G9 Socials Midterm Notes PDF

G9 Socials Midterm Notes Tiffanie Cheng Gimkit Practice (from Ms. Collingwood)  Quizlet Review (created by charlotte) Key Words: Bill: a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion Constitution: the basic principles and laws of a na...

G9 Socials Midterm Notes Tiffanie Cheng Gimkit Practice (from Ms. Collingwood)  Quizlet Review (created by charlotte) Key Words: Bill: a draft of a proposed law presented to parliament for discussion Constitution: the basic principles and laws of a nation, state, or social group that determine the powers and duties of the government and guarantee certain rights to the people in it The Crown: the government of a country that is officially ruled by a king or queen Governor General: represents the monarch who cannot physically be there themselves Royal Assent: monarch formally approves an act of the legislature Legislative Branch: writes and passes the laws Executive Branch: enforces or enacts the laws Judicial Branch: interprets the law and determines if they go against the Constitution Popular Vote: the total support a party wins in country Checks and Balances: each branch has individual power to prevent overpowering a branch Parliament: House of Commons + Senate, writing and passing laws - House of Commons: elected representatives, lower chamber - Senate: chosen representatives, second stage of legislative The Cabinet: the body responsible for the day-to-day management of the government Supreme Court: the highest-ranking court with nine justices Unitary: a form of where the national government has complete power over the country Federalism: a form of government where powers are divided between levels of government - Dual Federalism: Each level has specific responsibilities and don't interact/work together - Corporative Federalism: Each level of government corporates or works together Propaganda: bias/misleading information used to promote a political cause or point of view Press/Media: news companies and journalists Lobbyists: someone hired by a group to influence MPs and other government officials Ideology: System of beliefs about politics and the economies Caucus: a meeting of all the party members where they decide what the party will try to do if elected Platform: a detailed list of what their party stands for and what their goals are Sentencing: To say what the official punishment is Rehabilitate: Instil someone with positive behaviour and habits through therapy after imprisonment, addiction, etc. Reintegrate: Restoring someone back into society Individual Rights: These are rights that apply to each individual in a society 1.1 - Canadian Government Need for Government: 1. Provides social order 2. Passes and carries out laws (decision making) 3. Protects individual freedoms and safety 4. Maintain infrastructure (roads, bridges, docks, etc.) 5. Deal with other countries Constitution Most countries have a constitution A document that outlines how the government works and how it should be run Details how laws get made and what a government can/can’t do Should be very hard to change, which proves the stability of a government Outlines fundamental freedoms and rights that the government cannot take away, applies to every citizen identifies which position has what powers **the constitution is not a law Canadian Constitution: - Contains the charter of rights and freedoms which details every right a Canadian citizen has (freedom of speech, religion, etc.) - Unwritten portion: mainly come for UK, assumptions/implications that aren’t directly stated (constitution cannot detail every situation or how society might change) - To provide stability and protect Canadians, the constitution is very hard to change - If change is needed, it needs to pass the federal government and at least 7 provinces (representing over 50% of Canadians) to approve it The Crown For hundreds of years, Canada would be a British colony  It only became independent in 1980, but Canada still acknowledges their power This technically makes Canada a Limited Monarchy Governor General: Current Governor General: Mary Simon, 2021 Obviously, the Queen of England doesn't want to constantly leave her palace and go to Canada. Instead, she appoints a Governor General who represents her in Canada and signs things in her place. - Gives “royal assent” to all laws passed by parliament (signs them to approval) - Confirms members of Senate - Swears in prime minister These are all ceremonial; she is just a figurehead and does not have much real power Branches of Government The government divides the power in Canada between three branches: 1. Legislative Branch: Makes the Laws 2. Executive Branch: Enforces or enacts the laws (also may suggest them) 3. Judicial Branch: Interprets the law and determines if they go against the Constitution Checks and Balances: By dividing the government's power, Canada's Constitution keeps one person or group of people from becoming too powerful. Each branch limits the power of the others. The idea of separating them comes from Baron de Montesquieu in the 18th century and makes sure there are varieties and different minds/input to respect the constitution. Legislative Branch Legislate means to make laws, this branch writes and then passes the laws in Canada. Canada has a bicameral legislature which has two houses or chambers that both need to approve of laws (over 50% of each