PSCI 231Government and Business
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Arts
- Subject
- Political Science
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: not on the schedule. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
Students will gain an understanding of the relationship between government and business within the capitalist system. Through a variety of critical thinking, writing, and reading exercises, students will be introduced to a political economy approach in assessing the politics of business and work, governance of the national and global economy, and the key eras, issues, and policies that have come to shape government and business.
Prerequisites
- Students must be in level 2A or higher
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 081 | 3429 | 149 / 150 | Online or by arrangement |
Reviewed on UW Flow
32% liked it59% easy26% useful
From 62 ratings and 14 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
This course is SOOOOO BORING. The prof doesnt show much interest in the course content but this may just be her personality. The course is very dry and includes unecessary "homework assignments". The content is so dry you might as well teach yourself. If you take this course go to the tutorials or you will not survive
Oct 2017 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Very easy to do well in, 30% for participation
Nov 2016 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
ARBUS: Unless you're especially interested in this topic, I would recommend taking one of the other courses.
Jul 2015 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Very easy, especially if you have taken ECON 102.
Mar 2015 · liked it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Requires you to attend office hours for marks, doesn't really go into depth on what to expect from exams
Sep 2014 · didn’t like it · 1 found this helpfulOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
32 posts and comments in 24 threads mention PSCI 231, December 2011 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Spring 2023
PSCI 231 1 point, 2 comments
u/Budget_Role_8898: “Hey everyone, I'm taking PSCI 231 this term and I was wanted to ask the people who have taken it in the past to share their experiences and describe how difficult or easy it is. Were the discussions daunting? And how were the tests? Thanks in advance!”
Spring 2022
PSCI 231. Who took this course? What’s the discussion like? I’m assuming showing up to lecture is prolly mandatory if we’re gonna have a weekly discussion? 0 points, 1 comment
u/triviahobii: “tbh the courseload looks pretty reasonable. arbus 200 and psci 231 arent too bad, if youre a psci student you should be good :)”
u/Radiant_Influence448: “… I would not recommend taking psych 291, arbus 200, and psci 231 in the same semester. While arbus 200 has a lot to do, psych 291 and psci 231 has a lot of content to learn so it can get overwhelming. …”
Spring 2021
which is easier: hist 113 or psci 231? 1 point, 1 comment
u/therealwhamen: “i was getting ready for my arbus course selections for this fall and there’s a choice between hist 113 and psci 231. i just wanted to know which one is easier and/or requires lesser effort? could i also possibly get some insight on how many essays/quizzes i’d need to submit? …”
u/notanazi420: “I took psci 231- it had a lot of econ and I found it too difficult for it just to be a required course. I do not recommend it. A friend took HIST 113 and I believe she said it was boring but tolerable. …”
Fall 2020
Anyone do the test for PSCI 231? How did it go? Anything in particular to study for? 0 points, 0 comments
Can someone send me the course syllabus for hist 113? Are all the assessments on learn quiz? Also, is it easier than psci 231 2 points, 1 comment
u/Deputy_Dan: “… I can't speak to PSCI 231, I didn't take it.”
Spring 2020
psci 231 textbook (spring 2020) 2 points, 0 comments
Fall 2019
PSCI 231 Notes?? 1 point, 4 comments
u/UroojT: “Hey I'm taking PSCI 231 as a requirement for ARBUS and I was wondering if someone could bless me with their notes from the textbook readings?? Really really appreciate it 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻”
PSCI 231 - is the textbook useful? 3 points, 2 comments
u/cribblindepression: “I'm taking PSCI231 this term and there are two required textbooks. I found a pdf for one of them online for free, but couldn't find the other one (MCBRIDE ET AL:PRIVATE AFFLUENCE PUBLIC AUSTERITY). …”
PSCI 231 or SPCOM 204? 2 points, 3 comments
u/throwawayyyyyyyshshs: “Which is easier and less time consuming? My other courses are pretty heavy with weekly essays etc and I want to take a lighter course. Please let me know your thoughts!”
u/masked_mannequin: “PSCI 231 at least when I had it was about 40% participation. 20% in class, and 20% in tutorials (which includes a tutorial presentation). There were 2 in class tests worth 20% each and a paper worth 20%. …”
Winter 2019
ARBUS 1 point, 2 comments
u/uwfxk: “Has anyone taken PSCI 231 or PHIL 215 before? How is it?”
Fall 2018
"easy" major but still didn't get into law school - now what?! 2 points, 17 comments
u/Due_Rule: “… financially, I'm in Arbus with econ as a major (2a) only really took 2 spcom as electives, psci231 was below 70% and phil110b was below 70% - I guess essays isn't my strong point? …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them