Booklet 3 Flashcards
act
a formal decision, law, or the like, by a legislature, ruler, court, or other authority; decree or edict; statute; judgment, resolve, or award: an act of Congress.
appointment
an act of appointing; assigning a job or position to someone.
bicameral legislature
(of a legislative body) having two branches or chambers. (us and canada)
bill
a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion.
Bloc Quebecois
a federal political party in Canada devoted to Quebec nationalism and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty.
cabinet
the committee of senior ministers responsible for controlling government policy. in canada and us.
checks and balances
counterbalancing influences by which an organization or system is regulated, typically those ensuring that political power is not concentrated in the hands of individuals or groups.
coalition government
a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which multiple political parties cooperate, reducing the dominance of any one party within that coalition. The usual reason for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament. canada has this at times.
congress
a national legislative body, especially that of the US. The US Congress, which meets at the Capitol in Washington DC, was established by the Constitution of 1787 and is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. not in canada.
conservative party
right wing main political party in Canada.
constitution
a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. in canada and us.
crown
The English Monarch, where she is the symbolic head of state.
deadlock
a situation, typically one involving opposing parties, in which no progress can be made.
debate
a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward.
democratic party
one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. represented by the donkey.
direct democracy
a form of government in which the people participate in deciding issues directly. a direct democracy operates in the belief that every citizens’ voice is important and necessary for the orderly and efficient operation of society.
election
a formal and organized process of electing or being elected, especially of members of a political body.
electoral district
in Canada, also known as a “constituency” or a “riding”, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada’s representative democracy is based
executive branch
(in Canada) proposes and executes laws, Head of the country, includes PM and GG, and cabinet. (in us) carries out and enforces laws. It includes the President, Vice President, the Cabinet
federal
having or relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs. in canada and us.
first past the post
the candidate with the plurality of votes is the winner of the congressional seat. The losing party or parties win no representation at all. (in Canada) The candidate with the most votes in a riding wins a seat in the House of Commons and represents that riding as its Member of Parliament (MP).
fixed term
lasts for a specified period. us has fixed term legislature.
free vote
A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are allowed to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party.
green party
a federal political party in Canada. core values of social justice, grassroots democracy and non-violence.
head of government
in the United States, the president is both the head of state and the head of government. in Canada, PM.
head of state
the chief public representative of a country, such as a president or monarch, who may also be the head of government. (in Canada) the queen and lowkey justin. (in us) trump.
house of commons
The House of Commons is a democratically elected body whose members are known as Members of Parliament (MPs). is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate.
house of representatives
The United States House of Representatives is the lower chamber of the United States Congress. part of the legislature of the United States. proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.
interest groups
an organization of people who share a common interest and work together to protect and promote that interest by influencing the government.
judicial branch
the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state.
law
the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may enforce by the imposition of penalties.
legislative branch
in charge of making laws. (canada) senate and house of commons (and GG). (usa) senate and house of commons (make up congress)
legislature
the legislative body of a country or state.
liberal party
espouses the principles of liberalism and generally sits at the centre of the Canadian political spectrum.
lobby group
use various forms of advocacy in order to influence public opinion and/or policy. They have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems.
lower house
the larger of two sections of a bicameral legislature or parliament, typically with elected members and having the primary responsibility for legislation. (canada) House of Commons. (usa) House of Representatives