Canadian Govt Questions Pt. 1

Question 1

constitution

Answer 1

outlines the basic principles on which a government is founded, establishes the organization of government, and may outline the rights of citizens

Question 2

Parliament

Answer 2

consists of 2 separate houses:
• Lower house called the House of Commons, is made up of our elected Members of Parliament
• The Senate, called the upper house, is composed of appointed representatives called senators
• together both houses form the legislative branch of govt
• makes laws and regulations

Question 3

Constitutional Monarchy

Answer 3

the powers of the monarch are limited by the constitution and laws of the land. The monarch has little power in Canada or Britain- the Queens powers are mostly symbolic and ceremonial

Question 4

Democracy

Answer 4

individual people have a voice in government through their elected representatives

Question 5

Cabinet Portfolio

Answer 5

Cabinet: abt 30 members of Parliament from the governing party are selected by the PM. They decide on government policies and make sure those policies are carried out

Portfolio: a department such as defence, finance, fisheries, immigration, or health, that each Cabinet member is put in charge of

Question 6

“In Camera” meetings

Answer 6

means “behind closed doors”. Topics discussed by the cabinet are secret and may not be discussed outside the meeting

Question 7

Cabinet Solidarity

Answer 7

once a policy has been decided upon, are expected to publicly support it. If they cannot support it they must resign

Question 8

Cabinet shuffle

Answer 8

when the PM decides to move or “shuffle” cabinet ministers from one job or portfolio to another. A shuffle sometimes gives the cabinet a new look when a party is not doing well in the public opinion polls

Question 9

Shadow Cabinet

Answer 9

composed of opposition MPs who follow a specific minister’s portfolio. They make sure the minister is doing the job satisfactorily.
Leader sits opposite the PM and Cabinet

Question 10

Caucus

Answer 10

consists of all elected members of the party. In caucus meetings, MPs have a chance form the policies and discuss the strategies their party will follow in the House of Commons

Question 11

Back Benchers

Answer 11

government MPs who are not Cabinet members

Question 12

Opposition

Answer 12

2nd largest party in the House of Commons. Opposition members sit directly across from the governing party

Question 13

Pages

Answer 13

sit around the speakers chair, are young people who are responsible for delivering messages and running errands for MPs

Question 14

Ridings

Answer 14

an electoral district coming in different sizes and population, there are 338 ridings in Canada

Question 15

Polling Station

Answer 15

citizens go to polling stations on election day to vote. Could be in a school gym or community centre. Pills are open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. Polling stations may be divided into individual polls

Question 16

Majority Govt

Answer 16

when one party wins more seats than all other parties combined

Question 17

Minority Govt

Answer 17

a govt that has elected fewer than half of the seats in the Commons

Question 18

Non-Confidence Motion

Answer 18

the motion says that the opposition believes the govt has lost the support of the majority of members in the House of Commons and it therefore has lost the right to govern

Question 19

Platform

Answer 19

a package of ideas or policies based on the party’s beliefs. the platform tells us what the party would do if it formed the govt

Question 20

Member of Parliament

Answer 20

Federal
Canada is divided into 338 electoral districts called ridings or constituencies. Each riding sends one representative known as an MP. MPs have a duty to stay in touch with their ridings and be aware of the problems and issues faced by their constituents

Question 21

Member of Legislative Assembly

Answer 21

Provincial
a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to a legislative assembly
a provincial representative of constituencies