Informed Citizen Flashcards
How would you define ‘Politics’?
- How societies are governed
- How public policy is developed
- How power is distributed
How would you define ‘Civics’?
- Rights and responsibilities associated with citizenship
- Role of governments
- How people can get involved in the political process and take action on important issues (Global, National, and Local)
Define ‘Political Significance’
- This will require us to determine the importance of government policies; political or social issues, events, or developments; and the civic actions of individuals or groups.
- It is generally determined by the impact of the government on citizens and vice versa.
- The political significance of something may vary for different groups of people.
Define ‘Objectives and Results’
- This requires us to explore the factors that lead to events, policies, decisions, and/or plans of action of civic and political importance.
- It is also important to distinguish between intended and unintended results.
Define ‘Stability and Change’
- This requires us to analyze how and why political institutions and government policies change over time or why they remain the same.
- We will determine how political structures and decisions contribute to stability and change within various communities.
Define ‘Political Perspective’
- This requires us to analyze the beliefs and values of various groups, including different governments and communities.
- We will analyze how these beliefs and values, as well as political ideologies, can affect one’s position on or response to issues of civic importance.
Define ‘Federalism’
The division of power between the Federal and Provincial government
- Shared Responsibility
Who is the Prime Minister of Canada?
Justin Trudeau (Liberals)
Who is the Premier of Ontario
Doug Ford (Progressive Conservative)
Who is the mayor of Ottawa?
Jim Watson
Define ‘Jurisdictions’
The authority to make and carry out laws in certain areas
How do jurisdictions play out within federalism?
The federal government would take care of issues that involved the whole nation, while provincial governments would look after regional issues
Give some examples of things that fall under the jurisdiction of the Federal Government
National Defense Criminal Law Foreign Affairs R.C.M.P. Agriculture Copyright Currency Postal Service Immigration Aboriginal Peoples
Give some examples of things that fall under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Government
Education Highways Provincial Police Health care Welfare Liquor Licenses Marriage Permits Property and civil rights Driver and vehicle licenses
Give some examples of things that fall under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Government
Public Transit City police Streets and roads Water and sewage Libraries Recreation Garbage Collection Snow Removal Zoning of Land (Note: Municipal level created by Provinces)
What are the three branches of government and what are their roles?
Executive - carries out the government business - implements laws
Legislative - makes and debates laws
Judicial - decides who broke the law and appropriate punishment
Why do we have three branches of government?
To check the power of the other. Designed so that one branch of government does not hold all of the power
Describe the position of ‘Mayor’
- Leads the city council
- Elected in a city-wide vote
- Doesn’t have a lot of power independent of the council
Describe the position of ‘City Council’
- Made up of city councillors elected by ward (geographical area of the city)
- Is legislative because it’s responsible for developing and enacting municipal by-laws
- Is executive because it’s responsible for administering and executing these by-laws and overseeing the day to day operations of the city
- Appoints committees to work on specific topics, ie. Transit Commission, Planning Committee
Describe the role of ‘Lieutenant Governor’
- Represents the monarch
- Appointed by the Prime Minister for 5 years
- Duties: signing bills into law, reading the Speech from the Throne, and promoting the province
Who is the Lieutenant Governor in Ontario?
Elizabeth Dowdeswell
Describe the role of ‘Premier’
Leader of the party who won the most seats in the Legislative Assembly in an election
Describe the role of the ‘Legislative Assembly’
- Elected representatives are known as members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in many provinces
- In Ontario, they are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) and there are 124 of them
- Follows similar procedures to the House of Commons (federal level)
How is the Current Ontario government represented? (Parties)
Progressive Conservatives: 70 (Doug Ford) New Democrats: 40 (Andrea Horwath) Liberal: 7 (Steven Del Duca) Green: 1 New Blue Party of Ontario: 1 Independent: 4 Vacant: 1
Describe the role of ‘Governor General’
- Signs all bills into law (royal assent)
- Welcomes representatives of foreign governments to Canada
- Reads Speech from the Throne
- Promotes Canada around the world
NOTE: - Queen is the official head of state, but power is limited by the constitution
- Governor General represents the Queen
Selected by the Prime Minister - Lives at Rideau Hall
Who is the current Governor-General in Canada?
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon
Describe the role of the ‘Prime Minister’
- Along with the cabinet, he/she holds the real power
- Leader of the political party with the most Members of Parliament (MP’s) elected
- The Prime Minister usually lives at 24 Sussex Drive – currently at Rideau Cottage on the grounds of Rideau Hall
Describe the role of the ‘Cabinet’
- Group of advisors to the PM
- Chosen by the PM from among
the elected MPs - Cabinet ministers look after
departments or portfolios
(ie. Finance, Health, Defence, etc.)
