Civics 11 Course Review

1. Civics 11Course Review “What won’t kill you, Will only make you stronger.”

2. Historical Roots of Canadian Gov’t • Magna Carta– 1215 • English Civil War (ended 1649) – The Enlightment • English Bill of Rights (1689) – Parliamentary system created and end of absolute monarchy. Freedoms guaranteed: speech, press, rel., assembly, from search • American Revolution (1776) – Decl. Of Independence • French Rev. (1789) – Declaration of the Rights of Man

3. Events Which Shaped British Rule in NA • Seven Years’ War (1756-63) & Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759) • The Quebec Act (1774) – French Civil Code • Constitutional Act of 1791 – split Quebec into 2 colonies. • War of 1812 – evol of towards sovereignty for Canada. • Rebellions of 1837 – change to politics in Canada • Confederation (1867) – BNA Act – Dominion of

4. Structure of Government • Federal system – divisions of power – feds & provs • Transfer payments • Equalization payments

5. Branches of Gov’t 1.) Legislative (parliament) - Elected House of Commons (Lower) (308 seats) – MPs from political parties - Appointed Senate (Upper House) - Monarch • Purpose: to make laws

6. 2.) Executive - Monarch - PM - Cabinet - Bureaucracy • Purpose: to carry out laws

7. 3.) Judicial Branch - court system - highest court: Supreme Court of Canada - headed by Chief Justice • Purpose: to interpret laws

8. Federal Legislative Branch • Majority / Minority gov’t • Opposition • Third parties • Ministers form Cabinet (Executive Council) • H of C – speaker, backbenchers, official opp and shadow cabinet, clerks, sergeant at arms, mace • Senate – seats, reform • Monarch & Governor General – role • Passage of a bill - stages

9. Provincial Legislative Branch • No senate • Legislative Assembly = H of C • 85 seats – MLAs • Premier – Gordon Campbell • Lieutenant Governor – Steven Point

10. Provincial Executive Branch • Cabinet headed by Premier • Ministries with Ministers as head • Provincial jurisdiction – education, health, highways, forestry, environment, municipal affairs, etc.

11. Territorial Governments • Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut • In the Constitution, they are under federal gov’t jurisdiction. • Elected assemblies with Premier and appointed Cabinet • Legally, feds have final say in decision-making. • Feds have given more power to territories.

12. Municipal Gov’ts • Under provincial jurisdiction • Elected mayor and council • Pass bylaws • Responsible for city streets, transit, building permits, garbage, sewage, local parks and sports facilities. • Revenue comes from tax on land and buildings, grants from prov and fed gov’ts • Municipalities can come together on issues – regional districts (CRD in Victoria)

13. Political Ideologies • Political spectrum – left-wing, centre, right-wing • Communism, Socialism, Liberalism, Conservatism, Fascism. • See chart • Canadian political parties: - NDP – left - Liberals – centre - Conservatives – right - Bloc Quebecois – originally single issue, but now mix of left and right policies. - Green – also single issue, but now much broader.

14. BC politics: - NDP – left of centre - BC Liberals – right of centre - Green – no seats ever

15. Process of Elections • Dissolution – ending Parliament • Nomination – choosing a candidate to run • Enumeration – compiling eligible voters • Campaigning – candidates communicate beliefs to voters • Balloting – casting a vote on election day • Tabulation – counting votes • Voting system – First-Past-the-Post or simple plurality voting system

16. Minority gov’t • Majority gov’t • Coalition gov’t • Rep-by-pop • Redistribution • Alternative voting systems • Recalls • Referendum

17. Rights and Responsibilities • Rule of law • Common law • Criminal law & Civil Law • Charter of Rights & Freedoms (1982) • BC Human Rights Code • Citizenship – rights & responsibilities • Immigration, refugees, permanent residents • Minority rights • Aboriginal rights

18. Evolution of Canadian Independence • BNA Act (1867) • WWI (1914-8) • Halibut Treaty (1923) • British Commonwealth (1926) • Statute of Westminster (1931) • WWII (1939-45) • Canadian Flag (1965) – Lester B. Pearson • Patriation of Constitution (1982) - Constitution Act, 1982 – new part of Constitution