chamber needs to vote for the bill for it to become a law) called the House of Commons and the Senate. The two houses together are also called parliament. Many countries have a unicameral legislature where they only have one chamber, and usually are in smaller countries. They are much more efficient and have a less chance of deadlock. House of Commons Senate - Elected by the people of Canada - The Senate isn't elected, instead they are - Canada is divided up into areas of relative equal population. These areas are chosen by the Prime Minister, and then called ridings (total of 338 ridings) approved by the Governor General. The - During an election, each riding votes for one person to represent them in the job is set for life till they retire at 75. House of Commons. - They are appointed by division or region. - Once elected, the Member of Parliament (MP) will serve in the House of Canada is divided into different regions Commons and try to pass laws that benefit their Constituents (the people in and each region is guaranteed a certain their riding who the MP represents). number of seats. - By representing Canada based on regions and Parties: not by population, the senate protects If ONE party controls 50% or more of the seats in the HOC (total 169 seats), this minorities is called a majority government. This means the party can pass laws easier and - The senate amends, approves or rejects bills doesn't need to worry about the other parties. and carefully reconsiders them from the House of Commons If NO party controls 50% or more of the seats, it is a minority government. In order to pass laws, the parties will need to work together. Once the election is over, the winning party decides who the Prime Minster will be, and he becomes the head of the executive branch. Then, the Governor General must give "approval", again this is mainly just ceremonial. Popular Vote: Each member of the House of Commons is elected by his or her riding Popular Vote: the total support a party wins. If a country has 100 people, and 54 of them vote for Party A, Party A wins the popular vote with 54%. Since Canadian MPs are voted in by the riding, this means that even if a party wins the popular vote, they might not have the most seats in the House of Commons. Canada has the First Past the Post System: This means that the person with the most votes in the riding wins the seat, everyone else gets no seats. This means that although a party won popular vote by 54%, maybe when split into ridings they’ve lost each election within each riding, so they wouldn’t have any seats in the House of Commons. Red = Win MP Representatives: Riding 1 Riding 2 Riding 3 Popular Vote Totals House Of Commons Seats: Conservatives 49 49 90 188 1 (33.3%) Liberals 51 51 10 112 2 (66.6%) Country Totals 100 100 100 300 3 (100%) First Past the Post: Liberals Popular Vote: Conservatives Executive Branch The Executive Branch of government is responsible for "executing" the law. They basically enforce the law, and make sure that it gets carried out. After the legislative branch has passed a law, it is up to the executive branch to implement it. The Cabinet: The Prime Minister oversees this branch, each cabinet minister therefore reports to the Prime Minister, and they are also responsible for their assigned department. All of them are MPs or senators from the same party as the PM. The Prime Minister is chosen by the House of Commons, usually the leader of the political party with the most seats. The PM then choses the cabinet members who serve underneath him in the executive branch (with the governor general's approval).  - Each cabinet member manages a different department of government (Agriculture, Defence, Finance, etc.) Judicial Branch The Judicial Branch is in charge of interpreting (telling what the laws says) the law and making sure citizen's rights are respected. It is made up of Canada's Courts of Law, the Supreme Court is the highest-ranking court. - Made up of nine justices - Selected through a long process (the cabinet, HOC, GG, PM) - Odd number of justices make sure that there are no ties when deciding 1.2 - Federalism, Press, & Lobbyists Unitary Unitary is a form of government where the national government has complete power over the country (usually smaller countries) While unitary countries may have local government, they are beneath the national government. Advantages: 1. Citizen are only loyal to central government 2. Generally less expensive government 3. Faster decision making, efficent 4. More uniform governance Federalism (different from the branches of government) Federalism is a form of government where power and responsibilities are divided between levels of government, usually in large countries with diverse populations In Canada (and most other federations), there are three levels of government: 1. National/Federal Government 2. Provincial/State Government 3. Municipal/Local/City Government Advantages: 1. Nation is more adaptable for its different regions 2. Lower governments can experiment with laws before the national government adopts them 3. Can increase citizen participation in government 4. Provinces/states are usually more responsive to citizens needs There are two main types of Federalism: 1. Dual Federalism: Each level of government has specific responsibilities and powers and don't interact or work together (for example, maybe the national government oversees the military, the province of education, and local government of police). 