The Government of Canada

Review

Political Ideology Defined

A political ideology is a set of beliefs about how society should be organized and run. It asks fundamental questions like: How much individual freedom should people have? How much freedom should businesses have? Are people basically good? Should wealth be divided equally?

How ready are you?

Draw the political spectrum and explain each political ideology.

Com

mun

ism

Con

serv

atis

m

Soc

ialis

m

Libe

ralis

m

Fasc

ism

The Traditional Political Spectrum

More economic freedom (gov’t lets the free market run the economy)

Less gov’t involvement

More individual freedom

Less economic equality

Individualism

Less economic freedom (gov’t intervenes in the economy)

More gov’t involvement

Less individual freedom

More economic equality (redistribution of wealth)

Collectivism

Communism (Extreme Left Wing)

believes that historically the _________ always took advantage of poor totally against ___________ because it brings out the greed in people believed that people are basically good government controls economy so it can ___________ wealth (everyone equal) no private ownership - everybody owns everything and everyone has equal

access to everything government is very involved in the lives of people – no freedom everyone contributes to and has a place in society and all are equally

important total ___________ in theory little individual freedom in exchange for the good of the whole.

Socialism (left wing)

like ___________but not as extreme believes that people are basically

good lots of regulations for businesses for

the good of all citizens (eg. environmental regulations)

private ownership exists but the government tries to redistribute private property (including wages through taxes) to those in need (unemployed, sick, poor, old, young etc.)

Lots of social programs

Conservatism (Right Wing)

capitalism (free markets) with as few ___________ as possible

little government control in business

little government influence in ___________ programs

survival of the ___________ individual freedom through

individual rights main job of the state is to

protect people and property

Capitalism (Free Enterprise)

Economic system in which private businesses compete with each other for profit.

Government does NOT interfere with the economy.

No limits to the wealth of a person. Ex. US, Canada, Britain etc.

Fascism (extreme right wing)

dictatorship --> One guy or small group of people run the show

believed that people are basically bad pride in the ___________ heavily promoted (patriotism/

nationalism) government controls many businesses and has lots of

regulations on business to make country strong little individual ___________ everything is done for the good of the country even if it

means oppressing people

Totalitarianism

When the state (gov’t) regulates nearly every aspect of citizen behaviour – usually there is only one party, no free elections, restriction of free speech and control of the people by secret police. Often one person has much of the power eg. dictatorship (Hitler, Stalin, Castro)

___________________________Left Wing CenterRight Wing

How ready are you?

List the political ideologies from left to right and explain communism.

How ready are you?

Quickie Quiz

• 4 . Which political party would most likely promote an increase in military spending?

• A. Green Party• B. Liberal Party• C. Conservative Party• D. New Democratic Party

• 10. The statement, " We need less government intervention in business" would likely be made by a

• a) fascist• b) socialist• c) conservative• d) communist

• 12. The extreme left of the political spectrum believes in • a) total economic equality and work for all• b) economic inequality and freedom of thought• c) economic inequality and elected leaders• d) none of the above

• 13. Socialism believes in• a) total individual freedom• b) survival of the fittest• c) providing assistance to less fortunate members of

society• d) maximum business profits without taxation

• 16. Which of the following was a likely election promise of the NDP

• a) increasing funding for post-secondary education• b) doubling military spending• c) cutting personal income taxes significantly• d) forming a coalition with the Conservative party

How ready are you?

Explain the steps a bill takes from its inception until it becomes a law. Include the role of the following concepts:

Patronage Appointment Minority Government Majority government Opposition MP Party Discipline Governor General Party Whip Private members bill Cabinet Solidarity Backbencher Senate Vote of Non-confidence Riding Cabinet Minister Executive Legislative Judicial

The Executive Branch consists of:

- The Governor General- The Prime Minister- The Cabinet- The Public (Civil) Service

aka “bureaucrats”

Governor general

- Appointed by the Queen upon recommendation by the Prime Minister

- Ceremonial position (not much actual decision making)

- 5 year terms

David Johnston

Prime minister

- An elected MP- Both the leader of the Nation and the leader of their Political Party

- 5 year termsStephen Harper(Conservative)

The Prime Minister’s Duties…

- Represent Canada and its citizens- Foreign & Domestic Policy- Appointments (Judges & Senators)- Select MP’s for Cabinet positions

- Lead his Caucus:- Elected members of his political party who

sit in the House of Commons

The Cabinet- Selected by the Prime Minister- Around 30 elected MP’s who each run

a different government department (Cabinet Ministers)- Ex. Minister of Environment, Minister

of Finance, Minister of Defence, Minister of Education

- Guide policy for their respective departments

- Are allowed to have Deputy Ministers (assistants – not elected)

The Shadow Cabinet (dun dun dun…)

- Members of the Official Opposition (2nd place!) who are chosen to “shadow” a specific minister

- AKA., CRITICS- Major Buzz-Kills.

