UNIT 2 social 30-1

Direct democracy

Citizens vote directly on laws and policies - more practical with small populations

Popular initiatives

Allow citizens to propose new laws rather than politicians through petitions that require a certain number of signatures and often leads to a referendum in which a question is decided on public vote

Referendum

Direct decisions made by a general vote
- At a federal level Canada has had 3 (1942 conscription, charlottetown accord)

Plebiscite

often Non-binding meaning that their outcomes do not necessarily have to be carried through (governments are only required to consider these results)

Recall

Majority of votes can remove an elected representative from power - usually begins with a petition and if enough signatures are collected then a recall election will be held

Advantages of recall

Politicians can be held to their promises

Disadvantages of recall

politicians must make hard decisions that may be correct but may not be popular 

Representative democracy

Citizens elect governing officials to make decisions on their behalf - governments serve the will of the people and better for larger populations

Conditions for a modern democracy (4 things)

• Fair and periodic elections: Votes are not influenced, Canada has an election every 5 years, competition is fair 

• Free press: No censorship, able to criticize the government  

• Rule of law: everyone is equal before the law 

• Checks on power: Charter rights, individual rights, etc. 

Constitutional Monarchy

Canadian democratic system - Monarch is the head of state, and the head of government is the prime minister: this means that their power is limited by the constitution and elected government
(Dualist executive power, meaning that Canada’s executive power is split between PM and monarch)

Republic

US democratic system - people are sovereign and there is no king or queen - head of state is elected by the people

Which country has a parliamentary government? What is it?

Canada runs by a parliamentary government - this means that the executive branch comes from and is accountable to the legislature
(Citizens vote for MPs in HofC, party wit the most seats forms gov and leader of that party becomes PM)

Responsible government

Largely applies to Canadian government system where the executive and legislative branch are closely linked and are dependent on each other - emphasizes accountability

Which country has a presidential system of government? what is it?

USA has a presidential system meaning that the president is elected separately from legislature and does not depend on the legislation branch to stay in power (executive power is in the hands of one person)

What is a bicameral system? who adopts this system?

A Canadian system of government where the legislature is separated into two chambers where both chambers must debate and approve laws before they are based (House of Commons and the senate)

What is the job of the executive branch

Administers/proposes laws, puts laws into actions

Who forms the executive branch in Canada? What is their role?

1. Monarch (Hereditary): Head of state and is mostly a ceremonial role

2. Governor General: Represents the monarch, must remain neutral, appointed by monarch

3. Prime minister: Head of government, leader of the party with the most seats in HofC, also a member of HofC as an MP

4. Cabinet (Includes all ministers such as health, finance) and chosen from MPs

Who forms the executive branch in the states?

1. President

   1. Elected by the electoral college which is a body of electors from each state

   2. Limit of two terms of 4 years

   3. Lot of power but has system of checks and balances

2. Cabinet

   1. Chosen by the president

   2. Secretary of defence, state, etc

   3. Ministers are chosen from the general population (not those already elected like in Canada)

How does the U.S keep checks and balances?

U.S system is based on a separation of powers and that each branch has “checks” over the other to ensure that the government is too ‘weak’ to override the will of the people

e.g., Presidential veto is when the president can choose not to sign a bill into law but the legislative branch can override a presidential veto with 2/3 majority rule

Cabinet solidarity

Important in the parliamentary system of Canada - Means that cabinet ministers must publicly support cabinet decisions to ensure unity and stability

Party discipline

Members of a political party must vote according to their party’s values in parliament

What is the job of the legislative branch

Creates laws

Who forms the legislature (Parliament) in Canada

House of Commons:

1. Citizens vote for Members of Parliament to the HofC

2. Each MP is elected by representation by population and represents a constituency

3. Several parties are in the HofC with the most seats belonging to the leading party

Senate:

1. Appointed by the PM until the age of 75

2. “sober second thought”

3. Representation by region

4. Represents minorities

What are some criticisms of the Canadian senate?

