values of liberalism (done) Flashcards
what is a liberal perspective for society
government should always reflect the will of the people as long as it doesn’t contravene the will of others
what has the most effect on a persons perspective of society
their system of beliefs and values
what is the value of liberalism
- individual will is important
- letting people make their decisions will improve society
- human rights are important
does liberal democracy employ direct democracy
no, it is a representative democracy
representative democracy
citizens vote and elect a person to represent them in democracy
when is the only time that citizens partake in a direct democracy
when the government calls to vote for a referendum
frequent critic of a representative democracy
often results in a simple majority rule
whats a simple majority rule
when a party has more than half the seat in the legislature or the parliament
how do majority seating take into account minority
by consensus decision-making
whats a downside to consensus decision-making
causes delays due to debating, and passing laws on all three levels of the government
what is a totalitarianism
- a government where liberalism is not at all valued- the opposite of liberalism
- decided by the government on all levels
- no free speech, results in punishment on extremist levels
- no consensus
- does not respect citizens
what is the greatest contrast between liberalism and collectivism
their economies: liberalism is more free market than command
command economy
- led by the government
- resources are allocated not bought
- collectivism
what is a free market economy
- vulnerable to boom (good) and bust (bad)
- individualism
- supply and demand
command vs free market
command may be more stable due to government control, they also have less economic disparity (gap between the rich and poor)
cons to command economy
reduce or limit peoples initiatives because everything is provided by the state
cons to free market economy
economic disparity and vulnerability; instability
what is a liberalism characteristic that leans towards collectivism
there are laws that allows the government to suspend civil liberties during period of crisis (canada’s war measures act), but this is unpopular (governments must still follow the constintution)
how does a liberalist economy work
mixed economy: mix of free market and command economy values– capitalist with limited government control
mixed economy
- provides social programs or other initiatives to soften bust periods
- provides a safety net
true or false: liberalist democracies ALWAYS adhere to liberal values
false, often human rights are abused regardless of the society (as depicted in canada)
how do we prevent going against liberalist ideals
by learning from history’s past
what are two huge events that reminds us to follow liberalism
- residential schools
- internment camps
residential schools
in the 19th century, western-european culture was imposed on Aboriginals, assimilating them. residential schools took away rights, culture and identity form Aboriginals, separating children from their families.
internment camps
- wwi when canadians of ukrainian descent were treated as enemy aliens, detained and forced to work as labourers
- wwii when canadians of japanese descent were considered a threat to national security and imprisoned; this was after the japanese attack on pearl harbour
canadian charter of rights and freedoms
part of canada’s constitution formed in 1982. guarantees individual rights and freedoms which is essential in liberal ideology
who has the final authority over the charter
the supreme court of justice
fundamental freedoms
freedom of thought, religion, association, etc.
democratic rights
right to vote, right to periodic elections, etc.
mobility rights
right to move between canada’s provinces and territories
legal rights
right to privacy, protection from cruel and unusual punishment, etc.
equality rights
affirmation that all citizens are equal under the law
other rights
language rights, multiculturalism, aboriginal treaty rights, etc.
notwithstanding clause
- allows a provincial legislature to pass laws that may violate certain sections of the charter
- gives provinces more say in their own affairs
- only applicable to fundamental freedoms, legal rights, and equality rights
quebec charter of human rights and freedoms
- quebec’s government didnt approve of the constitution act of 1982, and developed their own bill of rights and freedoms: the quebec charter of human rights and freedoms
- extends to economic and social rights whereas canada’s charter covers civil and political rights
- 1976
- canada’s charter takes precedent even though quebec did not approve
war measures act
- act that allows the government to suspend basic liberties of canadian in the name of national security
- only used three times: wwi, wwii for internment camps, and during the october crisis
- replaced by the emergencies act in 1988 but any action must fall within the charter and must be reviewed by the parliament
usa patriot act
- after the 9/11 attack by al-Qaida us declared a war on terrorism which increased the government power and law enforcements right to search
- controversial because it contravened civil liberties
viability to liberalism
- sometimes the values of liberalism is challenge, especially not due to globalization and interdependence of the world
- some countries are growing prosperous while poverty arises in others
- prosperity is also causing environmental degradation
- the way people live poses challenges to liberalism viability: racism, injustices, spread of diseases
