Political Science

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's Department of Political Science.

Research outputs are organized by type (eg. Master Thesis, Article, Conference Paper).

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The 2006 Russia-Ukraine Natural Gas Dispute: A mechanisms based approach
(University of Waterloo, 2009-08-26T18:57:05Z) Daley, Stephen
This thesis addresses the factors which lead the Russian government to increase natural gas prices for Ukraine in 2006. Through the use of methodological individualism, an explanation which links system, state, and individual levels of analysis is constructed. The system level variables concerned include global energy prices and the increasing importance of Turkmen natural gas to Russia and other regional gas consumers. State level variables, include changes in Russia’s patrimonial society (changing source of rents, increased authoritarianism); and increasing state control over Russia’s natural gas industry. Changes in these conditioning factors influence individuals’ beliefs about their preferred source of rents, and the nature of their rent seeking and distributing. The resulting actions bring about variations in Russia’s natural gas price for Ukraine. This framework is tested over three time periods (1995-1999, 2000-2004, 2004-2008) selected based on the nature of the conditioning variables over those years. Evidence from these case studies suggests that the above mentioned factors played a large role in the Russian government’s decision. Further, it is concluded that methodological individualism offers a way to bring together system, state, and individual levels of analysis when explaining this event, and perhaps other events in international politics.
A Bridge Over Troubled Waters: Should Canada Allow Mental Illness as the Sole Underlying Medical Condition for Accessing Medical Assistance in Dying?
(University of Waterloo, 2024-09-10) Rossi, Michael
Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) regime was set to expand its eligibility criteria on March 17, 2024, to allow mental illness as an acceptable sole underlying condition (MAID MI-SUMC) until Bill C-62 rapidly received Royal Assent in late February 2024, delaying this expansion until March 17, 2027. Those who oppose allowing mental illness as a sole condition for MAID often cite fears of what would happen in Canada should MAID MI-SUMC become legal. However, proponents counter these claims with relevant facts, statistics, and information to demonstrate that MAID MI-SUMC can be effectively incorporated in Canada. This study uses evidence from countries with MAID but that do not allow MI-SUMC (Australia, New Zealand, and the United States), and countries with MAID MI-SUMC (the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg) to examine why these countries oppose and allow this legislation, respectively. Using this evidence, this Thesis then focuses on the Canadian context to address the concerns of opponents on why they are adamant that MAID MI-SUMC should not become an acceptable part of Canada’s MAID regime. Incorporating studies conducted by proponents and evidence from permissive jurisdictions helps to find that opponents’ fears are unsubstantiated. Using a rights-based approach, this Thesis observes that the rights of individuals who solely suffer from a mental illness and wish to access MAID are infringed upon, resulting in a call for legislative changes to occur.
Against the Grain: Globalization and Agricultural Subsidies in Canada and the United States
(University of Waterloo, 2003) Wipf, Kevin
This thesis investigates whether developments associated with globalization and regional integration have caused the levels of government support provided to agricultural producers in Canada and the United States to converge in a downward direction. The literature is sharply divided as to whether governments retain the ability to pursue an independent agricultural policy course. To shed light on this debate, the levels of government assistance payments made to farmers in six contiguous Canadian provinces and American states (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana) are compared over the 1990-2001 period. This time-frame allows for sufficient periods both before and after the establishment of NAFTA and the WTO to study the effects of these developments on the relevant policy outcomes. After outlining the programs and policy changes that drove the shifts in levels of government support provided to farmers, the paper argues that although the levels of government payments made to farmers in the six sub-units converged in the mid-1990s, they diverged thereafter. The evidence drawn from this examination supports the contention that governments do possess considerable room to manoeuvre in the agricultural policy making arena and significant ability to chart an independent policy course.
