Critical Concepts

Preface
Acknowledgements
About the Editors
About the Contributors
From the Publisher
PART 1: IDEAS
Chapter 1: Governing Ideas
By Janine Brodie
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Governance, Politics, and Power
- Power To
- Power Over
- Power/Knowledge
1.3 Conclusion: Looking Forward
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 2: Enduring Ideas
By Roger Epp
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Ancient Beginnings of Western Political Philosophy
2.3 Ancient Political Thought
- Socrates, Plato, and The Republic
- Aristotle
- Greek Tragic Worldview and Self-Interrogation
2.4 Early Modern Political Thought
- Politics of Princes: Luther and Machiavelli
- Liberal Ideas
2.5 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 3: Democratic Ideas
By Catherine Kellogg
3.1 Introduction
3.2 A Brief History of Democratic Theory
- Ancient Greek Democracy
- The Middle Ages and Italian Republicanism
- Capitalism and the Liberal Revolution
- Early Liberal Democratic Theory
- Contemporary Liberal Thinkers
- Radical Critiques
- The 2020s: Democracy in Crisis?
3.3 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 4: Radical Ideas
By Sandra Rein
4.1 Introduction
- Radical Ideas and Ideologies
4.2 From Ideas to Ideologies
- Ideology as a Negative Concept
- Ideology as a Neutral Concept
- Ideology Today
4.3 Radical Ideologies?
- Socialism
- Communism
- Fascism
4.4 Isms for Today?
- Anarchism
- Populism
4.5 Radical Ideologies in a (Post-)Pandemic World
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 5: Non-Western Ideas
By Mojtaba Mahvai
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Can Non-Westerners Think? Beyond Western-Centrism
5.3 Alternative and "Multiple Modernities"
5.4 "The Oriental West"? A Global Modernity
5.5 Travelling Ideas: A Hybrid, Glocal Approach
5.6 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
PART 2: IDENTITIES
Chapter 6: Indigenous Peoples, Land, and the UNDRIP
By Isabel Altamirano-Jiminez
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Colonial Pasts and Colonial Presence
6.3 Territoriality and Extractivism
6.4 Recognition But Not Land
6.5 Consent versus Consultation
6.6 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 7: The Politics of Race
By Malinda S. Smith
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Canadian Myth of Racelessness
7.3 The Politics of Race Science
7.4 The Making of a White Settler Society
7.5 Writing Race and the Political
- The Two Founding Races Framework
- Race and Ethnicity
- Racism Denial in Politics
7.6 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 8: Gender and Sexualities
By Alexa DeGagne
8.1 Introduction
- Feminist and Queer Activism
8.2 Who Is Included? Who Can Participate in Political Life?
- The Social Contract
- The Gender Binary
8.3 Why and How is Our Political System Built on Gendered and Sexual Relationships?
- The Sexual Contract
8.4 Where Do Politics Occur? What Is Political?
- The Public and Private Spheres
- The Private Sphere As Political
8.5 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 9: Disability: A Peculiar Politics
By Tanya Titchkosky
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Disability in the Global Context
9.3 Forging the Asocial-Social Character of Disability
9.4 Transportation: An Example of How Concepts Travel
9.5 Disability: A Pharmakon for the Status Quo
9.6 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
Notes
References
Chapter 10: Citizenship and Borders
By Christina Gabriel
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Problematizing Citizenship
10.3 Citizenship-As-Rights
10.4 Citizenship As Status
10.5 Borders
10.6 Globalization, Migration, and Borders
10.7 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
Note
References
PART 3: INSTITUTIONS
Chapter 11: Constitutions and Institutions
By Shauna Wilton
11.1 Introduction
11.2 Constitutions
- Written Constitutions
- Unwritten Constitutions
- Symbolic and Political Components
- Changes, Revisions, and Amendments
11.3 Unitary vs. Federal States
11.4 Branches of Government
- The Legislative Branch
- The Judicial Branch
- The Executive Branch
11.5 Government Roles and Relationships
- Parliamentary vs. Presidential Systems
- Power and Organization
- Parliamentary Supremacy and Responsible Government
11.6 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 12: Elections and Electoral Systems
By Justin Leifso and Daisy Raphael
12.1 Introduction
12.2 The Purpose and History of Elections
12.3 Who Votes? The History of Voting Rights
- Women's Suffrage
- Indigenous Voters
- Black Voters
- Incarcerated Voters & Voters with Criminal Records
- Voters with Disabilities
- Voter Turnout
12.4 Electoral Systems: How Votes Are Cast and Counted
- Single Member Plurality Systems
- Majority Systems
- Proportional Representation Systems
- Single Transferable Voting Systems
- Canada's Electoral System
12.5 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 13: Political Parties
By Daisy Raphael, Justin Leifso, and Janine Brodie
13.1 Introduction
13.2 Political Parties in Historical Perspective
- The Origins of Political Parties
- Political Parties in the US
- Political Parties in Canada
13.3 Categorizing Political Parties
- Duverger's Cadre and Mass Parties
- Doctrinal and Interest-Based Parties
- Pragmatic, Big Tent, Catch-All, or Brokerage Parties
- Data Management in Political Parties
- Populist Parties
13.4 The Politics of the National Interest
13.5 Party Organizations
- Party Membership
- Representation, Diversity, and Barriers to Candidate Selection
13.6 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
Note
References
Chapter 14: "It's Kinda Complicated": Digital Technology and Democracy
By Tamara A. Small and Danielle McNabb
14.1 Introduction
14.2 Why Digital Technology Matter
14.3 Digitally Enabled Politics
- Digital Government
- Digital Campaigning
- Internet Voting
14.4 Digitally Based Politics
- Digital Surveillance
- Misinformation
- Hashtag Activism
14.5 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
Notes
References
Chapter 15: Public Bureaucracy
By Justin Leifso
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Weber and Traditional Bureaucracy
15.3 The Emergence of Professional Bureaucracies
15.4 Transforming Bureaucracy through the Twentieth Century
15.5 Neoliberalism and Bureaucracies
- New Public Management
- The Search for "Innovation"
15.6 Bureaucracies into the Future
15.7 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
PART 4: GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES
Chapter 16: International Relations
By Sean McMahon
16.1 Introduction
16.2 What Are International Relations and Global Politics?
16.3 Key Approaches
- Realism
- Liberalism
- Marxian Theory
16.4 Disruptive Theories
- Constructivism
- Poststructuralism
- Gender Analysis
16.5 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 17: International Orders
By Meenal Shrivastava
17.1 Introduction
17.2 National State: It's Older than You Think
17.3 International Order: A Continuum of Concepts and Structures
- Freedom and Order: ius natural and ius gentium
- Exceptions to ius natural and ius gentium: Imperialism, Colonization, and Slavery
- The Colonial Present
17.4 Current International Order and Future Prospects
17.5 Possible Roads Ahead
17.6 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
Note
References
Chapter 18: International and Global Political Economy
By Randolph Persaud
18.1 Introduction
18.2 Ontology: What Should Be Studied in Political Economy?
- International Political Economy (IPE)
- Global Political Economy (GPE)
18.3 Epistemology: How to Study Political Economy
18.4 Modernization Theory: Endogenous vs. Exogenous Development
18.5 Leadership and Hegemony
- Problem-Solving IPE
- Critical IPE
18.6 Postcolonial IPE
Dependency Theory
- World System Theory (WST)
- Slavery, Racism, and Violence
18.7 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
References
Chapter 19: Political Ecology
By Laurie Adkin
19.1 Introduction
19.2 How Political Ecology Disrupts Political Science
- Political Ecology Sees Social and Natural Worlds as Co-Determining
- Political Ecology Uses Scale
- Political Ecology Reworks Theoretical Approaches
- Political Ecology Has an Explicit Normative Commitment
- Political Ecology Takes a Post-Positivist Approach
19.3 Old Problems Understood in New Ways
- Colonialism and Imperialism
- Development
- Globalized Neoliberal Capitalism
- State Theory and Democracy
- Urban Politics and Land Use Conflicts in the Global North
19.4 New Problems for Political Science
- The Global Climate Crisis
- The Roles of Far-Right Parties in Opposing State Action on Climate Change
- The Biodiversity Crisis
19.5 Conclusion
Summary
Discussion Questions
Additional Resources
Note
References
Glossary
Index

