Chapter 1 definitions

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6.

Democracy This term comes from two Greek words; demos meaning people and kratos
meaning rule. Therefore if the two words are combined, the definition of democracy becomes
rule by the people. It is a form of government in which the people rule themselves. However,
due to the enormous population of society, it is not only inefficient but nearly impossible for
every single person to have a direct say in government affairs. Instead, representatives are
chosen by the people to speak and make decisions in the government on behalf of the citizens.
Constitution This is the most fundamental aspect of a democracy. It is a set of rules
that represent the ideas and values of the nation that both the citizens and government must
abide by. It severely limits what the government can and cannot do, and the government is not
allowed to violate any of the set rules. If it so happens that the government begins to abuse its
power, the constitution allows courts to revoke decisions that are in clear violation of the
constitution.
Capitalism This is an economic system in which individuals or companies are free to
compete with one another to produce goods and services in order to obtain a profit. In this
type of system, there is little to no government interference in the economy. The market
forces of supply and demand, determines prices and individuals are free to buy and sell
whatever they please. There are no restrictions on the amount of wealth that an individual can
possess, and it is common to have wealthy, middle, and poor classes of people.
Communism This is an economic system based on the ownership of all property and the
means of production. This means that individuals and companies are not free to pursue business
in any way they please. The government is tightly controlled by a small group of people who are
members of the Communist Party, and citizens can only vote for a member of the Communist
Party since it is the only party present in the system. Communist governments put restrictions
on many things such as radio shows, TV shows, and publications. This system usually results in
the rich getting wealthier and the poor falling into worse conditions.
Socialism In this type of system, a government runs only certain aspects of the economy
while free enterprise still functions. The government usually owns or operates public utilities
such as public transit, the phone system, and electricity distribution. In a socialist state the
individual is able to posses many things commonly known as consumer goods. Socialist
governments are often referred to as democratic because people are allowed to vote for either
a socialist party or a non-socialist party. When a socialist government loses an election, they
resign and are replaced by a non-socialist party because they are not dictators but instead are
democratic.
Fascism This is a Latin term, which describes a bundle of rods tied firmly together with
an axe coming out of the center. It revolves in the belief in action over thought which rule out

an decision making based on ethics or moral principles. In this system, a love of the country and
a willingness to sacrifice everything for it was a predominant lifestyle. The purpose of the
individual is ultimately believed to be obedience and service towards the state. Lastly, it was
also believed that all economic and intellectual resources of the state were to be focused on
building a proud, united country with a strong military. The ultimate goal of this system was an
imperial war of conquest.
7.
Governor General He or she represents the monarch of England in Canada. The Prime
Minister and the monarch of England both have a say in appointing this person. They usually
govern for a term of about 5 years, and act entirely on the advice of the Cabinet Ministers in
the House of Commons. They rarely make decisions themselves but instead formally announce
decisions made by others in the government.
8.
Head of State This is the nations supreme representative which has no political powers.
In Canada the Governor General is appointed head of state which is largely a symbolic position
with no actual influential powers.
9.
Head of Government In Canada the political leader of the government is the Prime
Minister. He is the head of a political party and has the responsibility of governing the country.
He has wide capabilities in the Canadian political system because he controls the Cabinet and
thereby the House of Commons.
10.
Parliament This is the name given to the group of representatives who govern the
country. This is significant because it is also the branch of government that makes laws. It
consists of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, Members of Parliament, the Governor General, and
the Senate.
11.
Riding This term refers to an area containing approximately 100,000 people. The country
is divided up into many ridings, of which members of parliament are elected into parliament.
Other names used in place of this term are constituency, electoral, district, or seat.
12.
Members of Parliament The group consisting of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and all
the MPs is commonly known as the House of Commons. MPs are elected by Canadian citizens for
a 5 year term and each member represents a riding. Due to the fact that Canada is divided into
308 ridings, there are also 308 MPs elected. They spend majority of their time debating and
passing laws that look after the needs of those who elected them.
13.
Senate This is an elected body, consisting of 105 men and women appointed by the
Governor General, but only on the consent of the Prime Minister. They include business people,
journalists, lawyers, teachers etc. When one is appointed into senate, it is usually allotted as a
reward for community service. To qualify, senators must be at least 30 years old and are able
to hold their position in office until the age of 75. The primary function of the senate is to
examine bills passed by the House of Commons. In order for a bill to become law, the senate
must pass bills passed on by the House of Commons.

