Unit 1 - Political Inquiry and Governance in Canada

Question 1

What is civic engagement?

Answer 1

Civic engagement is being a good participant, and an active, engaged citizen “civics is the study of the rights and duties of citizenship”

Question 2

What is civics?

Answer 2

The study of the rights and duties of citizenship

Civics involves the study of government, and democratic decision making

Question 3

What is democracy?

Answer 3

A form of government in which power is held by the people, usually through elected representatives

Example: USA, Canada

Direct = everyone votes on everything

People power, democracy means that the power of the people

Question 4

What are the pros about democracy?

Answer 4

-Everyones voices can be heard
-It’s good for majority of the population (lots of people will agree on the topic)

Question 5

What are the cons about democracy?

Answer 5

-Statistic wise, it may not be the best since the largest group gets an advantage
-Riot may start
-Decision fatigue

Question 6

What is positive about a representative?

Answer 6

-Find someone who you can connect with
-Faster (sometimes)
-Whoever you vote you can get results from what you voted them for

Question 7

What is negative about having a representative?

Answer 7

-Can’t make promises on what you wanted, gives up some of your sat
-Do we really know them?

Question 8

Why democracy?

Answer 8

-Throughout history, humans all over the world have been subject to kings, emperors.
-Modern tries to avoid this situation by putting power in the hands of the people, and making sure no single person has too much power

Question 9

What do democracy encourage in the common good and social responsibility

Answer 9

-We must consider the common good in organizing our society, politically and economically
-We must respect the rights of others, as we would want them to respect ours
-We have a social responsibility to participate in the system in order to keep it strong for future generations

Question 10

How is democracy important for equality and equity?

Answer 10

(equity is fairness/justice)
Employment Equity Act
-Women
People with disabilities
Indigenous Peoples
Visible minorities

Question 11

How do we enforce Democracy? The Rule of Law

Answer 11

We enforce democracy and the rule of law by ensuring that all citizens have a voice in governance and that laws are applied fairly and consistently.

Question 12

Democracy is…

Answer 12

Freedom of Expression
-you have the right - and duty - to speak truth of power (reasonable limits include: hate speech, obscenity, defamation)

Freedom of Religion
-you have the right to believe what you choose, and cannot be discriminated against based on those beliefs

Question 13

What are the responsibilities of a Canadian Citizen?

Answer 13

-Obeying the law
-Taking responsibility for oneself and one’s family
-Serving on a jury
-Voting in election
-Helping others in the community
-Protecting and enjoying our heritage and environment

Question 14

What is a Dictatorship?

Answer 14

A form of government in which a single person holds complete power and authority over the state and its citizens

Example: North Korea being under the rule of Kim Jong-Un

Question 15

What is Oligarchy?

Answer 15

A form of government in which power is held by a small group of individuals, usually the wealthy (these people are not ruling because of their blood line)

Example: Venezuela under the rule of the United Socialists Party

Question 16

What is Parliamentary democracy

Answer 16

A type of democracy in which the government is elected through a parliamentary system and the Prime Minister is the head of the government. An example of this is the United Kingdom

Question 17

What is Political Party?

Answer 17

A group of individuals who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government.

Example: Democratic Party of Republican Party in the United States

Question 18

Constitutional Monarchy

Answer 18

(Monarch: A person who reigns over a kingdom or empire)

A form of government in which a monarch is the head of state and the powers of the monarch are limited by a written constitution.

Example: Japan

In Canada, King Charles III is the king of Canada (our head of state)

Question 19

What form of government is Canada?

Answer 19

Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy.

-In this system, the crown is the head of state, represented in Canada by the Governor General, while the Prime Minister is the head of government and leads the elected parliamentary government.

-The powers of the monarch are limited by a written constitution, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution Act of 1867.

Question 20

What is Governance?

Answer 20

Governance is how people choose to collectively organize themselves to…
-Manage their own affairs
-Share power and responsibilities
-Decide for themselves what kind of society they want for their future and implement those decisions

Question 21

How do people implement decisions of what kind of society they want for their future?

