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Stephen Clarkson, Ph.d, FRSC (born 1937) is a Canadian political scientist. He is currently a professor of political economy at the University of Toronto. He was educated at Upper Canada College, graduating in 1955.

He was married to Adrienne Clarkson, later to become a CBC Television broadcaster and Governor General of Canada, from 1963 to 1975. He subsequently married the late Christina McCall, a political journalist with whom he co-authored Trudeau and Our Times, a two-volume biography of Pierre Trudeau.

His published works are primarily concerned with two areas of academic interest: the evolution of North America as a continental state, reinstitutionalized by NAFTA and two decades of neo-conservatism; and the impact of globalization and trade liberalization on the Canadian state. In the field of International Relations, Clarkson's works primarily fall under the World Systems Theory paradigm, focusing on the relationships between states and institutions based on class structure, placing Canada as a peripheral or semi-peripheral state in comparison to the core state to which Canada is dependent.

His other books include Uncle Sam and Us: Globalization, Neoconservatism and the Canadian State, published in 2002; and Global Governance and the Semi-peripheral State: The WTO and NAFTA as Canada's External Constitution in Governing under Stress: Middle Powers and the Challenge of Globalization

In 1969, Clarkson ran for the position of Mayor of Toronto as the official nominee of the municipal Liberals in Toronto. He placed third. His 1972 book, City Lib: Parties and Reform, is an examination of the issues facing cities and makes the case for political parties at the municipal level. It is also a humorous and self-deprecating look at his own unsuccessful foray into municipal politics.

He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2004 [1]

• Audio interview with THECOMMENTARY.CA