Al-Wala wa-l-Bara and the Western Foreign Fighters of the Islamic State
(University of Waterloo, 2019-04-30) Durrani, Hamid
Addressing the question of the Islamic State’s foreign fighters not only necessitates a thorough understanding of their state of mind or psychology, but also the firm ideological beliefs in their hearts and minds. There are many studies that focus on the earthly pursuits of the Islamic State’s Western fighters but they tend to fall short because they do not adequately address the religious aspects. As it appears, Salafi-jihadism and Wahhabism are the central philosophies of the Islamic State’s religious roots. Heavily relying on qualitative data, this study aims to unveil whether hijrah to the Caliphate or rallying to its cause at home correlates with the Islamic State’s emphasis on the distinctly Salafi and particularly Wahhabi doctrine called al-Wala wa-l-Bara. This study first explains the historical and theological contexts of the doctrine. Second, it examines the extent to which the doctrine was preached by the Islamic State to sway Muslims to support its cause. Third, it examines the statements of some Western foreign fighters of the Caliphate to trace the significance of the doctrine. Finally, through interviews with imams & muftis, it introduces the understanding of the doctrine among Muslims living in Western society. The study reveals that the doctrine was directly introduced or quoted to Muslims living in the Western societies in thirteen of fifteen issues of Dabiq, and in eight of the twelve available issues of Rumiyah. The examined statements of the Western fighters, who fought in the Caliphate, tried to travel to the Caliphate, or raised arms at home, clearly indicated the influence of the doctrine and its importance to their decision-making process and its significance to their everyday life in the West. According to all the imams & muftis interviewed, hijrah to the Islamic State, and terrorist attacks in the West were highly driven by the teachings of al-Wala wa-l-Bara. All the interviewed participants argued that the doctrine is considered a threat, if misinterpreted or misunderstood by an individual.
Amplifying “Keep It in the Ground” First-Movers: Toward a Comparative Framework
(Society & Natural Resources, 2020-06-17) Carter, Angela V.; McKenzie, Janetta
This article offers a framework for analyzing and extending the recent wave of national “keep it in the ground” (KIIG) bans on fossil fuel exploration and production. We situate this discussion in new theoretical work on decarbonization acceleration and then present an overview of KIIG movement and policy development. Next, drawing on the burgeoning supply side climate policy literature, we outline major barriers to constraining fossil fuel development, then focus on identifying conditions most conducive for KIIG policy. These include locally-rooted campaigns, the development of a pro-KIIG constituency that is horizontally dense and vertically integrated, resonant message framing, and support by well-placed norm entrepreneurs. We argue that early national efforts to keep fossil fuels in the ground demark a critical juncture in global climate policy. Understanding the trajectory of these bans is a first step in extending these initiatives as part of the pathway to carbon neutrality by 2050.
Argument and Identity Change in the Atlantic Security Community
(Sage, 2009-02-01) Kitchen, Veronica
The Atlantic community shares more than just dependable expectations of peaceful change. Its members also share a reflexive political community they sense is worth preserving and a view that their security is intertwined. Existing accounts of the Atlantic security community have identified the importance of renewed emphasis on common values as a factor in preserving and expanding the security community after the Cold War. But, debates at the end of the Cold War also turned on the question of what the allies would do together and what responsibilities they had to each other and to other states. This article outlines a discursive framework and a set of rhetorical strategies used by members of the Atlantic community that explain how they worked to maintain and change their community during debates about their mandate for cooperation. This framework is then applied to the Atlantic community's debates over common action during the Yugoslav wars.
The Balancing Act: Economic Determinism and Humanism in Marxism
(University of Waterloo, 2007-09-25T23:39:39Z) Taylor, Christopher Leighton
I argue that there are two interpretations of the Marxist dialectic, both of which examine how human beings interact with objects around them conceptually and how society evolves over time, from different points of view. In the present paper, I undertake three tasks. First, I demonstrate that there is a clear difference between these two strains of Marxist thought which I here call humanist and determinist. Second, I show how Marxist thought has evolved from Hegel and Marx to the present in light of these two different models. Last, I argue that the determinist model is flawed, and that the humanist model stands as a more solid logical and epistemological perspective for Marxist theory.
