POL ATLAS2026–27All coursesInternational Relations
POL107H1Fall 2026100-level

What Went Wrong? A Post Mortem of Political Disasters, Catastrophic Policy Failures, and Epic Marches of Folly

International Relations

Session
FallFall 2026
Weight
0.50.5 credit (half course)
Standing
OfferedListed for 2026–27
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01

The course

Why do individuals, groups, and societies continue to be the source of catastrophes they could have seen coming? This course explores the record of avoidable disasters across different levels of analysis, from the local to the international, in an attempt to answer this question. While investigating ‘What Went Wrong?’ students will be introduced to core political science theories and basic social science research skills.
02

The particulars

Exclusions

POL486H1 (Topics in International Politics I: What Went Wrong? A Post Mortem of Political Disasters, Policy Failures and Marches of Folly), offered in Winter 2019 and Winter 2020; POL487H1 (Topics in International Politics II: Offered in Winter 2018)

03

Pathways

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04

Reading the code

POLPolitical ScienceDepartment of Political Science
107100-levelYear of study this course sits in
HHalf course0.5 credit (FCE)
1St. GeorgeDowntown Toronto campus
FFall sessionFirst term, Sept–Dec 2026