QUIZ 1- TERMS Flashcards
1
Q
political party
A
An organization designed to get its candidates
elected to Parliament. Political parties are the primary connection between voters and Parliament.
2
Q
House of Commons
A
The lower branch of Parliament where there
are 338 members who are elected
by the people.
3
Q
Parliament
A
The legislative branch of government in Canada,
consisting of the House of Commons, the Senate, and the Crown.
4
Q
Senate
A
The upper chamber of Parliament where there are 105
members who are appointed until age 75 by the Crown on the advice of the prime minister.
5
Q
governor general
A
The Queen’s representative in Canada, and
the formal head of the executive branch of government.
6
Q
confidence
A
The ability of the government to command majority
support in Parliament; it is the first rule of responsible government.
7
Q
rule of law
A
The principle that governments not only make the
law but must follow the law as well. It is one of the hallmarks of a free society.
8
Q
statutory laws
A
the laws made by Parliament.
9
Q
conventions
A
Unwritten rules of the Canadian political system.
Many conventions were inherited from Great Britain’s system of responsible government in 1867 while other conventions have emerged in Canada over time
through political practice.
10
Q
rules of thumb
A
Non-binding, informal unwritten rules. Some
rules of thumb may emerge as conventions or become enshrined in law over time.
11
Q
institutional approach
A
One type
of approach used in the study of
politics that analyzes the rules of
the game and their effects on the
political system.
12
Q
totalitarian regimes
A
Govern-ments that maintain total control
over the societies they govern.
They are typically led by a single
dictator.
13
Q
responsible government
A
The Canadian system of government
(inherited from Great Britain) in
which ministers are responsible to
Parliament and the Crown.
14
Q
federalism
A
A system of govern-
ment with two constitutionally
entrenched orders of government.
One government is responsible for
matters pertaining to the entire
country, and the other order of
government provides a range of
services at a more local level. In
Canada, the two orders of govern-
ment are the federal government
in Ottawa and the 10 provinces.
(The territories are separate
entities under the authority of the
federal government.)
15
Q
bicameral legislature
A
A legislature that has two chambers.
The Parliament of Canada is a
bicameral legislature: the House
of Commons is the elected lower
chamber, and the Senate is the
appointed upper chamber.
16
Q
sovereign
A
“supremely powerful”
17
Q
intergovernmental relations
A
The interaction between the different governments in a federation, especially between the federal
government and the provinces, but also between provinces and municipalities, Aboriginal peoples
and governments of all levels, and even the relationships across the border with state governments.
18
Q
Indian Act
A
Federal legislation
that defines the legal status of
“Indian” peoples in Canada and
regulates the management of
“Indian” lands and reserves.
19
Q
ideologies
A
Specific bundles of
ideas about politics and the good
life, such as liberalism, conserva-
tism, and socialism. Ideologies
help people explain political
phenomena, they allow people to
evaluate good and bad, and they
equip people with a program or
agenda for political action.
20
Q
political culture
A
the sum total
of political beliefs in a country. It
includes the attitudes, beliefs, and
values that underpin the political
system.
21
Q
neo-liberals or libertarians
A
Modern adherents of classical
liberalism.
22
Q
cleavages
A
The enduring political
divisions in a country, such as
language, region, urban-rural,
gender, race, and class, among
others.
23
Q
identity politics
A
A political
orientation that is driven by one’s
identification with one’s language,
race, religion, gender, nation,
sexual orientation, or some other
aspect of the group one identifies
with. Identity politics is often asso-
ciated with groups seeking to free
themselves from discrimination
by dominant groups in Canadian
society.
24
Q
crosscutting cleavages
A
When a second cleavage serves to create
an alliance across the primary
cleavage. The principal cleavage
in Canada has historically been
language: French and English. But
the English-speaking community
is further divided between Prot-
estants and Catholics. On some
issues, English-speaking Catholics
may have more in common with
French-speaking Catholics than
they do with English-speaking
Protestants and this reduces the
salience of the linguistic division.
25
Quiet Revolution
The transfor-
mation of Quebec from a deeply
conservative society to a progres-
sively liberal society in the 1960s.
