Social PAT study guide- functions of government

• Functions of Government


  • Provide order and protection and interests of people
  • Set laws allowing people to live in peace
  • Ensures laws are obeyed
• Elements of Government


  • Rules of conduct
  • Authority
  • Acceptance
  • Jurisdiction
  • Law Enforcement
• Political Ideologies

  • Equality
  • Nation
  • Freedom
  • Tradition
  • Economy
  • Authority
  • Progress
• Types of Government

  • Anarchism
  • Monarchy
  • Absolute Monarchy
  • Constitutional Monarchy
  • Dictatorship
  • Totalitarian
  • Oligarchy
  • Direct Democracy
  • Representative Democracy
• Principles of Democracy

  • Human Rights and Equality
  • Free and Fair elections
  • Accountability and transparency
  • Rule of law
  • Political tolerance
  • Citizen participation
• Parliament of Canada

  • The Monarch
  • Senate
  • House of Commons
• Parliament is in session for

  26 weeks
• Governor General

  Monarchs representative, part of executive and legislative branches
• The current Governor General is Mary Simon
• Roles of Governor General

  • Opens and Ends Parliament
  • Gives royal assent to bills
  • Reads the speech from the throne
  • Approves cabinet decisions or bills
  • Swears in prime minister, cabinet ministers, and chief judges
  • Ensures there's always a Prime Minster in office
• Executive branch

  • Prime Minister
  • Cabinet
  • Prime Ministers Office (PMO)
  • Privy council office (PCO)
• How to become PM


  • Be 18 and Canadian citizen
  • Elected to be leader of political party
  • Elected as MP
  • Party must win most seats in HOC
• Responsibilities of Prime Minister

  • Chooses ministers for cabinet
  • Can prorogue government (reset/stop)
  • Ask ministers to resign
  • Oppose ideas of cabinet
  • Help choose governor general
  • Choose senators for senate
  • Selects supreme court judges
  • Live in a house maintained by government
• Cabinet


  About 30 ministers, MP's or senators, PM appoints, each province represented by at least one minister
• Executive Branch and Legislative Branch

  • Governor General (non-partisan)
  • PM
  • Cabinet ministers
  • Privy council (non-partisan)
  • Staff of PM's office (partisan)
• Opening of Parliament


  1. User of the Black Rod invites MP's into Senate

  2. Senators and the Governor General gives Speech from the Throne

  3. Opens parliament

  4. Open debate around goals and focus
• Speaker of the House


  Presides over HOC, non-partisan, selected through ballot, ensures everyone follows rules, unbiased
• MP's


  Reps voters of political riding, research problems debates and studies laws, inform constituents about laws/policies
• Official Opposition


  Party with 2nd most seats, create debate in HOC question period, "watchdog", speak different views/perspectives
• How to become Senator

  Appointed by Governor General, at least 30 years old, must retire at 75, must live in province or territory for where they are appointed, must own real estate worth $4000
• Platform


  Promises they make to constituents
• Constituency


  Political riding, area in which a party is in charge of representing
• Rep by Pop


  Representation of government members based on amount of people in certain place
• Judicial Branch


  • Provincial Courts
  • Provincial Superior Courts
  • Provincial Court of Appeal
  • Supreme Court
• Political Ideologies


  • Interventionist
  • Individualist
• Political Parties

  • Liberal
  • Conservative
  • NDP
  • Green
  • Bloc Quebecois
  • PPC
• Voter turnout


  Right and responsibility to vote if Canadian citizens, percent of eligible electors, registered voters cast ballot into election
• To vote you must be 18 and Canadian citizen, only adult not allowed to vote is Chief electoral officer</b>
• Government ensures everyone can vote by: advanced polls, helping voters with disabilities, catering to voters in hospitals and prisons
• 338 ridings in Canada and 120 000 constituents in a riding
• Province/territory with large population has more say/seats in HOC, more say in issues in country
• Electoral Systems

  • First Past the Post
• Justin Trudeau in charge and we are minority government so they formed a coalition
• Pros and Cons of Electoral Systems


  • Pros: allow all Canadians opinions to be heard
  • Cons: minority government hard to run
• How a bill becomes a law

  1. First reading

  2. Second reading

  3. Committee stage

  4. Report stage

  5. Third reading (x2)
• 6 readings in total, 3 HOC, 3 Senate
• 2nd reading most important moment for bill
• Committees


  10 members make amendments and study bill clause to clause
• Amendments


  Small changes made to bill
• Royal assent


  Official approval from Governor general allowing the law to be made