2. Corporative Federalism: Each level of government corporates or works together. Some programs might be funded by each level of government. (for example: education - Canada provides some money to Alberta for education. Alberta chooses the curriculum, and the local government may appoint who oversees the school) Canada's federalism is for the most part characterized by cooperation. However, there is still some divide in responsibility between different levels of government. Federal Shared Provincial - National Defence - Immigration - Education - Foreign Policy - Agriculture - Charities - Aboriginal Affairs - Health Care - Health and Services - Postal Services - Natural Resources - Hospitals - Banking System - Environmental Issues - Highways - Criminal Law - Provincial Courts - Federal Prisons - Provincial Polic Any residual powers go to the federal - Prisons government Press Press/media: news companies and journalist. It can be newspapers, internet article, TV or magazines. Parliamentary Press Gallery: The press gallery is the part of a parliament, or other legislative body, where political journalists are allowed to sit or gather to observe and then report speeches and events. - Association of reporters who cover the decisions and actions of Canada's government - Includes over 350 reporters from many different news organization - These may be private (owned by someone trying to make a profit, companies/corporations) or public (funded by the government) The idea of freedom of the press has been around since the first ideas of democracy began to form. "The only security of all is in a free press."- Thomas Jefferson 5 filters of the Mass Media Machine This Propaganda Model consists of five filters that describe the method by which favourable information passes xthrough the filters to appear in the news, and how information that threatens the interests of corporations are prevented from reaching the public. According to Noam Chomsky, media operate through 5 filters: Ownership: Media firms find great importance in maint aining economic and political success. This is what drives them: profit. They are unlikely to be critical of political policies that directly benefit them. Advertising: Advertising is a primary source of income for modern news media. To remain profitable, media must rely on advertising dollars for the majority of their revenue. So, it is against the interest of the news media to produce content that might anger or be disapproved by advertisers. The Media Elite: Elite news media companies have the resources to facilitate the news-gathering process by sending representing writers to far-off places, provide photo-ops, new conferences, press releases, etc… Largely, these canned news pieces take advantage of the news media’s need for continuous and cheap news content (you have to fill the 24/7 news cycles somehow). Business leaders, politicians, and government officials are viewed as credible and unbiased sources in this system, which casts aside fact checking and expensive research. Flak: Flak refers to the negative commentary to a new story or journalist that can work to police and discipline news agencies and those working for them. Going against what the companies/businesses want will cause flak to come at you, this includes lawsuits, complaints, petitions, etc. Common Enemy: Businesses/corporations would create a common enemy such as terrorism, energy insecurity, a race/people, communism, etc. This unites and mobilizes the population against a common enemy, if anybody comes against them, they can portray them as allies of the enemy. Noam Chomsky - The 5 Filters of the Mass Media Machine Lobbyists A lobbyist is someone hired by a group to influence MPs and other government officials. They need to register with the Commissioner of Lobbyist so that everyone can know who they are. Under the Federal Accountability Act, they must also register which MPs and officials they meet with. They bring different perspectives, and expertise to inform government decisions. However, since many of lobbyist are hired by private companies, their role is very controversial. 1.3 - Political Parties Political Parties A political party is a group of voters with similar political views. Together, they are trying to control the government, and pass laws that support these views. This means they are usually competing against the other political parties in their country for votes. In general, political parties around the world can be identified by how close their values align with either the Right side, or the Left side. While these can be used to identify most political parties, it is not perfect. Some parties are formed around a single issue like protecting the environment. CANADA: The Left: (also called Liberals/Democrats) For the most part, they want to change things Believes there should be greater equality among citizens by redistributing wealth Higher taxes, but also more social programs like government healthcare or welfare to help the poor Less support for traditional values and societal norms Pro-Abortion, LGBTQ, less harsh laws on drugs, promote greater equality among race and women. More open to immigration The Right: (also called Conservatives/Republican) For the most part, they want to conserve and keep things the same/traditional Believes there