“Politics” means different things to different people.
Politics is a broad umbrella for a range of different areas of study and research. The Politics Programme is home to experts in a number of those areas, allowing students to choose from a rich variety of papers and specialise in an aspect of Politics of most interest to them.
Students are welcome to discuss their options with the co-ordinator of each stream.
List of papers offered in 2024
Political Theory
Political Theory deals with the BIG ISSUES: what is a good and just society? What is power? Is freedom always a good thing?
If you want to learn how to engage in thoughtful arguments about politics in its broadest sense, Political Theory is for you.
Co-ordinator
Dr David Jenkins
Email david.jenkins@otago.ac.nz
Papers
- POLS 110 Political Ideas in Action
- POLS 202 Theories of Justice
This paper can also be taken as part of the Criminology Minor. - POLS 224/324 Current Issues in Environmental Politics
- POLS 244 Political Theory: Basic Problems
- POLS 307 Nature, Conflict, and the State
- POLS 323 Marxism: Classical and Contemporary
- POLS 375 Human Rights: From the Cradle to the Grave
- POLS 501 "The Political": Theory & Practice
- POLS 413/513 Political Theory for the Environment
- POLS 475/512 The Ethics and Politics of Resistance
New Zealand Politics/Policy Studies
The politics and policies of government shape our lives in various ways. To understand how and why this is so, you need to do more than read a few electronic news sources – you need to study central aspects of New Zealand Politics.
Accordingly this stream helps you to learn more about New Zealand's governmental institutions and policy-making, elections and political parties, political culture, role of the media, political economy, neoliberalism, class, gender and ethnicity, Māori politics, environmental issues, political inequality, and New Zealand's foreign policy.
Co-ordinator
Associate Professor Brian Roper
Email brian.roper@otago.ac.nz
Papers
- POLS 102 Aotearoa New Zealand Politics – Introduction
- POLS 213 New Zealand Foreign Policy
- POLS 221 New Zealand Political Parties and Elections
- POLS 224/324 Current Issues in Environmental Politics
- POLS 230 Special Topic: Settler State Politics in Aotearoa and Australia
- POLS 237/337 New Zealand Government and Constitution
- POLS 306 Politics and the Media in New Zealand
- POLS 319 Te TIriti / Treaty Politics
- POLS 321 Public Policy in New Zealand
- POLS 330 Politics of Climate Change
- POLS 520 New Zealand Government and Politics
- POLS 521 Politics and Society
International Relations
International Relations (IR) focuses on understanding and explaining the relations between states, issues of war and peace, the possibilities for international cooperation, the causes of inequality, and how the international system evolved and developed.
Co-ordinator
Associate Professor Nicholas Khoo
Email nicholas.khoo@otago.ac.nz
Papers
- POLS 104 International Relations – Introduction
- POLS 213 New Zealand Foreign Policy
- POLS 216 Politics of the European Union
- POLS 218 Interventions, Peacekeeping and the Global South
- POLS 228 Contemporary Issues in Global Politics
- POLS 250 International Security
- POLS 308 United States Foreign Policy since 1945
- POLS 325 International Relations: Concepts and Theories
- POLS 326 Politics of the Arabian Peninsula
- POLS 540 International Relations Theory
- POLS 541 International Relations and the Global South
Comparative Politics / Area Studies
Comparative Politics tries to identify similarities and differences between governmental and political systems, in order to answer questions such as: are some systems more effective than others? how do people participate in politics? does culture affect politics?
Area studies addresses such questions by focusing on particular parts of the world, such as the Middle East or Europe.
Co-ordinator
Associate Professor James Headley
Email james.headley@otago.ac.nz
Papers
- POLS 105 Comparative Politics – Introduction
- POLS 208 Democracy
- POLS 210 Politics of the Middle East
- POLS 216 Politics of the European Union
- POLS 230 Special Topic: Settler State Politics in Aotearoa and Australia
- POLS 315 Nationalism and Identity
- POLS 326 Politics of the Arabian Peninsula
- POLS 330 Politics of Climate Change
- POLS 550 Comparative Regional Conflicts
Questions?
Email politics@otago.ac.nz