Canada en(counters) terrorism: US-Canada relations and counter-terrorism policy
(Taylor and Francis, 2009-01-15) Kitchen, Veronica; Sasikumar, Karthika
This paper examines the role of identity in shaping counter-terrorism policy in Canada. We show that identity functions in three ways: constitutively by defining the range of choices a state is likely to consider; strategically by being a resource to buttress arguments based in economic or sovereignty interests; and heuristically by using identity as a marker for risk. This three-faceted explanation helps explain why, despite close economic, social, and political links between Canada and the United States which might lead us to expect Canada to follow American counter-terrorism policy, Canadian counter-terrorism policy often diverges from the American lead.
Challenging Collaborative Consumption at a Critical Juncture: Airbnb in the Matrix of Gentrification and Colonization
(University of Waterloo, 2021-04-30) Vinik, Viktoriya
Ten years since the nationwide J14 housing protests against Israel’s increasing cost of living, affordable housing remains just as scarce, even prompting some city-dwellers to seek cheaper living in West Bank settlements – a military-occupied Palestinian Territory. Given that Israel is often called the Start-Up Nation, Airbnb’s rise in Tel Aviv-Yaffo and West Bank settlements was exceptional. Thus, my thesis aims to determine Airbnb’s role in the Tel Aviv-Yaffo housing crisis and the West Bank settlement economy. My research demonstrates the ways in which Airbnb accelerates the existing historic trends in Tel Aviv-Yaffo and the West Bank by introducing new capital flows via the sharing platforms. While existing Israeli literature on Airbnb’s activity in Tel Aviv-Yaffo has done an adequate job of addressing the phenomenon as a policy and legal issue, none have understood it within Israel-Palestine’s gentrification-colonization matrix. My contribution is applying Anglo gentrification literature to consider how these activities unfold in particular ways within Israel-Palestine’s unique colonial context. Through a post-colonial lens, my thesis reveals how Airbnb has exacerbated the housing crisis by converting residential units into illegal hotels, displaced marginalized Jews in south Tel Aviv-Yaffo, turned human rights violations into tourist attractions, and further displaced Palestinian Arabs living both within and outside the Green Line.
Change in International System: a Comparative Study of Hierarchic and Anarchic Systems
(University of Waterloo, 2005) Yazgan, Korhan
This thesis focuses on change and persistence of the structure of the international system. It attempts to address the question why hierarchic structures prevailed during the Ancient and Classical eras (3000 B. C. ? 1500 A. D. ). The thesis compares and contrasts the Roman Empire (the Pax Romana period 1st century B. C. -3rd century A. D. ) and the Chinese Empire (the T?ang Dynasty 618-907 A. D. ) as hierarchic structures and the multi-state system of ancient Greece (8th-4th century B. C. ) and the multi-state system of ancient China (The Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Period 722-221 B. C. ) as anarchic structures. The thesis suggests that the moral purpose of the state, the competitive security environment, the desire for benefits and geopolitical and strategic advantages played the major role in the immediate transformation from anarchy to hierarchy. The thesis asserts that the generation of common goods, the decline in transaction costs and the success in securing the commitment of the members and the legitimacy of the system enabled and encouraged the persistence of hierarchic structures. It also re-emphasizes that whereas the persistence of hierarchic systems depends on the existence of several factors, only one factor can promote the persistence of anarchic structures e. g. the moral purpose of the state.
Chaoulli v. Québec (Attorney General): Understanding Provincial Reactions to the Decision
(University of Waterloo, 2007-05-18T19:37:34Z) Sadler, Daniel J.