should be very little government involvement in the economy Individualism, low taxes, people need to work hard to improve status Usually pro-military (self-defence, gain power)  Support traditional values, generally religious, pro-life, and harsh on crime More selective immigration process Ideology: System of beliefs about politics and the economies Each Political Party is centred around a group of ideologies, or around certain values. Before major elections, political parties hold a caucus, which is a meeting of all the party members where they decide what the party will try to do if elected. Then they release their platform which is a detailed list of their goals and values. Party Systems Canada is a multiparty system: meaning there are lots of political parties that control seats in the government. It has five main parties: Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic (NDP), Bloc Quebecois, and the Green Party. The United States has a two-party system, where a country has two main political parties. While the US does have a lot of minor parties, they rarely win any seats in the election. UNITED STATES 1. Democrat Party (donkey mascot, similar to liberals) Usually supported by minorities like African Americans, women, younger people, urban citizens Higher taxes on corporations More gun controls More social programs like government health care More environmental regulations Pro abortion 2. Republican Party (elephant mascot, similar to conservatives) Usually supported by males, older people, ethnically white people, and rural citizens Lower taxes Less gun controls Less social programs/government involvement Less environmental regulations  Against abortion Platforms: Here are what each political party in Canada’s platform is. Liberals - Cut Canadas greenhouse gas emissions - Resettle Afghan refugees and support them - Enhance gun checks and keep record of gun sales - Offering up to $250,000 load for black owned businesses Conservatives - Open to resettling Afghans - Develop a national clean energy strategy - Prioritise having oil pipelines delivered to markets - No specific proposals/mentions to fight racism Greens - Wants to abolish nuclear weapons - Cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% - Establish “fair, national minimum wage” - Stop racism by taking funds going to policy, to community supports Bloc Quebecois - Oppose oil pipeline projects crossing over Quebec - Supports people getting vaccinated, by doubts it is constitutional to make it mandatory - Supported raising up federal minimum wage - Increase share of health-care funding New Democrat - National plan to take apart far-right organizations - Fight climate change and support workers leaving high polluting industries - Power the country by carbon net-zero electricity - Building 500,000 affordable homes Examples: (In Canada) Liberals Conservatives Green Party Bloc Quebecois New Democrat Steve lives in Carey lives in Canada. Justin lives in Canada Beatrice lives in Canada Ben lives in Canada and is Canada. He is While he does think the and is very concerned and wants the government very concerned about hate slightly liberal and is environment should be about the environment. to support more health care crime. He thinks the concerned about the protected, he also wants He drives an electric car spending. She is also government should be very Afghans who cheap gasoline. He also and tries to avoid against oil pipelines. She involved in the lives of can't leave their doesn't think racism is a unnecessary waste. He thinks the government Canadians and supports country after the problem in Canada. is also against nuclear shouldn't force people to be more action to help the Taliban took it over. weapons. vaccinated. environment. 2.1 - YCJA and Advocacy Groups Criminal Justice is giving out justice to those who have committed a crime or broken the law. It is administered by the Judicial Branch (usually the lower courts) Sentencing: To say what the official punishment is Rehabilitate: Instil someone with positive behaviour and habits through therapy after imprisonment, addiction, etc. Reintegrate: Restoring someone back into society YCJA The Youth Criminal Justice Act was passed in 2003 and creates special rules for youth aged 12-17 who break the criminal code, children under the age of 12 are not held criminally responsible in Canada. Allows most youth to avoid record (a public, permanent record of breaking the law) A criminal record can stop someone from getting some jobs, volunteering, and traveling to other countries. The Criminal Code is a list of crimes and their definitions, and it specifies maximum and minimum punishments that courts can sentence an offender. For example, it states that theft is a prohibited offence in the Criminal Code. The YCJA ensures that there is equity for youths, who are given different punishment for the same crimes than if made by an adult. Allows youth to face consequences of community service where they help the community as part of their sentence Police, Prosecutors, Judges, Volunteers, and Professionals decide what happens to a young offender. They consider the seriousness of offence, history of the young person, attitude of the young person, and their circumstances. The YCJA also allows Aboriginal communities to uphold their traditions and customs when dealing with young offenders. Any community can have a Youth