Democracy + Neo Conservatism + Illiberalism

accountability

an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions.

apathy

lack of feeling or emotion

authoritarianism

a form of government with authority vested in an elite group that may or may not rule in the interests of the people. Authoritarian political systems take many forms, including oligarchies, military dictatorships, ideological one-party states, and monarchies.

bloc quebecois

a federal political party based in Canada that mainly believes and advocates Quebec can secede from Canada, also known as Quebec sovereignty. was created by Members of Parliament (MPs) from the national Progressive Conservative Party and the Liberal Party.

consensus decision making

a process whereby a group of individuals share ideas, solutions, and concerns to find a resolution to a problem that all members of the group can accept

conservative party of canada

• core objectives are to protect the lives and property of ordinary citizens, promote democratic accountability and reform the senate to make it a fully elected chamber.

• party generally supports conservative social and economic policies, a strong federal system of government, and the use of Canada’s armed forces in international peacekeeping missions.

democracy

a form of government in which power is ultimately vested in the people

democrat

an advocate or supporter of democracy.

direct democracy

a form of government in which the people participate in deciding issues directly. A direct democracy operates on the belief that every citizen’s voice is important and necessary for the orderly and efficient operation of society.

ethics

• moral principles that govern a person's behavior or the conducting of an activity

• the branch of knowledge that deals with moral principles.

cabinet

the body of ministerial advisors that sets the federal government's policies and priorities for the country.

capitalism

an economic system based on free markets, fair competition, wise consumers, and profit-motivated producers; a minimum of government involvement is favoured

congress

bicameral legislature divided into two equal institutions: the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each state sends elected representatives and senators

constituency

a body of voters in a specified area who elect a representative to a legislative body.

electoral district

• aka riding

• geographical areas represented by a member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons.

• 338 total

federalism

refers to the division and sharing of power between the national and state governments.

federal riding

The Constitution Act, 1867, which created the electoral map for Ontario for the first federal and provincial general elections, used the term "ridings" to describe districts which were sub-divisions of counties.

• aka electoral district

first past the post

• electoral system

• the candidate who receives the most votes in an electoral district, even if they did not receive more than half the votes is considered the winner.

GOP

• aka republican party/grand old party

• one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States

• believe in liberty, economic prosperity, preserving American values and traditions, and restoring the American dream for every citizen of this great nation

green party of canada

• political party in canada

founded on six principles, including ecological wisdom, non-violence, social justice, sustainability, participatory democracy, and respect for diversity.

house of commons

• democratically elected body whose members are known as members of Parliament (MPs)

• roles include

  • forming gov: after federal election, prime minister chooses cabinet minsters to lead diff gov departments + policy areas

  • passing bills

  • gov accountability: provide alternate perspectives, debate, question gov

  • budgets + taxes: decide how taxpayer money redistributed

  • representing canadians: each MP represents a constituency

house of representatives

• lower chamber of the US Congress

• pass legislation (bills), initiate revenue bills, impeach federal officers, elect president if no candiate receieves a majority vote

• represent congressional districts allocated to each state

• similar to house of commons

liberal party of canada

platform includes

• finishing fight against covid

• building better canada (providing homes + supporting seniors)

• resilient economy (creating jobs, innovation, art, supporting workers/business, fairer financial system)

• supporting minorities + growing diversity

• environmentally friendly + protecting nature

• reconciliation with indigenous peoples

lobby group

a group of people who band together and try to influence people in public office and politicians

majority government

when the governing party holds the majority of seats

mandatory voting

• aka compulsory voting

• considers participating in elections a right of citizenship

member of the legislative assembly

• aka MLA

• members of the elected provincial and territorial legislatures

member of parliament

• aka MP

• elected political in house of commons

minority government

• governing party that holds the minority of seats

• needs to cooperate with opposition parties to pass legislation

mixed member proportional system

• MMP

• voters elect local MPs as they do now, plus a team of regional ones to make the overall results proportional in each region.

