Canadian Civics Test PDF

Three Levels of Government: In order to meet the needs of the citizens the canadian government is structured into a three level system - Federal - Provincial/Territorial - Municipal/local - Each has its own arrangement of elected and appointed officials and di...

Three Levels of Government: In order to meet the needs of the citizens the canadian government is structured into a three level system - Federal - Provincial/Territorial - Municipal/local - Each has its own arrangement of elected and appointed officials and different responsibilities. Three Branches of Government: - Legislative Branch: Creates laws, rules and regulations under federal jurisdiction. The legislative branch is made up of federal elected representatives called members of the parliament. - Introduces bills - Executive Branch: Has the power to make and change laws Responsible for government operations, implementing and enforcing laws and regulations. This includes the queen's representative (the governor general) and cabinet ministers (appointed by the minister who got special jobs and are head of a department with a title). They overall come up with ideas for laws. - Judicial Branch: Court system 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. Quebec gets three judges of the supreme court. - Federal and provincial court Federal: - The elected representative at the federal level is called a member of parliament - There are 338 members of parliament - This is the federal legislative body which creates or enacts laws - They sit in the house of commons in ottawa and debate and pass laws - The lead of the government is called the prime minister - The king is represented by the governor general Provincial/Territorial: - The elected representatives are called members of the legislative assembly (MLA), members of provincial parliament (MPP), members of the national assembly (MNA), members of the house of assembly (MHA) depending on the province or territory - Elected representatives debate and pass laws at the provincial or territorial legislature - The leader of the government is called the premier - The king is represented by a lieutenant governor in canada’s ten provinces and by a territorial commissioner in the three territories - The King is represented by the left hand governor Municipal/local: - The elected representative at the municipal level is called a councillor or alderman - The head of the council is called a mayor, reeve or chairperson - The size and structure of the council differs depending on the population it represents - No judicial branch and its either a provincial court or a federal court - Example: Garbage is a municipal responsibility Division of Responsibilities: - Federal: Justice, citizenship and immigration, national defence, currency, public safety, fisheries and oceans - Provincial and Territorial: Education, healthcare delivery, environment, energy - Municipal/Local: Road maintenance, water and sewer service, recreation and community facilities, libraries, local police protection services Role of the Executives: - Introduces laws - Highest role - Cabinets and governor general Monarch/King: King Charles - Government where a Monarch (Queen or King) works alongside the elected government - Main duty is to maintain the laws of the prime minister and the elected representatives pass their constitution - Head of State - Appoints the Governor General Federal Government: Job: Name: What they do: Governor General Mary May Simon (First - Signs bills into laws aboriginal person for - Serves as commander in chief of the armed the job) forces and the military - Welcomes representatives of foreign governments to Canada - Reads Throne Speech - Represents the Monarch at the Federal level Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - Leader of the political party in the House of Commons that has the most elected members of parliament - Chooses who is in the cabinet - Leader of the country and represents Canada on the international stage Cabinet Minister Minister of Finance - Each one gets specific roles (Chrystia Freeland), - Propose laws and the bill Minister of Justice, - A part of the prime minister’s political party Minister of National - Represent Canada’s diversity, with respect to Defence (Bill Blair) region, language, gender, and minority groups - Chosen based on the Representation Principle - 39 cabinet ministers Official Opposition Pierre Polievre - Leader of the party with the second-highest number of seats - Him and his team have to ask tough questions for the government and opposing side  - By doing this they can gain power and make the government look bad by questioning their laws, policies, and ideas Chief Justice of Richard Wagner - The highest court of appeal Canada (Supreme (Chief Justice) - There are 9 Judges, 3 of them have to be Court) from Quebec - All decisions made there are final - Appointed by the prime minister Provincial Government: Job: Name: What they do: Lieutenant Edith Dumont - Represents the King at the provincial level Governor - Similar to the governor-general - Sign bills into law, read speeches from the throne, and promote the province across Canada and around the world Premier Doug Ford - Leads the executive branch at the provincial level - Has the same job as the Prime Minister but at a provincial level - Hold 79 seats (of 124) Cabinet (an Education Minister - The Cabinet is selected by the prime minister from the example….) (Jill Dunlop), Minister MPP’s to and from the Cabinet at any time of Heal (Sylvia - The Premier can promote or demote MPP’s Jones), Minister of Finance (Peter Bethlenfalvy) Official Marit Stiles - The leader of the political party with the second-highest Opposition number of seats - Similar to the role of the opposition City: Mayor (Toronto/Vaughan) - Olivia Chow - The executive of Toronto municipal government is composed of mayor’s office - Member of city council - Makes important policy decisions and suggest by laws for city council Is the Prime Minister too powerful? - Can influence parts of the executive and legislative branches, giving him more power - The prime minister and his party members sit in the house of commons - The prime minister is also a regular member of parliament - He chooses the cabinet, the governor general, judges, and signs election papers because he is the leader of a political party (Appoints power)  - The Prime Minister also votes on bills (Has role on decision making) The Senate: Apart of the legislative Branch - The house of commons and the senate make up the legislative branch - This is mirrored form the british parliament where there is a house of commons and the house of lords - The legislative branch has the power to create, debate and pass laws The Role of the Canadian Senate: - Bills must be