CHV2O Unit 1 Review - Government & Legal Systems PDF

**Detailed Study Guide for CHV2O Unit 1: How Should Our Government Work?** **Part A: Government Types and Systems** 1. **Key Concepts:** - **Democracy**: Power is vested in the people, exercised through free elections. - **Authoritarianism**: Power is concentrated in the han...

**Detailed Study Guide for CHV2O Unit 1: How Should Our Government Work?** **Part A: Government Types and Systems** 1. **Key Concepts:** - **Democracy**: Power is vested in the people, exercised through free elections. - **Authoritarianism**: Power is concentrated in the hands of a few or one, limiting individual freedoms. 2. **Forms of Government:** - **Constitutional Monarchy**: Monarch's powers are limited by a constitution (e.g., Canada). - **Federal Republic**: A federation of states with a president as head of state. - **One-Party State**: Only one political party is allowed to govern. - **Dictatorship**: A single leader holds absolute power. - **Military Regime**: Military controls government. - **Theocracy**: Religious leaders govern in the name of a deity. - **Oligarchy**: A small, privileged group holds power. - **Aristocracy**: Rule by the elite or noble class. 3. **Other Concepts:** - **Rule of Law vs. Rule by Law**: - *Rule of Law*: Everyone is subject to the law equally. - *Rule by Law*: Laws are used to control rather than protect citizens. **Part B: Canada's Political System** 1. **Overview:** - Canada is a **Constitutional Monarchy** and a **Federal System**. - Divided into three levels of government: - **Federal** (e.g., national defense, foreign affairs) - **Provincial/Territorial** (e.g., education, health care) - **Municipal** (e.g., local infrastructure, libraries) 2. **Branches of Government:** - **Executive**: Prime Minister, Cabinet; implements laws. - **Legislative**: House of Commons, Senate; makes laws. - **Judicial**: Courts; interprets and applies laws. 3. **House of Commons vs. Senate:** - **House of Commons**: Elected members, represents the population. - **Senate**: Appointed members, reviews legislation. 4. **Election Process:** - Voting systems: - **First-past-the-post**: Candidate with the most votes wins. - **Proportional representation**: Seats are distributed based on vote percentages. - **Majority Government**: Party has over half the seats. - **Minority Government**: Party holds less than half; harder to pass laws. **Part C: Political Spectrum & Ideologies** 1. **Political Spectrum:** - **Left**: Focus on equality, government intervention (e.g., Communism, Socialism). - **Right**: Focus on individual freedom, less government (e.g., Conservatism, Libertarianism). 2. **Canada's Political Parties:** - **Left-Center**: New Democratic Party (NDP), Liberal Party. - **Right**: Conservative Party, People's Party of Canada. - **Green Party**: Environmental focus; varies. **Part D: Canada's Legal System** 1. **Law Types:** - **Common Law**: Based on precedent and judicial decisions. - **Civil Law**: Deals with disputes between individuals or organizations. - **Criminal Law**: Addresses actions harmful to society. 2. **Crime Conviction:** - Requires **actus reus** (guilty act) and **mens rea** (guilty mind). 3. **Key Legal Terms:** - **Habeas Corpus**: Protection against unlawful imprisonment. - **Summary Offence**: Minor crimes. - **Indictable Offence**: Serious crimes. **Review Topics for Mastery** 1. **Democratic vs. Authoritarian Regimes:** - 5 Factors: 1. Level of citizen participation. 2. Control over the media. 3. Civil liberties. 4. Rule of law enforcement. 5. Power concentration. 2. **Political Ideologies:** - Key beliefs of ideologies on the political spectrum. 3. **Federalism:** - Division of powers among the three levels of government. 4. **Electoral Systems:** - Compare first-past-the-post and proportional representation. 5. **Canada's Legal Framework:** - Constitution's role (BNA Act, Canada Acts). - Amending Formula and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.