C1: Principles of Canadian Politics

what is the two main reasons for the emergence of representative democracy?

1. modern democracy is too large to be governed by the people directly

2. representatives would be accountable to the people through elections and keep the regime democratic

what is the Harm Principle?

a notion by John Stuart Mills that governments should not interfere with the actions of individuals so long as those individuals are not harming others

what is utilitarianism?

the notion that liberty is useful in that it promotes human happiness

what is Constitutionalism?

the notion that the regime must follow the agreed-upon rules that will be supreme

what is the fundamental principle of government?

the principle of equality - therefore it doesn't mean that people share equally or equitably in wealth or social status

what is direct democracy?

regimes involving the direct involvement of citizens regarding political decision-making because it believes that all citizens were equally capable of exercising political power

what is parliamentary democracy?

a regime involving the citizens delegating the responsibility for public matters to a small group of elected representatives - also called the representative democracy

what makes the Canadian regime a fundamentally democratic one?

the notion that "the regime belongs to us all equally", and the notion that Canadian political equality is an equality of citizenship

what are natural rights?

certain inherent rights that individuals possess - life, liberty, property, and privacy - and they are inalienable, hence why the government must secure these universal and permanent rights

how does the Harm Principle influence politics?

1. it is the government's duty to show why any law that limits our individual liberty is necessary

2. a law is only valid only if it is necessary to prevent some direct harm to other human beings

what are the three general principles of the rights of the liberal democracy?

1. protection of the private sphere - something that the government should not interfere in

2. respect for minority rights

3. the Rule of Law - the government itself is not above the law, and the law must be applied equally and impartially

how can implicit consent to a liberal democratic regime be established?

1. growing up under the laws of Canada

2. the opportunity to periodically express our consent in elections at all levels of the government

what is a republican regime?

a regime in which the full and final authority is placed in the hands of the people’s elected representatives and officers

what are some principles and themes in Canadian politics?

1. liberty → individuals are free to pursue their own preferences and choices

2. equality → equal consideration of each interests, equal rights and privileges

in what ways is Canada free and equal?

1. Democracy → a form of government in which the people rule

2. Federalism + Minority Rights → prevents the tyranny of the majority

3. Constitutionalism and Rule of Law → power of government is limited by a set of agreed-upon legal rules

what is the private sphere?

where all individuals have the right to make choices for themselves

what is citizenship?

a general right to participate in the regime for the people who have consented to accept the government’s authority and rules

what is the political theory of liberalism?

we are free to do whatever we wish - provided there is no law prohibiting us from doing so

how did the historical development of citizenship fail in one aspect?

it did not include the indigenous people that inhabited the land that became Canada

what is the fundamental purposes of the Canadian state?

1. maximize individual liberty + achieve equality among individuals

2. value individuality and individual identity - as well as equality

what blend of elements form Canada’s constitutional order?

1. British PARLIAMENTARY democracy

2. American FEDERALISM

what is ideology the basis of?

1. the purposes of government - and how it should be organized

2. what public policies should be implemented