Define ‘Backbenchers’
Government MPs not in cabinet
Describe the role of the ‘Public Service’
- Government employees (hired, not elected)
- Carry out the plans, programs and policies of the government
Describe the role of ‘The House of Commons’
- Currently 338 seats
- Each seat represents a riding or a constituency that elects one Member of Parliament (MP)
- The political party with the largest number of MPs elected becomes the government of Canada
- To pass a bill (to make a law), the government needs the support of “one-half plus one” of the total MPs (170)
- The political party with the 2nd greatest number of MPs is known as the Official Opposition
Describe the role of ‘Members of Parliament’
- Elected to represent a certain area (riding)
- Represent the interests of the people in their riding
- Assemble in Ottawa, in the House of Commons, to do the country’s business
- Usually affiliated with a political party
What are the requirements for becoming an MP?
- You must be a Canadian citizen
- You must be at least 18 years old on election day
- You must file a Nomination Paper with the returning officer for the electoral district (riding) where you intend to run.
- You must provide the names, addresses, and signatures of at least 100 electors who are qualified to vote in the riding where you intend to run and who consent to your candidacy
Who is the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada?
Justin Trudeau
Who is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada?
Erin O’Toole
Who is the leader of the Bloc Quebecois
Yves-Francois Blanchet
Who is the leader of the New Democratic Party (of Canada)?
Jagmeet Singh
Who is the leader of the Green Party (of Canada)?
Annamie Paul
What is a caucus?
All the MPs from one party. Caucuses meet regularly to discuss strategy
What is the role of the Official Opposition?
- To criticize the government and provide alternative ideas for Canadians
- Make citizens aware of problems and provide alternatives
- Their aim is to keep the current government accountable for its actions
What is the deal with Minority Governments?
- Occurs when no party has more than 169 MPs elected and there is no “majority” party
- Can make governing difficult because governing party must have support from other parties to pass bills (make laws)
- If a minority government loses an important vote in the House (ie. Budget), then it has lost the confidence of the House and an election will likely be called
What is the deal with the Speaker of the House?
- An MP who is elected by all MPs to act as a referee in the House and ensure all the rules are followed
- Must be non-partisan (not acting in favour of any party)
Sits at the end of the central aisle - Questions and comments are addressed to the Speaker, not other MPs
What is Question Period?
- Happens each day Parliament is in session for 45 minutes
- Opposition members ask questions of the PM and his cabinet
- Usually, try to embarrass the government
- Usually quite theatrical and highly political
- Unfortunately, QP is the only view many Canadians get of Parliament and consequently think all MPs do is shout at each other!
- Really, most of the work MPs do goes on behind closed doors (ie. Committee meetings, caucus meetings, in their riding, etc)
What is ‘The Senate’?
- The Senate is the “Upper House” of the legislative branch – but only at the Federal level
- Historically, the Senate was more important than the House of Commons because Senators were upper class gentleman
- Purpose of the Senate was to veto or block irresponsible bills passed by the House of Commons
What is the Senate often called?
The House of Sober Second Thought
What are the requirements for becoming a senator?
- You must be a citizen of Canada
- You must be at least 30 years old and younger than 75 years old
- You must maintain residency in the province/territory for which you are appointed.
- You must possess assets worth at least $4000 in the province for which you are appointed.
Define ‘Ideology’
A set of beliefs and values about how society should be organized
On the Political Spectrum, how are social conditions dealt with?
LEFT - Social conditions need to change as quickly as possible
CENTRE - Change of social conditions should take place, but at a cautious pace.
RIGHT - The present system should be maintained. Change only when absolutely necessary and do it slowly and carefully
On the Political Spectrum, how are traditions dealt with?
LEFT - Society is not bound by tradition
CENTRE - Tradition is important, but change must be accepted if it is the will of the majority.
RIGHT - Traditions must be respected. They provide society with stability and security.
On the Political Spectrum, how are needy people dealt with?
LEFT - Government has a moral obligation to take care of needy persons directly.
CENTRE - There are many different approaches to caring for the needy.
RIGHT - Government should not interfere in the lives of individuals (government provides a helping hand, not a handout). Private charity and self-reliance are better.
On the Political Spectrum, how are conditions and opportunities dealt with?
LEFT - Everyone should have equality of condition.
CENTRE - Everyone should have equality of opportunity and condition.
RIGHT - Everyone should have equal opportunity.