considered and adopted by both chambers in identical forms before the yare given final approval - The senate will study and vote on all bills - Sir John A Macdonald considers the senate to be “the chamber of sober second thought” - The senate has regional representation vs representation by population (HoC) - There are 105 senators vs 338 (HoC) Reforming the Canadian Senate: - In 2016, the government created an independent advisory board for senate appointments - These are non binding - Senators must retire at age 75 (vs lifetime appointment) - Since 2016 the senate has become more representative of Canadian society than before in terms of gender and cultural background - There is an effort to allow provincial government to appoint senators but this has rarely been applied Why should we reform the Senate: - Being able to elect a senate - Gives citizens a good choice and representation rather than the Prime Minister choosing - Adjusting the Senate Seats - The Senate seats don't reflect Canada’s modern population distribution. Smaller provinces like Prince Edward Island are overrepresented compared to large provinces like Alberta. Adjusting this to reflect population size while preserving some level of regional balance could make representation fairer. - Duplication of the work - Does the same as the house of commons, usually duplicating the work, making it longer How are members of each branch selected (how do they get their jobs)? - Executive Branch: The Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers are usually elected Members of Parliament (MPs). The Governor General is appointed by the Prime Minister. - Legislative Branch: Members of the House of Commons are elected by voters. Senators are appointed by the Prime Minister and the Governor General. - Judicial Branch: Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the Governor General and the Prime Minister. Judges are appointed by the Prime Minister and federal or provincial governments, depending on the court. Canada’s Government System: - Canada’s electoral system is called…  - Single member plurality - First-Past-the post (means who has most votes wins) - In an electoral system, the person with the highest number of votes wins a spot in the government - An absolute majority (More than 50 percent of the votes) is not required for a candidate to be elected and could be elected without the 50 votes - Not our choice to elect which one we want First-Past-the-Post System: - Also known as single member plurality - Candidate with the most votes in a riding is elected - The candidate just needs one more vote to win - The winning party is the one that elects the most candidates - That party forms the government This means that a party can win the election by simply winning more seats instead of winning the popular vote. Proportional Representation: A democratic principle - Says that people should be represented in proportion to how they voted - This means the percentage of seats a party has in the legislature should reflect the percentage of people who voted for that party In the first past the vote if more seats wins then they have all the power, while in proportional representation they would have to share. Is the Canadian voting system fair? - Pros: - Simple and quick often leads to stable governments - Good representation based on area - Cons: - Doesn’t reflect overall vote share, small parties can be underrepresented - A party can win a majority of seats without a majority of the popular vote - Wasted votes Liberal: - Housing: Wants to make affordable homes, support first-time buyers and less homelessness - Economy: Better benefit for workers, and invest in innovation - Healthcare: Expand funding, and support healthcare systems - Climate: Price on carbon, less plastic, want to achieve net-zero Conservative: - Housing: Reduce regulations to increase housing supply. - Economy: Cut taxes, promote energy sector growth. - Healthcare: Increase provincial funding, reduce wait times. - Climate: Focus on clean technology, oppose carbon tax. NDP: - Housing: Build affordable homes, and strengthen tenant rights - Economy: Tax the wealthy, support workers - Healthcare: Universal pharmacare and dental care - Climate: Aggressive emissions targets, and green energy Bill: A written proposal for a law - Introduced in parliament and if passed, it becomes an act - Act: A written law passed by parliament How does a bill become a law? - House of Commons: 1. Pre-parliamentary stage An idea is proposed 2. First Reading 3. Second Reading 4. Committee Stage Some public input and committees provide feedback 5. Reporting Stage 6. Third Reading - Senate: 1. Same process as the house 2. Sign by Governor general (Royal Assent) and proclamation In Canada, laws are passed through these steps: 1. Introduction: A bill is proposed in either the House of Commons or the Senate. 2. Debate and Vote: The bill goes through three readings, debates, and votes in both chambers. 3. Approval: Both the House and Senate must approve the bill. Royal Assent: The Governor General signs the bill as a law and it officially becomes a law after proclamation. The Government does not have a veto. Political Spectrum: Helps categorize parties based on their ideologies and guides votes in understanding the party’s policies and priorities - Left: More Government Involvement - Thinks the government should help people by providing services like healthcare, education, and affordable housing - Focuses on reducing inequality, protecting the environment, and supporting workers - NDP - Center: Balance approach of both - Believes in a mix of government programs and individual and business solutions amongst the people - Supports helping people while encouraging businesses to grow and create jobs - Liberals - Right: Less Government Involvement - Emphasizes lower taxes, individual responsibility and businesses, and small government - Conservatives How It Works in Canada: - Left-wing parties: Want the government to do more to help people directly. - Center parties: Want to balance helping people with letting businesses thrive. - Right-wing parties: Want the government to step back and let individuals and businesses solve problems. Veto: The Governor General has this power to reject a decision or law Budget: A financial plan that shows the income and expenses. The government uses budgets to manage resources and make good spending decisions. - Importance: - Helps see out goals and priorities - Keeps spending within limits to avoid debt - Shows how money is spent, trustworthy - Guides financial choices - Funding: - The Government can get this money from either taxes, getting money from fee’s and borrowing Surplus: Deficit: Debt: Earning more than you spend, Spends more than you earn The amount that you borrow left over money.