Grade 9 Civics Exam Review

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, government levels, legislative procedures, elections, and legal terms from the Grade 9 Civics Exam Review.

Constitutional monarchy

A system where a king or queen is head of state, but their powers are limited by laws and a constitution, and elected officials run the government.

Authoritarian

A system where one leader or a small group has most of the power and people have limited freedoms.

Democratic

A system where citizens can choose their leaders and have a say in government.

Government

The group that makes decisions, creates laws, and runs a country, province, or city.

Constitution

The basic rules that explain how a country is governed and protect people's rights.

Dictatorship

A type of government where one person has almost all the power and controls the government, usually without fair elections.

Oligarchy

A type of government where a small group of powerful people controls the government.

Monarchy

A system of government where a king or queen is head of state, and the position is usually passed down through a family.

Federal level of government

The national level of government in Canada, led by the Prime Minister, responsible for national defence, immigration, criminal law, and money.

Provincial level of government

The level of government in Ontario led by the Premier, responsible for education, hospitals and health care, and provincial highways.

Municipal level of government

The city or town level of government led by the Mayor, responsible for local roads, garbage collection, public transit, parks, and local services.

MP

An elected Member of Parliament who represents a riding in the federal House of Commons.

MPP

An elected Member of Provincial Parliament who represents a riding in Ontario's legislature.

House of Commons

The elected part of Parliament where MPs debate and vote on proposed laws, consisting of 343 seats following the 2025 federal election.

Senator

An unelected official appointed to the Senate by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Governor General

An official formally appointed by the King upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister to give formal approval to bills and act as the representative.

First reading

The initial stage in the legislative process where a bill is introduced.

Second reading

The legislative stage where members debate the main idea of a bill and vote on it.

Committee stage

The legislative stage where a bill is studied closely and changes may be suggested.

Report stage

The legislative stage where members review the committee's work and consider changes to the bill.

Third reading

The legislative stage where members debate and vote on the final version of the bill.

Royal Assent

The formal approval given to a bill by the Governor General, allowing it to become law.

Majority government

A government formed when the governing party has more than half the seats, allowing it to usually be more stable and pass laws more easily.

Minority government

A government formed when the governing party has less than half the seats and needs support from other parties to govern and pass laws.

Political party

A group of people who share similar ideas about how the country should be run.

Political spectrum

A way to show political beliefs on a scale ranging from left-wing to right-wing.

Left-wing

A political stance that generally focuses more on equality, public services, and government programs.

Right-wing

A political stance that generally focuses more on lower taxes, private businesses, and individual responsibility.

Party platform

A list of a political party's promises, goals, and plans if it is elected.

First Past the Post

An electoral system where the candidate with the most votes in a riding wins, even without securing more than 50% of the votes.

Actus reus

The guilty action or behaviour that forms part of a criminal offence.

Mens rea

The required guilty mind, intention, or mental state for a criminal offence.

Criminal defences

Legal arguments used to challenge criminal responsibility, such as legally justified self-defence, mental disorder under the law, and certain forms of duress.

Youth Criminal Justice Act

Legislation that applies to people aged 12–17 accused of crimes, emphasizing accountability, rehabilitation, reintegration, and privacy protections.