How does the Queen get their her position? And how long does she stay?
Born into it
Passed through Royal family
Stays all her life
Who is the Governor Governor in the Federal Government? What are the duties?
Represents the Queen in Canada
Signs bills into laws
"Royal consent"
Protects integrity of government
Performs ceremonial tasks
How does the Governor General get their position? How long do they stay?
Appointed by Queen with advice from Prime Minister
Can change when there is a new PM
Who is the Lieutenant-Governor in the Federal Government? What are the duties?
Represents the Queen in each province
Signs bills into laws
"Royal Consent"
Performs ceremonial tasks
Protects integrity of government
Who is the Prime Minister in the Federal Government? What are the duties?
Had and leader of federal government and nation
Leader of national party in power
Speaks on behalf of Canadian citizens Spokesperson for the party
Carries out laws and regulations
Most powerful person in Parliament
Meets and negotiates with foreign leaders
How does the Prime Minister get their position? How long do they stay?
Leader of the national power in power
Party with the most elected seats in government
Stays for 4-5 years; possible re-election
Who is the Cabinet in the Federal Government? What are the duties?
Head of the federal government
Head of department (labour, foreign affairs, etc)
Examines laws, budgets, issues
"Ministers" member of Cabinet
Help decide what government policy should be
Expected to show support for PM and with each other (Cabinet Solidarity)
How do the Cabinet get their position? How long do they stay?
Selected by PM
Stay asking as theirs regimes are in power
Until they lose the support to their PM
Who are the Senate in the Federal Government? What are the duties?
The Upper Class
Suggest modification to legislation passed by House of Commons
Checks the House of Commons
Power to pass and change laws by House of Commons
Pass bills into laws
Sit on various committees to address current issues
People have had doubts about keeping the Senate (represents Ontario and Quebec more)
How do the Senate get their position? How long do they stay?
Appointed by Governor General, recommended by PM
Not elected
Can serve until they are 75 years old
Who are the House of Commons in the Federal Government? What are the duties?
Lower Class
Members of Parliament
Elected to serve voters
Supports their party positions
Debate issues and government policies
Discuss and vote
Some sit on the government benches (belong one support the political party that Forms government)
Some are from the opposite parties (constructive criticism, alternative policies)
Participate in debating forums where government presents plans, ideas and bills into laws
Members of Parliament elect one of their members to be the Speaker of the House
How do the House of Commons get their position? How long do they stay?
They win an election in their riding
They stay until they lose an election
Who are the Supreme Court of Canada in the Federal Government? What are the duties?
Final court of appeal
Power to interpret laws and determine penalties
Made up of justices or judges
Highest court in Canada
9 judges (3 from Ontario, 3 from Quebec, 2 from Western, 1 from Atlantic
Not involved with the other two branches of government
Who are the Public Service?
Civil Service or Bureaucracy
People who conduct the daily business of government
And government employee
Who are the members of Legislative Assembly?
MLPs
Members of Provincial Parliament (MPs)
Elected to serve the voters
Follow instructions of their party leader when they vote
The House considers proposals for new laws (bills), and it passes, changes and repeals laws
Authorizes provincial taxes
Any government employee
Some oppose and some support the political government that forms the government
Who is the Speaker of the House in the House of Commons?
Responsible for keeping ordering debates
Members of Parliament elect one of their members as the speaker
Who are the Cabinet of Ministers?
Members elected by PM to be responsible for different areas of public property
Chosen from MPs of the PM's party or any MP
Direct government policy
Who is the Leader of the Official Opposition in the House of Commons?
The leader of the official opposition usually is e leader of the second largest party in Parliament
Repenting clear alternative to government policy & suggesting damned,emits to the government's legislative agenda
Who are the Shadow Cabinet in the House of Commons?
The Leader of Official Opposition selects a Shadow Cabinet
Take on the same responsibilities as the embers of Cabinet
Who are the Members of Parliament?
Elected to serve voters
Usually follow instructions of their political party leader when they vote in the House of Commons
Some oppose and some support the political party in power
What is a Provincial Legislature?
Provincial Parliament
Consist of a Lieutenant- governor that represents the Queen
How do the judges get their position? How long do they stay?
Judges are judges until they choose to resign or retire
Responsibility to make fair and unbiased judgements
Might be chosen for their political views rather than merit or skills
Are Canadians subject to the rule?
Yes, regardless of rank, power, wealth, or position they responsible to obey laws
What is a majority government?
When the party wins the greatest amount of seats that are more than 50% of the parties combined
What is a minority government?
When a political party wins the most seats but is not 50% of the parties combined
What is a coalition government?
