Section 1
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Statute of Westminster, 1931
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Cards (69)
Section 1
(50 cards)
Statute of Westminster, 1931
Allowed Canada to make laws independent of Britain
Proportional Representation
A system of election that more closely matches the number of seats a party wins to the share of the popular vote it receives This has the drawback of resulting in unstable governments
Regionalism
Refers to the differences between Eastern, Central, and Western Canada
Minority government
Occurs one party achieves less than 50% of the seats in the House of Commons but still the most seats. This leads to a weak government, that is forced to cooperate and make alliances with opposing MP's.
House of Commons
The room that hosts debates and bill voting. Members of Parliament (including the Prime Minister and Cabinet) There are currently 338 MP's in the House of Commons
British North America Act 1867
A British law that made Canada a self-governing state (a dominion) Laid the foundations of rules for the country and divided power between federal gov't and provinces Renamed the "Constitution Act, 1867", in 1982
Leader of the Opposition
The leader of the party who won the second largest number of seats in the House of Commons
Judicial Branch
The part of the government that interprets and enforces the laws created by the legislative branch. Supreme court and provincial courts.
Universal franchise
The right to vote for all citizens over the age of 18
Backbencher
Members of Parliament who ARE NOT cabinet ministers Their job is to vote according to their party's decisions
Senate in Canada
The upper house of the legislative branch Chosen by the P.M. and APPOINTED by the Gov. Gen. Sober second thought, rep's minority and marginalized groups
Vote of Non-confidence
A vote that tests support for the Prime Minister's government. If the government looses the vote (less than 50%), it must resign This happens if MPs defeat a bill introduced by the PM
Shadow Cabinet
MP's of the official opposition who are assigned to "shadow" a cabinet minister in the governing party - and criticize them
Coalition government
Occurs if two smaller parties join together to win an election Cabinet positions are distributed to MP's from both parties
Patriation
The name used to describe the passing of the Constitution Act in 1982 "Patriation" means "homecoming" - meaning the constitution was coming home to Canada, from Britain
Executive Branch
The branch of gov't that makes and applies decisions, ENFORCES LAWS. Pm, Cabinet and GG, have portfolios
Lieutenant-Governor
The provincial equivalent to the Governor-General
Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989
An agreement from within the U.N. which described the rights all children have, including: Safety, education, identity, etc. Canada was a signatory to this convention, and has its own legislation regarding rights of children
Constitution
A set of rules that limit a government's power and lay out the framework of a country's government Embodies the values of a country Canada's written constitution includes: BNA Act (1867) and its amendments The Statute of Westminster (1931) The Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982)
Capitalism
An economic system governed by market forces
Majority government
A party wins more than half the seats in the House of Commons (the goal of every party)
Speaker of the House
Acts as a referee in the House of Commons
Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Fundamental Freedoms
Freedom of: - conscience and religion (people can think/believe whatever they want) - belief and expression (freedom of speech and press) - association (join or leave groups as one pleases) Right to peaceful assembly
Head of State
The Governor General
Deputy Minister
The "Second in Command" in a government department, a "mini" Cabinet minister They are experts in their field who work closely with the elected Cabinet ministers (the head of the dept)
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is and does
Part of the Constitution Act 1982 Enshrines civil rights and freedoms as a part of the written Constitution
Riding/electoral district/constituency
The unit of population used for political representation (approx. 100,000 people)
Popular vote is
The total number of votes in an election
Councilors
The equivalent of MP's at the municipal level
Mayor
The head of the municipal government
Cabinet
A group of MP's (cabinet ministers) that head departments that carry out the work of the government, day to day biz There are currently 31 Cabinet ministers
Governor General
The monarch's representative in Canada -Chosen by the P.M., appointed by the Queen/King -member of the leg and exect branch -hosts foreign dignitaries -Gives awards to awesome Canadians
a Party Whip is
An MP whose job it is to discipline MP's who vote against, or speak against their party
Party Platform
A group of policies of a political party
Constitutional Monarchy
A state with a king/queen that must follow a set of rules (a constitution)
By-laws
Municipal laws
First-past-the-post system
A candidate with the most votes in a riding (not necessarily a majority) wins the right to represent the entire riding
Question Period in Canada
A time when the opposition can put pressure on the governing party - looking for flaws in how they are running the country a time where the elected officials can vote on bills
Head of Government
The Prime Minister
Civil disobedience
Intentionally disobeying a law that is thought to be unjust
a Bill is
A proposed law (that has not yet passed)
Legislative Branch in Canada
The branch of gov't that makes and amends laws, represents regions and ridings
Parliament is considered which parts
House of commons, Senate and the Monarch (GG)
Prime Minister of Canada
leader of the party that won the most votes/ridings/seats in the House of Commons
Band Council
A group of respected elders used by First Nations to govern their communities. Roughly analogous to a municipal government
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The first international agreement to recognize that human beings have specific rights and freedoms
Voter Apathy
Disinterest in or reluctance towards voting
Member of Parliament
An elected official that represents a riding in the federal government
Suffrage
the right to vote
Supreme Court
The highest court in Canada Created 1875 Currently consists of 9 judges (3 from Quebec)
Section 2
(19 cards)