Use the diagram below to answer question #1 and 2

The Institutions of the Federal Government

1. Which label would best fill the empty box and complete the diagram above?

a) The Supreme Court and Federal Courts of Canada

b) The Provincial Premiers and Cabinets

c) The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

d) The Queen

  1. Which of the institutions or offices shown on the diagram is directly filled by general election?

a) The Office of Prime Minister, The House of Commons and The Senate

b) The Office of Prime Minister and The House of Commons

c) The Senate and The House of Commons

d) The House of Commons

  1. Which of the following diagrams shows the accurate placement of the Judicial Branch in Canada?

  1. Supporters of democracy believe that political participation by citizens is important to ensure that

a) the media agrees with government decisions

b) governments have public support for strict rules

c) people contribute to the decision-making process

d) politicians make decisions without fear of criticism

5. Traditionally, a person wanting rapid and progressive reform of a political system has been described as

  1. liberal
  2. radical
  3. moderate
  4. reactionary

Use the following information about the Canadian federal government to answer question #6.

  1. Which phrase could be added to the shaded area to complete the diagram?
  2. The Official Opposition
  3. Members of Parliament
  4. The Prime Minister and Cabinet
  5. Members of the government caucus
  1. The judicial branch in Canada is responsible for
  2. enforcing laws throughout the nation
  3. appointing judges to all levels of the court system
  4. creating laws and passing them through Parliament
  5. interpreting the meaning of laws when citizens disagree
  1. The Prime Minister normally achieves office by being
  2. the nominee of the Governor General
  3. elected by a majority of voters across Canada
  4. appointed by the Cabinet from among its members
  5. the leader of the party that wins the most seats in a federal election
  1. The Prime Minister selects Cabinet Ministers from
  2. former associates in business, education, and labour unions
  3. a list of Senators prepared by the Senate and Governor General
  4. fellow party members who were elected to the House of Commons
  5. a list of Members of Parliament prepared by the Governor General
  1. What is the usual order for the passage of a bill through the Canadian Parliament?
  2. Cabinet, House of Commons, Senate, Governor General
  3. House of Commons, Senate, Cabinet, Governor-General
  4. Governor-General, House of Commons, Senate, Cabinet
  5. Senate, Governor General, House of Commons, Cabinet
  1. Which statement about Canada’s political system signifies how government officials are chosen?
  2. The House of Commons is elected, the Senate and Supreme Court are appointed.
  3. The House of Commons and Senate are elected, the Supreme Court is appointed.
  4. The House of Commons and Supreme Court are elected, the Senate is appointed.
  5. All three bodies – the House of Commons, Senate, and Supreme Court are elected.

Use the statement to answer question #12.

The idea that every citizen should have one vote doesn’t make sense. Why should someone who takes no interest in public affairs and has no understanding of the issues of the day have the same influence in deciding government policy as someone who takes the time to acquaint himself with the problems of his country and the world? Give the uninformed, inactive citizen one vote as a token of his membership in society, but give the active, informed citizen five or six votes.
  1. The statement infers that people are
  2. equal in all respects except the ballot
  3. equal if they take political responsibility
  4. unequal in every respect except voting
  5. unequal except for common membership in society

Just as the construction of a building requires a blueprint, so does the creation of a political system.

13. The “blueprint” for the Canadian political system is provided by the

  1. Parliament of Canada
  2. Canadian Supreme Court
  3. Constitution Act of Canada
  4. Prime Minister and Cabinet

14. Which of the following statements about Canada’s federal government reflects an opinion rather than a fact?

  1. The Supreme Court has the power to rule that federal laws are unconstitutional.
  2. Opposition parties should not criticize the decisions and policies of the government.
  3. Members of Parliament are elected in constituencies of roughly equal population.
  4. Cabinet ministers are responsible for government departments.

Use the diagram below to answer question #15

Checks on the Power of the Canadian Government

15.Which phrase correctly completes the above diagram?

  1. Civil Servants
  2. Military Leaders
  3. Cabinet Ministers
  4. Opposition Parties

16. To a supporter of free speech, the danger of having one or two large companies controlling all major Canadian newspapers is that

  1. news reports may be written with a bias favouring the political views of the owners
  2. the public will become more aware of the various important issues facing policymakers
  3. information in the newspapers may have to be screened for approval by government censors
  4. the number of subscribers will drop, which will reduce the profits of corporate shareholders

17. The primary responsibility of the Canadian Supreme Court is to

  1. chair meetings between federal and provincial government officials
  2. serve as the final level of appeal in the Canadian legal system
  3. direct the operations of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
  4. select members of the Prime Minister’s cabinet

18.Why do Canadian provinces and territories have different numbers of members of Parliament?

