Mario Levesque
Associate Professor
Email
Phone
Office
Avard Dixon 220
Biography
My teaching and research focuses on public policy analysis and public administration largely within the Canadian context. Specifically, my research examines relationships between variations in governance arrangements and changes in public policy in order to elaborate strategies for changes in public policy. My interests stem from my previous work in the environmental sector.
Publications
Journal Articles, Book Chapters, Technical Reports
** indicates SSHRC funded
- 2021. Levesque, Mario. "Governance Models for rural accessible transportation: Insights from Atlantic Canada." Disability & Society. 36, no. 1 (2021): 1-27.
- 2020. Marland, Alex, Philip Osborne, and Mario Levesque. "Suing Canadian Governments: Differentiating Between Core Public Policy and Operational Decisions." Canadian Public Administration. 63, no. 4 (2020): 543-562.
- 2020. Levesque, Mario. "The New Brunswick NDP: Trapped in Quicksand and Sinking." Journal of New Brunswick Studies. 12 (Fall 2020): 45-62.
- **2020. Levesque, Mario. "Leadership as Interpreneurship -- A Disability Nonprofit Atlantic Canadian Profile." Politics and Governance. 8, no. 1 (2020): 182-192.
- **2020. Levesque, Mario. "Characteristics of Disability Leaders: An Atlantic Canada Profile." Canadian Journal of Disability Studies. 9, no. 1 (2020): 143-180.
- 2019. Levesque, Mario. "The Constitutional Day After: Government Formation after a Minority Government Result." Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law 43: 307-334.
- 2019. Levesque, Mario and Matthew Klohn. "A Multiple Streams Approach to Understanding Issues and Challenges of Lyme Disease in Canada's Maritime Provinces." International Journal of Environmental and Public Health 16, no. 9 (2019): 1531-1554. Special Issue on Ticks and Lyme Disease.
- 2019. Klain, Andrew and Mario Levesque. "Revisiting the Labrador boundary decision to include Indigenous interpretations of the region." Journal of Canadian Studies 53, no. 1 (2019): 123-151.
- **2017. Clancy, Peter and Mario Levesque. "Exploring Environmental Governance in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: Contested Political Relations in a Canadian Inland Sea." In Building Community Resilience: From Black Horses to White Steeds, edited by Laurie Brinklow and Ryan Gibson, pp. 218-240. Charlottetown: Island Studies Press.
- 2017. Levesque, Mario. "Politically (dis)abled: Persons with disabilities in NL." In Renewing Democracy in Newfoundland & Labrador, edited by Alex Marland and Lisa Moore, 222-225. St. John's: ISER Books.
- 2017. Langford, Brynne and Mario Levesque. "Symbolic and Substantive Relevance of Politicians with Disabilities: A British Columbia Case Study." Canadian Parliamentary Review. 40, no. 2 (Summer 2017): 8-17.
- 2017. Levesque, Mario. “Vulnerable Populations and the permanent campaign: Disability organizations as policy entrepreneurs." In The Permanent Campaign in Canada, eds. Alex Marland, Thierry Giasson and Anna Esselment, pp. 278-297. Vancouver: UBC Press.
- 2016. Levesque, Mario. "Experiencing disability in three small New Brunswick Acadian communities." Canadian Political Science Review 10(1): 109-149.
- 2016. Levesque, Mario and Brynne Langford. “The role of disability groups in the development and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.” Canadian Journal of Disability Studies 5(4): 63-102.
- 2016. Levesque, Mario. City of Dieppe Accessible Transit Study - II Governance Options. Final Report. 47pp.
- 2016. Levesque, Mario. "Of Learning Outcomes and Skills Development." In MTA Teaches, eds. Louise Wasylkiw and Jennifer Tomes, pp. 3-16. Victoria, BC: Friesen Press.
- 2016. Levesque, Mario. “Searching for persons with disabilities in Canadian provincial office.” Canadian Journal of Disability Studies 5(1): 73-106.
- 2016. Levesque, Mario. "New Brunswick." In Big Worlds: Politics and Elections in the Canadian Provinces and Territories, ed. Jared Wesley, pp. 59-81. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- 2015. Fletcher, Steven, Jennifer Howard, Mario Levesque, Kevin Murphy and David Onley. "Disability in Parliamentary Politics." Canadian Parliamentary Review 38(1): 6-13.
