Understanding Government Unit Final Flashcards
what is a dictatorship?
A government that uses violence, indoctrination, censorship, propaganda, and scapegoating to control is people
Which has higher government control: socialism or conservatism?
socialism
What is the constitution?
a law that describes Canadas government and helps to set out the important Canadian institutes
who/what is the Monarch?
- approve bills before they become official laws
- represented by governer general
- part of legislative and executive branch
- formal head of state
What is the legislative branch?
the area of government where laws are made
what is the executive branch?
The branch that proposes laws and puts them into action as well as runs day to business of government
Who is the senate?
people who represent the interests and rights of Canada’s regions in order to bring more perspective into government.
what is the senate’s role?
to the double-check bills before they go through to receive royal assent
how are senators chosen?
they are not elected but are instead chosen by the prime minister
what is the role of the house of commons?
to debate, study and vote on bills/laws as well as create legislation for the peace order and good of government
Who makes up the house of commons?
MP’s who are elected by members of their riding
What are the main roles of the prime minister?
- choosing the cabinet ministers
- heading Canada’s government system
- deciding what portfolios should be included within the cabinet
- helping to run the day to day business of government
How many cabinet ministers are there and which party do they belong to?
There are 31 cabinet ministers who all belong to the leading party. They are all MP’s and are chosen by the prime minister
What are cabinet ministers responsible for?
Each cabinet minister has a specialty in their own department. As a collective, they are responsible for a variety of various government departments
Why is the judicial branch separate from the legislative and executive branches of government?
to avoid corruption and influence in the decision-making process from political parties
what is the role of the judicial branch?
to interperate and apply laws as well as administer justice
What is the supreme court of Canada?
the supreme court of Canada is the highest level of court in the country. They have the final word on all questions about law within the country as well as the final word on the making and appliance of new laws.
What is a riding?
an area or electoral district that defines a group of constituents
how many ridings are in Canada?
338
what is a constituent?
Someone who is eligible to vote
Define candidate
a person running in an election
what is a political party?
a group of people who share the same political beliefs
Define a majority government
when the winning party occupies more than half of the seats within the house of commons
define a minority government
when the winning party occupies less than half of the seats within the house of commons
What is first past the post?
a voting system where the party with the most elected MP’s forms government
how are ridings structured?
by population
where does the official opposition always sit within the house of commons?
opposit to the governement in power
what must the leading party do in order to remain their power when in a minority government?
form co-elitions with other parties
what are the three main ways parties campaign before an election?
the use of posters, videos and swag
define quality of life
a measure of personal and collective well being
what is an individual identity?
an identity based on your personal interests, experiences and from the many roles you have as an individual
what is collective identity?
an identity based on a sense of belonging to a certain group of people especially because of a common language, culture and history
define perspective
point of view
define bias
when someone is in favour or against an idea or thing in a way that is closeminded, prejudicial or unfair