Diploma Thesis Assessment Report

Thesis Title: Pierre Elliott Trudeau and His Influence on Canadian Politics

Field of Study:

Author: Vojtěch Ulrich

Supervisor: Mgr. Kateřina Prajznerová, Ph.D.

Reviewer: Mgr. Jiří Šalamoun

The overall mark is based in part on the following assessments:

1. 
   Evaluation of central idea, thesis, focus and purpose:
   

2. 
   Evaluation of organization, logic and arrangement:
   

3. 
   Evaluation of topic development, support and evidence:
   

4. 
   Evaluation of language, style, standard usage, citation and bibliographic standards:
   

Comments, and topics and questions for the defence:

However, while the author certainly succeeds in elucidating why Trudeau was perceived as a likeable politician in the first chapter of the thesis, it is actually unclear what purpose this part of the thesis serves as (i) it is not further developed nor linked with the rest of the thesis (How did Trudeau’s being popular influence his political career?); (ii) the author doesn’t use this chapter for promoting of his interpretation of Trudeau’s actions.

The remaining two chapters of the thesis recount Trudeau’s political career and emphasise the importance of his actions for the greater good of Canada and the whole world in general. Although this section is saturated with information, I couldn’t detect the author’s own voice and I would be at a loss were I asked to summarise his own interpretation of Trudeau’s actions. I perceive this to be the weakness of the thesis for the latter chapters do not seem to be more than a very sophisticated and thorough enumeration of the steps Trudeau took. Hence, I would like to ask the author the following questions: Does the thesis introduce Trudeau in new context? If so, what is the context?

Brno, 1 February 2011 ____________________________