Introduction to Politics Canadian World Politics www Craig

Introduction to Politics Canadian & World Politics www. Craig. Marlatt. com/school

How the Power. Points Work • For many lessons in the course, key points and visuals are displayed in Power. Point slideshows which are available on the course website. • If you want, print the slideshows out in advance (you can print “handouts” with 6 or 9 slides on a page) so you can take notes on information talked about, without having to copy the screen. • The first slide will be a “table of contents” for the lesson, followed by any relevant text and visuals for that lesson.

Introduction to Politics 1. What is Politics? 2. Names and Faces 3. Political Classifications

What is Politics? • Many people imagine that studying politics is just studying government. Government is important, but Politics is much more than this. • Politics is a diverse, sprawling and dynamic discipline, which is not defined by a particular method or approach, but by a concern with themes of human community, power, conflict, and change.

What is Politics? • Politics is the operation of power in society: – – physical power economic power legal power over opinion • Power is used to pursue the interests of human beings. These interests are often aggregated into factional alliances. Political Studies, often also called Political Science, is the academic discipline that tries to establish how this happens.

What is Politics? • The study of politics is one of the oldest academic disciplines. In ancient Greece political philosophers studied the uses of power. They also concerned themselves with creating a good society and balancing the pursuit of power with justice and order. • They started the study of the four great subdisciplines of Political Studies: – – domestic politics and policy studies (Herodotus) political philosophy (Plato) comparative politics (Aristotle) international politics (Thucydides)

Names and Faces 1. 2. 3. 4. Canadian, Dead, Neither, Both? Movie Metaphors for Canadian Prime Ministers Politicians Summary Sheet Political Leadership

Names and Faces - Leadership • Laissez-Faire – very little participation by leader in am authoritarian role – used when working with people of equalifications – “the principle of letting people do as they please” Gage 1983 (? ) – “laid back” approach - leading without being up front and in the spotlight – getting a group to head towards a goal by suggesting and nudging them in the right direction

Names and Faces - Leadership • Democratic – decisions made through group discussions and votes – used when there is a specialist in the field – “. . a form of government in which power is held by the people and is exercised by them directly or through their elected representatives. ” (NGS 1989) – “a government that is. . controlled by the people who live under it. ” Gage 1983 – India, United States are the largest democracies – a leader is obviously present but more or less mediates decisions based on input from the entire population

Names and Faces - Leadership • Autocratic – decisions made by one person without consult of anyone but himself – often used in emergency situations where time is of the essence – “a government having absolute power over its citizens; absolute authority; ruling without checks or limitations” Gage 1983 – since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, North Korea, China, Laos, Vietnam, and Cuba are the only communist countries left on Earth – leader determines all policies and gives orders

Political Classifications 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Supranational “Governments” National Governments by Mode of Succession Governments by Type of Rule Governments by Structure Levels of Government Branches of Government

Supranational Political Systems • Empires • e. g. British, Roman, and Ottoman • a major political unit having a territory of great extent or a number of territories or peoples under a single sovereign authority

Supranational Political Systems • Leagues • e. g. Baltic, Arab; also League of Nations • an association of nations or other political entities for a common purpose

Supranational Political Systems • Confederations • e. g. European Union • is a large state composed of many self-governing regions • has a very weak central government with little influence over the actions or policies of the member regions

Supranational Political Systems • Federations • e. g. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics • formed by a compact between political units that surrender their individual sovereignty to a central authority but retain limited residuary powers of government

Supranational Political Systems • United Nations • voluntary association of most of the world's nation -states • not a world government, does not make laws, and does not have its own police force or military

National Political Systems • Unitary Nation-States • e. g. Belgium, Bulgaria, France, The Netherlands, Japan, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian countries, Spain, and many of the Latin-American and African countries • basically a single tier of government with varying degrees decentralization - some are decentralized so much as to resemble federal states, some allow limited regional rule, others have only token decentralization

National Political Systems • Federal Systems • political authority is divided between two autonomous sets of governments, one national and the other sub-national, both of which operate directly upon the people • Jot down a few examples of the world’s federations as the maps appear on the next few slides.

