Democracy

Question 1

What are the Prerequisites of Democracy?

Answer 1

The people should be able to remove their leaders and replace them with more suitable representatives

Frequent and guaranteed elections

Real choice

Secret ballots to ensure that elections are free of fraud, bribery, or intimidation

Universal suffrage

Freedom of association

Question 2

What are the advantages of democracy?

Answer 2

1. Decisions are made in the interest of the people (social contract)
2. Individual rights are safeguarded

Question 3

What needs to happen in order for democracy to be successful?

Answer 3

High literacy rates

National unity

A consensus on national goals and values

Relative economic equality

Equality of opportunity

Question 4

What are the disadvantages of democracy?

Answer 4

Inefficiency

Bureaucracy

Elite groups

Tyranny of the Majority

Apathy

Question 5

How is inefficiency a disadvantage of democracy?

Answer 5

There is inefficiency due to attempting to provide political equality to all citizens

Question 6

How is bureaucracy a disadvantage of democracy?

Answer 6

Bureaucracy is a system that administers the affairs of a government or business through employed officials

Question 7

How is having elite groups a disadvantage of democracy?

Answer 7

Those who wield power and influence with a society are often “more equal” than others (wealth, lobbiests, interest groups)

Question 8

How is tyranny of the majority a disadvantage of democracy?

Answer 8

It is a condition under which the ruling majority opposes minorities of any type

Question 9

How is apathy a disadvantage of democracy?

Answer 9

Indifference, lack of interest

Low voter turn out and stagnation

Comes from being a minority

Question 10

Who was Friedrich Nietzsche?

Answer 10

The classic critique of democracy

Democracy is the rule of the mob

Maintained that by democracy ensuring all individuals have a voice, it would lead to a mediocre and intellectually bankrupt society

Under such a system, the government would be forced to pander to the uneducated masses rather than the intellectual state

His attacks on democracy and socialism made him very popular with fascist movements of the interwar period (although they ultimately twisted his theories)

Question 11

What is Locke’s Test of Legitimacy?

Answer 11

The purpose of government is to protect and foster individual rights and liberties, any government who fails to do so is illegitimate and must be overthrown

Question 12

What are the two most common systems of democratic governments?

Answer 12

Parliamentary (constitutional monarchy) (Britain)

Republic (presidential) (Rome)

Question 13

How do different governments organize representatives?

Answer 13

Most governments have a bicameral legislative (an upper and lower house) but a few countries have unicameral

Canada: the House of Commons (elected) is more powerful than the senate (unelected)

America: both the House of Representatives and the Senate are made up of elected officials and both have considerable power

Question 14

How does Canada’s parliamentary democracy work?

Answer 14

The British monarch is Canada’s Head of State, represented by the Governor General

The government is formed by the political party which wins the greatest number of seats in a general election, the leader of that party becomes prime minister

Elections must be held within 5 years of taking office but can be called at any time

Question 15

What is the cabinet in the Canadian system of government?

Answer 15

The most important group in the House of Commons

The cabinet consists of the prime minister and the heads of government departments who are MP’s chosen by the prime minister

Although the cabinet is extremely powerful, it is ultimately responsible to the House of Commons and can be forced to resign if it loses the confidence of the house

This is called a vote of non-confidence

Question 16

What does responsible government look like in Canada?

Answer 16

Responsible government means that the government is directly responsible to the people through the people’s representatives

In theory: a vote of non-confidence ensures responsible government in Canada

In practice: cabinet and party solidarity usually prevents a sitting government to fail (unless it’s a minority government)

Question 17

How does the United States presidential system of government work?

Answer 17

The US system is based on Montesquieu’s separation of powers or “checks and balances”

The US constitution divides the power of government between these three branches in order to prevent any one branch from controlling the state

Question 18

What is the process of electing the US president?

Answer 18

The US president is chosen by the Electoral College

This means that the president can be elected without the majority of voters across the country actually voting for them

Not all states are equal in the electoral college system

Question 19

What is the process of electing representatives in the US?

Answer 19

US legislators are elected for different terms and not all at the same time as the president (midterm elections)

Senators are elected for a 6 year term (revolving)

Congressional representatives are elected for only a 2 year term

Question 20

What does responsible government look like in the US?

Answer 20

The president can veto any law put forward by congress

The House of Representatives working with the Senate can override the presidents veto if two-thirds vote of both houses is secured

The senate also has the power to impeach a sitting president, the senate forms a court and tries the president

Question 21

How do you compare the Canadian and US executive branches?

Answer 21

The executive power in Canada is controlled by the Prime Minister and Cabinet

In the US executive power is largely in the hands of only the president

Question 22

How do you compare the Canadian and US legislative branches?

Answer 22

Both systems have bicameral legislatures but the Canadian senate is much less powerful than the US counterpart because in Canada they aren’t elected

Question 23

How do you compare the Canadian and US judicial systems?

Answer 23

Canada has a unitary system of shared courts for both federal and provincial laws

The US has a duel court system, which includes federal courts for federal laws and state courts for state laws

In both system the Supreme Court is the ultimate power

Question 24

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Canadian system of government?

Answer 24

In Canada amendments can be made to bills only if they are directly related

The Canadian principle of responsible government requires cooperation between the legislative and executive branch’s, which leads to successive changes in government and the potential for instability

Critics claim that the need for party discipline has made the Canadian executive too powerful

Question 25

What are the strengths and weaknesses of the US system of government?

Answer 25

In the US any amendments can be added to a bill in order to get it passed (pork barrelling)

since the terms of office are fixed the citizens cannot force and change in government until an election rolls around

This can be seen as a governing system that is either very stable or very unresponsive

Question 26

What are the founding principles of the Canadian government?

Answer 26

Peace, order, and good government

Question 27

What are the founding principles of the US government?

Answer 27

Life, liberty, and the persist of happiness

Question 28

What are the weaknesses of the First Past the Post system of determining representatives?

Answer 28

Leads to lack of representation, division, and polarization

Only one winner, everyone else loses

Leads to ideological centrism because the party wants to cater to more people in the middle

Question 29

What is the solution to the problems in a First Past the Post system?

Answer 29

The percentage of votes = the percentage of seats

Multi-member ridings

Question 30

What are the pros of the system of Proportional Representation?

Answer 30

PR gives minority parties and independent candidates a much better chance of being elected

PR frequently produces coalition governments

There would be a higher turnout at the polls under PR

Requires government to compromise and build consensus

Question 31

What are the cons of the system of Proportional Representation

Answer 31

PR makes it easier for extremist parties to gain seats

The coalition government that PR often produces can be weak and indecisive