• each person gets two votes: one elects a local MP, other elects regional MP from their region

• used in New Zealand, Germany, Scottish + Welsh assemblies

• recommended to be used in Canada in 2004

new democratic party

broadened to include concerns of the New Left, and advocates issues such as LGBT rights, international peace, and environmental stewardship. also supports a mixed economy and broader welfare, and has a left-wing, democratic socialist faction.

parliament

a legislative body of government. Generally has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries.

parliamentary system

democratic form of government in which the party (or a coalition of parties) with the greatest representation in the parliament (legislature) forms the government, its leader becoming prime minister or chancellor.

party discipline

• aka party solidarity

• purpose is to get parliamentary members to maintain the party line and vote in support of policies agreed to by a majority of the parliamentary members (or of the party leadership).

party solidarity

• aka party discipline

• purpose is to get parliamentary members to maintain the party line and vote in support of policies agreed to by a majority of the parliamentary members (or of the party leadership).

plebiscite

the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public question such as a change in the constitution.

proportional representation

a system of government where citizens vote directly for a party, and then representatives are assigned based on the amount of popular support obtained. This results in a fairly accurate representation within the legislature of the will of the people.

recall

voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum

referendum

a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue

representative democracy

a form of government in which a small group of politicians are elected by a larger group of citizens. The people participate in deciding issues through elected officials who represent them and make laws in their interests.

republican

a person advocating or supporting republican government.

republican system

a form of government where governing authority is vested in the hands of the representatives of the citizens and not a ruling monarch. Generally, a president is the head of state and the head of government.

responsible government

in the Canadian system, a form of representative democracy in which the branch of government that proposes laws, the executive branch of government (the prime minister and the cabinet ministers), is dependent on the direct or indirect support of elected members of the legislative branch (a majority of MPs in the House of Commons)

riding

• electoral district/constituency

senate

canada

• appointed by prime minister

• upper house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the House of Commons, they compose the bicameral legislature of Canada.

USA

• elected

• smaller upper assembly in the US Congress

senator

• member of the senate

single member constituency

an electoral process whereby each constituency sends a single representative to the legislature; if there are more than two candidates competing in a constituency, the winner of the election may be supported by fewer than half the voters; also known as the “first past the post” system

voter turnout

participation rate in an election

thomas jefferson

• spokesman for democracy

• american founding father

• principal author for declaration of independence

• third pres of USA

2006 federal election

• 64.7% of voters voted

• stephen harper conservative gov came into power

2008 federal election

• conservative party won minority gov

• 59% of voters voted

capitalism

an economic system based on free markets, fair competition, wise consumers, and profit-motivated producers; a minimum of government involvement is favoured

christian right

• aka religious right

• Christian political factions characterized by their strong support of socially conservative and traditionalist policies

• Christian conservatives seek to influence politics and public policy with their interpretation of the teachings of Christianity.

demand side economics

• holds that demand for goods and services drives economic growth

deregulation

process of removing or reducing state regulations, typically in the economic sphere.

monetarism

the theory or practice of controlling the supply of money as the chief method of stabilizing the economy.

project for the new american century

• PNAC

• neoconservative think tank based in Washington, D.C., that focused on United States foreign policy. It was established as a non-profit educational organization in 1997, and founded by William Kristol and Robert Kagan.

• goal was "to promote American global leadership".

reaganomics

the economic policies of the Ronald Reagan US presidency, which advocated less government intervention in the economy and pro-industry, anti-labour, anti-regulation, anti-environmental regulations policies

shrinkflation

reduction in the size of a product in response to rising production costs or market competition. Rather than increase the price of a product, the company simply offers a smaller package for the same sticker price.

stagflation

simultaneous appearance in an economy of slow growth, high unemployment, and rising prices

supply side economics

• states that the production of goods and services is the main force driving economic growth

• aka reaganomics

trickle down theory

states that tax breaks and benefits for corporations and the wealthy will trickle down to everyone else. Trickle-down economics involves less regulation and tax cuts for those in high-income tax brackets as well as corporations

george bush

• held town hall style public meetups across US

  • to increase public support for his plan for $1.35 trillion tax cut program

  • argued that unspent gov funds should be returned to taxpayers → “surplus is not the government’s money. the surplus is the people’s money”

• weakened regulatory measures in banking sector

  • created subprime mortgage crisis bc borrowers w/ poor credit histories became eligible for loans for homes without down payments