PowerPoint Slides:
- 20-30 slides per chapter
Test Bank:
- 30-35 multiple choise questions per chapter
- 15-20 true/false questions per chapter
- 3-5 short answer questions with sample answers per chapter
Instructor's Manual:
- Chapter overview
- Learning objectives
- Key terms
- 2-3 discussion or debate ideas
- Class assignments and activities
- Sample lecture outlines and suggested lecture topics
- Teaching aids (further readings and recommended videos and websites)

Janine Brodie, Distinguished University Professor Emerita at the University of Alberta, President of the Academy of Social Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada (2019-2022), and a member of the Order of
Canada.

Sandra Rein, Professor of Political Studies at the University of Alberta and the Associate Dean (Research) for the Augustana Faculty.

Malinda S. Smith, Vice Provost (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), Associate Vice President (Research), and Professor of Political Science at the University of Calgary.

Special Features

• A critical and interdisciplinary approach to the core concepts of politics presents the discipline in a way that matters to students today.
• Coverage of new categories of politics in addition to key institutional concepts ensures students have the tools they need to address current issues.
• A spotlight on Indigenous politics, disability, and environmentalism places these topics front and centre in a discipline where they have traditionally been sidelined.
• Canadian and international examples, statistics, and research help students understand politics within both a national and global context.
• Clear, approachable writing offers students a straightforward and interesting reading experience.