Social Studies 30-1 Unit 3

assimilation

forcing a minority group to conform with the majority group

Indian Act

Canadian government governed Aboriginal reserves and their rights & beliefs

residential school system

Aboriginal children were removed from their communities, and forced to live in church-run schools

enfranchisement

granting people the rights of citizens, especially the right to vote

the White Paper

in 1969, Trudeau proposed to abolish First Nations treaties and the Department of Indian Affairs

the Red Paper

National Indian Brotherhood's "Citizens Plus" - a document outlining their objections to the White Paper

"war on terror"

ideological conflict headed by US after 9/11 attacks, debate about whether terrorism can be defeated through military means

consensus decision-making

groups share ideas, solutions, and concerns to resolve a problem in a way every member can accept

military dictatorship

political power vested in the military

oligarchy

political power vested in small elite segment of society

one-party state

only one party forms the government, no other parties are allowed to run

democracy

form of government where power lies in the people

direct democracy

citizens participate in deciding issues directly

representative democracy

small group of politicians elected by a larger group of citizens

party solidarity

requirement that all party members vote with their party

representation by population

seats allocated in House of Commons vary with population; higher population = more seats

proportional representation

citizens vote directly for party, representatives are assigned based on amount of popular support obtained

responsible government

executive branch is dependent on support of elected members of legislative branch

single-member constituency

first past the post: each constituency sends a single representative to the legislature; if there are multiple candidates, winner may be supported by less than half the voters (just need to earn a certain amount before everyone else)

House of Commons

elected body where members of parliament (MPs) discuss proposed bills

House of Representative

elected body to pass federal legislation

Senate

Canada: upper chamber in parliament, discusses bills from lower chamber, members are appointed; USA: passes laws from House of Representatives

mixed-member proportional system

voters vote for single party member district, and one for the political parties in general

lobby groups

interest groups who advocate for certain or specific issues to influence politics

American Bill of Rights

first ten amendments to the US Constitution, based on John Locke's natural individual rights

Anti-Terrorism Act

set of laws passed in response to 9/11 attacks; gave Canadian government special powers, such as surveillance and detention of people under suspicion of terrorist activities

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

list of guaranteed, fundamental rights and freedoms, entrenched in Constitutional Act in 1982 (Canada)

emergency and security legislation

permits government to invoke special measures to deal with emergencies

illiberal

goes against values of liberalism, which upholds individual dignity & freedom

language legislation

laws regarding the official language of a state

Bill 101

law in Quebec defining French as the official language of the province (1977)

Bill 178

amendment to Bill 101, maintaining that French is the official language on outdoor public signs, with exceptions in indoor spaces & non-French media (1988)

Bill 86

allowed use of English signs in Quebec, so long as French was predominant (1993)

Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms

introduced by Robert Bourassa, it defines human rights for people of Quebec (Francophones)

respect for law and order

responsibility of citizens in a liberal democratic society, where people enjoy a high degree of rights & freedoms

terrorism

violent disruptions in an enemy state, to cause terror and confusion

rendition

practice of sending a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect covertly to be interrogated in a country with less regulations on humane treatment of prisoners

War Measures Act

now discontinued Canadian policy during war, invasion, or insurrection; allows for government to pass laws quickly and give law enforcement extraordinary powers

enemy aliens

non-citizens who come from an enemy country

internment

confining people of specific national or minority groups

Emergencies Act

replaced War Measures Act in 1988, designed to protect Canadians' fundamental rights & freedoms even in a time of crisis

USA PATRIOT Act

United Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001: in response to 9/11, Bush administration passed this to find the terrorists involved in the attacks

environmental change

changes in the natural world

drought

severe lack of precipitation, often affecting crops

consumerism

society's preoccupation with the acquisition of consumer goods; or: protection or promoting consumer interest

extremism

describing beliefs and actions outside the expected norms of political or social behavior

pandemics

outbreak of disease on a global scale

postmodernism

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

global warming

increase in the average temperature of the earth's atmosphere

Kyoto Protocol

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

World Health Organization (WHO)

the directing and coordinating authority for health in the UN system