Lecture 10 Flashcards
Effective policy implementation involves these three key elements:
Organization
Interpretation
Application
The primary responsibility to implementation of social policy resides with the _______
A: executive branches of the government
Canada is a _____ state.
Federal
Canada’s two major forms of government are built on a_____ model with a _____ monarchy.
parliamentary model with a constitutional monarchy
What is a constitutional monarchy?
system of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government.
How does a constitutional monarchy differ from an absolute monarchy?
Constitutional monarchs exercise their powers within an established legal framework
How many members of parliament are there in the house of commons?
338
What is the Cabinet? (In the parliament)
A small group of MPS selected by the PM to lead specific ministries
In Ontario, the elected members of provincial parliament are called:
Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs)
Initiative to create a new law or reform an existing one can come from (4):
Strong public opinion (eg the current fear of terrorism)
Lobbying on behalf of industry and other interest groups
Political platforms of newly elected governments
Bureaucracy within ministries can promote public policy initiatives based on their own program evaluations
What is the process of a bill? (starting with cabinet) (6)
Bill is proposed in the Cabinet often secretly, before it is presented in parliament (here, its examined)
When a draft of the bill is ready, the minister introduces it to the house of commons
The bill must pass three separate readings in the house of commons
After the bill passes the 3 readings, it goes to the senate
Then it goes to the governor general
It becomes a law once the general governor signs it
What is a party whip?
The term is taken from the “whipper-in” during a hunt, who tries to prevent hounds from wandering away from a hunting pack. Additionally, the term “whip” may mean the voting instructions issued to legislators, or the status of a certain legislator in their party’s parliamentary grouping.
In Canada the Party Whip is the member of a political party in the House of Commons of Canada, the Senate of Canada or a provincial legislature charged with ensuring party discipline among members of the caucus.
They make sure all party members not in Cabinet vote for the bill
What are the two commons types of bills? (explain them)
Public bills (proposals that will impact the public as a whole and are introduced by the appropriate minister) Private bills (usually concern individuals or local matters)
The federal government appoints and pays all federally appointed judges. However, judges of the provincial supreme court, the federal court and the supreme court of canada may be removed only by ________.
the governor general
Why is the independence of judges important?
Because otherwise we would have the issue of “referees as players”
What is pluralism?
Class: Refers to the many competing influences impacting how people treat each other
pluralism is a political philosophy holding that people of different beliefs, backgrounds, and lifestyles can coexist in the same society and participate equally in the political process.
Pluralism assumes that its practice will lead decision-makers to negotiate solutions that contribute to the “common good” of the entire society.
What is elitism?
Refers to the chosen part of a group or society Elitism reflects the interests and values of the powerful few, not the demands of the common people in social and public policy making and practice.
Elitism sees the masses as mostly passive, apathetic and poorly informed - which allows the elites to manipulate mass sentiments through power gained from controlling boards of major corporations, banks and governments
What is representative democracy?
- Representative democracy is a form of democracy in which people vote for representatives who then vote on policy initiatives as opposed to direct democracy, a form of democracy in which people vote on policy initiatives directly.
“we vote for someone to control us” - fan
What is a solution for the problem of representative democracy system?
The public should vote for specific policy / bills or decisions
What is direct democracy?
Where people vote for specific policies bills or decisions (Switzerland)
What is the disadvantage of direct democracy?
The cost of voting
What would make a direct democracy more feasible?
Its more feasible to have a direct democracy when individuals are fully informed and when the rules power is limited
In the current Canadian system, the government can involve citizens in the policymaking processes at which stage?
The input stage
Governments can establish commissions with the mandate to explore a public issue in depth and to bring back a community informed recommendations on actions the government should take
What is a pressure group?
a group that tries to influence public policy in the interest of a particular cause.
This includes self-interest groups such as: trade unions; business and farming associations; churches; ethnic associations; pensioner groups; and returned service personnel.