26
revenge of the cradle
A church-fostered policy known as la
revanche des berceaux. The church
encouraged women to have lots of
babies to prevent the assimilation
of the French by the English.
27
nationalism
The passion some
individuals display for their nation.
It properly refers to an identifiable
group of people rather than a
country; love of country is properly
known as patriotism. In Canada,
many people in Quebec believe
that Quebec is a separate nation.
28
sovereignists
Quebecers
who want Quebec to become a
sovereign state, independent of
Canada.
29
federalists
Quebecers who
are not in favour of separation.
They are committed to Canada,
although many of them want to
see changes to the way the federa-
tion is governed.
30
populism
A theory that extends
the notion of democracy beyond
the election of the government.
It is the belief that major political
decisions should be made by the
people. Populism can be left-wing
or right-wing, and it is particularly
prevalent in Western Canada.
31
electoral districts
The geographical constituencies in which
Members of Parliament are elected
in Canada’s single-member
plurality electoral system. There
are currently 338 electoral districts
in Canada, each with more or less
comparable populations.
32
riding
Another term for electoral
district or constituency in Canada’s
single-member plurality electoral
system. The term is uniquely
Canadian.
33
Western alienation
the disconnection many Canadians in
Western provinces feel to the rest
of Canada, and the belief that the
Government of Canada tends to
make policies for the benefit of the
majority in Central Canada to the
detriment of the West.
34
gender gap
The differing support political parties receive from
women and men.
35
independent candidates
Individuals running for election to the
House of Commons who are not
affiliated with any political party.
There are many independent
candidates in each election, but it
is unusual for an independent candidate to win a seat in Parliament.
36
party system
The set of parties
active in the political system at any
one time. The party system may
refer to only the dominant parties
in the system or only the parties
that elect candidates to Parliament
or all of the parties, depending on
the context.
37
fringe parties
Political parties
that garner only a small percent-
age of the overall vote. However,
they play an important role in
Canadian politics because they
often raise issues that major
parties choose to ignore and thus
provide citizens with more options
to participate in the political
system.
38
Tory syndrome
The propensity of the Conservative Party to
engage in internal conflicts over
leadership, especially after losing
elections.
39
party discipline
The ability of
parties to work together as a
team for common purposes, such
as winning elections or passing
legislation in Parliament.
40
caucus
All the members of a
political party elected to Parlia-
ment. For the Conservative Party it
also includes members appointed
to the Senate. Justin Trudeau
removed Liberal senators from the
caucus in 2014, while the other
parties do not have any members
in the Senate.
41
political brand
A marketing
strategy designed to project a
distinct image of a political party
and its leader with the goal of
creating an emotional connection
to voters.
42
brokerage parties
Parties that are able to appeal to the different
regions of Canada, especially
the two major linguistic groups.
Brokerage parties tend to be ideo-
logically pragmatic, following the
wishes of the voters rather than
standing on a set of predetermined principles.
43
missionary parties
parties that are strongly committed to their
political principles, and they are
generally not willing to compro-
mise their principles for electoral
advantage. They stand in contrast
to pragmatic brokerage parties.
44
single issue parties
Parties that
are preoccupied with only one
issue.
45
median voter theorem
The theory that the outcome of the
election will be determined by the
preferences of voters in the middle
of the political spectrum—which
is the largest group of voters.
46
wedge politics
When a political
party chooses to take one side of
a particular “hot button” issue to
attract more votes and divide the
remaining electorate among the
opposing parties.
47
dog whistling
A political message that sounds innocent to the
general population but resonates
with a target group of voters, typi-
cally by appealing to longstanding
prejudices.
48
electoral systems
The rules by
which voter preferences are trans-
lated into seats in the legislature.
49
single-member plurality (SMP)
electoral system
An electoral system that provides for geo-
graphic representation in the
legislature. The country is divided
into geographic constituencies
with approximately equal popu-
lations. A number of candidates
will contest the election in each
constituency, and the candidate
with the most votes is elected
to the legislature. This electoral
system is very easy to use, but the
distribution of seats in the legisla-
ture is not always proportional to
a party’s share of the vote in the
election.
50
proportional representation
(PR) electoral system
An electoral system that ensures the dis-
tribution of seats in the legislature
is proportional to a party’s share of
the vote in the election.
