Civics Final Test

Political Significance

Focuses on the importance of policies, civic actions, events, or developments on citizens' lives and government decisions.

• Understanding why governments formulate laws and policies and why citizens take actions on certain issues

Objective and Result

Examines factors leading to actions, their consequences, and understanding conditions, objectives, actions, and results.

• A tool for understanding reasons and results of actions and how government and citizens can best get things done

• Conditions → Objectives → Actions → Results

  
  

Political Perspective

Considers how beliefs and values influence responses to civic issues and the impact of personal and political beliefs.

• How groups see things differently

• Different views on the same issue, event, person, or policy

• Shaped by who you are as a person and the communities to which you belong 

• Beliefs can be personal or political

• Someone directly affected by an issue sees it differently/has a different POV from someone who is not directly affected

Stability and Change

Analyzes how political institutions evolve or remain constant, impacting communities' well-being and the effects of stability and change.

• More stability generally means less change

• More change generally means less stability

Stability + and -

• + Important political, social, and economic institutions are working well. People can withstand the destructive forces of change and negative events. 

• - New opportunities or injustices may not be addressed because institutions and people are resistant to change or unable to change.

Change + and -

• + Problems are solved, injustices addressed, conditions improved, and new opportunities are made available.

• - Critical political, social, and economic institutions stop working effectively and people’s lives are negatively affected

Ideologies

Sets of beliefs and values shaping societal organization and influencing leadership and citizenship.

The Political Spectrum

Places beliefs on a scale from left to right, indicating views on change, tradition, government intervention, and individual rights.

• Right is most opposed to change

• Left is most in favor of change

Socialism

A theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

• When the state owns capital, and land, and uses it to better the wealth of the people

Liberalism

A political or social philosophy advocating the freedom of the individual, parliamentary systems of government to assure unrestricted development in all spheres of human endeavor, and governmental guarantees of individual rights and civil liberties

• A government based on the idea that the individual should have rights and civil liberties that will not restrict their growth

Conservatism

A political philosophy advocating the preservation of the best of the established order in society and opposing radical change

• The idea that we keep traditions, and hold on to the past

• If change is needed, it is done slowly, to keep order in society

Canada and Ideologies

Canada embraces pluralism, allowing various ideologies, with liberalism being the predominant belief system.

Three Levels of Government

•  federal, provincial/territorial and municipal

What caused the division of responsiblities?

• Constitution Act of 1867 divides responsibilities to avoid conflict, overlap and neglect.

• Section 91 of the constitution defined federal responsibilities

• Section 92 of the constitution defines provincial responsibilities.

Federal

• Elected officials are called Members of Parliament

• Seats 338 MPs in the House of Commons.

• Debate and pass laws in the House of Commons 

• Leader is currently Justin Trudeau

• Queen is represented by the Governor General

• Deals with issues that pertains to all of Canada

Provincial

• Elected representatives are called Members of Provincial Parliament

• Serves 124 MPPs

• Debate and pass laws in the legislative assembly in Ontario

• Leader is Doug Ford

• Queen is represented by the Lieutenant Governor

• Each province and territory have their respective who deal with issues in their province.

Municipal Governments

• Elected representatives are called councillors

• Size of the government depends on the jurisdiction

• They are headed by the mayor 

• Debate and pass laws in the city hall.

First Nation, Metis and Inuit Governments

• Some indigenous reserves have their own government which share responsibility with federal/provincial governments

• Self-government refers to a First Nation, Metis or Inuit community/nation with control over its own affairs.

What agency conducts federal elections?

Elections Canada

Fixed-date election legislation

• general elections are to be held on the third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year following the previous  general election 

• The 45th Canadian general election will take place on October 16, 2025

You are qualified to vote in a Canadian federal election if?

• You are a Canadian citizen,

• You are at least 18 years of age on election day

• You can prove your identity and address

• In order to cast a ballot in the election, you must be registered to vote

Rejected and Spoiled Ballots:

• A rejected ballot is a ballot that cannot be counted because it was not properly marked. (For example, your ballot is rejected if you try to vote for more than one candidate)

• A spoiled ballot is one that was kept separate and never placed in the ballot box because it was mistakenly marked or torn and exchanged for a new ballot.

Speaker of the House

• Serves as a mediator in the House of Commons

• Invites members to speak, maintains order, & makes rulings on points of order

• Elected by the parties in the House of Commons

• In a ceremonial way, he is dragged by both the prime minister and opposition leader to his place

Cabinet Ministers

• Appointed by the Prime Minister, sworn in by the Governor General

• In charge of specific government ministries and are responsible for policy matters and issues related to the day-to-day operations of government

• They receive mandate letters from the prime minister stating what policies they should work on passing

Parliamentary Secretaries

The main responsibility of a parliamentary secretary is to assist the minister in carrying out his or her duties in the House and to speak on the Government’s behalf when issues arise in the absence of the minister

House Leader

• Responsible for planning and managing the government’s legislative program in the House of Commons

Backbenchers

• MP’s who do not have roles in parliament

• Represent their constituents

• Widely expected to vote with the rest of the government

Party Whip

• Ensure party discipline in the HOC
  Make sure that all members of the party vote according to their platform

• Failure for MPs to vote in favor of party bills could result in expulsion from the party

Opposition Leader

• The leader sitting in opposition to the Prime Minister

• Hopes to become Prime Minister one day

• Chais meetings to discuss bills including the budget and propose alternative solutions to government proposals.