14.

Executive Branch The function of this branch of government is to make and apply
government decisions. This consists of the Governor General and the Prime Minister at the
federal level.
15.
Legislative Branch The function of this branch of the government is to make and amend
laws. It also has the responsibility of determining how the government will spend the money it
collects from the people. It consists of the House of Commons, the Senate, and the Governor
General at the federal level.
16.
Cabinet Members of the cabinet are called cabinet ministers. It consists of 30 ministers
who are chosen by the Prime Minister from among the MPs who are from the party that won
the election. Each province must be represented by at least one cabinet minister; they have no
set term and stay in office until the House of Commons term expires or the government is
defeated in the House. They are responsible for initiating new laws and administering
government policy.
17.
Direct Democracy In ancient Greece democracy meant that all citizens freely
participated directly in the political process by voting in every decision. Today this would be
difficult because of the enormity of society.
18.
Representative Democracy To avoid the inefficient system of having everyone directly
vote on decisions, modern democratic countries have developed a system in which
representatives are elected by citizens to act on their behalf and voice their views and wishes.
This is the current system in Canada, in which every citizen has the ability to make the
government truly representative.
19.
Constitutional Monarchy Although Canada has its own constitution, it still maintains
strong relations with the United Kingdom. This means the British Monarch is formally
recognized as our head of state. Therefore Canada posses both a constitution and a British
sovereign. The relationship between Canada and the monarch is preserved today for sentimental
reasons. The monarch would never interfere in Canadian affairs but simply represents Canadas
historic relationship with the United Kingdom.
20.
Federal system In a federal union the three levels of government consist of the federal,
provincial, and municipal governments. The federal government has exclusive powers in areas
such as defense, foreign policy, immigration, taxation and currency, criminal laws,
transportation, insurance, aboriginal peoples and the postal system. The provincial government
is responsible for education, health care, provincial taxation, provincial police, management of
natural resources, roads and bridges, and housing. The municipal government is given
responsibility in areas such as libraries, local police, local schools, fire departments, public
transit, building permits, parks and recreation, and garbage and recycling collection. This is
significant because the Fathers of Confederation chose to accept a federal union while taking
into consideration that Quebec would never join a country in which it could not protect its
culture.

21.

Prime Minister He is the head of the Canadian government and also the leader of the
Cabinet. He is elected by the people and is the leader of the party with the most elected
representatives in the House of Commons. His duties include acting as the voice of the nation,
developing foreign trade and foreign policies, recommending new Judges and Senators, acting as
a spokesperson for his party, selecting Mps for the Cabinet, and advising the Governor General
when to dissolve parliament so that an election may be called.
22.
Vote of Non-Confidence If the Prime Minister loses the support of a majority
parliament, he might end up losing office through this. It occurs in two ways: The House of
Commons can defeat a bill introduced by the Prime Ministers government or the members can
introduce a formal vote of non-confidence. In both situations the government must resign. In a
majority government situation, a vote of non-confidence is highly unlikely because the ruling
party members will simply defeat the motion.
23.
Caucus This is a group of representatives in legislatures who belong to the same political
party. Caucus meets behind closed doors to discuss policies. It is significant because one of the
responsibilities of the Prime Minister is to act as a spokesperson for his party and lead the
caucus of a party.
24.
Deputy Minister These people help the cabinet ministers with their particular
department. They are civil servants who are government employees that run a specific
department and report to their overseeing cabinet minister. Despite the fact that they have
little formal power, they actually have a significant amount of informal power as the daily
operations of the Ministry are carried out.
25.
Backbenchers These are the members of the governing party who are not in the Cabinet.
Their name originates from the fact that they literally sit behind the Cabinet Ministers in the
House of Commons. Their responsibility is to support their party while also keeping in mind the
wishes of the public. If they disagree with a government proposal they may occasionally vote
against their own leaders or even resign.
26.
Bill - A bill is a proposed law under consideration by a legislature. A bill does not become
law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved by the executive. Once a
bill has been enacted into law, it is called an act or a statute.
27.
Shadow Cabinet They sit on the opposite side of the Cabinet. It refers to the MPs from
the Official Opposition who have been selected to shadow a specific minister from the Cabinet.
Minority parties are also able to have their own Shadow Cabinet to serve as critics of the
current government.
28.
Public Servants These are employees of the federal government who represent the link
between Canadian citizens and the government. They carry out much of the daily work of
government such as gathering statistics, delivering mail, and providing answers to questions.
The senior public servants play a significant role in advising ministers and even helping to draft
new laws.