  1. to ensure a high voter turnout at election time
  2. To maintain a system of representation by population
  3. To encourage small political parties to nominate candidates
  4. To prevent an election from resulting in a minority government

Use the chart below to answer question #19

The Three Branches of the Canadian Government
Executive Branch / Legislative Branch / Judicial Branch
  • Prime Minster
  • Cabinet
/
  • House of Commons
  • Senate
/
  • Supreme Court
  • Governor General

  1. Which component of government has been placed incorrectly in the above chart?
  1. Cabinet
  2. Prime Minster
  3. Governor General
  4. House of Commons
  1. The highest court in Canada is the
  1. Municipal Court
  2. Court of Appeals
  3. Court of Queen’s Bench
  4. Supreme Court of Canada

Use the information below to answer question #21

PARTY / % OF TOTAL VOTE / % OF SEATS
Conservatives
Liberals
NDP
Other / 48
35
16
1 / 71
22
6
0

21. The information in the table above would indicate that

a. the Conservatives have “fixed” election results
b. majority governments can be chosen by minorities
c. the opposition government outnumbers the government
d. the Conservatives will need other party support in the house

Use the information below to answer question #22

  1. Acts as a check on the power of the government
  2. Suggests amendments to government bills
  3. Votes with the government to ensure it has majorities
  4. Questions the government and criticizes its actions

  1. Which actions best describe the role of the Official Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons?
  2. Action I only
  3. Actions I and II only
  4. Actions I, II, and III
  5. Actions I, II, and IV

Use the commentaries below to answer questions #23 & #24.

Speaker I: “It is essential that in a democratic society there be no institution other than an elected one that can pass laws for the greater good of the nation. Any non-elected body should be abolished and ended.”

Speaker II: “With reform and change, the Senate can be a viable institution. Through constituency elections and using a system that allows for equal representation for all provinces we would have an acceptable and valuable political institution.”

Speaker III: “As it stands now, the Senate is far from perfect. So are most of us, but no one would suggest that we all be remade. Reform for the sake of reform serves no useful purpose. Let us not send to reform school someone who has done no wrong.”

Speaker IV: “Action must surely be taken to bring about essential changes. We should rid the Senate of its most obvious problems, such as the use as a rest home for party faithful. We should not, though, jump on the bandwagon with those who suggest that Senate membership should be determined by ballots rather than appointments.”

23. Which issue is most clearly raised by the four Speakers?
a. Should Canada reform its election process?
b. Should all Canadian federal government legislators be chosen by elections?
c. Should Senators be paid more than they currently are?
d. Should Cabinet Ministers be required to be an elected Member of Parliament?
24. Which Speaker suggests that the Senate is used as a place for Prime Ministers to reward close friends and colleagues?

a. Speaker I

b. Speaker II

c. Speaker III

d. Speaker IV

25. Why are federal ridings redrawn periodically?

a. Because the population of ridings change

b. Because of the birth of new political parties
c. Because the political allegiances of people change
d. Because governments are regularly defeated in elections

Use the source below to answer questions #26 & #27

USING THE MEDIA
Newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV are forms of media that inform and entertain us. They often act as “go-betweens” telling us what government is doing and telling government what people think. Our media is free to express criticism of the government. Such freedom helps us to understand and influence our government.
Television in the House of Commons or in provincial legislatures has raised some issues. MP’s now dress to look good on TV. They have given up pounding on their desks and now applaud. Will government be changed by the presence of TV?

26.Which conclusion is implied by the article?

  1. Governments are likely to be unconcerned by how they are depicted in the media.
  2. People should rely on the government directly, rather than on the media, for information on politics.
  3. The media is an unreliable source of information on government as government largely controls it.
  4. Most people’s opinions on government are shaped by how the media depicts government.

27.According to the article, how has television most affected the House of Commons and the provincial legislatures?

a. Elected representatives are being affected by the presence of the media in the House.

b. MPs and MLAs dress better and show more restraint in debate because they are on television.

c. Elected representatives now more accurately reflect the views of their constituents.

d. Proceedings in the House of Commons and provincial legislatures have changed very little.

