Canadian Government, History, and Political Ideologies

Constitution

A set of fundamental laws and principles that outlines how a country is governed.

Capitalism

An economic system where private individuals or companies own businesses and resources, and operate for profit.

Communism

A political and economic system where the government owns all property and controls production to ensure equality.

Socialism

An economic system where the government owns major industries and services (like healthcare), but individuals can own smaller businesses.

Fascism

A far-right political system led by a dictator, emphasizing extreme nationalism, control, and suppression of opposition.

Prime Minister

The head of government in Canada; leader of the political party with the most seats in the House of Commons.

MP (Member of Parliament)

An elected representative who serves in the House of Commons.

Executive Branch

Carries out laws and runs the day-to-day business of government (includes Prime Minister and Cabinet).

Legislative Branch

Makes and passes laws (includes the House of Commons and the Senate).

Cabinet

A group of MPs chosen by the Prime Minister to head government departments and make decisions.

Senate

The upper house of Canada's Parliament; senators are appointed and review laws passed by the House of Commons.

House of Commons

The lower house of Parliament where elected MPs debate and vote on proposed laws (bills).

Majority vs Minority Government

Majority: The ruling party has more than half the seats in the House of Commons. Minority: The ruling party has fewer than half and needs support from other parties to pass laws.

First-past-the-post

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a riding (area) wins, even without a majority.

Notwithstanding Clause

Allows governments to pass laws that override certain rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for up to 5 years.

Charter of Rights and Freedoms

A part of Canada's Constitution that guarantees fundamental rights and freedoms (e.g., speech, religion, equality).

How a Bill Becomes Law (Simplified)

First Reading - Bill is introduced and read (no debate). Second Reading - MPs debate the main idea of the bill. Committee Stage - Bill is studied in detail and changes may be suggested. Report Stage - Committee reports back and more changes can be made. Third Reading - Final debate and vote. Senate - Senate reviews and votes on the bill. Royal Assent - Governor General signs the bill into law.

6 Steps of the Voting Process in Canada

Register to vote - Make sure your name is on the voters list. Receive your voter information card - Tells you where and when to vote. Go to the polling station - Bring ID and your card. Get your ballot - Mark an "X" next to the candidate of your choice. Submit your ballot - Put it in the ballot box. Votes are counted - The candidate with the most votes in each riding wins.

Cabinet Solidarity

A rule that says all Cabinet members must publicly support government decisions, even if they privately disagree. If they strongly disagree, they are expected to resign.

Triple Alliance

A military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy before WWI.

Triple Entente

An alliance between Britain, France, and Russia (Canada joined as part of the British Empire).

MAIN Causes of WWI

Militarism: Nations built up strong armies and weapons. Alliances: Countries promised to defend each other. Imperialism: Competition for colonies and global power. Nationalism: Pride in one's nation and a desire for independence.

Robert Borden

Prime Minister of Canada during WWI. He supported conscription and expanded Canada's role in the war.

Sam Hughes

Canada's Minister of Militia.

Ross Rifle

An unsafe rifle approved for use that faced criticism during recruitment.

Enemy Aliens

People in Canada from countries at war with the Allies (like Germany or Austria-Hungary) who were often placed in internment camps.

CEF (Canadian Expeditionary Force)

The army of Canadian soldiers who fought in Europe during WWI.

War Measures Act

A law giving the Canadian government emergency powers during wartime, including arresting people without trial and censoring media.

Second Battle of Ypres (1915)

First major battle for Canadians where Germans used poison gas for the first time.

Battle of the Somme (1916)

A massive Allied offensive with over 1 million casualties, known for the use of tanks and machine guns.

Battle of Vimy Ridge (1917)

Canada's most celebrated victory where all four Canadian divisions fought together and captured the ridge.

Battle of Passchendaele (1917)

Fought in deep mud and horrible conditions, resulting in 16,000 Canadian casualties.

Conscription

Forced military service introduced in Canada in 1917 when voluntary enlistment declined.

Military Voters Act (1917)

Allowed Canadian soldiers overseas to vote in the election.

Wartime Elections Act (1917)

Gave the vote to women related to soldiers, but took it away from immigrants from 'enemy' countries.