This thesis focuses on provincial reactions to the Supreme Court decision on 5 June 2005, Chaoulli v. Quebec (Attorney General). In this decision, the Court struck down the government of Québec’s ban on private insurance for publicly-insured services, on the grounds it violated the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, while the decision on the Canadian Charter ended in a 3:3 tie with one abstention. It is the purpose of this research to examine the reactions of each provincial government to the decision in an attempt to understand why each province responded in its chosen manner. In order to make this determination, four hypotheses were constructed in order to test four separate variables: court interference, current law, ideology, and political calculation. These hypotheses were tested against provincial reactions in the media, legislatures, court documents, and E-mail administered questionnaires. This research finds that each hypothesis had some success in predicting provincial reactions to the decision, with a government’s current law and ideology proving to be the most accurate predictors. Based on the evidence gathered, three conclusions were arrived at: first, a government’s law and its ideology will often predict how a government will behave; second, that governments are open to Supreme Court decisions in the area of health care, and, finally, that if provincial governments were to make the decision to increase the role of the private sector in health care, political leaders would require public opinion be in support of such a decision rather than act solely on an ideological predisposition to greater private sector involvement.
Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in North America: Comparing Canadian and U.S. Attitude
(University of Waterloo, 2013-09-27T14:49:27Z) Zhao, Jierui
As China’s economy becomes larger—naturally, the global outflow of China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) has also been increasing at a rapid pace. One of the most popular regions for Chinese investment today is North America. Yet despite China’s great enthusiasm to invest in Canada and the US, Chinese firms have received much antagonism in North America. Often times, Chinese acquisitions are viewed in a negative light, and are even denied on grounds which appear to be erroneous. This study asks an important question: what are the political reasons and conditions behind the acceptance and rejection of recent Chinese FDI in North America? To answer this question, this study analyzed and compared Canada and the US in great detail. By observing the sectorial distribution of Chinese FDI, the institutional constructs, as well as the most controversial cases of Chinese takeovers in both countries, the study has found that hegemonic competition and institutional structure plays a major role in the evaluation of Chinese FDI. Hegemonic competition creates the perception that Chinese FDI is a threat in the US, while the institutional structure in US allows the negative perceptions of China to influence the FDI evaluation process. Derived from the two major factors, secondary factors such as the policy preference of lawmakers, as well as the type of FDI itself are also important determinants of Chinese FDI in North America. As a result, Chinese FDI is more likely to be denied in America. While in Canada, due to the absence of a Sino-Canadian rivalry, Chinese FDI is perceived with more normalcy. Hence, Chinese FDI is less likely to be denied in Canada.
Civilisational values and political economy beyond the West: The significance of Korean debates at the time of its economic opening
(Taylor and Francis, 2017-12-06) Helleiner, Eric; Chey, Hyoung-kyu
This paper analyses the prominence of civilisational values in Korean political economy debates in the late 19th and early 20th centuries concerning their country’s dramatic opening to the world economy at the time. Korean supporters of economic opening saw this policy change as part of a wider embrace of Western civilisational values, while opponents argued that their country’s longstanding economic autarchy upheld traditional Neo-Confucian civilisational values that had been imported from China. For international political economy (IPE) scholars interested in the historical relationship between civilisational values and political economy, the analysis shows how these values shaped understandings of international economic relations outside the West in quite distinctive ways. For IPE scholars interested in the diffusion of ideas, the analysis highlights different dynamics involved in the ‘localisation’ of ideas emanating from dominant powers. More generally, the study of this Korean history also contributes to the building of a more ‘inter-civilisational’ approach to IPE today.
Collaboration, Competition, and Coercion: Canadian Federalism and Blood System Governance
(University of Waterloo, 2004) McDonald, Adam
The blood supply occupies a special place within the provincial public health systems: it is something that Canadians expect to be safe, well run, and available when needed. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Canadian blood system dealt with a significant crisis: a tainted blood scandal. The federal Commission of Inquiry into the Blood System in Canada issued a report condemning, among other things, the governance structure of Canada's blood system. As a result, the provincial and federal governments worked to make changes to the way they funded, oversaw, and regulated the blood industry in Canada. It appears that the changes they instituted resulted in an improved blood system and improved the relationship between the governments and the blood system. Traditional models of federalism do not account for how the federal and provincial governments interacted. In their response to a crisis that affected thousands of Canadians, there were elements of collaboration, competition, and coercion. It is possible that a new "mode" of federalism is emerging as a result of these changes; it is more likely, however, that the crisis forced the governments to collaborate and create a national system to supply Canadian needs.