Justice Committee that focus on community response to breaking laws. Elders (important people in aboriginal communities) volunteer and try to guide and help young offenders. Advocacy Groups They are private organizations which try to help and assist people who have been accused of crimes, as well as try to reduce crime rates. They also make sure justice is serve, this means they do not work for government. Which helps prevent the government from having full control and power over justice (avoiding bias). Examples: John Howard Society: tries to lower crime and ensures adults and youths who commit crimes have their rights observed, it also helps them integrate back into society Elizabeth Fry Society: helping women and girls in the justice system to integrate back into society and advocating for them 2.2 - Jury Duty Jury Duty A jury is a group of citizens who try (in a trial) an individual charged with a criminal offence. They will determine if the person on trial (defendant) is innocent or guilty. Who can be selected for jury duty? Any Canadian citizen 18 years of age or older is eligible Considered a civic duty (responsibilities that go along with living in a prosperous, democratic society) If you are chosen, it is your responsibility to appear on time You must make whatever arrangements necessary, because you cannot say no (time off work, etc.) You are only excused if you can demonstrate “undue hardship” (pregnancy, cancer, etc.) Most civil cases (one person bringing a case against another) in Canada are tried by judges without a jury. However, anyone charged with a criminal offence for which there can be a prison sentence of five years or more has the right to a trial by jury. Some civil cases can also be tried by judge and jury. Juries are usually made up of 12 jurors selected from among citizens of the province or territory in which the court is located. They will then be questioned by the judge, prosecutor, and defendant. Once the jury is selected, they are sequestered (removed from contacting others). After both sides have called all their witnesses and presented their arguments, the jury goes to make their decision. The Verdict The Jury now makes a decision if the accused is guilty or innocent In Criminal Cases: The jurors meet in a room outside the courtroom to decide whether the prosecutor has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty. All the jurors must agree on the decision or verdict – their decision must be unanimous. If they cannot all agree, the judge may discharge the jury and direct a new jury to be chosen for a new trial. After a trial, jurors are not allowed to tell anyone else about the discussions that took place in the jury room. In Civil Cases: The jury must decide whether the plaintiff has proven that the defendant is liable, that is, responsible, on a balance of probabilities. There are only six jurors in a civil case, and the decision does not have to be unanimous as long as five of them agree on the verdict. 3.1 - Rights and Freedoms Rights A right is a legal, moral, or social claim that you are entitled (owed) to, primarily from the government. Example – a person accused of committing an offence may be entitled to a fair trial Individual Rights: These are rights that apply to each individual in a society Canada's Constitution is above the law, and any law made by the legislative branch can't contradict the constitution. Part of Canada's Constitution is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which contains individual rights that protect Canadian's rights an d freedoms. If a Canadian feels that their rights/freedoms listed in the charter are being restricted by the government, they can challenge the government through the judicial branch. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms says that the only time the government is justified in restricting any of the rights and freedoms is when restricting them is necessary to maintain Canada's free and democratic society. Under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms there are 5 main different types of individual rights:  1. Fundamental Freedoms (freedom of thought, belief, opinion, expression, press, any media of communication, peaceful assembly, association, etc.) 2. Democratic Right (the right to take part in electing the Government and the right to access and participate in the public service) 3. Mobility Rights (every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada, to move to and take up residence in any province, and pursue gaining of a livelihood in any province) 4. Legal Rights (right to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure, protection against arrest without good reason, rights in court, interactions in the justice system, etc.) 5. Equality Rights (every person should be treated with the same respect, dignity, and consideration regardless of race, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability, etc.) However, remember that these rights come with responsibility. For instance, the fundamental freedom to express one's opinion does not protect libel (writing false information about someone to hurt them) or slander (saying false information about someone to try and hurt them). Libel Slander - Tangible in form - Intangible in form - Print, writing or pictures - Spoken words or gestures - Magazine, Internet, Blog, Article - Speech, news, broadcast THE END GOODLUCK!