51
first past the post
The informal
name for the single-member
plurality electoral system.
52
safe seats
Ridings that political
parties can generally count on
winning in the election.
53
swing ridings
Ridings with a
long history of electing candidates
from different parties.
54
bellwether ridings
Ridings with
a unique habit of electing a candi-
date to Parliament who belongs to
the winning party.
55
representative sample
A subset
of the population that accurately
reflects the entire population.
56
Duverger’s law
theory of
political science that stipulates the
single-member plurality electoral
system will result in a party system
with two strong parties and most
likely only two parties.
57
popular vote
The total number
of votes received by a political
party across all constituencies
divided by the number of votes
cast in the election and multi-
plied by 100. It is expressed as
a percentage of the vote. This
information is irrelevant to the
single-member plurality system
used in Canada, but it is used by
the media to judge the perfor-
mance of the political parties in
the election.
58
coalition governments
governments that are composed of two
or more political parties.
59
wasted vote
A vote that does not
contribute to a candidate getting
elected, either because the can-
didate had a surplus of votes (i.e.,
won by a large margin), or had no
chance of being elected because
he or she was running in a safe
seat for another party or with a
fringe party.
60
strategic voting
When a person
votes for his or her second or third
preference of party or candidate
in an attempt to prevent the least
favourite candidate or party from
winning the seat. For example,
a supporter of the Green Party
might vote for a Liberal to prevent
the Conservative from winning, or
a Conservative supporter might
vote for the NDP to prevent a
Liberal from being elected.
61
proportional representation
(PR) electoral systems
Electoral
systems that distribute seats in
the legislature, proportional to a
party’s share of the popular vote.
If a party wins 20 percent of the
vote, it is allocated 20 percent of
the seats in the legislature. There
are a number of different types of
proportional representation elec-
toral systems, including the simple
list, mixed member proportional,
and the single transferable vote.
61
systemic discrimination
A form
of discrimination produced by
the operational logic of a system
rather than individual intentions.
62
list system
The simplest and
purest form of all the proportional
representation electoral systems.
Each party produces a list of
candidates equal to the number of
seats in the government, with the
leader ranked first and the most
junior candidate last. On election
day, citizens would vote for the
party of their choice. Seats in the
government are allocated to each
party proportional to its share of
the popular vote.
62
single transferable vote (STV)
electoral system
the electoral system used in Ireland and Malta.
With STV, the country is divided
into a number of geographic
constituencies in which multi-
ple candidates will be elected.
Constituencies with relatively
small populations might only
elect two candidates, but very
large constituencies might elect
as many as six candidates. Voters
have the opportunity to rank the
candidates according to their pref-
erences. Candidates are elected
according to a complex electoral
quotient.
62
mixed member proportional
(MMP) electoral system
An electoral system that combines
the single-member plurality
electoral system with the simple
list electoral system. Each person
votes for a candidate to represent
the constituency he or she lives in
and for a political party with its list
of candidates. Votes for the list are
used to iron out the disproportion-
alities caused by the election of
candidates through the first-past-
the-post system.
63
executive
The branch of
government responsible for the
execution of policy.
64
responsible government
The
Canadian system of govern-
ment—inherited from Great
Britain—in which ministers are
responsible to Parliament and the
Crown.
65
head of state
The official rep-
resentative of the nation that is
vested with all executive authority.
The Queen is Canada’s head of
state.
66
Crown
Refers to the entirety of
the Canadian state. For example,
property owned by the Gov-
ernment of Canada is Crown
property and government-owned
businesses are called Crown
corporations.
67
governor general
The Queen’s
representative in Canada, and
formally the head of the of executive branch of government
67
lieutenant governors
The
Queen’s representatives in each
province.
68
Queen’s Privy Council for
Canada
A largely ceremonial
body that advises the Queen on
matters of state related to Canada.
It is made up of current and
former cabinet ministers and other
prominent Canadians. People are
appointed to the council by the
governor general on the advice of
the prime minister. It is a lifetime
appointment, but only current
members of the cabinet are enti-
tled to advise the Crown directly.