When no parties have a majority of seats but two or more parties combine to forma government together
What are the three main parties?
New Democratic Party
Liberal Party
Progressive Conservative Party
How does a party lose "official party" status?
When a party has less than 12 MPs
How does a party win the popular vote?
Winning the majority of votes in a province
What are the consequences of losing "official party" status?
The government provides less funds for the party to campaign, for the office, other expenses, and the amount of questions allotted in the House of Commons
In the 1993 and 1997 federal election, which two parties raised?
Bloc Québécois
Reform Party
What is the goal of the Bloc Québécois?
To promote separation of Quebec from the rest of Canada
As the 1990s ended, the Liberal Party held the majority of seats in the House of Commons. Their leader was Jean Chrétien. In which province did most of the Members of Parliament come from?
B) Ontario
In 2000, which party was the Official Opposing party?
B) Reform Party
What is the disadvantage of a minority government?
Needs votes of members of other parties to pass its legislations
What is a bill?
A written proposal for a law
What is an act?
A written law passed by Parliament
What is the main function of Parliament?
To make, change or repeal laws
What are the steps to turning a bill into a law in a province?
An idea is presented to the legislature (Bill)
First Reading: the MPP who is proposing a new law introduces it to the other members and explains the objective of it. Then the MPPs decide whether to accept or reject it
Second Reading: MPPs discuss why or why not it should be a law rough a debate
Committees of the House: Might take a few days or several months for a small group of MPPs to study the details of each section of the bill. A vote is taken place for each section; can lead to amendments (changes)
Third Reading: last debate and then the speaker calls for a final vote to make it into a law or not
Royal Assent: approved by Lieutenant Governor, their name is signed and given a Great Seal if Ontario is put on the bill changing it to a law
How is a bill changed to a law in a federal government?
An idea is put forth
Idea is explained to cabinet and the cabinet either approves or disapproves
Research is done
Lawyers wrote a draft bill
Cabinet examines the bill
Cabinet and caucus approves the bill
First reading: introduced to legislature
Second Reading: legislature debates about the principals of the bill and the committee examines the bill
Public input into the bill
Hearing held and suggestions made and the committee discuss the amendments
Bill is amended and a third reading is held
Final vote taken
Senate examines debates and amends bills from House of Commons
Bill is passed by the Senate and sent to Governor General for royal assent
Bill becomes law
What are some ways of taking action to create change?
Write letters to editors or government representatives
Hold public meetings
Sign petitions
Advertise using flyers, posters, newsletter
Refuse to buy forma certain place or country
Refuse to obey a law
Refuse to pay some of your taxes
Participate in demonstrations
Put yourself in between people or groups trying to harm others
Occupy land being misused
What is the Political Spectrum?
A scale that shows where parties or people stand when it comes to communism or fascism
Which wing represents Fascism on the Political Spectrum?
Right wing
Which wing represents communism on the Political Spectrum?
Left wing
Where should a "normal" person fall on the Political Spectrum?
Centre
What does the left Wong of the Political Spectrum mean?
Collectivism
Equal opportunity
Support change to improve welfare of citizens
Government Should play a larger role in lives
Law and order are important
More freedom to individuals and less power to the police
What does the right wing of the Political Spectrum mean?
Individualism
Different opportunities
More conservative
Tradition is important, change should be treated with caution
Government should play a smaller role
Private businesses should make sure needs are met
Emphasis of law and order to protect society and its tradition
Less freedom and mor power to the police
What does the centre of the Political Spectrum mean?
Tradition is important
Change is only supported when people want it
Government should only pay a role to improve the lives of citizens
Law and order are important to encourage and protect individuals
What will happen if a party is too far to the right or left of a Political Spectrum?
The two ends will meet and the government will have too much control over the citizens
Discuss about the Conservative Party.
Falls centre right
Favour small government, individual freedom, and less government intervention
Discuss about the Liberal Party.
Falls centre or centre right
Favoured balance budgets, socially progressive stances on issues like same sex marriage
Discuss about the New Democratic Party.
Falls left
Favours larger roles for government in terms of economy, more government, government-funded social programs, and progressive social policies
Discuss about the Green Party.
Since 2006
Falls left (environmental and social issues), falls centre (economics policies)
To be a Canadian, you must be
D) non of the above
You have to share a particular set of values from living in or democracy
Why do people want to come to Canada?
They believe Canada will provide them and their family new opportunities
Avoid political persecution
Why is Canada's Constitution different from the American Constitution or British Constitution?
The American constitution is mostly written down
The British Constitution is mostly unwritten
The Canadian Constitution is both written and unwritten
Canada's Constitution outlined in the Canada Act 1982 includes...?