Backbenchers!

- Members of governing party that are NOT Cabinet Ministers

- (AKA., “Everyone else”)

- Need to show Solidarity by voting in-line with their party

- If they speak or vote against their party, the Party Whip will “talk” to them…

The Public Service

- Government employees that do all the day-to-day work

The Legislative Branch consists of:

• The House of Commons• The Senate• The Governor General

The House of Commons

• Members of Parliament: Our elected representatives in government. There are currently 338 of them.

Where decisions and bills (laws) are debated

The House of Commons cont.How it actually works

• Each piece of legislature (bill, law, budget) is a voting contest. The side with the most votes wins, and the bill either passes or is defeated.

• The second largest party in the H.O.C becomes the Official Opposition, and its leader becomes the Leader of the Opposition.

Vote of Non-Confidence- Each bill in the legislature is voted upon. If

the Prime Minister introduces a bill that is defeated in parliament then he/she has lost confidence and must call an election

- This can typically only happen if there is a minority government; ie., there are more opposition MP’s than in the caucus

- OR, The members of the Opposition introduce a formal vote of non-confidence

The SenateThe House of Sober Second Thought (apparently)

• Members are appointed by the Prime Minister, not elected

• There are no official specific qualifications to be a senator

• Patronage: the act of rewarding a party member for loyalty or support

Prime Minister

Cabinet Ministers

CABINET

HOUSE OF COMMONS

PM

SENATE

Queen(Governor General)

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

SUPREME COURT OF CANADA(Nine Judges)

Federal Court of Canada

Superior Courts of the Provinces

Judicial Branch

Policy Proposal

LAWLAW

Bureaucracy -Governmentemployees

PRIME MINISTER

BILL

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA OCT 2011-present (FEDERAL)

HOUSE OF COMMONS Oct 2011-Present

Speaker

PM

Backbenchers -MP’s not in cabinet

308 members elected from ridings across Canada (eg. Surrey North)Bills go through three readings and get voted onOn most bills party members vote the same as the rest of their parties

Cabinet Shadow Cabinet

Party Seats ColourConservative 165NDP 102Liberal 34BQ 4Green 1Independent 1Vacant 1

Prime Minister

Cabinet Ministers

CABINET

HOUSE OF COMMONS

PM

SENATE

Queen(Governor General)

Executive Branch

Legislative Branch

SUPREME COURT OF CANADA(Nine Judges)

Federal Court of Canada

Superior Courts of the Provinces

Judicial Branch

Policy Proposal

LAWLAW

Bureaucracy -Governmentemployees

PRIME MINISTER

BILL

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA OCT May 2011 - present(FEDERAL)

How ready are you?

Explain the elections process Explain cabinet solidarity, party discipline,

minority government, majority government, party whip, vote of non-confidence (or confidence motion), caucus, private members bill, order in council, backbencher and patronage appointment.

10. Explain the role of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of gov’t 11. What are the three levels of gov’t and what are some of their areas of jurisdiction?   12. When was the Charter of Rights and Freedoms signed? Which province didn’t sign it?   13. What is the amending formula?   14. What is the notwithstanding clause?

15. Which documents are part of Canada’s written constitution and what is the constitutions major purpose?

  16. Define patriation. 17. What are the key sections of the charter and what rights to they guarantee?

18. Draw a diagram of Canadian government and how it functions (HOC, Senate, cabinet, GG….)

How MP’s get Their Jobs Explain in your own words how the 308 MP’s in the House

of Commons get their jobs.

Learning Log

The Electoral Process

There are 308 of these competitions in the 308 constituencies (ridings) across Canada and the winners determine the make up of the government. The political party with the most seats wins and its leader becomes Prime Minister.

- First-Past-the-Post (FPTP)

- Proportional Representation

Explain:

First-Past-the-Post SystemYou don’t need to win a majority, you just have to win more votes than any of the other candidates- Can lead to Gerrymandering

32 Votes EachBlue – 3Red - 1

Constituency/ Riding : Surrey North, British Columbia2011 Federal Election Results

# of VotesNDP Jasbir Sandhu

14,678CONS Dona Cadman 13,181LIB Shinder Purewal 6,797GREEN B. Keenan 1,289CHP Kevin Pielak 303Other 4 others 950

Jasbir Sandhu wins and gets to go to Ottawa to sit in the House of Commons to represent Surrey North on behalf of the NDP.