69
cabinet
The central decision-
making body in the Canadian
political system. It is led by the
prime minister and includes the
other ministers of the government.
70
head of government
the official
elected leader of the government.
Canada’s head of government is
the prime minister.
71
ministers
Members of Par-
liament, usually in the House
of Commons, who have been
appointed by the prime minis-
ter to sit with him or her in the
cabinet. Ministers are responsible
for the various departments and
agencies of the government and
collectively compose the Govern-
ment of Canada.
72
prime minister
The leader of
the government in Parliament. By
convention, the prime minister is
an elected member of the House
of Commons.
73
political executive
The prime
minister and the ministers in
Canada.
74
ministry
refers to the Government of Canada, which is
composed of ministers.
75
formal executive
the Crown in
Canada.
76
conventions
Unwritten rules
of the Canadian political system.
Many conventions were inherited
from Great Britain’s system of
responsible government in 1867,
while other conventions have
emerged in Canada over time
through political practice.
76
letters Patent
A specific set of
instructions from the British Crown
to the governor general.
77
coalition government
A government made up of two or more
political parties.
77
prerogative powers
The powers
of the governor general that have
been reserved from the time when
the monarch exercised absolute
authority in the British political
system.
78
speech from the Throne (or
Throne Speech)
A speech that
opens each session of Parliament.
The speech is written by the gov-
ernment but read in the Senate
chamber by the governor general.
It outlines the government’s
agenda for the new session of
Parliament.
79
prorogation
a temporary closing
of Parliament between elections.
It marks the end of one session of
Parliament and gives the govern-
ment the opportunity to plan for
the next session.
80
orders in council
Decisions
made by the cabinet that carry
legal force.
81
governor in council
The formal
decisions of the governor general
taken on the advice of cabinet.
82
government
May refer broadly
to the entire system of public
administration that governs the
country or more specifically to the
governing party in Parliament.
83
ministers of state or secretaries
of state
Members of Parliament
appointed by the prime minister
to be a “junior minister” respon-
sible for a particular department
or agency under the auspices of a
minister.
84
parliamentary secretaries
Members of Parliament appointed
by the prime minister to assist
ministers in their parliamentary
duties, such as answering ques-
tions when the minister is away.
85
civil servants
Permanent
employees of the government
who assist the elected govern-
ment with policy development
and implementation as well as the
administration of the state.
85
by-election
An election to fill a
vacancy in the House of Commons
held between general elections.
86
regional ministers
Members
of cabinet tasked by the prime
minister to take the lead on issues
related to a particular province or
region. It is more of a partisan role
than a government position.
87
big tent parties
Diverse parties
with multiple ideological factions.
88
briefing notes
Short documents
prepared by the civil service to
inform ministers of key develop-
ments or to advise them on policy.
89
deputy minister
The top civil
servant in a department. A
deputy minister is an employee
of the government rather than an
elected Member of Parliament.
90
memorandum to cabinet
A formal document used by a min-
ister to present his or her views to
cabinet.
91
record of decision
A formal
document recording the final and
official decisions of cabinet.
92
Clerk of the Privy Council
Office
The top civil servant in
the country. The clerk is also the
deputy minister to the prime min-
ister and secretary of the cabinet.
93
privy Council Office (PCO)
The
apex of the civil service and the
office responsible for coordinating
the actions of government and
supporting the prime minister.
94
Prime Minister’s Office
(PMO)
An office made up of the
prime minister’s top political staff.
It provides the prime minister with
partisan political support, unlike
the Privy Council Office, which
provides non-partisan support.
Each prime minister brings in his
or her own staff, and they leave
with him or her.
95
chief of staff
The head of the
Prime Minister’s Office and the
principal adviser to the prime
minister. The chief of staff provides
partisan advice to the prime
minister, unlike the Clerk of the
Privy Council, who provides
non-partisan advice.
96
opposition critics
The lead critic
for each cabinet minister from
each opposition party in Parlia-
ment; they are selected by the
leader of the opposition party.
97
shadow cabinet
includes the
leader of the Official Opposition
party and all its critics.