29.

Speaker of the House He is elected by the MPs from among their own members, and is
responsible for carrying out the daily routines in the House of Commons. He maintains order,
applies the rules of parliament equally to all, and acts as a referee thereby controlling the
debate.
30.
Leader of the Opposition He is the leader of the second largest party, which plays a
impacting role in keeping the government accountable, especially during question periods. During
this time, the opposition is allowed to question government actions or raise issues of concern. In
order to make it appear less effective, the opposition attempts to put the government in a
defensive position. Although this appears to be a political tactic, putting pressure on the
government during question periods is a useful way of obtaining information that the public
otherwise would not have known about.
31.
Patronage The act of rewarding a party member for loyalty or support. This is significant
because some people feel that the Senate is undemocratic due to the appointing of its
members. The Prime Minister tens to fill the Senate seats with those who support his party
regardless of their qualifications.
32.
Judicial System In our current system of government we have law makers. We also have
police forces to enforce the law, and arrest and charge the lawbreakers. At this point the
responsibilities of the judicial system are observed. Laws to the extent that they are written
and enforced are open to interpretation. Our judicial system interprets these laws and then
accordingly rules.
33.
Supreme Court Created in 1875, this is the highest court in the country consisting of
nine judges. Judges are appointed by the Governor General on the recommendation of the
federal Cabinet. Since the constitution of Canada was patriated in 1982 and included the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Supreme Court has played a significant role in ruling on
human rights issues.
34.
Legislative Assembly At the provincial level the parliament is modeled based on the
House of Commons, but is referred to as the Legislative Assembly. However, there is no
provincial parliament that is equivalent to the Senate.
35.
Lieutenant Governor This is the Queens representative on the provincial level. He is
significant because when a bill is passed in the Legislature it is directly forwarded to the
Lieutenant Governor.
36.
Chief Electoral Officer He prepares the list of voters in every province and is also
responsible for managing the election on the set date. Other duties of the officer include
creating the voters list including all those who are qualified to vote, establishing appropriate
voting places, and ensuring that votes are properly counted on Election Day.
37.
British North America Act When BNA colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the
province of Canada joined confederation, people wrote up the rules for how the country would
be governed through the BNA Act. Although it was passed by British Parliament, it was mostly