Last 100 Days (Aug-Nov 1918)

Final phase of the war where Canadian forces led many successful attacks that helped break German lines.

Joseph Flavelle

A Canadian businessman who led the Imperial Munitions Board during the war.

Imperial Munitions Board

Created by Canada to manufacture supplies for the war, transforming Canada into a major industrial power.

Victory Bonds

Bonds that Canadians could buy to lend money to the government to help finance the war effort.

Income Tax (introduced 1917)

A temporary tax on income to help pay for the war, intended to end after the war but did not.

Inflation

Rising prices caused by wartime shortages and increased demand, making life harder for ordinary Canadians.

Treaty of Versailles (1919)

The peace treaty that officially ended WWI, blaming Germany for the war and imposing reparations.

Woodrow Wilson

U.S. President during WWI who proposed the Fourteen Points and supported the League of Nations.

League of Nations

An international organization formed after WWI to keep peace and prevent future conflicts.

Convoy System

Groups of merchant ships protected by warships to defend against German U-boats in the Atlantic.

War of Attrition

A strategy of wearing down the enemy over time by causing heavy losses.

Trench Warfare

Soldiers fought from deep ditches with horrible conditions, gaining very little ground.

Weapons of WWI

Includes machine guns, artillery, poison gas, and tanks, each contributing to the war's high casualty rates.

Winnipeg General Strike (1919)

One of the largest and most influential strikes in Canadian history. Over 30,000 workers walked off the job in Winnipeg to demand better wages, working conditions, and the right to unionize.

Workers' Demands Post-WWI

After WWI, returning soldiers and workers faced unemployment, inflation, and poor working conditions. They demanded higher wages, shorter workdays, safer workplaces, and recognition of unions.

Chanak Crisis (1922)

Britain wanted Canada to send troops to help fight in Turkey, but Prime Minister Mackenzie King refused without asking Parliament first, showing growing autonomy.

Halibut Treaty (1923)

A fishing treaty between Canada and the U.S. over halibut stocks off the Pacific Coast, signed without Britain, marking increasing independence.

King-Byng Crisis (1926)

King asks Byng to dissolve parliament and call an election, King refused. This challenged the convention that the Governor General should follow the Prime Minister's advice on such matters.

Mackenzie King

Canada's longest-serving Prime Minister, known for gradually gaining more autonomy from Britain and balancing both English and French interests.

Balfour Report (1926)

A report that stated Canada and other dominions were equal in status to Britain, being autonomous communities within the British Empire.

Statute of Westminster (1931)

A British law that gave Canada full legal independence, making Canada a fully self-governing nation except for changing its constitution.

Commonwealth of Nations

A group of former British colonies that chose to stay connected through friendship, trade, and shared values, not control.

Famous Five

A group of Canadian women who fought for women's rights and brought the Persons Case to court.

Persons Case (1929)

The Supreme Court of Canada initially said women were not 'persons' under the law, but the British Privy Council overturned this.

Autonomy

Means self-government or independence; Canada slowly gained more autonomy from Britain in the 1920s.

Stock Market Crash (1929)

Happened on October 29, 1929 ('Black Tuesday') when the New York stock market collapsed, leading to mass unemployment and economic depression.

Pogey

Slang term for government welfare or relief payments, requiring proof of extreme poverty.

Five-Cent Piece Speech

Prime Minister Mackenzie King said in 1930 he wouldn't give 'a five-cent piece' to provinces with Conservative governments requesting aid.

R.B. Bennett

Conservative Prime Minister from 1930 to 1935.

Relief Camps

Set up by Bennett for unemployed single men, these were remote work camps where men did hard labour for 20 cents a day.

New Deal (Bennett's)

In 1935, Bennett promised a set of reforms similar to Roosevelt's U.S. New Deal, including minimum wages, unemployment insurance, and workplace reforms.

Tariffs

Taxes on imported goods. Bennett raised them to protect Canadian businesses, but this made trade worse and didn't help the economy recover.

On-to-Ottawa Trek (1935)

Hundreds of relief camp workers rode freight trains from B.C. to protest in Ottawa for better conditions and wages.

Social Credit Party

Founded in Alberta, led by William 'Bible Bill' Aberhart. Believed the Depression was caused by a lack of money to buy goods and proposed giving people monthly 'social credit' payments to boost the economy.

