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Canadian Politics 1 Canadian Politics Key Terms Amending formula (p. 20) A set of rules governing how the constitution can be changed. Autocracy (p. 5) A system of government featuring an unelected decision-maker with absolute au- thority. Balanced budget (p. 24) A budget in which total government revenues equal (or sometimes exceed) total spending. Blue toryism (p. 16) A branch of old right conservatism that promotes economic nationalism. Business liberalism (p. 14) A branch of liberalism that seeks to achieve equality of opportunity in economic terms. Charter of Rights and Freedoms (p. 23) A portion of the Constitution Act, 1982, enshrining Cana- dians’ core liberties and entitlements vis-à-vis their governments. Citizen (p. 5) A legally recognized inhabitant of a democratic state. Cleavage (p. 6) A division that separates opposing political communities. Colonialism (p. 10) Belief in the supremacy of European settler institutions over those of Aboriginal groups, and policies and practices that support this belief. Confederation (p. 20) The federal union of provinces and territories forming Canada, originally in- cluding Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Crown (p. 10) The legal concept dictating the supremacy of the monarch over the executive, legisla- tive, and judicial branches of government. Decentralization (p. 3) The transfer of authority from central to local government, typically from the federal government to provincial/territorial governments. Inside Canadian Politics © Oxford University Press Canada, 2016 Democracy (p. 5) A system of government featuring decision-makers chosen by citizens through free and fair elections. Equalization (p. 25) A federal transfer program designed to lessen the fiscal disparities among prov- inces. Federation (p. 8) A political system that distributes power between a central government and re- gional governments. First Nations (p. 10) Aboriginal groups descended from a variety of historical Indigenous nations; collectively, the earliest inhabitants of North America and their descendants, other than Métis and Inuit. Government (p. 5) The body of individuals assigned to conduct the affairs of the state on behalf of the citizenry. Great Recession (p. 25) A decline in the international economy that began in 2008, triggered by the collapse of the US housing market. Ideology (p. 11) A set of ideas that form a coherent political belief system. Institution (p. 6) A structure that defines and constrains behaviour within a political system. Jurisdiction (p. 5) The ultimate authority to make legal decisions, or the seat of power for such deci- sion-making. Left-wing (p. 11) A political tendency that promotes higher taxes and a bigger role for government while promoting proactive measures to secure social equality. Liberal democracy (p. 5) A system in which equality, rights, and freedoms are preserved through public debate and free and fair elections. Libertarian (p. 11) Advocating the least possible amount of state intervention in the lives of citizens. Maritimes (p. 11) The region of Eastern Canada consisting of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Is- land, and Nova Scotia. Mosaic (p. 10) A metaphor used to depict Canada’s multicultural character, which features many distinct yet interdependent ethnocultural communities. Multicultural (p. 22) Consisting of many culturally distinct groups. Nationalism (p. 22) A unifying ideology among people who share a common homeland, ancestry, language or culture. Neoconservatism (p. 14) A branch of new right conservatism that promotes the protection of tradi- tional values, and community and national security. Inside Canadian Politics © Oxford University Press Canada, 2016 Neoliberalism (p. 14) A branch of new right conservatism that favours less government intervention in the economy. Patriation (p. 23) The process through which Canadian governments gained the authority to amend the country’s main constitutional documents. Policy (p. 9) Overarching principles used to guide government decisions and actions. Political culture (p. 7) A society’s innate political characteristics, embodied in the structure of its in- stitutions and the beliefs of its members. Politics (p. 5) Activities involving the pursuit and exercise of collective decision-making. Power (p. 5) The ability to control or influence other members of a political community. Quiet Revolution (p. 22) An early 1960s modernizing movement in Quebec, geared toward a stronger provincial government and outward nationalism. Red toryism (p. 14) A branch of old right conservatism that promotes the preservation of the social fabric and government institutions. Representative democracy (p. 16) A system in which citizens elect officials to make political deci- sions on their behalf. Right-wing (p. 13) A political tendency that