19. Canada’s Role in Global Conflicts • WWI (1914-18) • WWII (1939-45) • Cold War (1946-89) - NATO, Korean War, NORAD,

20. Canada & the United Nations • Canada – middle power • US & USSR - superpowers • Pearson – Pres of General Assembly (1950s) • Purpose – to keep peace in the world • Structure – GA, SC, Secretariat, the Secretary-General

21. Canada’s Role in the UN • One of founding members • Peacekeeping – Suez Crisis (1956), Congo, Cyprus, Middle East, former Yugoslavia. • Some failures – Somalia (1993), Rwanda (1994) with Canadian General Romeo Dallaire. • Prominent Canadians – John Humphrey, Louise Frechette, Louise Arbour, Stephen Lewis.

22. UN Agencies • International Court of Justice • International Criminal Court • Kyoto Accord • Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Treaty) • WHO • UNESCO • UNICEF • World Bank • International Monetary Fund

23. International Organizations • World Trade Organization (WTO) • Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) • Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) • NATO, NORAD, NAFTA, Commonwealth, G-8, G-20,

24. Canada & Foreign Aid • Bilateral Aid • Multilateral Aid • NGOs • CIDA

25. Canada & International Rights • La Francophonie • UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948) - Eleanor Roosevelt • Apartheid • Civil Rights Movement (US)

26. Canada & the US • UN & NATO & NORAD • Economy & Trade – till recently, largest bilateral trading partners in the world. • Free Trade – NAFTA • Problems – softwood lumber dispute • Military problems – anti-missile, Iraq • Arctic Sovereignty

27. International Conflict Since 1991 • Gulf War (1990-1) • Former Yugoslavia (1995) – NATO • Afghanistan (2001-present) – NATO • Iraq War (2003) • Peacekeeping to Peacemaking (since 1999)

28. Effecting Civic Change (p.199) • Voting • Join a political party • Set a good example • Write letters to the editor/MLA/MP • Set up a blog • Peaceful protest demonstration • Join a pressure group • Work for an NGO

29. Civic Change in Democratic Gov’ts • Careful to have support of voting public, or run risk of losing power in elections. • Change can be slow – debate and pass laws. • Examples: • Medicare & Canada Pension Plan – 1960s under Lester Pearson’s Liberal gov’t. • The Charter & Bilingualism – 1970s & 80s under Pierre Trudeau’s Liberal gov’t • NAFTA – 1989 under Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservative gov’t.

30. Methods to Gain Input Democratically • Open house • Public hearing • Public agenda meeting • Delegation • Public planning session • referendum

31. Authoritarian Gov’ts • Dictatorship with military force • Examples: • Nazi Germany – 1933 Hitler in power, 1935 Nuremberg Laws, by 1941 concentration & extermination camps – Holocaust • Communist Soviet Union – 1920s Joseph Stalin is leader, farms taken away from peasants and run by gov’t, protesters sent to concentration camps in Siberia.

32. Individuals Who Influenced Civic Change • Emily Murphy – womens’ rights in Canada • MLK Jr. • Mohandas Gandhi • Rosa Parks • Terry Fox • Craig Kielburger • Rick Hansen

33. NGOs • Non-profit orgs for a particular purpose • Work with governments, but not controlled by policies • In the early days, concerned with anti-slavery, women’s suffrage, world disarmament. • Examples: • CIDA, World Vision, Greenpeace, MADD, Amnesty International, Red Cross, Corporate Watch, Save the Children, Sierra Club, United Way, WWF.

34. Social Safety Net • Workers’ Compensation (Workmens’ Comp) • Old Age Security (Old Age Pension) • Employment Insurance (UI) • Child Tax Benefit (Family Allowance) • Medicare (Hospital Insurance) • Canada Pension Plan • Canada Assistance Plan

35. Fundamental Principles of Democracy • Rule of Law • Foreign Policy • Charter of R & F 2. Equality • Women, Aboriginal people, Minorities • Freedoms • Canadian Bill of Rights (1960), The Charter(1982)

36. Appointed / Elected Decision-Makers • Judges, Senate, Crown Corp & Agency Execs, • Common Good vs Rights of the Individual - KomagataMaru Incident, Bill 101, WMA, International Criminal Court, Kosovo, Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Treaty)