Mid Term Flashcards
What is Politics?
Politics are activities related to influencing, making, and implementing collective decisions.the negotiation of collective norms - Those rules which govern our conduct together.
What is power?
The ability to affect the behavior of others, particularly by getting them to act in ways that they would not otherwise
have done.
How do Power and Politics work together?
They work through the 3 dimensions of power, Compulsion, agenda setting and socialization. Power becomes part of politics through hierarchy’s, buaracries, political structures and types of power. Used to pursue justice, promote prosperity, secure order in all aspects.
Compulsion: The power of others enforcing thoughts, actions, etc. Police officer and crimes as example. Lobbyists.
Agenda Setting: Giving individuals a choice of options, however the agenda was already set by govt and your thus choosing between options, not having a entirely free choice. Ex. Elections, have a choice between multiple parties however they do not cover all needs of individuals and certain people must make choices which are closest to their true values.
Socialization: Teaching and encouraging individuals to think or act a certain way, useful for politics as they can sway young children to think their ideology is the superior choice . Ex. Education mostly being driven by liberal values.
What are Political Ideologies?
Sets of values or ideas that have particular histories
Conservatism, Liberalism, socialism
Why did values shift after WW2
Shift in 50/60 as a result of WW2 from materialist to non materialist values, shift from purely economic concerns toward marginalization based on gender, race, ability, etc. Shift caused and ushered by socialism, politics became focused on the needs of the working class, resistance: unions, workplace democracy, etc.
Early 20th c. rights are extended to marginalized groups, changes occurring that allow those previously marginalized to allow for more freedoms, rights and power.
What is the Fragment Theory?
Countries formed on the beliefs that were present during its creation.
The founding fragments theory of American political scientist and historian Louis Hartz. He theorized that because new societies (colonies) founded by Europeans were only fragments of the entire ideological spectrum that
existed in Europe, this had implications for their political culture.
The core of fragment theory is the idea that the political development of new societies such as Canada, the United States, and Australia was largely determined by the ideological heritage that was transmitted from Europe by the first settlers. In other words, the leading ideological perspective in the “mother country” at the time of colonization tended to become the dominant or sole ideology of the new society. In Canada it was French Catholics, Loyalist Protestants and those escaping the protestant revolution.
Formative Events Theory:
A theory that emphasizes the importance of a crucial formative event in establishing the basic character of a country’s political culture.
Seymour Martin Lipset, comparison of Canadian and American political culture. His early work on his formative events theory compared the origins of the United States and Canada, one revolutionary and the other counter-revolutionary. In his opinion, the nature of each country’s birth was significant: while Canada had a natural birth, the United States had a caesarian section, and the different inceptions influenced how each country evolved.
He argues that the American Revolution left an indelible mark on that country, stripping it of British values and the institutional structure that supported them. Canada, on the other hand, was shaped by the slow process of disengagement from Britain and therefore retained many of its values and institutions. The rejection of all things British is reflected in the hallmarks of American political culture: individual freedom, a preference for minimal government, populism, and equality of
opportunity.
Canada’s counter-revolutionary history
meant it began a slow march toward democracy as it was evolving in Britain. Canada did not turn against the mother country, instead it retained its parliamentary system, the monarchy, and, hence, the values underpinning them. These are
reflected in deference to elites, a more favourable view of governments, and a greater respect for law and order.
Believes that political cultures can however grow and evolve.
Treaties Purposes:
Put in place to give IP rights over certain portions of land, Can saw treaties as a way of prohibiting US expanding North.
Old System:
Oral Society
Some terms not understood by IP
There was more on an intent from John A McDonald to take land from IP.
Modern:
More formal and considerate. heavily revised and reviewed.
BNA Act, 1867.
passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, was based on resolutions drafted by the leaders of the provinces of Ontario, Quebec,
Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. It provided the new country of Canada with a formal constitution that is now officially known as the Constitution Act, 1867. (See Chapter 10 for a more detailed discussion.) Of particular importance in the British North America Act (BNA Act) was the adoption of a federal system of government that divides legislative powers between the Canadian Parliament and the provincial legislatures. This created a fundamental difference from the United Kingdom’s unitary system in which Parliament is the supreme legislative body. By adopting the BNA Act, Canada also differed from the United Kingdom in having a formal written constitution
Royal Proclamation Act of 1763:
Established British rule over the former
French colonies and placed “Indians” under the protection of the
British Crown.
drew line across western colonies (N->S) along Appalachian mountain that was a barrier stopping settlers from crossing the line without having treaties with IP approved by the crown.
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 formalized British control over the former French colonies in Canada. It declared that “the several Nations or Tribes of Indians with whom we are connected and who live under our protection shall not be molested or disturbed in the possession of such parts of our dominions and territories as, not having been ceded or purchased by Us, are reserved to them,
or any of them, as their hunting grounds.”
To protect against exploitation from non-Indigenous settlers, private individuals were prohibited from buying land reserved for Indigenous people. Although the Royal Proclamation indicated that Indigenous people would continue to be self-governing in their internal affairs, the implication of the phrase “our dominions and territories” was that the British claimed “sovereign title” over the entire territory
Hawthorne Report:
A Canadian government report
that recommended that First
Nations people should have
rights in addition to those
of other citizens and not be
forced to assimilate into the majority society
Treaties:
Indigenous peoples in Canada were never conquered by the European powers. Instead, many First Nations signed treaties with the French, British, and Canadian governments.
BNA: reaction to US westward expansion. Hudson bay company controlled a large portion of Canada. Fur traders and indigenous trade. Sold to the British and became under the dominion of Canada. 1/3 of the continent switched its control without the citizens being notified
From FN perspective: Allowed settlers to come and use the land in order to produce resources or farm as long as the FN agreed upon their use and so that it was their benefit to do so . The land doesn’t get transferred to Canada, it stays indigenous. Surrounding and seeding their right to sign a competing treaty.