promotes lower taxes and a smaller role for government while supporting traditional social hierarchies and those resulting from competition. State (p. 5) A structured political community with a single source of ultimate authority over its terri- tory. Third-way social democracy (p. 13) A branch of socialism that accepts capitalism and aims to har- ness it to achieve equality of result. Toryism (p. 14) A branch of Canadian conservatism with British, communitarian roots. Traditional social democracy (p. 13) A branch of socialism that remains committed to replacing capitalism with a more co-operative economic system. Welfare liberalism (p. 14) A branch of liberalism that seeks to achieve equality of opportunity in social terms. Welfare state (p. 9) Government programming designed to promote the economic and social well- being of citizens Inside Canadian Politics © Oxford University Press Canada, 2016 Review Questions Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following is not defined as a cleavage in Canadian politics? a) Geography b) Religion c) Ethnicity d) Ideology 2. In terms of understanding political cleavages and institutions, which of the following issues tends to dominate in discussions? a) Proper distribution of federal transfer funds to provinces b) Gender inequality c) Income equality d) Affirmative action 3. Where is Canada’s federal government based? a) Toronto b) Montreal c) Gatineau d) Ottawa 4. Which two sectors constitute Canada’s two-pronged economy? a) Natural resources and manufacturing b) Natural resources and fishing c) Manufacturing and knowledge d) Natural resources and knowledge 5. In Canada, what are the two main competing ideologies? a) Individualism and communism b) Individualism and communitarianism c) Communitarianism and socialism d) Individualism and nationalism 6. Which of the following is more likely to fall under the category of “third-way social democracy”? a) Democratic reform b) Higher sax rates for the wealthy c) Human security d) Avoidance of armed conflict to achieve peace 7. Which of the following falls under the category of “old right”? a) Neo-conservatives b) Red tories c) Social democrats d) Welfare liberals Inside Canadian Politics © Oxford University Press Canada, 2016 8. Which of the following was not a key event during the third era in Canadian Politics? a) September 11 attacks b) North American Free Trade Agreement c) Afghanistan War d) Great Recession 9. Which Canadian political party emerged after the Depression? a) The New Democratic Party b) The Liberal Party of Canada c) The Conservative Party of Canada d) the Bloc Québécois 10. Which four provinces were the original members of the Canadian federation? a) Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia b) Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia c) Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia d) Manitoba, British Columbia, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick Discussion Questions 1. What are some of the core concepts and issues that are significant in defining Canadian politics? 2. How do ideology and political culture merge in Canada? 3. Is there more of an English or American influence in Canadian politics and culture? Further Resources Websites This chapter give the reader a basic understanding of Canadian politics. A portion of under- standing the mechanisms of Canadian politics is to keep up with current events. The following websites will guide you to numerous newspaper articles that are relevant to keeping up with cur- rent news items. o Globe and Mail http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ o CBC News http://www.cbc.ca/news o Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html o Maclean’s Canada https://www.macleans.ca Inside Canadian Politics © Oxford University Press Canada, 2016 o The Hill Times http://www.hilltimes.com/ The following are five of the major political parties in Canada. Each party represents different ideologies, different cleavages, and different political orientation. Each of the party’s website will provide you with further information on their mandate, election platforms, and policy initiations. o Conservative Party of Canada http://www.conservative.ca/ o Liberal Party of Canada https://www.liberal.ca/ o New Democratic Party of Canada http://www.ndp.ca/ o Bloc Quebecois http://www.blocquebecois.org/ o Green Party of Canada http://www.greenparty.ca/en/candidates Vote Compass http://votecompass.com/ This informative and useful tool uses quizzes and surveys to determine your own political orien- tation. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/ The official website of one of Canada’s department dedicated to Aboriginal Affairs. Canadian Heritage http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1266037002102/1265993639778 This is the official
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