Answer 21

They need to have processes:
-Structures
-Traditions
-Rules

So that they can:
-Determine who is a member of a group
-Decide who has power, and what ensures that power to be exercised properly
-Make and enforce their decisions and hold their decision-makers accountable
-Negotiate with others regarding their rights and interests, establish the most effective and legitimate arrangements for getting those things done

Question 22

What does Governance give?

Answer 22

Governance gives a nation, group, community, or organization the ways and means to achieve the things that matter to them.

Question 23

What is a Wampum Belt?

Answer 23

Belts made of wampum were used to mark agreements between peoples.

Question 24

What are Empires?

Answer 24

A Supranational Political System that is a political unit made up of several territories and peoples or peoples under a single sovereign authority

(Sovereign: a supreme ruler, especially a monarch)

Examples: British, Roman, and Ottoman

Question 25

What are Leagues?

Answer 25

A Supranational Political System that are an association of nations or other political entities for a common purpose Examples: Baltic, Arab; also League of Nations

Question 26

What are Confederations?

Answer 26

A Supranational Political System that is a large state composed of many self-governing regions. Confederations have a very weak central government with little influence over the actions or. policies of the member regions Example: European Union

Question 27

What are Supranational Political Systems?

Answer 27

Supranational political systems are like "big governments" that go beyond individual countries, where multiple countries come together to make collective decisions on shared issues, often giving up some of their sovereignty for common rules and goals. An example is the European Union (EU).

Question 28

What are Federations?

Answer 28

A Supranational Political System that is formed by a compact between political units that surrender their individual sovereignty to a central authority but retain limited residuary powers of government Example: Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

Question 29

What is the United Nations?

Answer 29

A Supranational Political System that is a voluntary association of 193 countries in the world (all except Vatican City, Palestine, Western Sahara, and Taiwain) This is NOT a world government, they do not make laws, and they do not have their own police force or military

Question 30

What is the Unitary Nation-States

Answer 30

A National Political System that is basically a single tier of government with varying degrees of decentralization - some are decentralized so much as the resemble federal states, some allow limited regional rule, others have only token decentralization

Question 31

What are Federal Systems

Answer 31

A National Political System thats political authority is divided between two autonomous sets of governments, one national and the other sub-national, both of which operate directly upon the people Example: Canada, United States, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Russia, India

Question 32

What is Hereditary Succession?

Answer 32

When leadership or authority is passed down from one family member to another, often from a parent to a child, based on family lineage or inheritance, without involving elections or other selection processes Example: Western Europe Monarchies Queen Elizabeth-> Prince Charles > Prince William

Question 33

What is Succession by Constitutional Prescription?

Answer 33

Next leader already specified by Law. This order specifies who will assume the role in case of a vacancy, ensuring a smooth and lawful transition of power. Examples: United States

Question 34

What is Succession by Election

Answer 34

Next person is chosen by party vote (a leadership convention) or general election. Example: Canada

Question 35

Succession by Force

Answer 35

Succession by force occurs when a person or group takes control of leadership or government through the use of physical power, coercion, or military action, often in violation of established legal or constitutional procedures. Example: Hilter's Germany

Question 36

What is Authoritarian?

Answer 36

-Rule by a person or small group of people without consulting or representing its citizens. -Individual rights and freedoms are limited; the focus is on control and obedience -Overtly eliminates opposition or otherwise manipulates political system to hold onto power. e.g. communist countries, absolute monarchies

Question 37

What is Democratic?

Answer 37

-Rule by the majority of elected officials, but minority rights are protected and respected. -Rulers are accountable to its citizens via regular, fair elections. -Individual rights and freedoms are generally more important than state order and control. e.g most of the developed countries in the world

Question 38

What is Monarchy?

Answer 38

A government structure led by a king or queen, emperor, etc. -legitimized by blood descent

Question 39

What is a Constitutional Government?

Answer 39

A government structure defined by the existence of a constitution - either a legal instrument or merely a set of fixed norms or principles generally accepted as the fundamental law that controls the exercise of political power.

Question 40

What is a federal state?

Answer 40

A federal state is a state that has a division of power between different levels of government. In Canada, we have a central government (federal) and local governments (provincial/territorial).

