.S. and Canadian law governing the relationship between the federal and state/provincial governments and Indian Nations, and will focus on the constitutional, statutory and jurisprudential rules of US Federal Indian law. Topics to be addressed include: the history of federal-tribal relations; the origin and scope of federal power over Indian affairs; the source and scope of tribal powers recognized under federal law; the limits of state authority in Indian country; and contemporary Indian policy. The course will be comparative in nature, with frequent reference to Canadian law.
Past Courses in Canadian Studies
- "Comparative Constitutionalism: U.S. and Canadian Structures" (2011; John Borrows)
- "Indigenous Peoples and the Law in the United States and Canada" (2011; John Borrows)
- "Women and Gender Relations in North America: Historical Issues and Interpretations" (2008; Joan Sangster)
- "Native Americans in North America: History and Anthropology" (2008; Skip Ray)
- "Borderland histories: Historical perspectives of Native People living in the Canada-United States borderland" (2007; Skip Ray)
- "The Benefits and Dangers of Federalism: Experience in the United States, Canada, and Beyond" and "Canada and the United States: Individualism, Paternalism, and the Evolution of Legal Rights in Government Power" (2007; J.W. Jameson Doig)
- “Exploring the New World” (2000; Jonathan Hart)
- “Canadian Poets” (2000; Eva Kushner)
- “Canadian-American Relations” (1998-99; Richard Challener)
- Freshman Seminar: “Federalism in the USA: Rhetoric, Risks and Opportunities” (1996; Jim Doig)
- Graduate seminar on comparative federalism (1996; Jim Doig)
- “Canadian History” (1995; Richard Challener)
- “Canadian Women Writers” (1994-95; Karen McPherson)