CHV2O Grade 10 Civics - Final Exam Review

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering foundations of democracy, media literacy, Canadian governmental structures, Charter rights, electoral systems, and Indigenous governance for Grade 10 Civics (CHV2O).

Civics

The study of the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizenship in a democratic society.

Citizen

A legally recognized member of a state or nation, by birth or naturalization, entitled to rights and protection.

Citizenship

The dynamic condition of holding rights and actively fulfilling civic responsibilities within a community.

Politics

The process used to negotiate, make decisions, and manage resources.

Government

The formal institutions and elected officials given authority to administer laws, specifically referring to the Prime Minister and Cabinet drawn from the political party holding the most seats in the House of Commons.

Autocracy / Dictatorship

A governance system where one person or a small group holds absolute power without public input.

Oligarchy

A governance system where power is held by a small, privileged elite group.

Direct Democracy

A system where citizens personally vote on laws and decisions directly (e.g., ancient Athens, town hall referendums).

Representative / Indirect Democracy

A system where citizens elect representatives to debate and pass laws on their behalf (e.g., Canada).

Rule of Law

A pillar of democracy stating that everyone—including government leaders—is equal under known, predictable, and impartial laws.

The Common Good

A pillar of democracy centered on working collectively for choices that generate the greatest safety, well-being, and benefit for all.

Majority Rule

A pillar of democracy where democratic decision-making follows the option receiving the highest number of votes.

Minority Rights

A pillar of democracy ensuring that the fundamental rights of numerical minorities must never be crushed or suppressed by the majority.

The Shield (Social Contract Theory)

What the citizen receives from the state, including protection of human rights, personal safety, legal justice, and freedom of expression.

The Engine (Social Contract Theory)

What the citizen gives to the state, including duties to obey laws, pay taxes, serve on juries, and actively participate in civic life.

Misinformation

False or misleading information created or shared without intent to cause harm (e.g., sharing an unverified rumor believing it is true).

Disinformation

False or manipulated content deliberately created and spread with malicious intent to deceive, manipulate, or cause harm.

Lateral Reading Fact-Checking Strategy

Rather than staying on an unfamiliar website ('vertical reading'), opening new browser tabs to check what independent, reputable news outlets and fact-checkers say about the source.

The SIFT Method

A media literacy framework consisting of: Stop; Investigate the source; Find trusted coverage; Trace claims back to original primary evidence.

Federal State

A system where power is divided between a central national government and 10 provincial governments.

Constitutional Monarchy

A governance structure in which the Sovereign (King Charles III, represented by the Governor General) acts as Head of State under constitutional rules.

Westminster Parliamentary System

A system of government where executive power is drawn directly from elected members sitting in the Legislature.

Executive Branch

The branch of government that carries out laws, consisting of the Sovereign / Governor General, Prime Minister, and Cabinet Ministers.

Legislative Branch

The branch of government that makes laws, consisting of the House of Commons (343 elected MPs), the Senate (105 appointed Senators), and the Crown.

Judicial Branch

The branch of government that interprets laws through independent courts led by the Supreme Court of Canada performing judicial review.

Federal Jurisdiction (Sec. 91)

Matters assigned to the national government under the Constitution Act, 1867, including national defense, criminal law, currency & banking, borders, postal service, and immigration.

Provincial Jurisdiction (Sec. 92)

Matters assigned to provincial governments under the Constitution Act, 1867, including healthcare administration, education, highways, natural resources, and civil law.

Municipal Jurisdiction

Powers delegated under Provincial Acts to handle local bylaws, public transit (e.g., OC Transpo), garbage collection, local parks, snow clearing, and emergency services.

Concurrent Powers

Jurisdiction shared between federal and provincial levels, such as taxation, agriculture, and the environment.

Parliament

The entire legislative body in Canada, consisting of all elected MPs from all parties plus appointed Senators.

Section 1 of the Charter (Reasonable Limits Clause)

Guarantees rights subject to reasonable limits prescribed by law that are demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society, evaluated using the Oakes Test.

Section 2 of the Charter (Fundamental Freedoms)

Protects fundamental freedoms: 2(a) Religion/Conscience, 2(b) Expression/Press, 2(c) Peaceful Assembly, and 2(d) Association.

Section 7 of the Charter (Legal Rights)

Guarantees the right to life, liberty, and security of the person.

Section 15(1) of the Charter (Equality Rights)

Guarantees equal protection and benefit of the law without discrimination based on race, sex, age, disability, etc.

Section 24(1) of the Charter (Enforcement)

Allows courts to grant remedies when constitutional rights are violated.

Section 33 of the Charter (Notwithstanding Clause)

Allows Parliament or provincial legislatures to temporarily override Section 2 or Sections 7–15 rights for a 5-year renewable period.

First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) Voting

Canada's electoral rule where the candidate with the highest vote count (plurality) in a single riding wins 100% of the seat, which can produce 'manufactured majorities' where a party wins over 50% of seats with under 40% of the popular vote.

Proportional Representation (PR)

An alternative voting system where seat percentages awarded in parliament match popular vote percentages.

Secret Ballot Principle

Anonymous voting that protects citizens from coercion, bribery, or political pressure.

5-Step Civic Inquiry Process

A method of civic investigation: 1. Inquire (Formulate focused questions); 2. Gather (Collect reliable evidence); 3. Analyze (Evaluate perspectives); 4. Act (Execute targeted civic advocacy); 5. Reflect (Assess outcomes).

Pre-Contact Inherent Sovereignty

Traditional Indigenous self-governance systems existing prior to colonial contact, such as the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace, Clan Mothers, and consensus governance.

Indian Act (1876)

Colonial legislation imposing band councils, restricting movement and culture, and attempting forced assimilation.

Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982

Formally recognizes and affirms existing inherent Aboriginal and treaty rights of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

R v Sparrow (1990)

A landmark Supreme Court case that established the Sparrow Test for justifiable Crown infringement of Aboriginal rights.

Delgamuukw v BC (1997)

A landmark Supreme Court decision defining Aboriginal Title as an ancestral right to land established through oral history.

R v Van der Peet (1996)

A landmark Supreme Court decision that established the Van der Peet Test (practices integral to pre-contact distinctive culture).

R v Powley (2003)

A landmark Supreme Court decision that defined Métis constitutional rights under Section 35.

Crown Duty to Consult & UNDRIP

A mandatory legal obligation on the government to consult and accommodate Indigenous nations prior to decisions impacting their territories.