Question 41

What is Parliamentary democracy is Canada?

Answer 41

It is when we elect members to represent us in our federal parliament and provincial legislatures. The political party with the most elected representatives forms the government.

Question 42

What is the constitution?

Answer 42

The most important constitution is the Constitution Act of 1867 also known as the British North America Act It outlines Canada’s system of government, including the structure of Parliament, the way elections work, the role of the monarchy, the powers of the executive branch, and the division of powers between the federal government and the provinces.

Question 43

What are the levels of a government?

Answer 43

Federal Provincial/Territorial Municipal/Local First Nations, Métis, and Inuit

Question 44

What is the title of the representative in Canada?

Answer 44

Member of Parliament (MP)

Question 45

What is the number of representatives in Canada?

Answer 45

338

Question 46

Where is the location of the federal government and what is it called?

Answer 46

It is called the Parliament of Canada and is located in Ottawa where house of commons is

Question 47

What is government leader referred to as?

Answer 47

Prime Minister

Question 48

Who is Canada's Prime Minister and what does he do?

Answer 48

Justin Trudeau (158 seats) He leads the Canadian government, makes policy decisions, represents the country on the international stage, and oversees various aspects of governance, including the economy, social issues, and foreign relations.

Question 49

What are Provincial + Territorial Governments

Answer 49

Provincial and territorial governments in Canada are responsible for governing specific regions within the country. The tittle of their representative is (Ontario) Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP)

Question 50

Where is the location of provincial/territorial government in Ontario, Canada?

Answer 50

Queen's Park

Question 51

Who is the premier of Ontario, Canada and what do they do?

Answer 51

Doug Ford He is responsible for leading the provincial government of Ontario, making policy decisions, and overseeing various aspects of governance within the province, including areas such as healthcare, education, transportation, and more.

Question 52

How do the Premiers and Prime Ministers of Canada become chosen?

Answer 52

At the provincial and federal level, most of the elected representatives are part of a political party The political party with the greatest number of elected representatives usually forms government and their leader becomes the leader of the government. (normally needs more than 170 seats and above)

Question 53

What is a Soveregin?

Answer 53

As a constitutional monarchy, Canada’s head of state is a hereditary sovereign (queen or king) who reigns in accordance with the Constitution. The sovereign has representatives in Canada at the federal and provincial levels. They have similar roles, such as opening and closing parliament, calling an election, and reading the throne speech.

Question 54

What are Municipal governments?

Answer 54

Municipal governments are local governments that operate at the city, town, or county level. They are responsible for governing specific geographic areas, such as cities or towns, and managing local services and infrastructure. Municipal governments typically handle matters like local policing, public transportation, zoning regulations, waste management, and public works, among others, to meet the specific needs of the community they serve.

Question 55

What is the tittle of the representative of municipal governments?

Answer 55

Councillor

Question 56

What is the name referred to of the leader of a municipal government

Answer 56

Mayor or Reeve

Question 57

Who is the mayor of Toronto (Municipal) and what are they responsible of?

Answer 57

Olivia Chow (37% votes) The responsibilities of a municipal leader, like a mayor or city councillor, include overseeing local services, budgets, and policies, as well as representing and engaging with the community.

Question 58

Who and what is a Governor General (of Canada)

Answer 58

Mary Simon represents King Charles III A Governor General is a ceremonial representative of a country's monarch, typically in Commonwealth nations. They perform symbolic and formal duties on behalf of the monarch, such as presiding over state functions, receiving foreign diplomats, and participating in ceremonial events. Governor generals are appointed by The King on the advice of the prime minister,

Question 59

What are the different levels of a government?

Answer 59

1. Federal (Canada) 2. Provincial (Ontario 3. Municipal (Toronto)

Question 60

What is the Federal Government?

Answer 60

The federal level of government is the highest level of government within a country and is responsible for governing the entire nation. It has authority over matters that apply to the entire country as a whole, rather than specific regions or local areas. The federal government typically deals with issues such as national defence, foreign tradings, immigration, currency, and other matters of national significance.

Question 61

What is the Provincial Government?