National Political Systems • Federations of the World

National Political Systems • Federations of North America

National Political Systems • Federations of South America

National Political Systems • Federations of Africa

National Political Systems • Federations of Europe

National Political Systems • Federations of Asia

National Political Systems • Federations of Oceania

Govts by Mode of Succession 1. 2. 3. 4. Hereditary Succession by Constitutional Prescription Succession by Election Succession by Force

Govts by Mode of Succession • Hereditary Succession • e. g. western Europe monarchies, and some Arab nations • Often first-born son, then his first-born son, ….

Govts by Mode of Succession • Monarchies of the World – Currently there are 29 monarchs reigning over 44 countries (QEII is Head of State for 16 countries)

Govts by Mode of Succession • Succession by Constitutional Prescription • e. g. United States • Next leader already specified by law POTUS VPOTUS Speaker of the House President Pro Tempore of the Senate

Govts by Mode of Succession • Succession by Election • e. g. Canada • Next person is chosen by party vote (a leadership convention) or general election

Govts by Mode of Succession • Succession by Force • e. g. Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy

Govts by Type of Rule 1. Autocratic 2. Democratic

Govts by Type of Rule • Autocratic • e. g. , dictatorships, absolute monarchies - Brunei, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Vatican City • one person or group of people holding all power

Govts by Type of Rule • Democratic • e. g. , Canada • prescribed division of powers for different purposes such as Governor General, Prime Minister, etc.

Govts by Structure 1. 2. 3. 4. Monarchy Dictatorship Oligarchy Constitutional

Govts by Structure • Monarchy • e. g. , Monaco, Spain, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, The Netherlands, Japan • king or queen, emperor, etc. • can be largely symbolic or an absolute ruler • legitimized by blood descent

Govts by Structure • Dictatorship • e. g. , Myanmar • a self-proclaimed leader, taking advantage of failures of western set-up government structures then banning oppositions and building replicas of communist world • See Evita or Moon Over Parador for Hollywood renditions of dictatorships

Govts by Structure • • Oligarchy e. g. , Union of Soviet Socialist Republics irresponsible rule by small groups almost extinct today but historically were in Asia where governing elites were recruited exclusively from a ruling caste • Also: – South Africa – Guatemala

Govts by Structure • • Constitutional Government e. g. Canada, the United States defined by the existence of a constitution may be a legal instrument or merely a set of fixed norms or principles generally accepted as the fundamental law of the polity that effectively controls the exercise of political power

Levels of Government 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. National Sub-National Regional Municipal School Board

Levels of Government • • National e. g. Government of Canada www. canada. ca Country

Levels of Government • National Powers and Responsibilities – – – – – National Defence Unemployment Insurance Postal Service Trade Regulation External Relations Money and Banking Citizenship Indian Affairs Criminal Law plus anything else not identified in the constitution

Levels of Government Governor General, Prime Minister, & the Federal Cabinet

Levels of Government • • Sub-National e. g. Government of Ontario www. ontario. ca Province, Territory, State (U. S), or Canton (Switz)

Levels of Government • Provincial Powers and Responsibilities – – – – – Property and Civil Rights Administration of Justice Education Health Welfare Natural Resources Licensing Charities Civil Laws Municipalities

Levels of Government Lieutenant Governor, Premier, & the Provincial Cabinet

Levels of Government • • Regional e. g. Regional Municipality of Durham www. region. durham. on. ca Region, County, District, Parish (southern U. S. )

Levels of Government • Regional Municipality Responsibilities – – – – – Only has powers that provinces give them Regional Planning Public Health Long Term Care Waste Collection & Disposal Water Treatment Trunk Sewage Public Transit Social Assistance Public Housing

Levels of Government Chair & the Regional Council

Levels of Government • • Local (Municipal “Lower Tier”) e. g. , Township of Uxbridge www. Uxbridge. ca City, Township, Village, Municipality

Georgina Brock East Gwillimbury Whitchurch. Stouffville Markham Scugog Pickering Whitby

