Federal Government Flashcards
How many seats are in the house of commons and who occupies them?
338 MP’s and the speaker of the house
Definition of:
“electorate”
anyone who can vote in a particular district
Requirements to vote in Canada
- Be a Canadian citizen
- be over the age of 18
- Be registered to vote in a riding
- Have resided in Canada for at least five years
True or false:
You MUST be in Canada to vote
False:
As long as you fit all the other requirements and have resided in Canada for 5 years in the past, you may vote even if you’re in a different country
Definition of:
“Riding”
geographical areas that each elect one Member of Parliament (MP)
How many “Ridings” are in Canada?
338 (one for each Member of Parliament (MP))
First-past-the-post system
A “winner takes all” voting system where members of certain ridings vote for representatives, and the representative who receives the highest percentage of votes is elected for that riding.
Definition of:
“Political parties”
A group of Members of Parliament (MP) who form a group to gain more seats in the House of Commons
What happens to the party with the most seats after an election?
- They form the next executive branch
- The leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister
What does the Prime Minister do when first appointed?
- They appoint Members of the Cabinet, Judges, Senators and the Governor General
- They have the ability to determine when the next election is (within 5 years of the previous)
What happens to the party with the second most seats in the House of Commons?
- Becomes the “Official Opposition”
- Leader of party becomes the “Leader of Official Opposition”
- they appoint the shadow cabinet
Minority Government
The Leading party has less that 50% of seats in parliament
Majority government
The leading party has more than 50% of seats in parliament
What is the Senate?
Made up of 105 Senators who are Appointed by the Governor General (but is recommended by the Prime minister), who all represent different provinces in Canada
What does the Senate do?
They act as an opposition to the House of Commons during debates.
Definition of:
Bill
A proposed new law
Definition of:
Royal assent
Approval by the monarch or their representative
Definition of:
Amendment
Changes made to a bill up for debate
Definition of:
Filibuster/Filibusting
A group of people / political party that delays the vote when they can’t win
What are the five stages that a bill goes through, both in the House of Commons and the Senate, to become a law?
- First reading
- Second reading
- Committee report
- Third reading
First reading
Introduction of a bill and an explanation of its purpose, no voting happens in this stage
Second reading
The bill is read through a second time and is met with a debate and a vote
Committee Report
Research is done to further discuss the bill, such as history (has it been done before?), and benefits (how can it benefit Canada?)
3rd reading
The bill is read over once more and is met with a final debate and vote
Royal Assent
The monarch or their representative gives the final decision towards the bill becoming a law
True or false:
The Senate can either reject a bill or make an amendment and send it back to the House of Commons
True
Definition of:
Federalism
The power to govern is shared between three levels of government
What are the three levels of government in Canada?
- Federal Government
- Provincial government
- Municipal government
What are the three branches of government in Canada?
- Executive
- Legislative
- Judicial
Who makes up the Executive branch?
- The Prime Minister
- The cabinet
- The Monarch and government general
- The bureaucracy (Civil Service)
What are the roles of the Executive branch?
- Proposing laws
- Putting laws into action
- Running the day-to-day government
Who makes up the legislative branch?
- The House of Commons
- The Senate
- The Governor General
- The Prime Minister and Cabinet
What is the role of the Legislative branch?
- Debating and approving laws
- Representing the interests of the people of Canada
Who makes up the Judicial branch?
- Canada’s court of law
- Supreme court judges
What is the role of the judicial branch?
Apply and interpenetrate laws. (duh)
Division of powers
Who is in charge of what?
| Federal vs Province |
Definition of:
Lobbyists / Advocacy groups
Individuals who are financed by businesses or citizens who seek to influence government policy through direct interaction with the government and/or the public
(basically, they are paid persuasion essays)
Important questions for a lobby group to answer:
- How will this benefit the government and citizens
- what would be some potential conflict/opposition
What are major concerns regarding lobby groups?
Money
$
Definition of:
Watchdog
Someone who monitors the government to make sure they don’t do illegal stuff
Examples of watchdogs
- Media
- Supreme Court
- Citizens
- Bailey
What treaties related to Aboriginal people are located in Alberta?
Treaties 6, 7, and 8
Individual rights
Rights given to anyone in Canada
Sovereignty
The ability to self govern
Party whip
Party enforcers
They ensure and enforce members of their party to vote when they need to
Political spectrum
A from of measuring political party’s position when it comes to how much they involve government in society
Definition of:
Suffrage
Right to vote
Elizabeth Fry Society
A society in Calgary that assists Women who are currently going through the justice system
John Howard Society
A society in Calgary that assists Anyone currently going throught the justice system, as well as helping those who struggle