Use the Chart below to answer question # 28

RESULTS OF THE 39TH GENERAL ELECTION – JANUARY, 2006

# OF SEATS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS / % OF SEATS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS / % OF POPULAR VOTE
Conservatives / 124 / 40.3 / 36.3
Liberals / 103 / 33.4 / 30,2
Bloc / 51 / 16.6 / 10.5
New Democratic Party / 29 / 9.4 / 17.5
Green / 0 / 0 / 4.5
Independent / 1 / 0.3 / 0.5
Others / 0 / 0 / 1
Total / 308 / 100 / 100
  1. Which is not a conclusion that can be draw from the above chart?
  2. The Green Party has increased in popularity.
  3. The leading party will form a minority government.
  4. A party can rule with less that fifty percent support from the electorate.
  5. The leading party will need support from another party to pass legislation.

Use the information below to answer question #29

Proportional representation for Dummies
Miya Djuric, CTV.ca News Staff
June 24, 2004 5:50 PM ET
With polls pointing toward the strong possibility of a minority government, the idea of proportional representation is being tossed around by politicians and voters alike.
On Wednesday, NDP leader Jack Layton said he’d support a minority government if it agreed to hold a national referendum on proportional representation.
“Our voting system is broken,” Layton said. “It’s time for a rebirth of our democracy.”
Green Party Leader Jim Harris echoed Layton’s views in a release Thursday, saying that proportional representation “is far more reflective of our current political climate.”
  1. Jack Layton and Jim Harris would agree that proportional representation would allow for
  2. greater power to smaller parties
  3. a national referendum to be conducted
  4. the small parties to participate in cabinet discussions
  5. the smaller parties to participate in debate in the House of Commons

Use the information below to answer question #30

Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, September 28, 2008 at 9:43 AM EDT
OTTAWA — In full native headdress on the floor of the House of Commons, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine had a historic seat last June to hear the Prime Minister's apology for Canada's Indian Residential Schools.
He also heard the three other party leaders make impassioned pledges to right the wrongs of the past.
Now, in the midst of a federal election campaign, Mr. Fontaine is wondering where all those words went.
“The current campaign [has] what seems to be a serious absence of any discussion on aboriginal issues,” said Mr. Fontaine in an interview at his Ottawa office.

30. Which would be the most appropriate headline for the above news article?

a) The Wrongs of the Past Are Righted

b) All Party Leaders Apologize for past wrongs

c) Native Leaders Demand Campaign Attention

d) Prime Minister Apologizes for Injustices of the Past

Use the cartoon below to answer question #31

31. According to the cartoon

  1. The Conservative party’s platform will result in a minority government
  2. The Conservative party is within reach of a majority government
  3. The Conservative platform will result in a majority government
  4. The Conservative party won’t achieve a minority government

Use the following time-line to answer question #32

  1. This time-line indicates that over a period of 114 years, Canadian democracy
  2. faced many international crises that affected national political affairs
  3. became less able to function smoothly because of ethnic differences
  4. increased the level of regulation and control of the daily lives of average citizens
  5. removed many barriers that prevented citizens from participating in the democratic process

Use the following source to answer questions #33.
Automatic adult jail terms eyed for youth?
The conservative government plans to introduce a bill to treat young offenders more harshly. The planned changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act aim to “hold young lawbreakers accountable to their victims and the community.” Genevieve Breton, a spokeswoman for Justice Minister Rob Nicholson commented, “We were elected on a promise to strengthen our criminal justice system, including the YCJA.” One change might make it automatic for youths aged 14 and over who are repeat or violent offenders to receive automatic adult sentences. Under the act now, judges decide on a case-by-case basis. Another proposed change could affect youths aged 16 and 17 who are charged with serious violent crimes. It would allow publication of their names and give them a permanent criminal record.

There are 3 major changes to the YCJA proposed in the article above. As the Act is written what would these proposed changes violate? 3 marks.

34.What rights do you have as a youth if you are arrested? (4 marks)

35.What four factors determine the consequences that young offenders face?

(4 marks)

36. What are the three objectives of the YCJA? (3 marks)

37. True or false – Employers have to pay you when you appear for jury duty.

38. True or false - You MUST be 18 years of age or older and a Canadian citizen to serve on a jury.

39. What is the role of the John Howard Society? (2 marks)
40. What is the role of the Elizabeth Fry Society? (2 marks)