Unit 1

Question 1

What is the average age of a senator?

Answer 1

65.64

Question 2

How many senators currently sit in cabinet?

Answer 2

83

Question 3

Who is Canada’s longest serving Prime Minister?

Answer 3

William Lyon Mackenzie King. He served for 21 years.

Question 4

Who is the Member of Parliament for our riding?

Answer 4

Gerry Ritz

Question 5

How much does a parliamentary tour cost?

Answer 5

A parliamentary tour is free of charge

Question 6

What three requirements must parliamentary guides have?

Answer 6

1) Canadian
2) Bilingual
3) University student

Question 7

When did women get the right to vote in Canada’a federal election?

Answer 7

January 1, 1919

Question 8

How old was Canada’s youngest Prime Minister when he

Answer 8

Canada’s yougnest Prime Minister was Joe Clark and he was 39 yers old.

Question 9

How old do you have to be to vote?

Answer 9

18

Question 10

List the major three parties and their leaders running for power right now.

Answer 10

The Conservative Party- Stephen Harper
The New Democratic Party- Tom Mulcair
The Liberal Party- Justin Trudeau

Question 11

The party that elects the most___forms the new government, and it’s leader becomes the new ____. The other MPs form the ___.

Answer 11

• MPs
• Prime Minister
• Opposition

Question 12

What is the difference between a majority government and a minority government?

Answer 12

A majority government happens if the government wins less than half the seats. They need the support of some opposition MPs to pass legislature. If the government wins more than half the seats, it is a majority government and can pass laws without the cooperation of the other parties.

Question 13

What is the biggest key to a strong democracy?

Answer 13

The biggest key to a strong democracy is a strong voter turn out.

Question 14

List three similarities between the Canadian style of government and the American style of government.

Answer 14

1) Canada and the United States are federal governments (power is divided between the nation and the provinces/states).
2) Canada and the United States are both democracies.
3) Canada and the Unites States are both representative governments.

Question 15

List three differences between the Canadian style of government and the American style of government?

Answer 15

Government Type:
Canadian Government- Constitutional Monarcy-power limited by the consititution.
American Government- Elected president by the people-Republic.
Head of State:
Canadian Government- Queen is the Head of State. Prime Minister’s power is with Cabinet.
American Government- President is the Head of State and the Commander in Chief of Military.
Members of Executive:
Canadian Government- Cabinet Members are chosen from elected MPs.
American Government- Members are non-elected officials chosen by the President based on their expertice.

Question 16

Choose two provinces and or territories and descrive when and why they joined Confederation.

Answer 16

New Brunswick- July 1, 1867. They wanted their provincial debts wiped out and a railway from Quebec City to Halifax for trading purposes.
Ontario- July 1, 1867. They wanted a central government but had to agree with Quebec about language, schools, defense, and railway.

Question 17

Give an example of racism in early Canadian immigration policy.

Answer 17

Chinese head tax increase to $500.

Question 18

List three conditions that had to be met in order for someone to purchase a quarter section of land under the early Homesteader Act.

Answer 18

1) You had to be male.
2) You had to build a permanent homestead within three years.
3) You had to pay $10.

Question 19

What are two reasons that the First Nations in Canada accepted contracts written up by the Canadian government?

Answer 19

1) They wanted to be safe.

2) The buffalo were mostly dead.

Question 20

List three things that are written in the Constitution Act of 1867?

Answer 20

1) Set out the power of parliament and the provincial legislature.
2) Guaranteed Quebec’s distinctive civil law.
3) Vested the formal executive power in the Queen, and created the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.

Question 21

Summarize two things written in the Constitution Act of 1867 that have been changed since then.

Answer 21

1) Now gives provinces power over their natural resources.

2) Sets out the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that neither parliament nor provincial legislature can change.

Question 22

Choose two positions held in the Canadian government and discuss their role in government.

Answer 22

Prime Minister: The leader of the elected majority government. They try to influence the country with their policies. Appointed by the Governor General. Have more power than any colleague. Cabinet decisions are made mostly by the Prime Minister.
The Speaker: Appointed by the Governor General on recommendation of the Prime Minister. They must be a member of ther House. They control procedures in the House of Commons. They are to be non-partisan.

Question 23

List three powers that the federal government has and three powers that the provincial government has.

Answer 23

Federal power: Hospitals, insurance and medical care; post office; marriage and divorce.
Provincial power: Property and civil rights in the province; provincial justice, fines, and education; direct taxation in the provinces for provincial purposes, natural resources, prisons, charitable institutions, and hospitals.

Question 24

What is a recession?

Answer 24

Six months of negative economic growth measured by the country’s GDP (growth domestic product).

Question 25

When is the election?

Answer 25

October 19, 2015