Social Studies Review Flashcards

The Three Branches of Government:
- Legislative Branch: Responsible for making laws; includes the House of Commons and the Senate.
- Executive Branch: Responsible for implementing and enforcing laws; includes the Prime Minister and the Cabinet.
- Judicial Branch: Responsible for interpreting laws and administering justice; includes the court system and judges.
Role of the Prime Minister: Serves as the leader of the Cabinet and represents the government (Leader of Government).
House of Commons: Composed of Members of Parliament ( $\text{MPs}$ ) whose primary role is to propose and debate laws.
The Senate: Acts as the chamber of "sober second thought" to review legislation passed by the House of Commons.
Electoral Geography: A "riding" is defined as a specific geographic electoral district in Canadian elections.
First-Past-The-Post Electoral System: An electoral system where the candidate with the highest number of votes in a riding wins the seat, regardless of whether they achieved an absolute majority.
Jurisdictional Division: There is a clear distinction between federal government responsibilities (e.g., national defense, criminal law) and provincial government responsibilities (e.g., education, healthcare).

Purpose of Law: Laws exist to provide order, safety, and a framework for resolving disputes within a society.
Collective Rights: Specific rights held by groups in Canadian society (such as Indigenous peoples and Francophones) rather than individuals.
The Canadian Constitution: The supreme law of Canada that defines the powers of government and recognizes the rights of citizens; it is fundamental to the country's legal structure.
Individual vs. Collective Rights: Individual rights apply to every person regardless of group membership, whereas collective rights are protected for specific founding groups or minorities.
Justice System Protections: The legal system ensures citizens' rights are upheld through due process, the right to a fair trial, and judicial review.

Nuremberg Laws: Racial laws in Nazi Germany that stripped Jewish people of citizenship and rights, serving as a precursor to the Holocaust.
The "Final Solution": The Nazi plan for the systematic mass murder of European Jews during World War II.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights ( $\text{UDHR}$ ):
- Created following the atrocities of World War II.
- Purpose: To establish a global standard for the protection of human rights and to prevent future wars, specifically in the context of avoiding nuclear conflict ( $\text{nuclear prevention}$ ).

Sir John A. Macdonald: A key Father of Confederation and the first Prime Minister of Canada; played a central role in the unification of the provinces.
Nellie McClung: A prominent suffragist and activist who fought for women's rights, specifically the right to vote and the right to be recognized as "persons" under the law.
Billy Bishop: A legendary Canadian fighter pilot during World War I, recognized as the "Ace of Aces" for his high number of aerial victories.
Bishop Alexandre-Antonin Taché: A significant religious figure involved in the Red River resistance.
The Red River Rebellion:
- Location: Manitoba.
- Leadership: Led by Louis Riel.
- Process: The Métis established a temporary (provisional) government to negotiate terms with the Canadian government.
- Outcome: Resulted in the creation of the province of Manitoba.
The North-West Rebellion:
- Location: Saskatchewan.
- Leadership: Again led by Louis Riel.
- Context: Resistance originated because the land rights of the residents were being ignored by the federal government.
- Outcome: The rebellion was forcibly suppressed by the Canadian government, and Louis Riel was subsequently executed.

The Quiet Revolution: A period of intense socio-political and cultural change in Quebec characterized by secularization and the strengthening of the provincial government.
Francophone Identity: Refers to individuals in Canada whose primary language is French.
Bilingualism: The official recognition and use of both English and French, which is a cornerstone of Canadian national identity.
Collective Identity: The shared sense of belonging among groups in Canada, contributing to the country's social fabric.
Media and Identity: Cultural institutions like "Hockey Night in Canada" play a significant role in fostering and defining a shared Canadian identity.

War Measures Act: A federal statute that granted the government emergency powers to limit civil liberties during times of war, invasion, or insurrection.
Risks of Emergency Powers: Granting governments temporary absolute power carries the risk of permanent loss of civil rights and government overreach.
Democracy vs. Authoritarianism: Democracy relies on citizen participation and the rule of law, while authoritarianism is characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms.
Left-Wing Political Ideas: Economically, "left-wing" refers to ideologies that support social equality, increased government intervention in the economy, and expanded social services.

The Loyalists: Settlers who remained loyal to the British Crown during the American Revolution and moved to Canada as refugees.
The Quebec Act: A piece of legislation important for protecting French civil law and the Catholic faith in Canada.
Indigenous-Settler Interactions: The complex history of cooperation, conflict, and treaty-making between early European settlers and the original inhabitants of the land.