Chapter 1 Student Vocabulary

govern

To make decisions as a government and put decisions into action

governance

The process of governing

government

The body with power to make decisions for a society

Constitution

The law that describes governance in Canada

Executive branch

The part of government responsible for putting laws into action

Legislative branch

The part of government that makes laws

Judicial branch

The part of government that interprets and applies the law through legal judgments

constituent

Someone who lives in a riding and is represented by an elected official from that riding

Popular vote

The total votes cast in an election

Minorities

groups of Canadians who do not form the majority of the population, usually based on ethnicity

Civil service

The people who serve Canadians as employees of government

assimilation

The process of becoming part of a different cultural group that is not your own.

bias

A type of thinking rooted in a person’s point of view.

lobbyist

Someone hired by a group to influence MPs and government officials