Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management
At all levels of government and across the spectrum of partisan persuasion, young people are drawn to politics in this country out of passion and conviction, determined to make a difference in the lives of their fellow citizens.
As political staff to cabinet ministers and elected representatives, strategists and tacticians for political parties, campaign managers and communication officers, policy advocates for civil society organizations and grassroots movements, they are essential to democratic practice and to the institutions and apparatus of contested politics. However, until now there has been no formal education available to them in the professional skills of applied politics in Canada.
In response, Carleton University has created Canada’s first graduate program in political management: an intensive master’s degree designed to provide a professional foundation for students who will go on to leadership roles in the political offices and parties of the nation, and intended to contribute to a more constructive politics and well-informed policy decisions.
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A balanced political life
Bob Rae, interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, spoke to students in the final full class of the year for the first cohort of the Riddell Program in Political Management. Mr. Rae spoke on the balance of work and life in politics and counseled them to value examples and mentors from all party ... more
His Worship, the Mayor
Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa, former Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, and Carleton University graduate, addressed Riddell Program students on differences in the political management of city councils and provincial cabinets.
First Annual Riddell Program Reception
Students in the inaugural cohort of the Master of Political Management hosted the First Annual Riddell Program Reception on April 2 at the Rideau Club. David McLaughlin, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, New Brunswick Premier Bernard Lord, and current Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, delivered an address reflecting on the changing ... more