Civics Exam Master Review

All Notes + Exam Review

Community

A collection of people with a shared identity and a sense of responsibility to one another, based on values, history, language, religion, etc.

Identity

How you see yourself within the various communities you belong to

Citizenship

The legal status of being a member of a particular country

Citizenship (Political Meaning)

Membership in a political community

How to Become a Canadian Citizen

By being born in Canada or successfully applying for citizenship

Is Citizenship Guaranteed?

No, citizenship is not necessarily guaranteed

Revoking Canadian Citizenship

The Minister of Immigration can revoke citizenship if obtained by fraud, false representation, or concealment of information

Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi Case (2024)

Father (citizen) and son (non-citizen) charged with terrorism-related offences

Key Citizenship Issue in Eldidi Case

Father had Canadian citizenship; son did not

ISIS-Affiliated Canadians Abroad

At least 46 Canadians remain detained in the Middle East

Who Remains Detained?

8 men, 13 women, and 25 children held by Kurdish authorities

Kurdish Authorities’ Position

They do not want to keep Canadians in custody

UN Position on Detained Children

Returning children is a humanitarian and human rights imperative

Canadian Government’s Position

Will not risk officials’ safety to gather evidence or prosecute abroad

Trudeau on Repatriation

More complicated due to lack of Canadian presence in Syria

Shamima Begum

British citizen stripped of citizenship for ISIS affiliation

Begum Appeal Outcome (2023)

Lost appeal; not allowed to return to the UK

Why Is the Case Important?

Sets precedent for other Western detainees

Civil Liberties Criticism

Leaving people in camps instead of prosecuting them is not a long-term solution

Government

A system, group, or individual that makes decisions for a society

Democracy

Rule of the people

Monarchy

Rule of one

Oligarchy

Rule of the few

Ochlocracy

Rule of the mob

Monarchy (Definition)

Political system where sovereignty rests with a single ruler

Absolute Monarchy

Monarch has unlimited power

Mohammed bin Salman

Example of an absolute monarch

Sultan of Brunei

Absolute monarch who controls national wealth

Oligarchy

Power held by a small, wealthy, privileged group

Russia as an Oligarchy

Putin rewards loyal elites with wealth and power

Ochlocracy

Rule by an emotional, fickle crowd using intimidation

Machiavelli on Power

Better to be feared than loved to maintain power

Rule of Law

The key restraint preventing mob rule in democracies

Cicero

Mobs newly empowered are extremely difficult to control

Thomas Jefferson

Democracy risks majority taking rights from the minority

Reinhold Niebuhr

Democracy is necessary because humans tend toward injustice

Abraham Lincoln

Democracy means no one is master or slave

Direct Democracy

Citizens vote directly on laws (e.g., referendums)

Why Direct Democracy Doesn’t Work in Canada

Too large and slow (e.g., Quebec referendums)

Representative Democracy

Citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf

Democracy Requires

Informed citizens, shared rules, and respect for disagreement

Criticisms of Democracy

Minority voices ignored, low voter turnout, unrepresentative leaders

Churchill on Democracy

Worst system except for all others

Benjamin Franklin Quote

Majority can harm minority interests

Beliefs

What a person accepts as true

Epistemology

Study of what distinguishes belief from opinion

Values

Principles that guide behavior and choices

Freedom of Speech

A core democratic right protected by the Charter

Rafael Zaki Case

Medical student expelled for views on abortion

Why the Case Matters

Shows limits of free expression in institutions

Cheryl Gould Case

Teacher fired for criticizing DEI and Marxist ideology

Outspoken Exile

Someone who criticizes their country from abroad

Transnational Repression

Silencing dissidents beyond borders using intimidation or violence

Alexei Navalny

Russian opposition leader poisoned and later died in custody

Authoritarian Government

Power exercised arbitrarily without rule of law

Autocracy

Power held by one leader, not institutions

Personalist Autocracy

Power centered entirely on a single individual

Examples of Personalist Autocrats

Maduro, Erdogan, Duterte, Orban

Coup d’état

Sudden overthrow of government by force

Coups Can Be

Bloody or bloodless

Africa’s Coup Belt

Region with frequent coups

Totalitarian Regime

State controls public and private life

Direct Silencing

State censorship

Indirect Silencing

Social pressure and majority intimidation

Equality

Treating everyone the same

Equity

Treating people fairly based on need

Equality vs Equity Key Difference

Equality focuses on sameness; equity focuses on outcomes

Affirmative Action

Policies favoring disadvantaged groups to improve opportunity

NIMBY

Supporting something in principle but opposing it nearby

Federal Government

National responsibilities (defence, criminal law)

Provincial Government

Education, healthcare, resources

Municipal Government

Local services (roads, water, garbage)

Municipal Elections

Every four years

Who Can Vote Municipally

18+, citizen, resident or property owner/tenant

Next Municipal Election

October 24, 2026

Mayor’s Role

One vote, represents municipality

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO)

Most powerful unelected official

By-law

Law passed by a municipal council

Who Enforces By-laws

Police, by-law officers, licensing tribunals

Qualitative Data

Descriptive, opinion-based data

Quantitative Data

Numerical, measurable data

Data Collection Methods

Surveys, interviews, experiments, observations, statistics

Research Tips

Use multiple sources, check bias, record sources

Conspiracy Theorists

United by shared beliefs and misinformation

Pandemic of Misinformation

Internet spreads false information rapidly

Importance of Fact-Checking

Many struggle to identify reliable sources

Bereans Example

Examine evidence daily to confirm truth

3 P’s of Citizenship: P1

Personal

3 P’s of Citizenship: P2

Political

3 P’s of Citizenship: P3

Proactive

Goal of Civics

To become an engaged, informed, and active citizen

Living Tree Doctrine

The Constitution is meant to grow and evolve as society changes

Living Tree: A1

Adapt

Living Tree: A2

Accommodate

Living Tree: A3

Address

Rights

Privileges recognized and protected by law

Responsibilities

Duties or obligations individuals are expected to fulfill

Fugitive Slave Law (1850)

U.S. law requiring escaped enslaved people to be returned and punishing those who helped them

Blinkered Obedience

Following orders without questioning morality or consequences

Bill 21 (Quebec)

Law banning certain public servants from wearing religious symbols