• Appoints shadow cabinet to monitor the work of ministries.

• Would be asked by the governor general to form a government if the prime minister resigns rather than request a resolution.

• Helps elect the speaker of the house

Shadow Cabinet

Their responsibility is to critique the role of the government and the individual ministers

How does a Bill become a Law?

• 1st Reading: introduces the bill to all parties

• 2nd Reading: debated by members of the house

• Committee: Vote is taken place to which committee it goes to make sure of legal and technicality of bill

• Report stage: Send bill back to House of Commons to debate

• Third Reading: members debate and vote on the bill

• Senate: Repeat readings 1-3 and make amendments

• Royal Assent: Governor General gives approval to the bill

• Proclamation: proclaimed bill becomes law

3 Branches of Government

• Executive

• Legislative

• Judicial

Executive Branch

• Makes and applies government decisions and consists of the Governor General, Prime Minister, Cabinet and Public Service

Governor General

Queen of England’s representative in Canada

• Largely ceremonial duties

• Signs laws passed by parliament but traditionally does not interfere in the political process

Prime Minister

Head of the Canadian government and leader of the Cabinet

• Leader of the party with the most elected representatives in the House of Commons

• The Prime Minister selects a smaller group of elected representatives from his party to form the Cabinet 

Cabinet

• As a group, Cabinet Ministers are given a particular department to oversee such as the Department of Foreign Affairs

• Cabinet Ministers decide on government policy such as raising taxes or going to war

• Cabinet Ministers begin and guide most laws through the House of Commons

Public Service

Government employees in a department who help develop and implement laws passed by Parliament. 

• Carry out the day to day work of the government

Legislative Branch

• Debates, makes, and changes laws and consists of the House of Commons and the Senate

House of Commons

The democratically elected body made up of the governing party and opposition parties that discusses national issues and decides on legislation affecting almost every aspect of Canadians’ lives

Judicial Branch

• Separate from the other two branches and its function is to apply the constitution and to interpret and apply the laws to the everyday situations of Canadians in individual cases

  • It is very important for the judiciary to be separate from the rest of government so that it can enforce the Rule of Law and make sure that no one, including Parliament, is above the law

• Made up of courts and the judges

The Supreme Court of Canada

The highest and final court of appeal

• Only looks at cases of public interest or cases involving really important points of law

• It’s decision is final and there is no further appeal

Global Citizen

A global citizen is someone who is aware of and understands the wider world and their own place in it. They are citizens of the world who take an active role in their community and work with others to make our planet more peaceful, sustainable and fair.

What is the constitution?

• It is a legal framework which provides fundamental rules and laws to govern a country.

• A supreme law that outlines Canada’s system of governance and includes the civil and human rights of citizens and non-citizens of Canada.

What is the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

The charter of rights and freedoms protects the fundamental rights of all Canadians necessary to maintain Canada’s democracy.

Bill of Rights 1960

• The Bill of Rights preceded the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

• This was an act which was enacted in the 1960s. Purpose was to empower judges to veto legislation that impeded on Fundamental freedoms in Canada such as free speech. Rights you would find in the current Charter of Rights.

• It was significant because it was the first time a government attempted to protect basic rights and freedoms of all Canadians.

• The bill of rights failed because it didn’t have constitutional rights over provincial legislation.

Canadian Charter of Rights

• This act protected Canadians fundamental basic human rights on a federal, provincial/territorial and municipal level.

• The Canadian charter of rights and freedoms has 7 sections:

• Fundamental freedoms

• Democratic rights

• Mobility rights

• Legal rights

• Equality rights

• Official languages of Canada

• Minority language education rights

Fundamental Freedoms protect:

• Freedom of religion

• Freedom of beliefs and expression

• Freedom of peaceful assembly

• Freedom of Association

Democratic Rights protect:

• The right to vote

• An election should be held every four years and if the government wants to delay the election, they do so by holding a vote in the HOC

Mobility Rights protect:

• The Canadians right to remain, leave and enter Canada

• Canadian citizens have the right to live and work anywhere in Canada. They are not allowed to discriminate based on the province they live in.

Legal Rights protect:

• Rights to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure

• Protects you if you are arrested without good reason

• Protects your rights in court

Equality Rights protect:

Everyone is treated with respect without any discrimination, based on race, sex, religion, disability, colour, etc.