Canada's Federal Political System Grade 9 Study Guide PDF

KEY - Grade Nine Unit 1 Study Guide Chapter 1: Canada’s Federal Political System Why do we need government? ○ Provide order & stability (laws) ○ Infrastructure ○ Defense ○ Well-being What are three main ideas for both Hobbes and Locke? H...

KEY - Grade Nine Unit 1 Study Guide Chapter 1: Canada’s Federal Political System Why do we need government? ○ Provide order & stability (laws) ○ Infrastructure ○ Defense ○ Well-being What are three main ideas for both Hobbes and Locke? Hobbes: - Humans are nasty, brutish and short - Without government - chaos & violence - Absolute power for the ruler - Citizens follow the ruler or civil unrest - Security and no liberty Locke: - Humans are good - cooperative, tolerant and good - People will make reasonable choices - Citizens have rights such as - life, health, liberty, property and to rebel against an unjust ruler. - A ruler has the duty to protect citizens, provide structure and order - Liberty at the risk of security Kinds of Government: Anarchy - a society without government or laws - chaos Communism - economic theory - equal - dictators or small groups emerge and abuse power Socialism - economic theory - gov involvement in the economy Dictatorship - rule by a single leader that has not been elected. Monarchy - Absolute - complete and unlimited power held by a King or Queen. This power is hereditary. - Constitutional - King or Queen has no real power, as their duties are primarily ceremonial. Democracy - Direct - people vote on laws and policies directly - Representative - people elect representatives to make decisions for them. - Presidential System - Head of government and head of state are the same person (president). The executive and legislative branches are separate. - Parliamentary System - clear differentiation between head of government and the head of state. Head of government being the Prime Minister and the head of state often being a figurehead, often a monarch. What Kind of Government Does Canada Have? 1. Canada is Considered a Representative Democracy - citizens vote for who will govern them - MP’s - those elected representatives make decision on behalf of the people 2. Canada also has a Constitutional Monarchy - the monarch is the head of state (acts as figurehead)  - the constitution grants us independence to make our own decisions - PM is head of gov 3. Canada is a Parliamentary System - division of power - King = head of state, Prime Minister = head of government - many other divisions (3 branches, all the roles within the 3 branches) Branches of Government: Executive Branch - includes the Monarch, Governor General, Prime Minister and Cabinet - role of the Executive Branch is to propose laws, oversee the day to day running of government, and put laws into action Legislative Branch - includes the House of Commons/MP’s and the Senate - role of the Legislative Branch is to represent regions within Canada and create laws Judicial Branch - includes the Supreme Court - role of the Judicial Branch is to apply and interpret/enforce laws The Executive and Legislative branches work together to create and make laws (so closely in fact that the Prime Minister and Cabinet are considered part of both branches) The Judicial Branch is a separate body in the Federal Government as they must present an unbiased opinion of the law in order to enforce it and ensure that all Canadian citizens follow it Roles in Government: Prime Minister - Part of the executive and legislative branches, he is the head of Canada’s government - He is elected as the leader of his political party, and if that political party wins the most seats in the House of Commons during an election, he becomes Prime Minister Cabinet - Part of the executive branch and legislative branch, these MP’s have responsibility for different government departments and agencies – or portfolios – such as health, finance and environment - They belong to the leading political party in the House of Commons - The Prime Minister appoints MP’s in his party to be part of his Cabinet (assigns them their portfolios) House of Commons (Members of Parliament) - Part of the legislative branch, MP’s make up the major law-making body in government - Voters elect MP’s as each MP represents the voters of one riding - MP’s debate, study and vote on bills - Their main responsibility is to represent their constituents and to create good Legislation - accountable to people in their riding Senate  - Part of the legislative branch, senators are appointed by the Prime Minister - They represent the interests and rights of Canada’s regions and especially Canada’s minorities - They consider bills passed by the House of Commons and give “sober second thought” or careful reconsideration to all legislation proposed for Canada Supreme Court - Part of the Judicial Branch, the Supreme Court is the highest court in Canada and interprets and applies all law in Canada, acting as a check on the other branches’ powers – its members are appointed - Makes sure that the rights of Canadians are respected Lobby Groups (Interest Groups) - a lobbyist is someone hired by a group to influence MP’s and government officials - lobbyists voice their views on issues (MADD, anti-smoking lobbyists, etc.) Media - includes newspapers, film, TV, radio, etc., they deliver information and messages quickly to large audiences - All media interprets the facts and make choices about how to tell the story - Media is often biased (an opinion based on unchallenged assumptions – point of view) - Politicians develop key messages for the media to control how the media present them and to communicate what they want Canadians to know Draw what the role of the media looks like: Government → Media → Citizens ← ← Parliamentary press gallery - it’s the media outlet in Ottawa on parliament hill - first point of contact Voting and Representation: First Past the Post (the way it works in Canada) SEATS - How MPs are elected - Canada is divided into ridings (338 altogether) based on the population of the area - Within each riding people run by representing different political parties - Whichever candidate wins the most votes in the riding wins a seat in the house of commons therefore representing that riding in the federal government - Whichever political party has the most seats forms the government - The leader of the winning party becomes Prime Minister (indirect voting) - Think of it as the PUZZLE PIECE scenario Popular Vote (the way it sort of works in the US) - The total votes (or percentage of votes cast in an election directly for the