Useless and does not represent regions equally

Who forms the legislature (Congress) in the US

House of reps:

1. Representation by population

2. elected for 2 years

Senate:

1. Two senators per state

2. Exists to balance unfair representation by population

3. 6 year terms

SEPARATE FROM EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Non-confidence vote

Used in the house of commons to determine whether the government still has majority support (confidence) of members of parliament - If the government loses the vote, then they cannot govern

• Used to keep the executive branch of Canada accountable to the legislative

What is the role of the judiciary branch

Interprets laws

What are the similarities between the Canadian and US judiciary branch

Supreme court both has nine judges (however US judges are quite polarized)

What differences exist between the Canadian and US Judiciary Branch

In Canada, the supreme court is appointed by the governor general where 3 judges must have passed the quebec bar and must retire at 75

In the US, the supreme court is appointed by the president at the approval of the senate and has no retirement age

Why is an independent judiciary branch needed?

It is essential to have an independent judiciary (no government influence) to ensure that the rule of law is protected, prevents the abuse of power, and protects the rights of citizens and individuals. Without an independent jury the government could control court decisions, and the law would no longer serve the general population. 

Bill of rights Vs Canadian Charter of freedoms

Bill of rights (USA) focuses on individuals' rights and have more historical views while the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms contain both individual and collective rights (this includes rights protecting languages or indigenous peoples). 

Notwithstanding clause

A part of the charter that allows government to override certain charter rights – equality rights, freedom rights – for a maximum of 5 years without being struck down by courts. 

Pros and Cons of a majority government

~ when the governing party has more the 50% of the seats in the HofC

• Advantages: More stable, easier to pass laws 

• Disadvantages: Less representation, don’t work with other parties 

Pros and Cons of a minority government

~ When governing party has less than 50% of the seats

• Advantages: More voices are heard, more compromise 

• Disadvantages: Less stable, hard to pass laws and the government cannot always implement their platforms

First-past-the-post

Winner takes all voting system - meaning that the winner of a riding wins the entire riding and other votes are not considered

Constiuencies/ridings

Canada is divided into ridings or constituencies in which each constituency sends a representative to the house of commons: This is why the electoral process is known as a single-member constituency (first past-the-post system) because the person who passes a certain point first wins the entire riding.  

Proportional representation

Percentage of seats a party has in legislature is equal to the votes they received in an election – the country is seen as a single large entity and is not based on ridings but the votes themselves 
- Small parties benefit the most from this system

Pros and Cons of proportional representation

• Pros of Proportional representation: Every vote is accounted for, and smaller parties get a voice in parliament 

• Cons of proportional representation: Tends to lead to unstable minority governments and smaller extreme voices get more play 

Tyranny of the majority

The idea that democracy can be influenced and manipulated by the people who already have power to use for their advantage - Mary Wollstonecraft and Mill warned against this 

What are some examples of Tyranny of the majority?

Gerrymandering, too much party discipline or cabinet solidarity, voter suppression 

Elite theories against democracy

The idea that since certain people are more capable and deserving of power, democracy is not the best choice - Hobbes and Burke would agree with this idea 

What are arguments about the elite theory of democracy

some argue that voter apathy shows how some people are not capable/engaged which supports the elite theories against democracy 

Is it difficult to balance between freedom and security?

Yes, Freedom of speech can also go hand in hand with hate crimes as seen by the neo-nazi movement and propaganda against minorities

How can you protect democracy against tyranny of the majority?

• Encourage new candidates for political parties

• Limit lobbyism

• Actions against gerrymandering

What kind of things can we protect to protect freedom?

• Rights

• Fair justice system

• Freedom of the press

How to contradict apathy

• Compulsory voting

• Proportional representation?

• Electronic voting?

Gerrymandering

When a voting district is manipulated in a way that unfairly helps a political party win more seats in an election

Mandatory voting

A policy that forces all citizens to participate in elections and can be punishable by fees or imprisonment

what are some arguments for and against mandatory voting?

