Chapter 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What are the 3 levels of government?

A

Federal
provincial/territorial
municipal/local

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2
Q

What is the Aboriginal self government?

A

the right of the first nations, inuit and the Metis people to govern their own communities. Can be local or territorial depending on the size and amount of people.

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3
Q

What are the responsibilities of the federal government?

A
  • foreign trade and relations
  • currency
  • defence
  • postal service
  • immigration
  • unemployment
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4
Q

How to the federal and provincial responsibilities overlap?

A
  • areas such as agriculture and environmental protection

- federal law sets grounds for divorce, but the provincial law sets grounds for property division after divorce

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5
Q

What is the Cabinet?

A

advisers selected by the prime minister or premier to head ministries or departments and run the executive branch of government

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6
Q

What is a political party?

A

A group of people with similar ideas

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7
Q

How cabinet function in parliament?

A
  • cabinet members look after departments or portfolios such as finance, justice, health and defence
  • members have power so they have front seats in parliament
  • MPs in the governing party not in the cabinet sit in seats behind cabinet –> backbenchers
    cabinet follows the British principal of cabinet solidarity –> all members must support all cabinet decisions or resign
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8
Q

What is the prime minister?

A

the leader of the political party with the most elected representatives or members of parliament (MPs) in the house of commons

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9
Q

What are the Territorial Legislative assemblies

A
  • each territory has a commissioner (similar to lieutenant governor), premier and a legislative assembly (functions like a provincial legislature)
  • decisions based on a consensus
  • issues are considered on merits
  • elders are consulted before bills/policies are passed
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10
Q

What does the judicial branch of government do?

A
  • deals with the law courts and administration of justice
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11
Q

What is the supreme court and how does it work?

A
  • highest court and court of last appeal
  • consists of a chief justice and 8 other judges, all appointed by prime minister
  • can interpret constitution
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12
Q

What do provinces/territories have in the judicial branch?

A
  • courts to enforce federal and provincial laws in criminal and civil issues
  • also each have a court of appeal
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13
Q

What are the responsibilities of the provincial/territorial government?

A
  • property and civil rights
  • marriage licences
  • health and welfare
  • education
  • alcohol consumption
  • driver’s ed and licensing
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14
Q

What does the Governor General do?

A
  • represents the british monarch
  • candidate selected by prime minister
    signs all bills into law (giving royal assent)
  • welcomes representatives of foreign governments to canada
  • reads the speech from the throne (government plans in a new session of parliament)
    promotes pride in awareness of canada
  • figurehead
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15
Q

What is the layout for the House of Commons?

A
  • speaker sits
  • government members sit of the leading party
  • opposition members
  • prime minister
  • leader of the official opposition
  • rest of the MP seats
    mace sits (symbolic power figure)
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16
Q

What are the responsibilities of the municipal government?

A
  • police and fire departments
  • streets and roads
  • transit
  • local programs
  • recreation
  • libraries
  • garbage and recycling
17
Q

Who plays a role in the Executive branch of government?

A
  • queen
  • governor general
  • prime minister
  • cabinet
  • civil servants
18
Q

What does the lieutenant governor do?

A
  • appointed by the prime minister for 5 years
  • signs bills into lae
    reads speech from the throne
    promotes the province
19
Q

what does the premier do?

A
  • leads the executive branch of provincial government

- leads the political party elected by people to govern the province

20
Q

What does the cabinet do at the provincial level of government?

A
  • non partisan: not affiliated with a political party
  • shadow cabinet: cabinet chosen by head of the official opposition to challenge members of actual cabinet
  • federal principals of majority support, cabinet selection, and cabinet solidarity apply provincially
21
Q

who are the heads of municipal governments? How do they run the government?

A

town or city: mayor
rural area: reeve
- elected by people
- leads a group of government councillors (elected by voters in wards)

22
Q

How does the federal government receive revenue?

A
  • excise taxes (taxes on certain domestic and foreign goods hidden from consumers)
  • income taxes
    hst
23
Q

Who plays a role in the judicial level of government?

A
  • judge

- courts

24
Q

What is the senate and what does it do?

A
  • upper house of legislative branch
  • veto irresponsible bills passed by house of commons
  • bills must pass through senate to become laws
  • senate rarely vetoes legislation
25
Q

What are the responsibilities of the executive branch of government

A
  • makes decisions and implements them

- carries out policies and runs government departments

26
Q

Explain the house of Commons

A
  • canada’s federal legislative body
  • made of members of parliament elected i 308 separate ridings (aka constituencies)
  • MPs represent constituents in their own riding
  • independent = representative not affiliated with a party
  • party with highest number of MPs = government
  • opposition = party with next largest number of seats
  • speaker = MP acting like referee to enforce rules of debate
  • elected by all MPs
  • non partisan
  • question period at end of each day
  • opposition tries to embarrass government
  • everything recorded on Hansard
27
Q

what is a minority government?

A
  • more MPs than other parties, yet fewer than 155; needs support from another party to pass bills
28
Q

Who plays a role in legislative branch of government?

A
  • house of commons

- appointed senate

29
Q

how does the municipal government gain revenue?

A
  • grants from provincial government
  • property tax
  • parking fees
30
Q

What is the job of a senator like?

A
  • appointed by prime minister in reward for service to party
  • senators = hard working
  • serve on parliamentary committees and commissions that investigate important issues
31
Q

What are the responsibilities of the legislative government?

A
  • introduces, debates, passes laws
32
Q

How does the provincial/territorial level of government receive revenue?

A
  • income tax
  • sales tax
  • sin taxes on alcohol and tabacco
33
Q

what are the responsibilities of the judicial branch of government?

A
  • interprets and enforces law