president Majority vs. Minority Government:  If a political party wins the majority of seats in the House of Commons, it always forms the government (there are 338 seats in total - therefore – in order to have a majority government, you have to win 170 seats or more) What might be some advantages and disadvantages of having a majority government? o Advantages: Stable, last 4 years, can approve more legislation, efficient. o Disadvantages: Less points of view considered If a political party wins the most seats in the House of Commons, but not the majority of seats, it usually forms the government (wins 169 seats or less) To stay in power; however, this party would need to negotiate for the support of at least one other party in the House to ensure that more than 50% of MPs in the House would vote for the government’s proposal. What might be some advantages and disadvantages of a minority government? o Advantages: Pay attention to many points of view o Disadvantages: Less stable, may not last 4 years, need vote of confidence, less efficient Political Party - a group of people who have similar ideas about how government should respond to issues facing society What are the 5 main political parties in Canada: The Bill to Law Process: Anyone can propose an idea for a bill – however, most ideas come from Members of Parliament and members of the Cabinet because they deal with issues that face Canadians and Canadian society, every day The Bill to Law process can be broken down into 3 Main Stages – House of Commons, Senate, and Royal Assent. From there, it is broken down into a 10 step process…How a Bill Becomes a Law - First Reading: Printed copies of the bill are made available for the first time (there is no debate or vote) - Second Reading: Debate and vote on the principle of the bill (asking questions like “Does the bill serve the interests of all Canadians?”) - Committee Stage: Detailed study of the bill – a committee of MP’s or Senators reviews the bill with the help of witnesses including experts and citizens. The committee issues a report with a recommendation that the House or Senate accepts - Report Stage: Debate and vote on amendments (changes) to the bill - Third Reading: Debate and vote on the final form of the bill ***A bill can only become a law once it is given Royal Assent by the Governor General*** Chapter 2: The YCJA Justice is often portrayed in the following way because the scale or balance represents balance between society and the victim sword represents symbol of power, authority, protection, vigilance and might. and the woman often has her eyes closed or is blindfolded to show that represents impartiality - justice should be applied without regard to wealth, power, or other statuses Fair and Equitable: Fair - governed by rules that apply to everyone Equitable - taking into account individual needs and circumstances The Youth Criminal Justice System (YCJA) attempts to be fair and equitable when dealing with youth offenders This is different from the Criminal Code of Canada – which is the system that deals with adult offenders in Canada: - Canada has a different justice system for adults and young people who break the law. The Criminal Code is the system that deals with adults in trouble with the law. It makes going to court the usual consequence for breaking the law, and most of these consequences involve long periods of imprisonment. The Criminal Code also allows the publication of offenders’ names and results in a criminal record for most offenders. The YCJA: - Deals with 12 – 17 year olds in trouble with the law - Jail is a last resort as it is believed that youth deserve a second chance and are capable of being rehabilitated - Prohibits adult sentences for youth 12 and 13 years of age. Allows adult sentences for young people 14 years of age and older. - Protects the privacy of young offenders. News media may not publish their names unless they receive an adult sentence. - Allows most young offenders to avoid a criminal record, although they can have a youth record which is sealed when they turn 18 years old. Some root causes of crime include: Peer pressure, Abuse, lack of employment, revenge, poverty/homelessness, stress, gang affiliation, addiction, boredom, parental neglect, mental illness, anger, criminal involvement in the family. The 4 Objectives of the YCJA: MARS M: Provide meaningful consequences A: Address the underlying circumstances R: Rehabilitate young persons who commit offences and reintegrate them back into Society S: Keep youth separate from the adult system Victims of Crime can include: o The young offender, victim, friends, family, community What factors determine the consequences young offenders face: (CASH) The seriousness of the offence The history of the young person The attitude of the young person The circumstances of the young person  The Stages of addressing Crime: - There are three main stages to addressing youth crime: Include what options the police have and what options the crown prosecutor has Police → Crown Prosecutor→ Court Extrajudicial Measures: - Addresses youth crime outside of court for MINOR crimes - Examples: Warning, Extrajudicial Sanctions: - Addresses youth crime outside of court for SEVERE or SERIOUS crimes - Examples: Community service, restitution, essay, apology Receiving a youth record can affect a person in many ways: ◦Job ◦Travel (outside of Canada not allowed) ◦College/university ◦Court (in the future) Canadian citizens, 18 + can contribute to the YCJA through jury duty – which is a responsibility citizens have if called upon Advocacy Groups – organizations that work to stand up for those committed of crime – Examples include the Elizabeth Fry Society and the John Howard Society Some Courtroom Terms: - Sequester – means to remove from contact. Juries are sequestered to ensure they consider only the evidence presented in the courtroom (can’t talk with others about the case, watch the news, etc.) - Deliberate – the jury talks over the evidence and votes whether the accused is guilty or not guilty they need to come to a consensus - Defense – defense includes the evidence that supports the innocence of a person accused of a crime. The lawyer who represents an accused person presents the defense. This can include witnesses and physical evidence (DNA) - Prosecution – includes the evidence that supports the guilt of an accused person - Plea – this is when the youth answers to the charge in court. The plea is either guilty or not guilty - Trial – a formal examination by the court to decide a case in order to find out if the person is guilty or not guilty.