Constitution Act 1867 or BNA act
All amendments to the British North American Act
The acts that bring British Columbia, Manitoba, PEI, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland into
Confederation
Statute of Westminster, 1931
Constitutional Act, 1982 : Part 1: Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms came into effect in 1982 as part of the Canadian Constitution, it applies to Canadian Citizens, permanent residents or both?
Both
What are the 6 rights in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom?
Fundamental freedoms (conscience, religion, thought, belief, peaceful assembly, association)
Mobility Rights (right to work and live in any province)
Legal Rights (not to be imprisoned or arrested for no good reason, right to a lawyer, to be claimed innocent, not to be treated cruelly)
Equality rights (not to be discriminated by race, nationality, origin, age, sex, mental)
Official languages of Canada
Minority language and educational rights (can be educated in English or French)
The right to vote, the right to be a candidate in the federal or provincial elections, and the rig to leave the country and return is only available to
A) Canadian citizens
Does the Constitution Act of 1982 mention any key elements of of how the government works? The roles of the PM, the Cabinet, political parties, etc?
No
It is unwritten definitions that come I'm the British parliamentary tradition
The BNA Act 1867 states Canada's Constitution is "similar in principal to that of the United Kingdom"
Government in Britain = parliamentary system
Many institutions in Canada are based on those on Britain
Unwritten are as important as written
What is the BNA, 1867?
Separates Canada from Britain
Distributed power to make between federal and provincial governments
Only British can amend or change the BNA act, 1867
People wanted to change the Constitution without permission from from Britain
When was the power to amend the Constitution transferred to Canada?
April 17 1982
When was the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom introduced?
1982
How do we calculate Proportional Representation?
Total number of seats X percentage of population vote
What is Civil Disobedience?
When someone refuses to obey or follow laws they think is unjust or unfair
To get attention from the government
So has practiced civil disobedience in the past?
Plato
Henry Thoreau (believed a majority rule existed because it is more powerful than minority)
Mahatma Gandhi
Martin Luther King
What are the three principals of Civil disobedience?
1. Civil disobedience should not involve violence
2. Civil disobedience is directed against laws that are seriously harmful; harm is greater than benefit
3. Must take responsibility for their actions
Why do only a fe activist try civil disobedience?
Results may lead to being arrested, injured, or Enid up with a police record
What are Interest/Protest Groups?
Organized group of individuals with common interests and concerns
Want to pressure or persuade decision makers to promote their common interests, change government policies
What strategies do Interest/Pressure groups use?
Pressure and persuasion
Writing letters
Petition
What are Lobby Groups?
Highly organized pressure groups
To influence decision makers in organized manner, through direct persuasion, discussion or attention
What strategies do Lobby groups use?
One on one phone calls
Letter/phone campaigns
Take public to gain support
Hire lawyers to stop government action
Raise funds
What are Protest Groups?
Group of activists who demonstrate together
Concerned with social justice and find they need more forceful actions to achieve goals
Draw attention to their cause
What strategies do Protest Groups use?
Rallies
Parades
Public demonstration
Road block
Sit-ins
More forceful actions
Who do protest, lobby and interest/pressure groups fight for?
New legislation
Move airports and industries
Establish parks and wildlife reserves
Reduce taxes
Control pollution
Provide more government funding
What are examples of the Monarchy in our daily lives?
The Canadian Forces (HMCS- her majesty Canadian Ship)
Coats of Arm and Official Badges (uniforms)
The Courts and Royal Commission
Crown Lands and The King's Highways (parks, King's highway, and other roads)
Currency and Coinage (queen's head on back on coin)
Holidays and Religious Observances (Victoria Day)
Honours and Decorations
Oaths
Pictures of the Queen
Postage Stamps
Queen in Parliament (bills can't be passed without Royal Assent)
The Royal Anthem
Royal Patronage and Destination Royal (ROM)
Toasts
What is First Past the Post?
When party with the most amount of votes win the election
What is the Proportional Representation System?
When you can't vote for individuals in an area but instead all the names and parties are dismayed in one ballot
What is the FPTP-PR system?
Voters cast two votes: one for a representative and one for the party of their choice
What is the Preferential Ballot system?
Used in Australia
Citizens vote for their top 3 choices for candidates
Ensures the winner ensures a majority of the votes
What are the advantages of FFTP? (First past the Post)
It's stability
More majority governments so their tasks they set out get accomplished
What are the disadvantages of FPTP? (First past the Post)
Candidate can win election by having the most votes
Does not always mean majority of votes
Some argue its not democratic (does not represent total population)
What are the advantages of Proportional Representative?
Allows for accurate representing of the total population
What are the disadvantages of Proportional Representative?