  • speculatie bubble popped in 2008 → needed huge gov bailouts

• 9/11 occured during presidency → invaded Afghanistan + Iraq

  • bought the Patriot Act to enhance law enforcement + investigtory tools to aid War on Terrorism

  • no-fly list created to stop suspected terrorists from travelling in/out the US

• right on poli spectrum: neo conservative

milton friedman

• originally keynesian, supporter of new deal + advocate for gov intervention in economy

• 1950s: reinterpretation of Keynesian consumption function challenged Keynesian model

  • became advocate opposing keynesian gov policies

• 1960s: most economists rejected Friedman’s views

  • since then: increasing international influence (US + UK)

  • laissez-faire ideas about monetary policy, taxation, privatization, and deregulation were adopted by govs in 1980s

• economic advisor to Ronald Reagan

  • many govs used his concepts involving virtues of free market + little gov intervention

stephen harper

• first leader of the new Conservative Party of Canada

• introduced legislation to eliminate corporate + union donations to political parties

• GST (introduced by former progressive cons. gov Brian Mulroney) reduced from 7% → 5%

  • Federal Corporate Tax Rate reduced from 16.5% → 15%

• criticized Kyoto Accord

  • said economy would be crippled if Canada forced to meet Accord’s restrictive targets

  • opted to allow corporations to set voluntary targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions

• right on poli spectrum: neo conservative

friedrich hayek

• criticized socialism, contrasted it with free market

• opposed theories of John Maynard Keyens + argued gov intervention in free market is destructive of individual values

  • argued gov could not prevent inflation, unemployment, or recession

• book: The Road to Serfdom

  • warned danger of tyranny resulting from gov control of economic decision making through central planning

• awarded Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics (1974)

• influenced Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Brian Mulroney

• right on political spectrum (neo-conservative)

ralph klein

• Canadian politician and journalist who served as the 12th premier of Alberta and leader of the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta from 1992 until his retirement in 2006

• brought 1988 winter olympic games to calgary

• legacy is inextricably linked to his government's role in encouraging the province's energy industry – particularly his role in presiding over the province as development in northern Alberta's oil sands flourished

ronald reagan

• shifted from liberal → conservative after involveent in film industry, where disputes over communism occured

• implemented new political + economic initiatives

  • Reaganomics: supply side economic policies

    • reduced tax rates to spur economic growth, control money supply to reduce inflation, deregulate economy, reduce gov spending

• summer 1981: fired 11345 air traffic controllers (who were on strike) who ignored his order to return to work

  • demonstrated resolve of president to take control of bureaucracy

  • message to private sector that unions don’t need to be feared

• foreign policy: “peace through strength”

  • increased defence spending by 35%

  • fueled arms race with soviet union

• right on poli spectrum: neo conservative

margaret thatcher

• as minister of education: gained national attention when she cancelled program providing free milk to primary school children (Thatcher the Milk Snatcher)

• Monetarism: adopted economic theory during first term in office

  • stripped away gov regulation on business + subsidies

  • inefficient businesses failed → rise of unemployment + inflation doubled

  • countered with rise in taxes + change in money supply

• aspects of Thatcherism

  • organized Britain around striking coal miners + forced them back to work with no concessions

  • sold counicil houses to tenants

  • reduced social service expenses

  • limits on print money

  • dislike of growing European federalism

  • reduced taxes

• close relationship with Reagan

  • strong anti-communism + portrayed USSR as evil

• right on poli spectrum: neo conservative

american civil liberties union

• ACLU

• organization founded in 1920, with the mission of defending and preserving the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in the U.S. Constitution.

anti terrorism act 2001

a set of laws passed in December 2001, in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks. It gave the Canadian government special powers, such as surveillance and detention, for dealing with people carrying out activities thought to be associated with terrorism. Some of the act’s measures, such as that of preventative arrest, expired in March 2007.

carbon tax

the government sets a price that emitters must pay for each ton of greenhouse gas emissions they emit

consumerism

consumer spending; a preoccupation with consumer goods and their acquisition; a set of values focused on the acquisition and display of things in order to denote status

criminal code of canada

a federal law that includes definitions of most of the criminal offences that the Parliament of Canada has enacted. It is often updated as society evolves and to improve the Canadian criminal process.

