Chapter 2 Flashcards
What are the 3 levels of government?
Federal
provincial/territorial
municipal/local
What is the Aboriginal self government?
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.
What are the responsibilities of the federal government?
- foreign trade and relations
- currency
- defence
- postal service
- immigration
- unemployment
How to the federal and provincial responsibilities overlap?
- areas such as agriculture and environmental protection
- federal law sets grounds for divorce, but the provincial law sets grounds for property division after divorce
What is the Cabinet?
advisers selected by the prime minister or premier to head ministries or departments and run the executive branch of government
What is a political party?
A group of people with similar ideas
How cabinet function in parliament?
- 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
What is the prime minister?
the leader of the political party with the most elected representatives or members of parliament (MPs) in the house of commons
What are the Territorial Legislative assemblies
- 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
What does the judicial branch of government do?
- deals with the law courts and administration of justice
What is the supreme court and how does it work?
- highest court and court of last appeal
- consists of a chief justice and 8 other judges, all appointed by prime minister
- can interpret constitution
What do provinces/territories have in the judicial branch?
- courts to enforce federal and provincial laws in criminal and civil issues
- also each have a court of appeal
What are the responsibilities of the provincial/territorial government?
- property and civil rights
- marriage licences
- health and welfare
- education
- alcohol consumption
- driver’s ed and licensing
What does the Governor General do?
- 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
What is the layout for the House of Commons?
- 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)