Some argue that mandatory voting creates a more equal votes and minority voices can be heard and promotes citizen engagement

others contend that it infringes on certain personal liberties such as the freedom of expression to not vote + increases uninformed voting 

Lobbyism/lobbyists

Lobbying is when individuals/groups try to influence politicians, government decisions, or laws to support an idea or policy in their interest 

Pros and cons of lobbying

Advantages of lobbying is that is holds the government accountable, allows minority voices to be protected, and that is allows citizens to advocate for their beliefs 

Disadvantages are that it breaks democratic accountability when politicians respond to the demands of more powerful groups (as wealthy, bigger corporations have more access to them) than the citizens who voted for them 

Suppression of media

Media suppression is when the government restricts or controls media to prevent certain views from being shared 

Pros/Cons of the senate:  

Pros of the senate – Provides a sober second thought, regional representation, minority representation, and ensures bills are carefully considered before becoming a law. 

Cons of the senate – They are undemocratic because they are appointed and not elected, some question how useful they are, bills take longer to become laws, and they may be influenced by party influences/connections 

Pros/ Cons of the constitutional monarchy: 

Pros: It can provide stability, represent national unity as it signifies culture and tradition, limited political power, and can keep checks on the government  

Cons: Undemocratic because the monarch gets their position through birth not election, limited accountability 

Consensus government:

Is a democracy-based system in which there are no political parties and important decisions are made as a community where majority vote wins 

Two topics that are an example of democracies taking illiberal actions for the common good

Protection of language and culture + Security

Protection of Language and culture: Bill 101 what was it?

Quebec used democratic power to limit certain individual rights for the common good which was to them, protecting the French language and culture  

How did Bill 101 take away peoples rights?

by reducing certain freedoms of speech and expression (Signs were only written in French and limited access to English schooling

why was bill 101 seen as an illiberal action?

When the court challenged Bill 101, Quebec implemented the notwithstanding clause which made this Bill more illiberal because it allowed the government to keep parts of the bill despite concerns with it 

What was bill 21? What rights did it take away?

bans individuals who are deemed in positions of authority in public sectors from wearing any religious symbols

This is an example of limiting freedom of expression for the “greater good,” which in this case was to protect secularism of the state 

War measures act

gave government the power to limit the rights and freedoms of Canadians, censor the media, restrict movement and detain people without any reason during times of disaster, crisis, or war 

What are two times that the war measures act was used?

1. Used in World War II against Japanese Canadians to put into internment camps 

2. Used by Pierre Trudeau during the October crisis in 1970 when he was facing threats and violence from the FLQ who was advocating for Quebec sovereignty 

What is the Emergencies Act?

(created to replace the war measures act) and discusses the extension of executive power in times of crisis 

What makes the emergencies act different from the war measures act? When was this act used?

Has more limits as it must consider the rights of Canadians and is subject to the approval of parliament and a committee that decides whether its use was justified after the event 

It was used during the trucker convoy and gave the police more power to arrest certain individuals 

What rights did the Anti-terrorism act in Canada violate? Why?

Violates the right to be found innocent until proven guilty, right a lawyer, etc as it permits arrests for suspicion of terrorism 

Patriot Act 2001 in the USA: Used in response to 9/11  

Intended to protect Americans from terrorism however threatens individual freedoms 

What are the pros and cons of the patriot act?

Advantages of the Patriot Act: prevents future attacks as it prevented acts of terrorism, gov. Cooperation increased, and it caught drug dealers 

Disadvantages: Unconstitutional (Violation of the first amendment, violation of 215 protection against unwarranted searches), made it easier for the FBI to search citizens, infringes of the bill of rights 

What were some events following the patriot act?

4. Guantanamo Bay in Cuba is an example of extension of executive powers going too far – soldiers treated prisoners suspected of terrorism inhumanely 

5. Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq where soldiers treated prisoners without their rights

What is fascism and how does it go against liberalism?