98
legislation
the formal process by which laws are enacted
99
speaker
the person who moderates legislative debates. elected member of the parliament, who is in turn elected by other members. senate also has a speaker
100
speech from the throne (or the throne speech)
speech that opens each session of parliament
written by gov but read by senate by gov general
outlines govs agenda for new session of parliament
101
usher of the black rod
chief ceremonial officer of the senate
102
sergeant-at-arms
chief ceremonial officer in House of Commons
103
bill
a proposed new law
when passed by parliament- becomes an act
104
act
statutory law of parliament
105
1st reading
bill is introduced in parliament and #'d
introduced in HOC- begin with C#
introduced in senate- S#
105
readings
stages that bills pass through parliament
106
2nd reading
when bill is debated in principle
107
committee stage
bill is sent to a sub-committee of HOC for detailed examination
108
standing committees
permanent committees that examine legislation in detail and consider other policy questions
about 24 standing committees in HOC, one for each ministry
109
report stage
standing committee reports back to the HOC on its deliberations about a bill
109
third reading
bill is once again debated in principle and voted on its entirety
110
royal assent
final stage, when a bill that has been passed in both HOC and the Senate goes to governor general for proclamation
111
die on the order paper
bill that's not passed before Parliament dissolves for an election or is closed by prorogation
112
public bills
- bills that establish law for the whole of Canadian society
- most bills passed by Parliament are public bills
113
private bills
bills that are passed for specific individuals, groups, or entities like incorporation of a new bank
114
government bills
bills that are supported by the cabinet and introduced by the responsible minister
115
private members' bills
- introduced by private members of the HOC
- all members who are not part of the government (who are not cabinet ministers or ministers of state)
116
money bills
- bills that allow the government to collect taxes and spend revenues
- CA's system of parliamentary government, money bills are by definition matters of confidence
117
non-money bills
bills that deal with all matters of legislation except the raising of taxes or the spending of revenue
118
supply bills
bills that authorize the spending of money by the government
119
ways-and-means bills
bills that enable the government to collect taxes
120
budget
- government's annual plan for raising revenue and spending revenue
- most important money bill of the year and by definition is a matter of confidence
- usually introduced in the spring
121
interest groups
- groups that represent particular interests in Canadian society
- typically lobby or pressure the government for measures that benefit their members
122
fiscal update
- update on the government's budget situation that the finance minister gives each fall
- new tax, spending measures
123
official opposition
- the second largest party in parliament that sits opposite the government in HOC and holds it to account
- aka her majesty's loyal opposition
124
question period
a 45 minute session held each day the HOC is in session in which MOP can ask gov and hold it to account
125
officer or agents of Parliament
- independent watchdogs
- auditor general- report to Parliament on activities of the government
126
party discipline
requirement that members of a party in Parliament follow the directions of the leader
127
whip
individual appointed by a leader to be responsible for party discipline
128
free votes
votes in Parliament in which MOP may vote according to their conscience rather than having to follow the direction of leader or whip
129
patronage
awarding of gov parks and benefits by the PM to their supporters
130
triple-E senate
a proposal to make the senate of Canada an elected chamber with equal rep
131
federalism
- a system of gov 2 constitutionally orders of gov
- 1st gov responsible: entire country, 2nd gov: local
- 2 orders of gov: 10 provinces and fed gov Ottawa (territories are separate)
132
sovereignty
"supreme authority"
- sovereignty is divided between fed and prov govs
133
intergovernmental relations
- interaction between different govs in federation
- esp between fed and provinces, also prov and municipalities
- across the border, aboriginal, all gov levels
133
concurrent jurisdiction
- area of responsibility that's shared between 2 or more orders of gov
- like agriculture and immigration
134
division or powers
- separate and often overlapping areas of jurisdiction between prov + fed
- powers are listed s.91+92 of the Constitution Act 1867
135
civil law
- legal system descended from Roman law
- still used by non-English speaking parts of Europe and Africa
- relies on comprehensive civil code written by a legislature
- quebec uses civil law-> own civic code
136
asymmetrical federalism
type of federalism the provinces have diff powers
137
quasi- federal
-country partially federal
- certain qualities that federations have, but lack some others