Conservative Economic Nationalism and the National Policy: Rae, Buchanan and Early Canadian Protectionist Thought
(Cambridge University Press, 2019-09) Helleiner, Eric
Two distinct strands of conservative Canadian economic nationalism—associated with the ideas of John Rae and Isaac Buchanan—helped to inform the country’s protectionist National Policy of 1879. These strands of nationalism were much less influenced by Listian ideas than was economic nationalist thought in many other countries at this time. This study of their content, intellectual sources and influence contributes empirically and analytically to debates in Canadian political economy and international political economy, while also advancing historical scholarship. The arguments also have some potential contemporary relevance in an age when protectionist economic nationalism is rising in the US and elsewhere.
Corporate Power and Changes to Provincial Environmental Regulation During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic
(University of Waterloo, 2024-03-14) LaBrash, Danielle
How have Canada’s largest oil producing provinces altered key environmental policies since the onset of COVID-19, in response to the dual pressures of an oil sector in distress and the imperative to reduce emissions? While regulatory changes have been reported in the media, they have not yet been systemically reviewed or explained; this project aims to fill that gap. Oil markets went into crisis in early 2020 as oil prices plummeted following an oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia and the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, the global community has entered into a critical decade in climate history: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that a sharp reduction in emissions over the next decade is needed to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Government policy interventions in this moment are both determining the future of the oil sector and defining possibilities for climate change mitigation. This thesis analyzes changes to regulations made by the oil-producing provinces of Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador at this critical moment. Conducting a full review of provincial regulatory changes during the pandemic, I find that in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic Canada’s oil provinces demonstrated a clear pattern of supporting the oil sector by weakening provincial environmental regulation surrounding the sector. Regulatory changes observed in 2020 can be explained in part by considering corporate power, and strategies used by oil corporations to influence government, in each province. These changes to provincial regulatory frameworks shape Canada’s response to the ongoing economic and climate crises, and further expose Canadians to both the risks of climate change and the economic risk of an oil sector in long-term decline.
Corporate Social Responsibility Performance and Transparency in Canada’s Natural Resource Sector
(University of Waterloo, 2019-08-16) Billedeau, David Benjamin
This study assesses levels of corporate social responsibility and transparency in reporting within Canada’s natural resources sector. The annual reports of the top listed companies (by market capitalization) on the Toronto Stock Exchange are examined for select sustainability key performance indicators. In all, the annual reports of 49 mining companies, 25 oil and gas companies, and 20 utilities and pipeline companies were examined to extract information on: labour; finance; social investment; environment; and, corporate governance. Despite the Government of Canada’s introduction of a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy, the country is still dependent on natural resource extraction and export for its economic prosperity. Therefore, it is important to understand the broader impact of these operations—as well as the level of transparency these companies are providing to the Canadian public. This research strives to answer four questions concerning the sustainability performance and transparency of major Canadian companies: 1. Are companies operating in Canada’s natural resources sector providing an acceptable degree of transparency to the public? 2. What policy recommendations can be adopted to ensure greater transparency in operations? 3. What are the major areas of concern in CSR performance? 4. Are companies within the natural resources sector aligning with best CSR practices? Data collection and analysis reveals a significant lack of reporting on select key performance indicators, as well as considerably poor sustainability performance in some measures—a deviance that is considered outside of the values signaled by the Government of Canada.