- 2015. Levesque, Mario. “Missing in Action: Disability Policy and Persons with Disabilities.” In Canadian Election Analysis 2015: Communication, Strategy, and Canadian Democracy, eds. Alex Marland and Thierry Giasson. Samara/UBC Press.
- 2015. Levesque, Mario. Dieppe Accessible Transit Study. 96pp + Addendums.
- 2014. Levesque, Mario. “Fishing for Change: Fisheries Policy in Newfoundland & Labrador.” In First Among Unequals: Politics and Public Policy in Newfoundland and Labrador in the Danny Williams Era, eds. Alex Marland and Matthew Kerby, pp. 194-212. Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press.
- 2014. Levesque, Mario, Dave Thomas and James Devine. "Lesson learned from the use of simulations as an assessment tool." Association of Atlantic Universities Teaching & Learning Showcase Proceedings.
- 2013. Levesque, Mario and Peter Graefe. “‘Not Good Enough’: Canada’s Stalled Disability Policy.” In How Ottawa Spends, 2013-14, eds. Bruce Doern and Chris Stoney, 172-183. Ottawa: Carleton University Press.
- 2013. Graefe, Peter and Mario Levesque. “Accountability in Labour Market Policies for Persons with Disabilities.” In Overpromising and Underperforming? Understanding and Evaluating New Intergovernmental Accountability Regimes, eds. Peter Graefe, Julie Simmons and Linda White, 127-143. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
- 2013. Levesque, Mario. Bringing Patients In: Patient Engagement Options for New Brunswick Health Care. 83pp. Technical Report for Voices in Harmony Project.
- 2012. Levesque, Mario. “Mapping a way forward: Interest group selection and roles performed in engagement processes.” Canadian Public Administration 55(4): 531-552.
- 2012. Levesque, Mario. “Assessing the Ability of Disability Organizations: An Interprovincial Comparative Perspective.” Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research 3(2): 82-103.
- 2011. Levesque, Mario. “Build it...if you can!”: Discretion, Building Inspectors and Part 8 of the Ontario’s 2006 Building Code.” Canadian Journal of Urban Research 20(1): 103-30.
- 2011. El Dessouky, Naglaa and Mario Levesque. “Stories from the North to the South: Why some sustainable cities initiatives gain significance and become existing public policies?” Interdisciplinary Themes Journal 3(1): 69-83.
- 2010. Graefe, Peter and Mario Levesque. “Impediments to Innovation in the Canadian Social Union: The Case of the Labour Market Agreements for People with Disabilities.” Canadian Public Policy 36(1): 45-62.
- 2010. Levesque, Mario, Erin Kelly, Nick Novakowski, Osman Parpia, Kim Hancock, Shoshannah Ganz, Tom Philpott, Gerard Curtis and Susan Pottle. Response to Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Tire Derived Fuel (TDF) Co-Firing Trial Project Proponent: Corner Brook Pulp & Paper Ltd. (Reg. 1539). Submission to the Department of Environment and Conservation, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. 29 November. 40pp.
- 2010. Levesque, Mario, Angela Carter, Wade Bowers, Ilka Bauer, Gabriela Sabeau, Susan Pottle and Sara Carson. “Response to Newfoundland & Labrador Public Discussion Document “Climate Change: Responding to Climate Change in Newfoundland & Labrador”.” 31 July. 21 pp.
- 2008. Levesque, Mario. Unravelling Nested Institutional Arrangements. PhD Dissertation. Department of Political Science, McMaster University. Hamilton, Ontario.
- 2007. Levesque, Mario. Avenues of Change in Groundwater Governance in Hamilton, On. Technical Report for Environment Hamilton. 138pp.
- 2006 (Automne). Graefe, Peter and Mario Levesque. “La nouvelle gouvernance fédérale et les politiques sociales au Canada : Leçons des ententes en matière de l’intégration en emploi des personnes ayant des handicaps.” Lien Social et Politiques 56, 73-86.
