Ch. 2 Flashcards
What are the 3 statements that run through Canadian Politics?
- Canadian politics is defined by cleavage of geography, demography, & Ideology
- The institutions of Canadian democracy are Anglo-American Hybrids
- Understanding Canadian politics requires some understanding of Canadian history
When was the Treaty of Ultrecht and what did it do?
1713
- Britain gain control over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
When was the Treaty of Paris and what did it do?
1763
- Marked the end of the Seven Years War and France ceded control of Canada to Britain
When was the Royal Proclamation and what did it do?
1763
- First constitutional document
- Carved out the colony of Quebec and provided protection for Indigenous Peoples
When was the Quebec Act and what did it do?
1774
- Established new political institutions in Quebec
What political institutions were established from the Quebec Act of 1774?
- Appointed Council
Who was granted religious freedom and rights from the Quebec Act in 1774?
Roman Catholics
What did the judicial system do following the Quebec Act in 1774?
- Guaranteed civil law (based on French Civil Law)
When was the Constitution Act and what did it do?
1791
- An Act of the British Parliament
- Create Upper and Lower Canada
What did the Constitution Act of 1791 do for both Upper and Lower Canada?
Gave both Upper and Lower Canada:
- A Governor
- An Appointed Executive Council
- An Appointed Legislative Council
- A locally elected legislative assembly
Why was the locally elected legislative assembly that was introduced through the Constitution Act of 1791 important?
- It brought representative government to Canada
What was the problem with the newly formed representative government following the Constitutions Act of 1791?
- Elected Assembly did not have much power
- Had no control over executive council
- Executive council was not responsible to elected assembly
Who was Lord Durham?
- Sent to Canada to settle the tension between ‘two warring nations’ (French and English)
What did the Durham Report, 1839, recommend?
- Responsible Government
What would the recommended responsible government from the Durham Report, 1839, do?
- Give elected assembly power
- Executive branch (governor & council) only remains in power with the confidence of a majority of members, 50+1, in the elected assembly
When was responsible government implemented into Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Colony of Canada?
- 1848
Who implemented the Act of Union in 1840 and what did it do?
Lord Durham
- Joined the Two Colonies into a single colony of Canada (upper and lower)
What was the Act of Union in 1840 meant to do?
- Ease cultural tensions between the French and the English
When was the British North American Act, and what did it do?
1867
- Joined Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec & Ontario
What did the British North American Act of 1867 provide?
- Institutional details of Canada’s political system
Why was the British North American Act of 1867 put into place?
- Confederation was encouraged by economic, political, and military factors
What lead Canada towards Sovereignty?
- Constitution Act, 1867
- Statute of Westminster, 1931
- Suez Crisis, 1956
- Constitution Act, 1982
What did the Constitution Act of 1982 do?
- Patriate Canada’s Constitution
- Domestic Amending Formula
- Entrenches Charter of Rights and Freedoms
What does Canada’s parliamentary system feature?
Aspects of both:
- British Parliamentary system
- US federal system
What did Canada’s parliamentary system borrow from the British Parliamentary System?
- Westminster Model
- Fusion of Powers
- Representative Government
- Responsible Government
- Appointed Senate
- Constitutional Monarchy
- Judicial Independence
What did the Canada’s Parliamentary System borrow from the US Federal System?
- Federalism
- Division of Powers
How did Canada’s political institutions borrow the federal principle from the US?
- Divides power between the central government and the regional government
(provinces)
What did the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 import elements from?
- The American Bill of Rights
How are Canada’s campaign strategies influenced by US?
- Negative political advertising
How does Britain influence Canada’s political institutions?
- Common Law & Westminster Parliamentary Traditions
- Constitutional Monarchies
- Constitutional Laws Governing Canadian Democracy
- Left-center-right spectrum
How does France influence political institutions?
- Civil Law System in Quebec
- Policy of Bilingualism
- All Federal Government Services available in English and French
What are the three branches of Canada’s political branches and institutions?
- Executive
- Legislature
- Judiciary
Who is in the Executive branch of the Canadian Political institution?
- Prime Minister
- Cabinet
- Governor General
Who advises the Governor General?
- Prime minister and Cabinet
Who are the prime minister and cabinet advised by?
- Bureaucracy
Who is in the legislative branch of the Canadian Political Institutions?
- House of Commons
- The Senate
Where do the PM and Cabinet sit in?
- The House of Commons
What is Unique about the Judiciary Branch?
- It is independent of the executive and legislative
Who makes up the judiciary branch?
- Courts
- Judges
Who appoints the judges to the judiciary branch?
- Executive
What is the job of the judiciary branch?
- Interpret Laws
- Can overturn executive actions and laws passed in parliament
What are Canada’s Constitution’s 6 Principles?
- Responsible Government
- Federalism
- Judicial Review
- Constitutional Monarchy
- Rule of Law
- Democracy
What does responsible government mean?
- Government must maintain the confidence of a majority (50+1) of Members of Parliament (MPs) in Canada’s House of Commons
What is the test for responsible government?
- A vote of non-confidence
What are the core cleavages that make up an important part of Canadian Politics?
- Geography
- Demography
- Ideology
How is geography in Canada a core cleavage?
- 338 federal electoral districts with 1 MP each
- 4 Reions with 24 Senators each
How is ideology a core cleavage in Canadian Politics?
- Various Ideologies (parties) in Canada
What is an ideology?
- Set of ideas that form a coherent political belief system that people hold about the way power should be distributed and exercised
How is demography a core cleavage in Canadian Politics?
Canadians divided into several categories:
- Gender
- Ancestry
- Ethnicity
- Age
- Class
- Educational Level
- Etc.
How many total appointed senators are there?
105
How do left and right-wing policies differ on financial topics?
Left
- Favour gov’t spending on social programs
Right
- Favour lower taxes and debt reduction
How do left and right ideologies differ on institutional topics?
Left
- Favour reform of democratic structure
Right
- Favour traditions
How to left/right ideologies differ socially?
Left
- Promote Inclusion
Right
- Promote conformity
How do left/right ideologies differ legally?
Left
- favour restriction on law enforcement & military action
Right
- Favour fewer restrictions and more punitive
Who has been in power in Ottawa the most?
- The Liberal Party of Canada
What is the Liberal Party of Canada’s ideology?
- Political Centre
In political philosophy, what does liberalism balance?
- Equality of Results
- Equality of Rigth
Are the provincial liberal parties connected to the Liberal PArty of Canada?
- NO
Who has had the second most power in Ottawa?
- Conservative PArty of Canada
What is the Conservative Party of Canada’s ideology?
- Centre-right to right
Does the Conservative PArty of Canada have affiliation with provincial counterparts?
- NO
In political philosophy, what does conservatism balance?
- Fiscal Libertarianism & Social Traditionalism
Has the NDP ever formed government at the national level?
- NO
What is the Ideology of the NDP?
- LEft to Centre-LEft
What was the beginning of the NDP based on?
- A formal partnership with Canada’s largest trade unions
Does the NDP have ties with the provincial counterparts?
- YES
What are the NDP’s origins?
- Socialist Democratic Movement linked to the 1930s
- Promoted the interest of workers and farmers
