14 | Student Vote Resource

4 Political Parties

OBJECTIVE Teacher Note: Due to the varied nature of political Students will gain an understanding of the political parties and individuals, a spectrum and the current political parties in . questionnaire will not be completely accurate in pinpointing an exact political standing. However, it CURRICULUM LINKS should get students thinking about the dimensions of IC4.05; IC1.05; IC3.06 issues and taking positions on them.

KEY WORDS 3. Draw a horizontal line on the board with 0 on the political spectrum, right, left, centre, political ideology, left and 100 on the right. Have students mark their liberalism, conservatism, socialism, communism, place on the political spectrum as they finish the fascism, political party, party leader, candidate, questionnaire. Do the results reflect voting trends campaign, slogan, speech, platform, plank, electoral from the 2011 Ontario provincial election (Handout district 4.3: 2011 Election Results)?

QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE DURING THIS LESSON Instruction: 10 min • What is a political ideology? 1. A political ideology is a set of shared ideals or • What is the political spectrum? beliefs about how politics and government should • What is a political party? What purpose does it function. Common ideologies include liberalism, serve? conservatism and socialism. Other examples are • How do political parties form government? communism and fascism. • What political parties can you name in Ontario? • What is a party platform? 2. A political party is a group of like-minded individuals with a shared vision and similar political PREPARATION ideologies whose intention is to achieve power • Make copies of Worksheet 4.1: Where Are You on through an election, form government and create the Political Spectrum?, if required. meaningful political change. The dominant political • Verify which parties are running candidates party in the legislature (the party that elects the in your school’s electoral district most number of representatives or wins the most (http://www.elections.on.ca). seats) usually forms government and their leader • Collect a variety of campaign literature from the becomes the premier. parties running candidates in your electoral district. • Prepare access to or make copies of Handout 4.2 3. Political parties campaign during elections to share and 4.3. their party’s ideas and convince citizens to vote • Make copies of Worksheet 4.4: Getting to Know the for them. A party platform is a series of declared Parties. principles and policies on party and jurisdictional • Obtain information about Ontario’s political issues concerning government and the public. parties from the Student Vote Ontario election site (www.studentvote.ca/on2014). 4. The political spectrum is a means of characterizing beliefs, values and priorities, and provides a TEACHING STRATEGIES conceptual framework in which to view and Hook: 15 min evaluate political parties and policies. 1. Give students a political spectrum questionnaire. You can use Worksheet 4.1: Where are You on the Activity: 50-120 min Political Spectrum?, or another of your choosing. 1. Review the list of political parties in Ontario and identify which are running candidates in your 2. Analyze the results of the questionnaire and review electoral district. the terms and perspectives associated with a linear political spectrum (Handout 4.2: The Basic Political 2. Organize students into groups based on similar Spectrum). interests or ideologies, or based on the results from Lesson 4: Political Parties | 15

the political spectrum questionnaire. Assign each issue, or every issue? group a political party that is running a candidate in • What advantages or disadvantages might there your school’s electoral district. be for a person who runs as an independent or without an affiliation to a party? Teacher Note: If organizing groups based on the results • Would you ever join a political party? Why or why of the political spectrum questionnaire, many students not? will likely cluster around the middle of the spectrum. Therefore, use another variable or your own judgment EXTENSION ACTIVITIES to further divide students into groups. A. Research the use of negative campaigning and attack ads in elections. Search the Internet for 3. Using party websites, online resources and commercials or bring in print ads to share with your campaign literature, each group should conduct class. Discussion questions: Are attack ads effective? research into the following: Are they ethical? Do they achieve their intended • What does the political party stand for? outcome? Do they speak to you? • Who is the current leader of the party? • What are the party’s logos, slogans, posters and B. Organize students into groups and assign each a advertisements? What are the key messages? major election issue (e.g., health care, education, • Who seems to be the target audience of the the environment or the economy). Ask them to party? Who does the party seem to appeal to? use party websites and news articles to research • What are the party’s main priorities or policy where each political party stands on the issue. ideas (platform) for this election campaign? Students can present their findings to the class. • Where does the party sit on the political During the presentations have students make notes spectrum? using Worksheet 4.5: Understanding the Issues and Platforms. 4. Ask each group to prepare a short presentation about their political party. Students should C. Invite a past parliamentarian to visit your class for incorporate an audio-visual component that a question-and-answer period or coordinate a Skype includes their logo/brand, campaign elements, interview. Prepare a list of questions in advance (e.g., images of their leader and/or the local candidate. How does a political party work? How do political parties recruit members? How is policy developed? Within each group, students could also take on the What was your experience like?). roles of a campaign team to further learn about how parties are organized. Suggested roles include: D. Have students create their own Ontario political leader, campaign manager, local candidate, policy party. The political party should have a name, experts and marketing specialists. logo, slogan, key priorities and suggested policies. Presentations could include posters, campaign 5. Have each group present their political party to the literature, speeches and other election paraphernalia. rest of the class. Students can make notes on each presentation using Worksheet 4.4: Getting to Know E. The leaders’ debate is an opportunity for the major the Parties. Afterwards have students vote on the party leaders to share their platforms, point out holes political party they like best – excluding their own in their opponents’ ideas and perform in front of the party. electorate. Plan a viewing of the Ontario leaders’ debate for your class or ask students to watch it with Teacher Note: Organize a presentation schedule that their family and friends. Afterwards, have students would allow each group to visit other classes in the evaluate the performance of each leader using school on a rotational basis to help inform and prepare Worksheet 4.6: Evaluating the Leaders’ Debate. the student electorate for the upcoming Student Vote Day. Alternatively, you could coordinate a school-wide BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS assembly. What is a political party? What purpose does it serve? A political party is a group of like-minded individuals Debrief: 5 min with a shared vision and similar political ideals whose Have a brief closing discussion about political parties intention is to achieve power through an election and with your class. Alternatively, ask students to write a create meaningful political change. Political parties reflection for their election scrapbook. compete against each other during election campaigns • What did you learn about political parties? Why are and appeal to the public for their support and political parties important? ultimately their vote on election day. • If a person is running as a member of a political party, how closely should their political beliefs What is the political spectrum? How do political parties resemble that of the party? Should candidates be and the political spectrum relate? forced to follow the party’s stance on any particular The political spectrum is a means of characterizing 16 | Lesson 4: Political Parties