- central gov = controls and overrides provinces or states
138
reservation
constitutional power given to lieutenant governors to refer legislation passed by provincial legislatures to the federal cabinet for approval
139
disallowance
consttitutional power goven to federal gov to override or negate any legislation passed by the prov legislatures
140
dead letters
legal concept refers to any consitutional provision thats fallen into disuse and consequently may no longer have force or effect
141
POGG Clause
-located in preamble to s.91 of Const.A. 1867
- fed parliament = make laws for "peace, order and good gov"
142
judicial committee of the privy council
- court of final appeal for all colonies in British Empire
- remains the final court for independant countries
143
classical federalism
- theory each level of gov is sovereign and co equal with the other
- no level of gov is greater even if jurisdiction of each differs
144
residual power
- refers to all matters not listed in constit
- each federation determines which gov has responsibility for matters not explicitly listed in the constit
145
property and civil rights
- very broad swath of responsibility allocated to prov govs in s.92, subsection s.13 of C.A. 1867
- reason why we register cars/home with prov gov
- civil rights like insurance/contract law
146
pith and substance
- legal term = essence of a law
147
fiscal federalism
- both distribution of taxation powers in federation and transfer of money between 2 govs
148
tax fields
- categories of taxation where govs raise revenue
- important: personal income, corporate, sales taxes
149
conditional grants
provided by the federal gov to provs on the condition that the monies be used for particular purposes
- ex. financing health care
150
wartime tax agreement
- first tax rental agreement that saw provs "rent" their tax fields to fed gov for set revenue over life of agreement
151
tax harmonization
- measure required in fed political systems to ensure combined tax rates of fed + prov govs are not heavy for taxpayers and that 2 taxation systems are not working at cross purposes
152
transfer payments
- monies that's transferred from fed gov to prov gov to pay for services
- ex. canada health transfer
153
social union
- a comprehensive set of programs and services that were established following WW2, today makes up modern welfare state
- important pillars of modern: universal health care, Canada pension plan, public education system etc.
154
co-operative federalism
- co-operation of fed gov + prov in delivery of programs and services to citizens
- In contrast to classical fed (2 orders of gov operate independently)
154
established programs financing act (epf)
- 1976 as new fed transfer to finance prov social programs including health care
- concept of block transfers in discal federalism rather than cost sharing
154
block transfer
- fixed sums of money provided by fed gov to provs -> finance social programs + health care
- introduced w established programs financing act 1976
154
tax points
- fed gov gives money to provs -> finance prov programs
- fed gov: cuts its tax rates in one field (income tax), prov gov: ups tax rates by similar amount
155
cash transfers
- payments provided by fed gov to provs -> finance prov programs like health care
155
CHST - canada health and social transfer
- single transfer that replaced the estbalished programs 1995 as primary federal transfer for prov health + social programs
155
CHT (canada health transfer) and CST (canada social transfer)
-transfers created in 2003 -> ensure more accountability in how provs spend money transferred from fed gov
155
equalization
- fed expenditure program thats constit entrenched in s.36 of C.A. 1982
- ensures that provs able to offer comparable levels of service with comparably levels of taxation
- ensures schools + hospitals run by provs across country r equally good
155
representative tax system
- analytical tool used by fed gov
- calculate fiscal capacity of each prov for purposes of equalization program
156
offshore accords
- agreements negotiated between fed gov and nova scotia, newfoundland
- enabled NS + NFLD to recieve royalty payments from offshore oil + gas resources
- also continue to receive portion of their equalization payments
157
executive federalism
- phenomenon where first ministers (the PM and other prov premiers) serve as main nexus of interaction in intergovernmental affairs
158
peak institutions
- sit at the apex of CA system of executive federalism
- first ministers meeting sits at the very top of complex system
159
managing insitutions
- sit below peak insit in CA system of executive federalism
- coordinate various fed-prov programs and initiatives
160
first ministers meeting
- meeting of PM and all prov premiers
- highest level of interaction in CA of executive federalism
- sometimes called first minister's conference
161
council of federation
- body of all premiers meets twice a year
- maintains permanent secretariat to coordinate these meetings
162
western premiers conference
meeting of all 4 western premiers plus 3 territorial leaders
- happens annually
163
council of atlantic premiers
meeting of all 4 atlantic premiers
-annually