Education
- 2009, Postdoctoral Fellow - University of Western Ontario
- 2008, PhD - McMaster University
- 2004, MA - University of Western Ontario
- 2003, BA (Hons.) - University of Western Ontario
- 1992, Diploma - Agricultural Business Management - Centralia College of Agricultural Technology
Teaching
Courses Taught
- POLS 1001 - Foundations of Politics
- POLS 2101 - Canadian Government and Politics
- POLS 3111 - Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations
- POLS 3141 - Canadian Public Policy
- POLS 3151 - Political Parties and Elections in Canada
- POLS 4121 - Environmental Conflicts in Canada
- POLS 4141 - Interest Groups and Social Movements in Canada
- POLS 4161 - Disability Politics and Policy in Canada
- POLS 4991 - Advanced Public Policy Analysis in Canada
Undergraduate Honours Theses
- 2018-19 - Matthew Klohn - Canadian federalism and Indigenous environmental justice.
- 2015-16 - Brynne Langford - Policy Intersectionality: Responses to aging populations and disability policy.
Student Independent Study Courses
I also supervise students who wish to do an independent study course (POLS 4951-one term; POLS 4950-two terms) on topics related to my teaching and research interests.
- 2019-20
POLS 4951 - Meghan MacAskill - Africville & Anti-Racism in NS
- 2018-19
POLS 4950 - Noah Fry - Comparative Constitutionalism
- 2017-18
POLS 4950 - Tierra Stokes - Disaster Planning and Disability
POLS 4951 - Caitlin Gallant - Environmental Rights and the Charter
- 2016-17
POLS 4951 - Dylan Wooley-Berry - Inclusive Education
POLS 4951 - Kyle Horsman - Disability Rights in Nova Scotia
POLS 4951 - Lily Falk - Indigenous Language Education in Canada
- 2015-16
POLS 4950 - Briana Cowie - Administrative Reform in New Brunswick
POLS 4951 - Andrew Klain - Quebec-Newfoundland Relations
- 2014-15
POLS 4951 - Charlotte Henderson - Education Policy in Canada
POLS 4951 - Lexia Simmons - Comparative Federalism
POLS 4951 - Helen Walsh - Comparative Health Policy
- 2013-14
POLS 4951 - Julia Duncan - Youth Political Engagement
POLS 4951 - Brynne Langford - Disability and the United Nations
POLS 4951 - Veronique Donelle - Ethics and Government
Independent Summer Student Research Projects (funded)
- 2020. Natasha Gosselin - Lyme Diease Policy at the Subnational Level: Lessons for Nova Scotia from Maine, USA
- 2020. Michael Nolan - Wildlife Management and the Prevention of Tick-Vectored Infections
- 2020. Michael Cormier - The Politics of Rural Health Care in the Maritimes
- 2019. Margaret Cameron - Characterizing Media Accounts of Lyme Disease in the Maritimes Post-2000
- 2018. Matthew Klohn - Connecting the Streams: The Politics of Lyme Disease
- 2018. Noah Fry - Equity, Inclusion and Respect: Understanding and Preventing Personal Harassment in Post-Secondary Institutions
- 2015. Charlotte Henderson - The Role of High School Curriculum in the Development of Canadian Citizenship (co-supervised with Dr. F. Antonelli, Sociology)
- 2014. Brynne Langford - The Symbolic Relevance of Politicians with Disabilities in British Columbia
Research
Disability policy (employment, political participation, transit), Environmental policy (common pool resources, transboundary resources conflicts, sustainability, energy from waste), intergovernmental relations, community-based governance, institutional analysis, citizen engagement, federalism.
Grants, awards & honours
2020 Paul Paré Excellence Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to research and excellence in teaching and service.
2016 $47,486 (2 yrs) SSHRC Insight Development Grant. Levesque, Mario. "Fostering the Next Wave of Disability Leaders."
2016 $7,800 – Accessible Transit Study - II Governance Options. City of Dieppe, NB.
2015 $224,042 (4 yrs) SSHRC Insight Grant. Clancy, Peter and Mario Levesque (CO-PIs). “Environmental Governance in the Gulf of St. Lawrence: Contested Political Relations in a Canadian Inland Sea.” See project website at gulfgov.ca
2014 $1,500 – Pilot Project, Disability Leadership. Nova Scotia Disabled Persons Commission.
2014 $4,843 – Dieppe Disability Transit Study. City of Dieppe, NB.
2013 $6,600 – Voices in Harmony Project. Patient engagement subcomponent as part of Voices in Harmony Project. Principal Investigator: Michel Johnson, Université de Moncton.