beliefs, values and priorities, and provides a • Worksheet 4.5: Understanding the Issues and conceptual framework in which to view and evaluate Platforms political parties and policies. A linear spectrum is • Worksheet 4.6: Evaluating the Leaders’ Debate represented as a horizontal line, with parties on • Vote Compass – www.votecompass.ca the left embracing change and parties on the right • Campaign literature (pamphlets, advertisements, favouring tradition. articles) • Schools Program, Canadian Association of Former How do political parties form government in Ontario? Parliamentarians – http://www.exparl.ca Ontario’s system of government is based on political parties. During elections, an organized course of Ontario Political Parties action is taken by a political party, its candidates and (For a current list visit http://elections.on.ca/) campaign team, with the intention of spreading their • Canadians’ Choice Party — message in the hopes of securing constituent support http://www.canadianschoice.com and votes. • Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) — http://www.communistpartyontario.ca The political party that elects the most candidates • Family Coalition Party of Ontario — (usually) forms government and their leader becomes http://www.familycoalitionparty.com the premier. Most candidates running for election • — belong to a party, unless they are running as an http://www.freedomparty.on.ca independent or are not affiliated with any party. • Party of Ontario — http://www.gpo.ca • New Democratic Party of Ontario — How do political parties work? http://www.ontariondp.com Political parties are made up of interested members • Northern Ontario Heritage Party — of the general public. Joining a political party can be http://www.nohp.ca/ an effective way for you to influence the party and • — the politicians who represent you and your electoral http://www.ontarioliberal.ca district. Anyone above the required age can be a • Ontario Libertarian Party — member of a political party — for most parties the age http://www.libertarian.on.ca is 14. Party members can discuss ideas and propose • Ontario Provincial Confederation of Regions Party policy. Many parties also have youth wings. • Party for Human Rights in Ontario • Party for People with Special Needs — Party members choose their party’s leader and http://www.ppsn.on.ca local candidates, and help them get elected. Local • Pauper Party of Ontario ­— candidates are party members selected through a http://www.on.pauperparty.ca nomination process by the local riding association. • People First Republic Party of Ontario — The party selects the person they feel has the greatest http://www.pfrpo.ca chance of success as their candidate. • Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario ­— http://www.ontariopc.com Candidates campaign during the election, share their • Reform Party of Ontario — party’s ideas and aspire to represent them in the http://www.reformontario.com legislature. To become an MPP, candidates must get • Socialist Party of Ontario — the most votes in their electoral district during an http://www.socialistpartyofontario.ca election. • The Only Party • The Peoples Political Party — What is a party platform? http://www.peoplespoliticalparty.net A party platform is a series of declared principles and • Vegan Environmental Party policies on party and jurisdictional issues concerning government and the public. Parties share their platforms through announcements, advertising and events, and share their ideas in order to attract support from the electorate and ultimately to secure votes.

RESOURCES • PowerPoint 4: Political Parties • Worksheet 4.1: Where Are You on the Political Spectrum? • Handout 4.2: The Basic Political Spectrum • Handout 4.3: 2011 Election Results • Worksheet 4.4: Getting to Know the Parties