Fascism is a radical political ideology that values the nation/state over the individual. It usually involves a dictator, ultranationalism, and believes in nationalism unity, one strong leader, and less individual freedom for the state. 

What is the characteristic of a dictatorship that uses government controlled media/censorship to promote policies/ideologies

propaganda

What is the characteristic of a dictatorship that is geared toward the youth to “brainwash” them to align with the views of the party, and taught to believe that the party is the only correct way 

Indoctrination

What is the significance of a scapegoat?

The creation of a common enemy that allows the government to blame their country’s issues and escape responsibility. The creation of this enemy also unites people under fear and oppression 

Controlled participation

Citizens are pushed and encouraged to participate in organized functions as it promotes a sense of belonging and brotherhood 

What are some tactics used to enforce terror and force?

• Secret police

• Torture

• Fear

• Murder

• Imprisonment

What were the conditions of Germany that helped Hitler get into power?

• Germans felt that they were being unfairly punished following the Treaty of Versailles

• Following the great depression, Germany faced unemployment

• driven into a deep economic crisis (hyperinflation)

• political instability (The creation of the Weimar Republic, which made Germans feel like democracy was imposed on them), which caused people to lose trust in the government

Who were the scapegoats of Nazi Germany?

Jews/communists

Reichstag Fire

The burning of Germany’s parliament building which Hitler blamed on the communists to invoke fear (through propaganda) of a possible communist revolution

What event gave Hitler the opportunity to ask for executive power

Reichstag Fire

What was the nature of elections following the fire?

Hitler used the fire to his advantage to call for another election. This time he won 44% of the seats through means of manipulation ,as many of his opponents were sent to prison, concentration camps, or persecuted

Did Hitler rise to power in a democratic manner?

yes and no - He was voted into office however he manipulated the elections and eliminated his competition

Enabling Act

Gave Hitler full executive powers under emergency circumstances and gave him full control of the constitution.

What was the problem with the Enabling act?

There was no mechanism in place to return the power to the Reichstag after the “crisis,” and allowed Hitler to persecute anyone he wanted

Who were the SA and what did hitler do to them?

A group of street fighters that helped Hitler rise to power by threatening and attacking his opponents; however, they had started to become too popular and was considered a threat to Hitler’s new army, so Hitler eliminated the heads of the SA to strengthen his position (Night of Long Knives) 

Nuremburg Laws

A set of laws created with the intent of defining who the Jewish were and to ensure the preservation of the Aryan race.  

What kinds of things did the Nuremburg laws state?

No Jews were allowed to reproduce, marry, and were stripped of all their political rights 

What were Stalin’s 5-year plans?

• objectives set by the state to industrialize the USSR and make them capable of defense.  

• Focused on heavy industry and strived to eliminate capitalism and solidify complete government control

Planned economy

Government makes all economic decisions 

Collectivization

Forcing peasant farmers to give up their land to work on state-controlled farms instead 

Who was affected by collectivization?

Kulaks

Who were the Kulaks?

Wealthy peasant farmers, refused to give up their private property and some killed their own cows.

What is the name of the war camps Kulaks were sent to?

Gulags

What was the result of the loss of peasants?

Livestock decreased and led to famine

Holodomor

A man-made genocide famine which killed millions of Ukrainians

Why is Holodomor considered man made?

• Forced collectivization

• Setting unrealistic quotas and punishing towns who couldn’t meet them

• Took food and blocked Ukrainians in from finding food

Mao - The great Leap forward

Mao’s attempt to drive China’s agriculture and industry forward and was to be led by peasants and workers and emphasized ideological purity over the bourgeois 

Why did the great leap fail? What were the results?

peasants and workers did not have the knowledge for this agricultural reform and resulted in one of the greatest famines in history

How did the great leap forward make way for the cultural revolution?

The great leap forward caused division within the communist party and Mao’s leadership was questioned

Cultural revolution

Mao’s attempt to purify China of all capitalistic tendencies

Who did the cultural revolution target?

Targeted intellectuals, artists, and business leaders

Dissent

Expressing disagreement with the government