Grade 9 Social Studies Unit 5 Review 9

Grade 9 Social Studies Unit 5 Review 9. 2. 6 Assess, critically, the interrelationship between political decisions and economic systems

How do the economic platforms of political parties differ from one another? • An economic platform is a description of what policies a party believes are appropriate to maintain and stimulate a country’s economy • Includes policies on taxation, spending, and international economic affairs • Terms used to summarize platforms are right wing, left wing, and centre

Cont’d… • Left Wing – More government involvement and ownership of the economy – Comprehensive social programs – Higher taxes • Right Wing – – Less government involvement and ownership of the economy Less spending on social programs Lower taxes Big business incentives • Centre – Primarily private ownership with some intervention – Medium taxation to pay for social services

Cont’d… • Three major parties in Canada are the Liberals, Conservatives and New Democratic • The United States has two main parties, the Republican and Democratic

How is a political party’s philosophy reflected in its platform? • Philosophies are reflected through policies and how money is collected and spent • Social program policies mean that the party believes that citizens rely on the government • Parties to the right believe that citizens should rely less on government and should be responsible for their own well-being • Taxation models are ideas about how to tax citizens, what goods and services to tax, and how to spend the money from taxes collected

Cont’d… • Personal responsibility vs collective good • More taxes collected through taxation allows for higher quality social programs • Taxes include PST, GST, HST, and income tax

How does the underground economy impact the federal and provincial tax base and social programs? • Government income is almost completely reliant on taxation • Those who refrain from paying taxes have a negative impact on government spending • Tax evasion is an illegal practice in which a person lies about money made • Black market is where goods and services are illegally sold • The tax base is affected by these actions and as a result the gov’t collects less and spends less on social programs

How do government decisions on environmental issues impact quality of life? • Government decisions on environmental issues have an impact on quality of life • Gov’t makes decisions that work towards preservation or exploitation • Preservation – parks, land protection • Exploitation – oil fields, deforestation • Trade of natural resources can influence policies • Canadian resources are in demand so the gov’t stands to make a substantial profit

A political party that favours universal health care, publicly funded daycare, and raising corporate taxes would also likely favour which of the following actions? A) Progressive taxation B) Private health care C) Limiting access to social services D) Cutting service during tough economic times An example of tax evasion is when someone… A) Accidentally pays more than they owe in taxes B) Accidentally misses the deadline for submitting a tax return C) Intentionally pays more tax than required on each paycheque D) Intentionally misrepresents their income when submitting a tax return Which of the following Canadian political parties would be most reluctant to incur a deficit because of increased spending in order to combat a recession? A) B) C) D) Liberal Party Conservative Party New Democrat Party Bloc Quebecois Party

Which of the following actions would most likely have a negative effect on the government’s ability to provide social services? A) People who under report their annual income B) People who collect support, such as welfare C) An increase in minimum wage D) An increase to the income tax rate The purpose of a political party’s economic platform is to… A) Inform voters about their philosophy surrounding government revenue collection and spending B) Inform the public about a party’s beliefs about controversial social issues such as the death penalty and abortion laws C) Instruct voters about where to go cast their votes on election day D) Provide a forum for discussion about the best way for governments to regulate and monitor the economy.