emergencies act

became law in 1988, is a federal law that can be used in response to an urgent, temporary and critical emergency that seriously endangers the health and safety of Canadians and that cannot be dealt with effectively by any other federal, provincial or territorial law

enemy aliens

non-citizens who come from an enemy country

environmentalism

a political and ethical ideology that focuses on protecting the natural environment and lessening the harmful effects that human activities have on the ecosystem

extremism

a term used by others to describe the beliefs and actions of those perceived to be outside of the accepted norms of political or social behaviour. Extremism may be a response adopted by those for whom ordinary political means of redressing perceived wrongs are deemed ineffective.

FLQ

• front de liberation du quebec

• militant Quebec separatist group which aimed to establish an independent and socialist Quebec through violent means. It was considered a terrorist group by the Canadian government.

kent state massacre

the killing of four and wounding of nine unarmed college students by the Ohio National Guard on the Kent State University campus.

kyoto protocol

an agreement reached at an international convention at which world leaders met to discuss climate change and create a plan for reducing greenhouse gases

military junta

military government that has taken power by force, and not through elections.

military dictatorship

a form of government in which political power resides with the military leadership. Some countries in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East have presented many examples of military dictatorships.

9/11

series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001 by 19 militants associated with the Islamic extremist group al-Qaeda against targets in the United States, the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil in U.S. history.

no fly list

small subset of the U.S. government Terrorist Screening Database (also known as the terrorist watchlist) that contains the identity information of known or suspected terrorists

one party state

a form of government where only one party forms the government and no other parties are permitted to run candidates for election

parti quebecois

• PQ

• federal political party based in Canada that mainly believes and advocates Quebec can secede from Canada, also known as Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was created by Members of Parliament (MPs) from the national Progressive Conservative Party and the Liberal Party.

patriot act

U.S. law granting law enforcement more powers to prevent terrorist attacks

post modernism

a movement of thought, art, and criticism that raises questions about the faith that moderns have in reason and in progress, and tries to get people to rethink their assumptions about the meaning of modern life

quebec nationalism

feeling and a political doctrine that prioritizes cultural belonging to, the defence of the interests of, and the recognition of the political legitimacy of the Québécois nation.

quebec referendum

ask voters in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should proclaim sovereignty and become an independent country

quiet revolution

a time of rapid social, economic, and political modernization in Québec; a revolution without violence, force, or direct conflict, aimed at enhancing opportunities for Francophone Québécois within Québec society

terrorism

the policy of various ideological groups to disrupt the affairs of an enemy state or culture by the use of violent acts against non-combatants, in order to create debilitating terror and confusion

war measures act

a Canadian law that gave the federal cabinet emergency powers for circumstances where it determines that the threat of war, invasion, or insurrection, real or apprehended, exists. It was replaced by the Emergencies Act (1988).

watergate scandal

illicit activities conducted by Nixon's aides, including the bugging of political opponents' offices, unauthorized investigations, and the misuse of government agencies for political purposes.

salvador allende

• Chilean socialist politician who served as the 28th president of Chile from 1970 until his death in 1973.

  • first socialist president

  • temporarily expelled from the Socialist Party for accepting the support of the outlawed Communists

• U.S. government believed that Allende would become closer to socialist countries such as Cuba and the Soviet Union. They feared that Allende would push Chile into socialism, resulting in the loss of all the U.S. investments made in Chile.

abdullah almalki

Canadian engineer who was imprisoned and tortured for two years in a Syrian jail after Canadian officials falsely indicated to the Syrian authorities and other countries that he was a terrorist threat.

maher arar

engeineer who was sent by the United States to Syria as an accused terrorist, based on faulty information supplied to US agents by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Arar was tortured in Syria before being released and returned to Canada.

japanese internment

Following the Pearl Harbor attack, however, a wave of antiJapanese suspicion and fear led the Roosevelt administration to adopt a drastic policy toward these residents, alien and citizen alike. Virtually all Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes and property and live in camps for most of the war.

rene levesque

• led the PQ to victory in the 1981 election, increasing the party's majority in the National Assembly