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)
What are the responsibilities of the municipal government?
- police and fire departments
- streets and roads
- transit
- local programs
- recreation
- libraries
- garbage and recycling
Who plays a role in the Executive branch of government?
- queen
- governor general
- prime minister
- cabinet
- civil servants
What does the lieutenant governor do?
- appointed by the prime minister for 5 years
- signs bills into lae
reads speech from the throne
promotes the province
what does the premier do?
- leads the executive branch of provincial government
- leads the political party elected by people to govern the province
What does the cabinet do at the provincial level of government?
- 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
who are the heads of municipal governments? How do they run the government?
town or city: mayor
rural area: reeve
- elected by people
- leads a group of government councillors (elected by voters in wards)
How does the federal government receive revenue?
- excise taxes (taxes on certain domestic and foreign goods hidden from consumers)
- income taxes
hst
Who plays a role in the judicial level of government?
- judge
- courts
What is the senate and what does it do?
- 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
What are the responsibilities of the executive branch of government
- makes decisions and implements them
- carries out policies and runs government departments
Explain the house of Commons
- 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
what is a minority government?
- more MPs than other parties, yet fewer than 155; needs support from another party to pass bills
Who plays a role in legislative branch of government?
- house of commons
- appointed senate
how does the municipal government gain revenue?
- grants from provincial government
- property tax
- parking fees
What is the job of a senator like?
- appointed by prime minister in reward for service to party
- senators = hard working
- serve on parliamentary committees and commissions that investigate important issues
What are the responsibilities of the legislative government?
- introduces, debates, passes laws
How does the provincial/territorial level of government receive revenue?
- income tax
- sales tax
- sin taxes on alcohol and tabacco
what are the responsibilities of the judicial branch of government?
- interprets and enforces law