Constituency: Kitchener, Ontario

NDP - Dave Lally 6000Cons – Harold Albrecht 23000Lib - Jackie Pohl 16000Ind - Dana Miller 2000Green- Elizabeth May 1200Can Ac - Bill Kler 23Com - Anita Sahota 20

Harold Albrecht wins and gets to go to Ottawa to represent the citizens of Kitchener, Ontario in the House of Commons on behalf of the Conservative party.

B.C. Ridings – Close up of Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island

How ready are you? Explain the role of Cabinet and how cabinet ministers get

their jobs.

Example: Minister of Finance

Example:Minister of the Environment

Prime Minister

Cabinet Ministers

CABINET

Contains about 30 members appointed by the PM usually all from the party in power

Most cabinet ministers have a portfolio which means they are in charge of a department (ex. Minister of the Environment or Minister of Finance)

These are the most powerful politicians in the government by far

How ready are you? Explain the role of Cabinet and how cabinet ministers get

their jobs.

Two of the 32 Members of Cabinet

The Honourable Jim Flaherty is the MP for the constituency of Whitbey-Oshawa. He was also appointed by Stephen Harper to sit in the Cabinet as Minister of Finance

The Honourable Monte Solberg is the MP for the constituency of Medicine Hat. He was also appointed by Stephen Harper to sit in the Cabinet as Minister of Social Development and Human Resources.

HOUSE OF COMMONS Oct 2011- present

Speaker

PM

Backbenchers -MP’s not in cabinet

308 members elected from ridings across Canada (eg. Surrey North)Bills go through three readings and get voted onOn most bills party members vote the same as the rest of their parties

Cabinet Shadow Cabinet

Party Seats ColourConservative 166Liberal 34B. Quebecois 4NDP 103Green 1

How ready are you? Explain minority vs. majority government.

HOUSE OF COMMONS Oct 2011-Present

Speaker

PM

Backbenchers -MP’s not in cabinet

308 members elected from ridings across Canada (eg. Surrey North)Bills go through three readings and get voted onOn most bills party members vote the same as the rest of their parties

Cabinet Shadow Cabinet

Party Seats ColourConservative 165NDP 102Liberal 34BQ 4Green 1Independent 1Vacant 1

HOUSE OF COMMONS JAN 2006-present

Speaker

PM

Backbenchers -MP’s not in cabinet

308 members elected from ridings across Canada (eg. Surrey North)Bills go through three readings and get voted onOn most bills party members vote the same as the rest of their parties

Cabinet Shadow Cabinet

Party Seats ColourConservative 124Liberal 103B. Quebecois 51NDP 29Independent 1

Speaker

PM

Backbenchers -MP’s not in cabinet

308 members elected from ridings across Canada (eg. Surrey North)Bills go through three readings and get voted onOn most bills party members vote the same as the rest of their parties

Cabinet Shadow Cabinet

Party Seats ColourLiberals 168Conservative 73B. Quebecois 33NDP 14Independent 9Vacant 4

HOUSE OF COMMONS 2000-2004

Bruce Ralston – MLA for the Provincial Constituency of Surrey-Whalley. A member of the NDP

Christy Clark– Currently not an MLA, the leader of the BC Liberals and the Premier of BC

Adrian Dix– MLA for Vancouver-Kingsway and the leader of the BC NDP

7. Which of the following has the most real power?a) a backbench MPb) the queenc) a cabinet ministerd) the governor general

1. The person who controls debate in

the House of Commons is

a)the Prime Minister

b)the Speaker of the House

c) the Sergeant at Arms

d)the Leader of the Opposition

1. One of the main criticisms of the Senate is the issue of patronage,

meaning:

a)The PM often fills vacant seats of the Senate with members of their

own party as a form of reward

b)The Senate is not truly representational because almost all of its

members are from the upper class

c) Senate appointments are often given to individuals who have found

favor rather with a leader rather than being given to those who are

qualified

d)All of the above

1. In Canada’s system of government

the head of state is the

a)Prime Minister

b)Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

c) Queen

d)Senator

25. The fact that cabinet ministers generally support the decisions of their fellow ministers in public is called

a) party disciplineb) cabinet solidarityc) patronaged) none of the above

18. A backbencher isa) a MP not in cabinet or shadow cabinetb) a member of the official oppositionc) extremely powerfuld) elected by proportional representation

19. When someone is appointed to an important government posting because of his/ her past services it is calleda) party disciplineb) cabinet solidarityc) patronaged) none of the above

20. The fact that all MP’s generally vote the same as the rest of their party is a result of

a) party disciplineb) cabinet solidarityc) patronaged) none of the above

21. Which of the following is a characteristic of a majority government?A. The reading of bills by the Senate is not necessary.B. It does not require Royal Assent for the passage of bills.C. The approval of independent Members of Parliament is needed.D. It is able to pass legislation without the support of the opposition parties.