drawn up by Canadian delegates. Only a few sections of this document were affected by British
influence. For example, in the introduction it was stated that the Canadian Constitution was to
be similar in principle to that of the UK. At this time Canada had no power in controlling its own
foreign affairs or changing its own constitution.
38.
Party Platform A platform is a group of policies that the candidate would enact if they
were elected. Initially these policies are vague and focused on general issues in the hopes of
gaining more votes. There is no legal obligation for the elected party to follow the platform
they set out in the campaign. However, if they choose not to follow it, they risk losing the
support of voters in the next election.
39.
Official Party Status In order to gain this status in the House of Commons, a party must
have a minimum of 12 seats. When a party meets this requirement, it receives funding for
government work and is able to participate in debates in the House of Commons. Parties with
fewer than 12 seats are still useful in some ways but when it comes to the matter of funding
they are independent.
40.
Regionalism This concept refers to the difference of views, wishes, and needs that
currently exist between the Western, Central, and Eastern regions of Canada. All of the
provinces and territories have different economies and varied strengths and weaknesses.
Ideally if everyones opinions were to be heard, there would have to be MPs to represent every
region of Canada. Currently the House of Commons consists mostly of Liberal MPs from Ontario
and Quebec, with only a few from BC. For this reason the western provinces feel alienated and
argue that the government only represents the needs of Central Canada.
41.
Universal Franchise In present day society, almost all Canadian citizens are able to vote
in elections. The right to vote for all citizens over 18 years of age is called universal franchise.
However, the turnout of voters rarely reflects the wide range of those who are eligible.
42.
Majority Government This occurs when a political party obtains more than half the seats
in the House of Commons in an election. Although other parties have fewer members in
parliament the Official Opposition still exists through the party with the second most seats in
the House of Commons.
43.
Minority Government This occurs when a political party elects more members to
Parliament than any other party, but not more than all the other parties added together. The
party in power has less power because it has to depend upon the votes of members of other
parties to pass its laws. Also in a minority government, the opposition parties could unite and
vote the party in power out of office, thereby forcing a new election. Parties in minority
governments are frequently compelled to form alliances to vote on issues.
44.
Coalition Government This form of government is similar to that of a minority
government in that no party has a majority of all the seats in Parliament. However, two or more
parties can join together to form a government. A leader is chose to become Prime Minster, and
he selects a Cabinet from among the MPs from the parties that formed the coalition.

45.

First-past-the-post System This system revolves around the idea that the candidate
with the most votes in each riding is declared the winner. This means that a candidate in any
particular riding need not win a majority vote or over 50% of the votes, but rather they have to
accumulate more votes than the other candidates running against them. The party that forms
to government is also the one that wins the most ridings and gains the most seats in Parliament.
46.
Popular Vote Critics of FPTP argue that the party forming the government does not
necessarily represent the majority of the voters wishes. A party forms a government by
winning the most seats in parliament and not the total number of votes. For example, in 1984
the Conservatives won 75% of the seats in Parliament, but had only 50% of the polar vote.
47.
Proportional Representation This is the system in which voters elect a candidate based
on the party he represents. A list of candidates is put forward from each party, and the
number of votes the entire party receives correlates to the number of seats it wins in
Parliament. Therefore the candidates from the party with the most votes fill those seats. The
disadvantages to this system include: not every riding will have local representatives;
governments must be formed by coalitions between parties since most PR elections do not give
one party a majority; and coalitions are unstable governments that require frequent elections.
48.
Preferential Ballot In this system voters are able to rank the candidates in order of
preference. If no candidate receives a majority, then the one with the lowest number of votes
is dropped, and his second place votes are distributed. This process is repeated until one
candidate receives a majority. The disadvantage of this system is that the winner may only have
the votes of a small portion of the population, and may only represent one area of the country.
49.
Interest Groups This term refers to groups of citizens who try to influence government
policies and decisions. They are formed when several individual who share a group of ideas
realize that they all have a common goal. These groups include Greenpeace, Amnesty
International, the Canadian Cancer Society, the Canadian Federation of Labour, and the
Canadian Manufacturers Association.
50.
Civil Disobedience This is a very serious, full-time commitment that individuals make in
order to influence change. It is the act of intentionally disobeying a law that one thinks is
unjust in order to get the governments attention. The rules of civil disobedience state that the
act should not involve violence, should be directed only against laws that are seriously harmful,
and should require a willingness to face punishment. Some examples of historic figures that
employed this strategy include Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.