On the Political Spectrum, how are rights vs law and order dealt with?
LEFT - The rights of individuals have the highest priority.
CENTRE - Law and order is important, but the rights of the individual come first.
RIGHT - Law and order have the highest priority.
On the Political Spectrum, how is the management of the economy dealt with?
LEFT - The government should own key industries, banks, transportation facilities and natural resources.
CENTRE - Some form of government management of the economy is necessary.
RIGHT - Business and industry should be kept in the hands of private individuals.
On the Political Spectrum, what ideologies are represented?
LEFT - Generally associated with being socialist.
CENTRE - Generally associated with being liberal.
RIGHT - Generally associated with being conservative.
Describe the system of Communism
- System of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the communityas a whole or to the state.
- In other words, all property is owned by the country, not the individuals.
Describe the system of Socialism
- A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and controlof the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the communityas a whole.
- When the state owns capital, and land, and uses it to better the wealth of the people.
- Seen as a transition step from Capitalism to Communism.
Describe the system of Liberalism
- A political or social philosophy advocating the freedom of the individual, parliamentary systems of government, to assure unrestricted development in all spheres of human endeavour, and governmental guarantees of individual rights and civil liberties.
- A government based on the idea that the individual should have rights and civil liberties that will not restrict their growth.
Describe the system of Conservatism
- A political philosophy advocating the preservation of the best of the established order in society and opposing radical change
- The idea that we keep traditions and hold on to the past. If change is needed, it is done slowly, to keep order in society.
Describe the system of Fascism
- A governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
- Government has total control and uses the military to enforce it. Promotes strong ties to the country, even to the extent of promoting racism.
What does it mean to be a ‘pluralist society’?
We (Canada) allow different beliefs and values (ideologies) to exist within our country
What are the five main political parties at the Federal Level in Canada?
- Bloc Quebecois
- Conservative Party of Canada
- Green Party
- Liberal Party of Canada
- New Democratic Party (NDP)
Describe the stereotypical views of Taxation for each of the parties
LIBERAL - keep same or raise
CONSERVATIVE - lower taxes (especially business taxes)
NDP - higher, especially for businesses
BLOC QUEBECOIS - higher
GREEN - higher; add a carbon tax to reduce dependence on fossil fuels
Describe the stereotypical views of Economics for each of the parties
LIBERAL - some interference is necessary, but still a free market
CONSERVATIVE - as little interference as possible
NDP - more intervention; government should own major industries
BLOC QUEBECOIS - main focus is QUEBEC – what is good for the province; will always promote their interests
GREEN - should develop a “green” economy by investing in a National Clean Tech/Energy Program
Describe the stereotypical views of Social Services for each of the parties
LIBERAL - more CONSERVATIVE - fewer social programs NDP - many more ie. universal daycares BLOC QUEBECOIS - more programs GREEN - more programs – need to improve quality of life
Describe the stereotypical views of Tradition vs Change for each of the parties
LIBERAL - change if most want it
CONSERVATIVE - promote “family values”
NDP - change
BLOC QUEBECOIS - change – want Quebec to separate from Canada
GREEN - government should not legislate morality (right and wrong)
Describe the stereotypical views of Crime for each of the parties
LIBERAL - address crime through social programs
CONSERVATIVE - tougher punishments
NDP - address crime through social programs
BLOC QUEBECOIS - address crime through social programs
GREEN - address crime through social programs
Describe the stereotypical views of Healthcare for each of the parties
LIBERAL - no privatization
CONSERVATIVE - interested in some privatization
NDP - no privatization; prioritize health
BLOC QUEBECOIS - want an independent system in Quebec
GREEN - expand to include coverage for physiotherapy, prescriptions, etc
Describe the stereotypical views of the Environment for each of the parties
LIBERAL - need more action to respond to climate change
CONSERVATIVE - some “green” programs, but not at the expense of the economy
NDP - immediate action; big priority
BLOC QUEBECOIS - important, but don’t want Quebeckers to pay for solutions outside of Quebec (ie. Alberta oil sands)
GREEN - TOP priority; more government involvement
Describe the stereotypical views of the Military for each of the parties
LIBERAL - some increase, but less involvement, especially with the US
CONSERVATIVE - increase spending; use military more around the world
NDP - decrease spending and intervention; stick to peacekeeping
BLOC QUEBECOIS - moderate spending
GREEN - less active; pressure NATO allies to get rid of nuclear weapons
Describe the overall ideology for each of the parties
LIBERAL - Liberalism CONSERVATIVE - Conservatism NDP - Socialism BLOC QUEBECOIS - Socialism/Liberalism GREEN - Socialism
What are some consequences for MPs who do not ‘toe the party line’?
