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POLI 101: Government of Canada
Course Information
Instructor: Professor Carey Doberstein, PhD
Email: carey.doberstein@ubc.ca
Office Hours:Tuesdays/Thursdays for 30 minutes before & after class
Location: Buch C417
Course Agenda
Three Pillars of Canadian Democracy
Three Core Political Dynamics
Issues in Canadian Politics
Overviewing the big picture of what is to come in the course
Three Pillars of Canadian Democracy
Parliamentary Government
Dumber Explanation: It's like a big family where everyone gets to helps decide, but there are a few people who make the big calls.
Example: Imagine if in a family meeting, the parents (the government) guide discussions but ultimately decide on vacations.
Federalism
Dumber Explanation: Think of a pizza where each slice gets to have its own toppings. Each piece of the country has its rules.
Example: In Canada, provinces have different laws, like how Quebec speaks French while Alberta focuses on oil.
Charter of Rights & Judiciary
Dumber Explanation: The Charter is like a rulebook that says everyone gets fair treatment, and the judges are the referees ensuring the rules are followed.
Example: If someone thinks their rights were broken, they can take their case to the Supreme Court, which checks if the rules were followed like a referee checks a foul in a game.
In-Depth Look at the Pillars
Parliamentary Government
Key Features:
Fusion of Powers: Legislative and executive powers are combined.
Dumber Explanation: It’s like the coach of a sports team also being a player, making decisions and playing at the same time.
Example: A Prime Minister also participating in debates and proposing laws.
Elections: Typically occur every 5 years.
Dumber Explanation: Every once in a while, people get to vote to choose who leads, just like you vote for who gets to pick the movie on family movie night.
Example: In Canada, elections usually happen every five years to choose new members of Parliament.
Political Discipline: Political parties are highly organized and disciplined.
Dumber Explanation: Think of a sports team that all works together without fighting.
Example: Members of the same political party usually support the same decisions in Parliament.
Federalism
Definition: It’s all about how power is shared across different regions of a country.
Dumber Explanation: Like a big school where different classrooms (provinces) can have their own rules while following the school’s main rules.
Example: The federal government makes rules for the whole country, but provinces can make their own rules about things like education.
Charter of Rights & Judiciary
Ultimate Decider: The Supreme Court of Canada oversees constitutional and charter interpretation.
Dumber Explanation: The Supreme Court is like the principal who makes sure everyone follows the rules at school.
Example: If there’s a case about rights, the Supreme Court steps in to decide like a principal would handle a problem among students.
Core Political Dynamics
Three major dynamics affecting Canadian politics:
Regionalism
Dumber Explanation: Different parts of the country have their own interests, just like how a soccer team made up of players from different cities might want to play differently.
Political Pluralism
Dumber Explanation: It’s like a potluck where everyone brings their own dish; lots of ideas exist at once.
Competing Liberalism(s)
Dumber Explanation: It’s like siblings who all have their own ideas on how to do chores in different ways.
Example Issues in Dynamics
Voting rights for criminals
Quebec nationalism
Prorogation crisis
Electoral reform
Internal trade (BEER case)
Regulating prostitution
Pipelines
Senate reform
Carbon tax
Reflection Questions
Q4: Which of the pillars or core political dynamics is most confusing to you at this moment? (Focus: Core Political Dynamics)