22. Which criteria are used to determine the creation of a new electoral district?

A. gender and average incomeB. length of residency and average ageC. population size and geographic areaD. voting eligibility and ethnic background

23. Which term describes the process when a political party selects a candidate to run in a constituency in a federal election?A. ballotingB. tabulationC. nominationD. campaigning

• 1. A party platform isA. pre-determined destinations to be visited on the campaign trail.B. the proposals put forth by a political party during an election campaign.C. the list of candidates representing a political party during an election campaign.D. a record of legislation passed by a political party.

• For a bill to become a law in Canada, which of the following does NOT have to occur?A. It must receive Royal Assent.B. It must be passed by both the Senate and the House of Commons.C. It must be read three times.D. It must be passed by the British House of Lords.

Canadian Election Results:Liberal 144Conservative 117NDP 21Bloc Quebecois 32Other 33. Based on the given data, we would have

A. a minority government.B. a majority government.C. an immediate new election.D. none of the above.

4. Based on the given data, the official opposition would be the

A. Liberal Party.B. Conservative Party.C. Bloc Quebecois.

D. New Democratic Party.

• 5. Which of the following did the Constitution Act of 1867 NOT accomplish?A. It provided Canadians with a Charter of Rights and Freedoms.B. It explained the role of the Queen and her representative in Canada.C. It outlined the responsibilities of the federal government.D. It outlined the responsibilities of the provincial government.

• 6. At the federal level of government, the executive branch of government is made up of A. the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers, and Senators.B. the Governor General, the Prime Minster, and Cabinet Ministers.C. the Queen, the Governor General, and the Prime Minister.D. the Members of Parliament, the Senate, and the Cabinet.

• 7. Which of the following is NOT a role of the Prime Minister?A. Speaking on behalf of Canada at all national and international meetingsB. Meeting with provincial PremiersC. Choosing Cabinet MinistersD. Choosing Members of Parliament

• 8. Changes to a constitution are calledA. royal proclamations.B. amendments.C. subsections.D. royal assents.

• 9. A federal system of government means thatA. the country must have a monarch.B. a country has only one level of government.C. powers and responsibilities are shared by national and provincial/state governments.

D. powers and responsibilities are determined by one centralized level of government.

• 10. For which of the following services would the provincial level of government most likely be responsible?A. Education, health care, hospitalsB. Postal services, banking, criminal lawC. Public transit, fire protection, water and sewageD. Defence, education, garbage collection

• 11. Which of the following is NOT a function of the Governor General?A. Opening of ParliamentB. Writing billsC. Reading the speech from the throneD. Greeting foreign leaders and dignitaries

• 12. An example of democratic decision-making is:A. A group takes a vote on what is going to happen in class.B. A teacher decides what is best for the class.C. A team decides together what is best for the whole group.D. A boss instructs you when and how to complete your work.

• 13. In Canada’s system of government the person who runs the government is the

• A. Prime Minister.• B. Queen.• C. Cabinet.• D. Speaker of the House.

• 14. In Canada’s system of government the head of state is the A. Prime Minister.B. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.C. Queen.D. Senator.

• 15. The person who controls debate in the House of Commons is

• A. the Prime Minister.• B. the Speaker of the House.• C. the Sergeant at Arms.• D. the Leader of the Opposition

• 16. The men and women who help the Prime Minister by running departments and helping to formulate policy are known as

• A. Senators.• B. Cabinet Ministers.• C. Members of the Legislature.• D. Members of Parliament.

• 17. The “counterpart” of the governor general at the provincial level is the

• A. Lieutenant Governor.• B. Supreme Court Justice.• C. Assistant Governor.• D. Provincial Governor.

• 18. If the government is defeated on an important bill this is known as a

• A. vote of non assurance.• B. vote of defeat.• C. vote of no faith.• D. vote of non confidence.

• 19. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was enshrined in the constitution in

• A. 1867• B. 1960• C. 1975• D. 1982

• 20. In order to be elected in a riding, a candidate must win more votes than

• A. two thirds of the other candidates.• B. half of the other candidates.• C. every other candidate.• C. the majority of candidates.

• 21. The Governor General appoints Senators on the recommendation of the

• A. Prime Minister.• B. Caucus.• C. Cabinet.• D. Parliament.

• 22. In a communist system of governmentA. the managers control the workers.B. the workers are all members of the Communist Party.C. Karl Marx controls the economic means of production.D. the wealth generated by the nation is shared by all.