government and civics - structure of fed gov Flashcards
What is parliament?
collective term for all MP’s and senate members
has two parts
- house of commons for elected members
- senate for appointed positions
How many judges do we have and how do they get there
we have 9 supreme court judges
they are appointed
when they turn 75 they must retire
What is a crown corp?
business owned by the government
Federal Courts in Canada
supreme court of canada - appeal court
citizenship court - trial
federal court - trial
What is the house of commons and what does it do?
consists of everyone who was elected
any member can present a bill to be evaluated and voted on in order to pass them into laws
What did the prime minister and what do they do
spokesperson for the nation
leader of the government
selects MPs to cabinet -can shuffle cabinet if MPs are failing to preform
Powers of the Prime Minister
Powers of Party Leadership
-approves nominations, controls caucus
Power of Appointment
-appoints cabinet members, senators, PMO, heads of crown corps, ambassadors, senior bureaucrats, gov general
Power of Government Organization
-cabinet, who gets in, how many departments, who is in PMO, principle secretary and chief of staff
-decides privy council, who is clerk of privy council(does research for the PM)
Power of Dissolution
-decides when to end gov and call an election
What is The Cabinet
runs departments of the government
PM appoints MPs to positions of power
expected to fully support the PM
approx 30 ppl to look after major issues in canada ex. foreign affairs, environment, defence
picked by patronage, expertise, national gender or ethnic representation
What are Backbenchers
MPs without a specific portfolio
What is the shadow cabinet
leader of the opposition organizes MOs to follow cabinet ministers and critique their work
What is the Speaker of the House
MP
elected by the house to act as a referee during the sitting of the legislature
well respected by everyone
only votes when it’s a tie- usually in favour of gov
stays for term of gov
Simple making laws
any MP can present a bill
for it to be a law it must be read and debated 3 times in HOC
then sent to senate
What is a Portfolio
cabinet position
What is a vote of non confidence
if the PM presents a bill that doesn’t pass it is said that they have lost the confidence of the government and can no longer run the country effectively
opposition will call new election and gov dissolves
happens in minority gov
How does someone become senator
appointed by PM
NOT ELECTED
cannot be removed unless broken law or deemed controversial
Purpose of senate
to review bills passed in HOC
all bills must pass senate before coming into law - cannot reject a bill more than once
mainly reviews language
Issues w senate
usually appointed for patronage and not ability
lack qualification
uneven representation
Triple E Senate
Elected- no patronage
Equal - no voting in party lines, solidarity carries into the senate
Effective - give more power
What is a governor general
queens representative in canada
5 year term
appointed
recommended by PM
dissolves parliament before new election
gives throne speech at start of new parliament
signs order in council(bypass law making process)
no law can be passed w/o signature unless unconstitutional
give royal ascent(signing something to make it a law)
What does the judicial branch of gov do
interprets new laws use in daily life
no party solidarity
acts as final ruling in cases appealed in provincial courts
supreme court standardizes Canadian provincial laws using constitution as a guide
Supreme Court
must have 3 judges from Quebec
main issues brought up usually from interpretation of canadian charter of rights and freedoms
What are transfer payments?
richer provinces share money with poorer provinces
monetary redistribution
Federal Jurisdiction
foreign policy, immigration, taxation, currency, criminal law, transportation, national defence, employment insurance, aboriginal people, postal system
Provincial Jurisdiction
education, health care(feds pay a portion), provincial tax, natural resources, roads and bridges, workers comp, housing
Municipal Jurisdiction
libraries, local police, schools, fire dept, public transport, property tax, garbage
Special Interest Groups influence on government policy
lobby groups organized and fund specialist to push specific agendas on the government
lobby groups try to sway political opinion in their favour
lobby=to go after the government to get what you want
can be paid or unpaid
Mass Media influence in the government policy
all politicians must pay attention to their images
the media has the ability to shape a political issue
Protest Groups influence on government policy
well organized protest can draw media and thus attention to an issue
requiring a political response
What is Civil Disobedience and what does it require
- knowingly break the law
1. law must be considered unjust
2. actions must NOT be violent
3. must be willing to oh the consequences for the actions taken
*once violent is considered riot/protest
