Canadas Federal Political System Social Studies 9 What

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Canada’s Federal Political System Social Studies 9

Canada’s Federal Political System Social Studies 9

What is the structure of Canada’s federal political system? Canada is a Constitutional Monarchy

What is the structure of Canada’s federal political system? Canada is a Constitutional Monarchy That means governance in Canada is split into the Monarch, The Executive Branch, The Legislative and The Judicial Branch. Executive Our Monarch: The three Constitutions: Legislative Judicial

Who is the Monarch? The Monarch is a sovereign head of state especially a

Who is the Monarch? The Monarch is a sovereign head of state especially a king, queen or emperor but they do not play an active role in Canada’s government. Our Monarch is Queen Elizabeth II. The Monarch is represented in Canada by the Governor General. Our current Governor General is Julie Payette who is an engineer and a former astronaut!

Executive Branch The Executive Branch is the part of government responsible for putting laws

Executive Branch The Executive Branch is the part of government responsible for putting laws into action. The Executive Branch includes the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and his Cabinet. To become the Prime Minister of Canada one must be elected as the leader of a political party and then that party must win the most seats in the House of Commons.

Cabinet ministers ● Cabinet Ministers are appointed (chosen) by the Prime Minister to run

Cabinet ministers ● Cabinet Ministers are appointed (chosen) by the Prime Minister to run different departments of government such as Finance, Education and Health. ● They must belong to the same party as the Prime Minister and they are also Members of Parliament or Senators. ● The Cabinet is where most of the ideas that become laws come from.

Time to think! ● What factors do you think the Prime Minister takes into

Time to think! ● What factors do you think the Prime Minister takes into account when appointing his Cabinet Ministers? ● Time for your Critical Challenge Task!

Legislative Branch The Legislative Branch is the part of government that makes laws. They

Legislative Branch The Legislative Branch is the part of government that makes laws. They include the House of Commons, the Senate and the Governor General. This Branch is also called Canada’s Parliament.

The House of commons ● This is the law making part of Canada’s Federal

The House of commons ● This is the law making part of Canada’s Federal political system. ● The members in the House of Commons are called Members of Parliament and they are elected by the voters. ● In the House of Commons the MPs study, debate and vote on proposed laws which are known as Bills.

A closer look at Mps ● ● MPs represent the voters in one riding

A closer look at Mps ● ● MPs represent the voters in one riding or one area of a province. In Alberta we have 34 federal ridings and 87 provincial ones. Most MPs belong to a political party but there also Independents who have either left their party or got voted in as Independents. The party with the most elected MPs forms the government and the party with the second most forms the opposition. MPs have two jobs: ○ To represent their constituents ○ To help pass laws for the Peace, Order and Good Government for all Canadians.

The Senate and senators ● Senators are not elected. They are appointed into the

The Senate and senators ● Senators are not elected. They are appointed into the Senate by the Prime Minister. ● The job of the Senate is to represent Minorities and therefore, Senators are appointed by regions. ● Senators are accountable (checked by) the Prime Minister and the region they represent.

The senate and laws ● The Senate can propose laws but their main job

The senate and laws ● The Senate can propose laws but their main job is to study, debate and vote on laws already passed in the House of Commons. (Give ‘sober second thought’) ● A bill cannot become law until it passes both the House of Commons and the Senate. ● The Senate has the power to reject bills from the House of Commons but rarely uses this power.

Appointed vs Elected? ● Together we will do an activity that decides if people

Appointed vs Elected? ● Together we will do an activity that decides if people should be appointed or elected to different positions. ● (New ppt)

Judicial Branch The Judicial Branch is the branch of the government charged with the

Judicial Branch The Judicial Branch is the branch of the government charged with the laws and the administration of justice. Basically, they apply and interpret the laws. We have Provincial and Territorial Courts as well as The Supreme Court of Canada.

Lobbyists ● A person hired by a specific group to influence MPs and other

Lobbyists ● A person hired by a specific group to influence MPs and other government officials. ● They must register so everyone knows who they are. ● They provide in-depth expertise on many issues. ● Who in our class do you think would be a good lobbyist for you?

The federal accountability act ● This law started in 2006 and it requires lobbyists

The federal accountability act ● This law started in 2006 and it requires lobbyists to record which MPs and government officials they meet with. ● An MP cannot be a lobbyist for 5 years after their employment has ended. ● This Act also monitors donations and gifts given to government officials.

The media and political issues ● Think about where you get your news from.

The media and political issues ● Think about where you get your news from. Does it include any of the following? ○ Newspapers ○ Magazines ○ Film ○ Radio ○ TV ○ Internet ○ Books

Why is the media important? ● The Media reaches a large number of people

Why is the media important? ● The Media reaches a large number of people very quickly. ● They don’t just report the news, they also influence how we think about the world. ● Media messages are created by people so the audience needs to be aware of bias. (ex. Whose opinion are they including? ) ● Most importantly, they give citizens opportunities to communicate their needs and concerns about political issues.

A political cartoon ● Have a look at this cartoon and think of the

A political cartoon ● Have a look at this cartoon and think of the following: ● Do you see any bias? Who is the audience? What is the message? Do you agree/disagree with this?

Think of the 5 Ws when looking at this cartoon

Think of the 5 Ws when looking at this cartoon

Discuss the following cartoons and their meanings in your groups

Discuss the following cartoons and their meanings in your groups