CCF (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation)

A socialist party founded in 1932 (later became the NDP) that wanted more government control over the economy, public ownership of services, and programs to support workers and the poor.

Union Nationale

A Quebec political party led by Maurice Duplessis that stood for French Canadian nationalism, Catholic values, and opposed communism and English influence.

Nazism

The extreme fascist ideology of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party in Germany, which included anti-Semitism, Aryan racial supremacy, and totalitarian rule.

Appeasement

Giving in to an aggressor to avoid war, as Britain and France did with Hitler in the 1930s.

Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

Germany and the USSR agreed not to attack each other and secretly agreed to divide Poland.

Phoney War (1939-1940)

The period after the declaration of war when no major fighting occurred in Western Europe, ending when Germany invaded Denmark, Norway, and France.

Battle of Britain (1940)

A major air battle between the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the German Luftwaffe, where Britain successfully defended itself.

Battle of Hong Kong (1941)

Canada's first land battle of WWII, where Canadian troops defended the British colony of Hong Kong from Japan.

Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943)

Turning point in the war in the East, where the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany in one of the bloodiest battles in history.

Dieppe Raid (1942)

A failed Allied raid on the French port of Dieppe, heavily defended by the Germans, resulting in over 900 Canadian deaths.

D-Day (June 6, 1944)

The Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France at Normandy, where Canadians stormed Juno Beach.

Liberation of the Netherlands (1944-45)

Canadian soldiers played a major role in freeing the Dutch from Nazi occupation.

United Nations (UN)

Formed in 1945 after WWII to maintain world peace and encourage cooperation between countries.

Security Council

The most powerful branch of the UN. It has 15 members, including 5 permanent members with veto power (USA, UK, France, USSR/Russia, China). It can approve military action or sanctions.

Igor Gouzenko (1945)

A Soviet spy working in Ottawa who defected and revealed the existence of a Soviet spy ring in Canada.

Korean War (1950-1953)

A war between North Korea (communist, backed by China/USSR) and South Korea (democratic, backed by UN/USA). Canada sent thousands of troops as part of the UN peacekeeping force. It ended in a stalemate.

Suez Crisis (1956)

When Egypt took control of the Suez Canal, Britain, France, and Israel invaded. The USSR and USA nearly went to war.

Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

The USSR placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 150 km from the U.S. coast. After a tense standoff, the USSR agreed to remove them.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)

A military alliance formed in 1949 by Western countries (including Canada, USA, UK) to defend each other from Soviet aggression.

NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command)

A Canada-U.S. partnership created in 1957 to protect North America from air attacks, especially Soviet bombers or missiles.

AVRO Arrow

A Canadian fighter jet built in the 1950s to intercept Soviet bombers. It was highly advanced but was suddenly cancelled in 1959 by Diefenbaker's government.

Protest Movements (1960s-70s)

Canadians (especially youth) protested against nuclear weapons, the Vietnam War, environmental damage, and civil rights issues, women rights, LGBTQ rights

Pierre Trudeau

Prime Minister from 1968-1979 and 1980-1984, known for opposing nuclear weapons, promoting peace and neutrality, and creating a strong Canadian identity during Cold War tensions.

Iron Curtain

A term popularized by Winston Churchill to describe the divide between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries.

Indian Act (1876 - present)

A Canadian law created to control and manage the lives of Indigenous Peoples, defining who was legally considered 'Indian' and setting up reserves.

Assimilation

The government policy of trying to erase Indigenous cultures and identities, forcing Indigenous people to adopt European-Canadian ways of life.

Residential Schools (1831-1996)

Government-funded, church-run schools where Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families to be 'educated' in Euro-Canadian culture.

Sixties Scoop

Thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families by social workers and adopted into white families, often losing all connection to their culture and identity.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)

A national crisis in Canada involving thousands of Indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or been murdered, often without proper police investigation.

Quiet Revolution

A period of rapid change in Quebec, especially under Premier Jean Lesage, that took control of education and health care from the Catholic Church.

Jean Lesage

Liberal Premier of Quebec during the Quiet Revolution (1960-1966) who modernized Quebec's society and pushed for more provincial control.