gvt review ss11

1. The Government
of Canada
Review

2. 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?

3. How ready are you?
 Draw the political spectrum and explain each
political ideology.

4. Communism
Conservatism
Socialism
Liberalism
Fascism
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

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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

8. CapitalismCapitalism (Free Enterprise)(Free Enterprise)
 Economic system in whichEconomic system in which private businessesprivate businesses competecompete
with each other forwith each other for profitprofit..
 Government doesGovernment does NOTNOT interfere with the economy.interfere with the economy.
 No limits to the wealth of a person.No limits to the wealth of a person.
Ex. US, Canada, Britain etc.Ex. US, Canada, Britain etc.

9. 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

10. 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)

11. ___________________________Left Wing Center Right Wing

12. How ready are you?
 List the political ideologies from left to right and
explain communism.

13. How ready are you?
 Quickie Quiz

14. • 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

15. • 10. The statement, " We need less government
intervention in business" would likely be made by a
• a) fascist
• b) socialist
• c) conservative
• d) communist

16. • 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

17. • 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

18. • 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

20. 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

21. The Executive Branch
consists of:
- The Governor General
- The Prime Minister
- The Cabinet
- The Public (Civil) Service
aka “bureaucrats”

22. Governor general
- Appointed by the Queen
upon recommendation
by the Prime Minister
- Ceremonial position (not
much actual decision
making)
- 5 year terms
David Johnston

23. Prime minister
- An elected MP
- Both the leader of
the Nation and the
leader of their
Political Party
- 5 year terms
Stephen Harper
(Conservative)

24. 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

25. 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)

26. 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.

27. 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…

28. The Public Service
- Government employees that do
all the day-to-day work

29. The Legislative Branch
consists of:
• The House of Commons
• The Senate
• The Governor General

30. 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

31. 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.

32. 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

33. The Senate
The 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

35. 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
LAW
LAW
Bureaucracy -
Government
employees
PRIME
MINISTER
BILL
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA OCT 2011-present (FEDERAL)

36. 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 on
On most bills party
members vote the same as
the rest of their parties
Cabinet
Shadow
Cabinet
Party Seats Colour
Conservative 165
NDP 102
Liberal 34
BQ 4
Green 1
Independent 1
Vacant 1

37. 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
LAW
LAW
Bureaucracy -
Government
employees
PRIME
MINISTER
BILL
GOVERNMENT OF CANADA OCT May 2011 - present(FEDERAL)

38. 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.

39.  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….)

40. 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

41. 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.

42. -First-Past-the-Post (FPTP)
- Proportional
Representation
Explain:

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

46. 32 Votes Each
Blue – 3
Red - 1

47. Constituency/ Riding :
Surrey North, British Columbia
2011 Federal Election Results
# of Votes
NDP Jasbir Sandhu 14,678
CONS Dona Cadman 13,181
LIB Shinder Purewal 6,797
GREEN B. Keenan 1,289
CHP Kevin Pielak 303
Other 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.

48. Constituency:
Kitchener, Ontario
NDP - Dave Lally 6000
Cons – Harold Albrecht 23000
Lib - Jackie Pohl 16000
Ind - Dana Miller 2000
Green- Elizabeth May 1200
Can Ac - Bill Kler 23
Com - 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.

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

50. How ready are you?
 Explain the role of Cabinet and how cabinet ministers get
their jobs.

51. 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

52. How ready are you?
 Explain the role of Cabinet and how cabinet ministers get
their jobs.

53. 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.

54. 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 on
On most bills party
members vote the same as
the rest of their parties
Cabinet
Shadow
Cabinet
Party Seats Colour
Conservative 166
Liberal 34
B. Quebecois 4
NDP 103
Green 1

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

56. 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 on
On most bills party
members vote the same as
the rest of their parties
Cabinet
Shadow
Cabinet
Party Seats Colour
Conservative 165
NDP 102
Liberal 34
BQ 4
Green 1
Independent 1
Vacant 1

57. 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 on
On most bills party
members vote the same as
the rest of their parties
Cabinet
Shadow
Cabinet
Party Seats Colour
Conservative 124
Liberal 103
B. Quebecois 51
NDP 29
Independent 1

58. 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 on
On most bills party
members vote the same as
the rest of their parties
Cabinet
Shadow
Cabinet
Party Seats Colour
Liberals 168
Conservative 73
B. Quebecois 33
NDP 14
Independent 9
Vacant 4
HOUSE OF COMMONS 2000-2004

59. 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

60. 7. Which of the following has the most real power?
a) a backbench MP
b) the queen
c) a cabinet minister
d) the governor general

61. 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

62. 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

63. 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

64. 25. The fact that cabinet ministers generally support the
decisions of their fellow ministers in public is called
a) party discipline
b) cabinet solidarity
c) patronage
d) none of the above

65. 18. A backbencher is
a) a MP not in cabinet or shadow cabinet
b) a member of the official opposition
c) extremely powerful
d) elected by proportional representation

66. 19. When someone is appointed to an
important government posting because of his/
her past services it is called
a) party discipline
b) cabinet solidarity
c) patronage
d) none of the above

67. 20. The fact that all MP’s generally vote the same as the
rest of their party is a result of
a) party discipline
b) cabinet solidarity
c) patronage
d) none of the above

68. 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.

69. 22. Which criteria are used to determine the creation of a
new electoral district?
A. gender and average income
B. length of residency and average age
C. population size and geographic area
D. voting eligibility and ethnic background

70. 23. Which term describes the
process when a political party
selects a candidate to run in a
constituency in a federal election?
A. balloting
B. tabulation
C. nomination
D. campaigning

71. • 1. A party platform is
A. 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.

72. • 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.

73. Canadian Election Results:
Liberal 144
Conservative 117
NDP 21
Bloc Quebecois 32
Other 3
3. 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.

74. • 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.

75. • 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.

76. • 7. Which of the following is NOT a role of the Prime
Minister?
A. Speaking on behalf of Canada at all national and
international meetings
B. Meeting with provincial Premiers
C. Choosing Cabinet Ministers
D. Choosing Members of Parliament

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

78. • 9. A federal system of government means that
A. 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.

79. • 10. For which of the following services would the provincial level
of government most likely be responsible?
A. Education, health care, hospitals
B. Postal services, banking, criminal law
C. Public transit, fire protection, water and sewage
D. Defence, education, garbage collection

80. • 11. Which of the following is NOT a function of the
Governor General?
A. Opening of Parliament
B. Writing bills
C. Reading the speech from the throne
D. Greeting foreign leaders and dignitaries

81. • 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.

82. • 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.

83. • 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.

84. • 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

85. • 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.

86. • 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.

87. • 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.

88. • 19. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms was enshrined
in the constitution in
• A. 1867
• B. 1960
• C. 1975
• D. 1982

89. • 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.

90. • 21. The Governor General appoints Senators on the
recommendation of the
• A. Prime Minister.
• B. Caucus.
• C. Cabinet.
• D. Parliament.

91. • 22. In a communist system of government
A. 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.