Answer 61

The provincial level of government is responsible for governing specific regions or provinces within a country. It deals with matters that apply to those particular regions, such as education, healthcare, transportation, and local infrastructure such as highways.

Question 62

What is Municipal Government?

Answer 62

The municipal level of government governs cities, towns, or local areas within a country. It's responsible for managing local services and infrastructure, including issues like water supply, waste management, zoning regulations, and public transportation. Municipal governments focus on the needs of their specific communities and are distinct from higher levels of government, like provincial or federal.

Question 63

What are the branches of a government?

Answer 63

Legislative Branch (Parliament) Executive Branch (Government) Judicial Branch (Courts

Question 64

What does the Legislative Branch do?

Answer 64

Creates laws, rules and regulations under federal jurisdiction. The legislative branch is made up of federal elected representatives called Members of Parliament.

Question 65

What does Executive Branch do?

Answer 65

Responsible for government operations, and implementing and enforcing laws and regulations. Includes the Queen’s representative (the governor general) and cabinet ministers (appointed by the prime minister).

Question 66

What does Judicial Branch do?

Answer 66

Judicial Branch: Interprets the law and determines the penalty for those who violate established laws, rules and regulations. Includes the Canadian court system, which is headed by the Supreme Court and nine appointed judges.

Question 67

How does a bill become a law?

Answer 67

In Canada, for a bill to become a law, it must be introduced in the House of Commons or the Senate, pass multiple readings and debates in both houses, and then receive royal assent from the Governor General.

Question 68

What is a Senator/Senate?

Answer 68

Senators participate in the legislative process by debating and voting on proposed laws, representing the interests of their regions or states in the country's legislative body.

Question 69

What are Cabinet Ministers?

Answer 69

Cabinet Ministers are senior government officials responsible for specific government departments or ministries. They are usually appointed by the head of government, such as the Prime Minister or President, and are responsible for formulating and implementing government policies and decisions related to their respective areas, such as finance, health, or education.

Question 70

Whats a Supreme Court?

Answer 70

A Supreme Court is the highest court in a country's judicial system. It is responsible for making final legal decisions, interpreting laws, and ensuring that the constitution is upheld. The Supreme Court's rulings are binding and have a significant impact on the legal system and the nation as a whole.

Question 71

Whats a Lower Court?

Answer 71

A lower court is a court of law in the judicial system that is situated beneath the highest court, often called the Supreme Court. Lower courts handle a variety of legal cases, such as criminal, civil, and family matters, and their decisions can be subject to appeal to higher courts.

Question 72

Who are the Current Canadian Party Leaders?

Answer 72

1. Justin Trudeau -Leader of the Liberal Party since April 14th, 2013 2. Pierre Poilievre -Leader of the conservative Party since September 10, 2022 3. Jagmeet Singh -Leader of the New Democratic Party since October 1, 2017 4. Yves-François Blanchet -Leader of the Bloc Quebecois since January 17, 2019

Question 73

What is a Majoritarian System?

Answer 73

A majoritarian system is a type of electoral system in which the candidate or party that receives the most votes in a constituency or district wins the election. It is a "winner-takes-all" approach, where the majority of votes in each area determine the outcome, often leading to a single-party or single-candidate victory in each constituency.

Question 74

What is a Proportional System?

Answer 74

A proportional system is an electoral system in which the allocation of seats in a legislative body is based on the proportion of votes each party or candidate receives in the overall election. This means that the number of seats a party or candidate gets is directly proportional to the percentage of votes they receive. It aims to provide a more accurate reflection of the electorate's preferences and typically results in multiple parties being represented in the legislature.

Question 75

What is a political Party?

Answer 75

A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections.

Question 75

Who is eligible to register and vote in Canada?

Answer 75

People with Canadian citizenship (a resident of Canada) and at least the age of 18. But some individuals convicted of election-related crimes, individuals that are considered mentally incapable of voting and individuals who are in prison or on parole. You also have to be registered in order to vote.

Question 76

What is Lobbying?

Answer 76

Lobbying is when individuals or groups try to influence government decisions and policies by communicating with government officials or legislators to advocate for specific interests, often related to business, politics, or advocacy.