A Critical Discourse Analysis of the Representation of Women in Canadian Armed Forces Policies and its Connection to Sexual Assault
(University of Waterloo, 2017-09-12) Vinken, Jamie
This thesis considers the connection between the policy and culture of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), representation of women and the prevalence of sexual assault. I analyzed how the policies and discourse of the CAF contribute to the permissive environment for sexual assault within the institution. Through this analysis I have found that the policies of the CAF do not substantively represent victims and do not contribute to a change in culture. The CAF, as with any culture, is resistant to change and the outdated policies contribute to this. Policies, as a guiding factor in the behaviour of CAF members, must be updated to include clear, direct wording that is substantively representative of victims of sexual assault. Although new documentation, like Operation HONOUR has been recently released, the policies in the QR&Os and DAODs must be adjusted.
Cyclical Violence in Jonglei State: The Deadly Shift in the Practice of Cattle Raiding
(University of Waterloo, 2013-09-04T20:08:59Z) Legassicke, Michelle
One of the greatest post-conflict problems in South Sudan, which has emerged as a threat to the nation’s security, has been the deadly clashes between tribes during cattle raids. This thesis examines why cattle raiding shifted from a relatively non-violent rite of passage to the primary manifestation of tribal conflict in South Sudan, and whether it is possible to reverse this shift. This thesis proposes a unique approach to the topic by analyzing two underlying causes: insecurity in Jonglei State and a breakdown of traditional governance structures – as well as how their combination has led to the shift. This thesis focuses on a case study of Jonglei State, as it has experienced the largest number of instances of conflict attributed to cattle raiding in South Sudan. Furthermore, current attempts to reduce conflict through increased security and disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration programs have failed as they only address problems of insecurity. I will be comparing two periods of cattle raiding in Jonglei: the current conflict from 2009 until the present, and a historical review of cattle raids focusing on governance of the raids. The review will not cover any specific time period as it aims to identify what aspects of the tradition contributed to a reduced scale of violence before the shift in 2009. Insecurity has caused the increase in clashes, while disconnections to traditions have caused the increase in violence. To address these problems, traditional leadership structures and the de facto rules that structured raids must be re-established in order to produce a long-term solution.
Dealer Bank Influence and the International Political Economy of Over-the-Counter Derivatives Regulation: The Introduction of Mandatory Margin Requirements for Non-Centrally Cleared Derivatives after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008
(University of Waterloo, 2019-01-23) Spagna, Irene
Prior to the global financial crisis of 2008, large dealer banks exercised strong influence over the regulation of OTC (over-the-counter) derivatives in the United States and the European Union. Has there been any change in their influence over policy outcomes in the regulation of OTC derivatives in these two jurisdictions since the global financial crisis of 2008? If so, why? If not, why not? This thesis addresses these questions by analyzing the post-crisis introduction of mandatory margin requirements for non-centrally cleared derivatives. It argues that this regulatory innovation reveals a significant decrease in dealer bank influence. Shifting from a position of dominance before the crisis, the dealer banks’ influence over this regulatory reform process was significantly reduced. To explain this change, the thesis argues that the influence of dealer bank preferences over regulatory outcomes in this sector is moderated by a number of variables. Based on a survey of literature in international political economy (IPE), it identifies six moderators whose effect individually and jointly shapes the degree of bank influence over policy outcomes: business unity, public issue salience, policy-makers’ ideational outlook, the state of the transnational policy community, inter-state power relations, and the domestic institutional environment. Prior to the crisis, all six moderators individually and jointly operated to the banks’ advantage. The crisis, however, caused an exogenous shock to the system, resulting in a fundamental reconfiguration, and corresponding reduction in influence. Theoretically, this dissertation speaks to the literature analyzing private financial sector influence over financial regulation. Specifically, it contributes to the literature that conceives of ‘influence over policy outcomes’ as a moderated condition by exploring the role of the six variables in moderating the influence of dealer bank preferences over regulatory outcomes in this sector. Empirically, it provides the first detailed analysis of some important elements of the margin reform, which, despite the enormous significance of derivatives to the global economy, has received little scholarly attention. The margin reform represents a sea change in terms of the governance of the uncleared market, but it has not been accompanied with broader change reaching beyond the efforts of addressing ‘systemic risk’.

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