<p> Government Unit – Video #4 (Part One) – The Branches of Government Checking for understanding Read through these questions – can you answer them quickly? If you can, then you understand the key concepts in this video. If not, go back and watch it again. Don’t forget to check your answers with the answer key (don’t peek – the whole point of this is to see if YOU understand the key ideas). 1. Why did Montesquieu want there to be three branches of government? 2. What are the three branches of government and what are their responsibilities? 3. What does bicameral mean, and what are the organizations of our federal bicameral legislature called? 4. Why is the seating in the House of Commons significant? 5. What is the job of the official opposition? 6. What does it mean when we say that the Senate is the “sober second thought”? 7. What are the differences between Canadian and American Senators? Answer Key 1. Why did Montesquieu want there to be three branches of government? (To limit the powers of members of government, keep them from abusing their power) 2. What are the three branches of government and what are their responsibilities? (Executive, legislative and judicial. The legislative branch would write the laws, the executive branch enforces those laws, and the judicial branch interprets those laws) 3. What does bicameral mean, and what are the organizations of our federal bicameral legislature called? (Bicameral means two chambers or houses, we have the lower house – the House of Commons, and the upper house – the Senate) 4. Why is the seating in the House of Commons significant? (The largest group gets to sit on the right hand side of the House of Commons and gets to be the government, the second largest group sits across from them and is the official opposition) 5. What is the job of the official opposition? (To find fault with the government in order to make sure they aren’t making any mistakes) 6. What does it mean when we say that the Senate is the “sober second thought”? (They look over the legislation created in the House of Commons to make sure it’s good before it becomes an official law) 7. What are the differences between Canadian and American Senators? (In Canada they are not elected, but they are elected in the US; because US Senators are elected they may not have the job for a long time unless they get re-elected, Canadian senators can serve until they are 75; the regionally based Senate means two Senators for every state in the US, but ours are based on an eastern region, a western region, Quebec and Ontario)</p>