Voters do not have a local representative so the local issues will never be represented
What are the advantages with FPTP & PR? (First past the Post & proportional Representation)
Seeks to eliminate the problem of the PR by giving people both local and national representation
What are the disadvantages of FPTP & PR? (First past the Post & proportional Representation)
Potential conflict between the national representative (president) and the head of local representative (PM)
What are the advantages of Preferential Ballot?
System ensures that there is a majority governments that best reflects the desires of all citizens
What a the disadvantages of the Preferential Ballot?
Te elected officials do not reflect the candidates that individuals want
If a voter wanted one individual, the candidate MIT not even appear in government
What does the Educational Act say?
The principal has the duty to maintain proper order and discipline in the school
What does the Young Offenders Act?
Young people have the right to be heard in the courts and to participate in the processes that lead to decisions that affect them
Special guarantees of their rights and freedoms
Age of 18 cannot be named in public
What was the Case of R v. MRM
A 13 year old student at a junior high school in Nova Scotia in 1998
The vice principal was told that MRM was selling drugs on school property by reliable sources
The night of the dance when MRM arrived, the VP called the police and told the students to accompany him to his office. He warned them that he was going to search them. Police officer observed the interview. The VP found the marijuana in his pocket and the police confirmed it was. He was under arrest.
At the trial at the Nova Scotia provincial court, the judge said the drug was obtained in a manner that contravened MRM's charter right to protection form unreasonable search and seized. The charge was dropped.
Second trial at the Supreme Court of Canada
New guidelines for school searches were
What does it mean to be a global citizen?
Supporting international trade and investment (large corporations sell their products around the world, use resources form many parts of the globe, benefit from trade agreements between nations)
Being responsible for our Earth, it's resources and fellow citizens (concern for impact of technology and dusty on the environment, global warming and rainforest destruction are a threat to humanity, need to be active in order to save the world from ecological disaster)
Accepting the responsibility to ensure that all people of the world can live in peace, enjoying an adequate quality of life (concerned about poverty, inequality and justice)
There are many people who believe that as global citizens, we have the responsible to protect the human rigs of people Round the world
Aware of the wider world and has a sense of their own role as a world citizen
Respect and values diversity
Understands how the world works economically, politically, socially, culturally. Technologically, and environmentally
Outraged by social injustice and participates contributes to the community at a range of levels from the local to the global
Willing to act to make the world a more equitable and sustainable place
Takes responsibility for his or her own actions
What are Human Rights?
Universal rights based on what we generally believe to be right or wrong, which applies to all people in all countries of all times
Based on mortality : what we generally believe is right and wrong
Some are guaranteed by law in some countries (right of freedom of speech in canada)
Generally believe it applies to everyone, in any part of the world, at all times
What is the Amnesty International?
Uses political, non-violent means to free prisoners of conscience who have been detained for their beliefs or because of their ethnic origin, sex, colour or language
Pressures governments for fair & prompt trials for political prisoners abolishment of the death penalty, torture, and cruel treatment of prisoners
It also investigates and campaigns for the end of arbitrary executions and disappearances of people presumed murdered by brutal and anti democratic
What issues contribute to poverty?
Environmental degradation
Lack of health care
Lack of education
Diseases such as AIDs
Unfair global trading structures
Gender inequality
Who are the United Nations?
International organization made up of almost every nation in the world (191 countries)
The purpose is to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, to cooperate in solving international problems, to promote respect for human rights, and to be a centre for a harmonizing the actions of nations.
Has many programs to improve the social and economic conditions of people around the world
What is the CIDA?
The Canadian International Development Agency
Federal agency in charge for planning and implementing most of Canada's development cooperation programs in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure equitable and prosperous world
What are the Millennium Development Goals?
Goals set out by the United Nations in 2000
CIDA and other develop agencies around the world are working together to achieve the goals
What are the Millennium Development Goals that want to be achieved by 2015?
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/ Aids, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environment sustainability
8. Develops a global partnership for development
What is free trade?
It's a trading system that provides fair to rices for producers
Farmers in developing countries receive extremely low prices for their crops due to middle men taking most of the profits
Fair trade aims to improve the lives of rural
Better environment and human rights
What is Transfair?
A fair trade certification organization in canada
What are legal rights?
Rights that are made by laws of a country and upheld by the justice system
Differ from country to country
What are the two significant documents developed under direction of the United Nations?
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Declaration of the Rights of the Child
Why is December 10 International Human Rights Day?
Because the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was declared to the world by the United Nations on December 10, 1948
What is the United Nation's definition of Genocide?
Any means of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group
Examples are
Killing members of a group
Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group