They may be backbenched, given fewer responsibilities, or even be kicked out of the party
How often are elections called?
Every 5 years or sooner.
- 2006 law says the second Monday in October 4 years after the previous election
- An election can also be called following a ‘vote of non-confidence’ in a minority government
What type of electoral system does Canada have?
Single-Member Plurality
- one person is elected from each riding to become an MP
- in order to get elected this person must receive the plurality of the votes (the most votes, a majority is not necessary)
- This system is also known as ‘first past the post’
What are the steps of the Election Process?
1) The Call
2) Nominations
3) Voters List
4) Campaign
5) Voters informed
6) Election Day
7) The Count
8) The Winner
How is the prime minister elected?
- The leader of the party with the most MPs elected becomes Prime Minister
- We do not vote directly for the Prime Minister
- The Prime Minister is elected as an MP
- The Prime Minister will formally take the position after a ceremony involving the Governor General
NOTE - same process provincially for Premier
What are some options for Electoral Reform?
- Two-party system (no minority)
- Mandatory Voting (bump up participation rates)
- Proportional Representation (vote for party over person)
What is a Referendum?
- A form of direct democracy
- Voters get to vote on a particular issue instead of the elected representatives deciding
- Example: Quebec sovereignty vote – 1980 and 1995
What is a policy?
The plan of action of a political party or government to achieve certain goals
What is a platform?
The group of policies a political party promises to pursue if elected
What are the areas that policies fall into?
- Social (health and education)
- Financial (taxes, money supply)
- International (defence, trade, foreign relations)
- Public Works (transportation, construction)
- Resources (fisheries, agriculture, energy)
- Legal ( justice)
How does Political Party Membership influence policy?
- Grassroots level: every Canadian is eligible to join a political party
- A member of a political party can go to their conventions and vote on issues as well as the leader of the party when a new one needs to be chosen
How do Civil Servants influence policy?
They calculate the cost of implementing the policies, developing options, and then recommend a plan of action to implement the policy
How does Judicial Opinion influence policy?
- Government policy must comply with current laws of Canada
- Government can go to the Supreme Court for a constitutional opinion on new laws
How do Economic Realities influence policy?
Downturns or upturns in the economy can affect whether or not a political party can deliver on its promises
How do International Pressures influence policy?
- Canada’s foreign policy, defence and trade all depend on relationships with other countries
- The United States is Canada’s most important ally – so the relationship between our policies and that of the U.S. is very vital to us
How do interest groups/lobby groups influence policy?
- Interest groups (or lobby groups) are groups of people with common causes or goals who have ‘formally’ gotten together to form a lobbying group to try and influence policymakers
- Stakeholders are individuals or groups that have something to gain or lose from a policy or law
What kind of criteria can you use to assess whether a policy is ‘good’ or not?
- Is it best for most people?
- Does it protect the weakest in society?
- Does it provide fairness and equity?
- Does it create a cleaner, healthier community?
Define ‘Bill’
a written proposal for a law. It is introduced in parliament and if passed, becomes an ACT.
Define ‘Act’
a bill passed by parliament (a law)
What is a Government Bill?
a bill that has been introduced by the governing party
What is a Private Members Bill?
a bill that has been introduced by individual MPs without government support (Less likely to pass into law)
What are the steps for a bill to become law?
House of Commons 1) Pre-parliamentary stage 2) First Reading 3) Second Reading 4) Committee Stage 5) Reporting Stage 6) Third Reading Senate 7) Same process as the house 8) Royal Assent and proclamation
What is media?
Any form of indirect communication - visual or audio - including arts, dance, print, images, video, video games, etc.
What is Propaganda?
The careful manipulation of media, designed to influence a group or population to conform to an ideal.
How does Propaganda work?
- Does not present information objectively
- Does not communicate the entire truth or story
- Ignores criticism or ideas contrary to the message
- Those who deliver the message are carefully chosen
- Appeals to authority are made
- Blanket statements are used
How does Media determine perception?
What we see portrayed in media shapes what we think about and how we perceive an issue or subject
How can media help us understand the world and politics in particular?
Unbiased News Sources -- Have a good reputation for providing unbiased news -- Report from both sides of the story -- Ask good questions of individuals and organizations Open Dialogue About Issues -- Having open discussions -- Getting straight answers to questions -- Willing to accept faults or failings Critique and Exposure -- Comedy -- Articles and essays -- Documentaries
Who officially runs elections?
Chief Electoral Officer
