Elections
POLS 421
Fall 2026
3 Units
In-person
3
one-way Exclusions
Course Description
An examination of the importance of elections to the maintenance of democratic systems. Six themes are discussed: the history and theory of democratic participation; the legal framework; campaign organization; why people vote the way they do; the manifestation of social cleavages during campaigns; and the future of electoral participation. Canadian examples are placed in a comparative context.
Learning Outcomes
- Think critically about how marginalization on account of gender, race and ethnicity, Indigeneity, class / socioeconomic status, and analogous factors affects electoral politics, participation, and/or representation.
- Analyze contemporary problems within elections and campaigns in light of conceptual frameworks and empirical evidence presented in the class.
- Critically analyze rules and practices that structure electrons, and provide a perspective on whether they support democratic principles.
- Effectively communicate about different dimensions of elections and apply that knowledge about new elections and campaigns.
- Explain why elections are central to the democratic process.
- Identify and assess the major theoretical accounts of voter turnout and vote choice.
- Identify major challenges in elections today.
- Think critically about how elections relate to democratic principles.