Levels of Government • Local Municipality Responsibilities – – – – – Only has powers that provinces give them Urban Planning Fire Protection Economic Development Building Code Property Standards Water Distribution Sewage Collection Parks & Recreation Libraries

Levels of Government Mayor and Township Council

Levels of Government Town Hall, Uxbridge

Levels of Government • All four levels of governmentioned so far all share responsibilities in the areas of – Transportation • • Trans-Canada Highway, Ports, Airports, Pipelines, Railways King’s Highways Regional Roads City Streets – Policing • RCMP • OPP • DRPS – Laws and By-Laws See “Canadian Security & Enforcement Institutions” Slideshow for more…

Levels of Government • Government in Transportation Hwy 35 – Regional Road 48 • (City of Kawartha Lakes) Hwy 12 – Trans-Canada Highway 48 • (Dominion of Canada) Hwy 12 – King’s Highway 48 • (Province of Ontario) – Main Street Markham • (Town of Markham) 16 th Ave Main Street Markham Rouge St – Regional Road 68 • (York Region) – Markham Road • (City of Toronto) Steeles Ave Markham Road Kingston Rd

Branches of Government 1. Executive 2. Legislative 3. Judicial

Levels of Government • • School Board e. g. , Durham District School Board www. ddsb. ca Number of School Boards in Ontario: – – – English Public 31 English Catholic 29 English Protestant 1 French Public 4 French Catholic 8

Levels of Government • School Board Responsibilities – the hiring of school administrative staff, – the maintenance of buildings and property, – the provision of learning materials and resources for students, – the transportation of students, – the development of locally initiated courses and programs, – the provision of instructional support services, and – the development of policies to govern the operation of the school system.

Levels of Government Trustees of the Durham District School Board

Levels of Government DDSB Education Centre, Whitby

Branches of Government • • Executive e. g. Governor General and Prime Minister www. gg. ca and www. pm. gc. ca Leaders of Government who guide the direction of the government and/or approve legislation

Branches of Government - CAN

Branches of Government - CAN Rideau Hall (Official Residence of the Governor General) Gorffwysfa (Official Residence of the Prime Minister)

Branches of Government - CAN La Citadelle (Official Summer Residence of the Governor General) Harrington Lake (Country Residence of the Prime Minister)

Branches of Government - CAN Langevin Block (Which includes the Prime Minister’s Office) Interior of the Prime Minister’s Office

Branches of Government - USA The White House Official Residence & Office of the POTUS The Naval Observatory Official Residence of the VPOTUS

Branches of Government - USA The Oval Office (Inside the West Wing) Old Executive Office Building (incl. Ceremonial Office of the VPOTUS)

Branches of Government - CAN Canadian Cabinet • Government Ministers who head the departments (a. k. a. ministries) of the Federal Government • In order of precedence.

Branches of Government - USA U. S. Cabinet • Government Secretaries who head the departments of the Federal Government • In order of precedence (and order of succession to the presidency after the Vice President, Speaker of the House, and President pro tempore of the Senate)

Branches of Government • • Legislative e. g. House of Commons and Senate www. parl. gc. ca Elected representatives creating and passing legislation

Branches of Government - CAN LEGISLATIVE Parliament Senate House of Commons

Branches of Government - CAN • House of Commons Seating Plan

Branches of Government - CAN • Senate Seating Plan

Branches of Government - CAN The Farm (Official Residence of the Speaker of the House) The Speaker also has an apartment inside the Centre Block! Stornoway (Official Residence of the Leader of the Official Opposition)

Branches of Government - CAN Rideau Gate (Official Guest House)

Branches of Government - USA

Branches of Government - USA United States House of Representatives United States Senate

Branches of Government • • Judicial e. g. Court System www. justice. gc. ca Police, lawyers, and judges who enforce legislation

Branches of Government - CAN Chief Justice of Canada Puisne* Justices of the Supreme Court of Canada *pronounced “puny” from French meaning “of a lesser rank”

Branches of Government - USA Chief Justice of the United States Associate Justices of the United States’ Supreme Court

Classification Questions? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Supranational “Governments” National Governments by Mode of Succession Governments by Type of Rule Governments by Structure Levels of Government Branches of Government