Canada saw treaties as a way of prohibiting the US from expanding further north, took advantage of the misinterpretation.
Treaties:
- Peace and Friendship (1725 - 1779)
- Upper Canada Land Surrender (1764 - 1862)
- Williams Treaty (1923)
- Robinson - Superior Treaty (1850 - 1854) : one of the first of the modern treaties.
Douglas Treaties (1850 - 1854)
Compulsion
(Person A makes Person B do what they want - ex. Police, carrot and stick.) Rewards and Recognition = Carrot, Stick = negative reinforcement, punishments.
Agenda Setting
Agenda Setting (Person A allows Person B to choose from options that they have presented, an example of this is the election process or legislation being put to a vote.
Agenda Setting
Agenda Setting (Person A allows Person B to choose from options that they have presented, an example of this is the election process or legislation being put to a vote.
Socialization
(Society affecting a person through values and lessons) example government wanting children to be educated as it helps progress and advance society, ultimately benefiting them. A boss or owner encouraging and motivating their employees when they accomplish good work as it ultimately benefits them) Idea that we will serve a purpose in economy of Canada, with everyone making a contribution.
Pluralism:
Political parties are collections of individuals who leave aside some of their values to get together and congregate around another certain type of values
Pluralism (political philosophy), the acknowledgement of a diversity of political systems. Pluralism (political theory), belief that there should be diverse and competing centers of power in society.
Ignores; race, class, sex, gender, ability etc. Ways that people are marginalized in power
Regional Cultures and Economics:
Unequal: Population and Voting power, unequal resources and wealth -> why federalism was introduced in the BNA, and why we have supreme court and senate rep, to insure all voices are heard.
When Is power just morally correct?
Liberalism: Equality of the rational agents; wants to protect the sanctity of the people and treat every individual as equal.
Democracy?
Idea that anyone who is affected by a decision, should have a say in that choice. ** Democracy is in the principle that all those that are effected by decision have a say in that decision.
What was Indian Act?
The primary law the federal government uses to administer Indian status, local First Nations governments and the management of reserve land. It also outlines governmental obligations to First Nations peoples.
- Determines Who qualifies as indigenous - Ex qualifying for status - Piece of legislation that deals with race, it is a very racial document - The goal for thew Indian act was to have less and less people qualify as Indians - It was trying to assimilate the entire race essentially - Was trying to "solve the Indian problem" Throughout the years the Indian act has changed
had to change after WW2 as the Genocide Convention made it out so that they were violating it. Made it so that indigenous people could participate in indigenous cultural activities
1885-1951 Indigenous couldn’t celebrate potlatches, couldn’t barley speak their own language Prohibited indigenous peoples ability to participate in the market economy
Indigenous couldn’t drink alcohol
After 1951:
could Drink, participate in cultural activities and made it harder for women to loose status.
First Nations
Reserve lands: Land reserved for Soley indigenous peoples, In 1876 the Indian act was instated, restricted NA to reserves, couldn’t leave without permission. Left with terrible land and couldn’t participate in Can economy. Couldn’t hire a lawyer, to gain rights, they would have to give up their status. Residential schools were then put in place as a way to strip I culture from children since they could not convince adults to give up their status. 600 reserves in Canada.
Indigenous Poverty:
- Canada wanted to make lives on the reserves so shitty that indigenous peoples would just get up and leave them
- Canada wanted to solve the “Indian problem”
- Life on reserved cause much trauma and poverty
Poverty caused many more trickle down problems
Chinese Head Tax:
Between 1880 and 1884, when the transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway was being constructed, Chinese laborer’s were recruited to work on the most dangerous and least well-paid jobs. Once the railway was completed, the federal government tried to discourage the laborer’s from permanent settlement. It passed the
Chinese Immigration Act, 1885, which introduced the “head tax” system through which Chinese admission to Canada was made more expensive. The 1923 Chinese Exclusion Act later banned all but a trickle of Chinese immigration. Various measures were also put in place to discourage Black Americans and South Asians from
entering Canada
Japanese Internment Camps:
- Fear that Japan was going to govern an attack on Canada using the Japanese people that were already in Canada
- Canada took all of the Japanese people, took all of their property and belongings. Canada put them all into Japanese internment camp
- When they were released from the labor camps, Canada gave them nothing back and in many times sold the Japanese peoples companies other Canadians
For example, Indigenous people living on reserves were denied basic
human rights, and Japanese Canadians were arrested, interned, and deprived of their
property during and shortly after World War II.
Residential Schools:
The residential schools that took young people away
from home were supported by the Canadian government and were run by the Roman Catholic,
Anglican, Presbyterian, and United Churches. Beginning in 1894, attendance was compulsory. By
the time the last school closed in 1996, about 150 000 children had gone through the system. The
residential schools were very traumatic for students as there was harsh discipline; frequent physical
and sexual abuse; and a determination to obliterate Indigenous traditions, languages, cultures, and
religious beliefs. The goal of the schools was to assimilate students into the dominant Canadian
culture. An estimated 6000 children died of malnourishment or disease while in the care of the
residential schools.
Quebec Act, 1774:
An act of the British Parliament that guaranteed that Catholics would be able to freely practice their religion,
the privileges of the Catholic Church would be maintained, and
the French system of civil (private) law would be used alongside
British criminal law
Quebec act, granted a province or territory to French Canadians who were under British rule, this made George Washington very angry Aswell as FN
Principle of Sovereignty:
A) land is only yours if you can defend it or
B) you are actually using it efficiently
