Quiz 1 Terms

Question 1

Minority

Answer 1

Less than 170 seats in the House of Commons (50%-), 2 parties come together to form governement.

Question 2

Majority

Answer 2

More than 170 seats in the House of Commons (50%+).

Question 3

Coalition

Answer 3

Usually 3 or more parties come together to form government. Can sometimes be two parties.

Question 4

Prorogue

Answer 4

Pausing Parliament without dissolving it.

Question 5

Drop the Writ

Answer 5

The Governor General announces a federal election.

Question 6

Riding

Answer 6

Organization formed to support political parties or independent MLAs within an electoral/geographical district.

Question 7

Popular vote

Answer 7

The total vote for each party.

Question 8

Gerrymandering

Answer 8

Changing/manipulating a constituency border. (Regarded as negative but not always bad. Sometimes is tho.)

Question 9

Vote of non-confidence

Answer 9

If the Prime Minister presents a bill that does not pass, it is said they lose the confidence of the government. The Opposition then calls for a new election and the government is dissolved.

Question 10

Nomination

Answer 10

The part of the election process where you select candidates for your party.

Question 11

How is the number of candidates in each province determined?

Answer 11

Representation by population.

Question 12

Campaigning

Answer 12

The running for office. Ends the weekend before the election.

Question 13

How long does a campaign typically last?

Answer 13

50-90 days.

Question 14

Tabulation

Answer 14

The counting of votes

Question 15

Enumeration

Answer 15

Creation of a voters’ list of those eligible to vote.

Question 16

Balloting

Answer 16

The casting of votes by Canadian citizens based on Universal Suffrage.

Question 17

Proxy vote

Answer 17

Designated person who votes for you if you cannot vote.

Question 18

Party solidarity

Answer 18

Display of a united front in all political matters in public.

Question 19

Scrutineer

Answer 19

A member from each party to oversee the counting of the ballots.

Question 20

Chief Electoral Officer

Answer 20

A hired official that issues election writs and regulates the boundaries of constituencies.

Question 21

Elections Canada

Answer 21

Parliamentary agency that organizes federal elections. **Reports directly to parliament and not government.

Question 22

Party Whip

Answer 22

Member of caucus that ensures party solidarity is maintained.

Question 23

Vetting

Answer 23

Investigation of candidates to make sure they are suitable to be a candidate before nomination.

Question 24

Plurality of votes

Answer 24

The candidate with the largest amount of votes.

Question 25

Caucus

Answer 25

Elected party members.

Question 26

Universal Suffrage

Answer 26

The right of all eligible adult citizens to vote in an election.

Question 27

Age of majority

Answer 27

18 years old and older.

Question 28

Party platform

Answer 28

What parties say they will do if elected.

Question 29

Ratify

Answer 29

The party leader must approve and sanction formally each candidate to become a candidate.

Question 30

Incumbent

Answer 30

Basically the candidate that gets the riding they were elected in. The current MP for the riding is the incumbent and is usually not challenged and wins the nomination by acclamation.

Question 31

Acclamation

Answer 31

Loud eager expression of approval, praise, or assent. **Election with no ballots.

Question 32

Parliamentary Wing

Answer 32

Caucus.

Question 33

Extra-parliamentary Wing

Answer 33

Party officials and workers.

Question 34

Absentee voter

Answer 34

Voter that cannot be there for the election and attends an advance poll or mails in their vote instead.

Question 35

Mandate

Answer 35

A period during which a government is in power. Could be doing just they said they would do (unsure of this one).

Question 36

Crossing the floor

Answer 36

When an MP disagrees with a policy/bill proposed by their leader and make it public, they are expelled from caucus and walk across the flood of parliament to sit by themselves or another party.

Question 37

Deputy Returning officer

Answer 37

Polling station manager. Makes sure people vote properly and things are in an orderly fashion.

Question 38

Returning Officer

Answer 38

In each constituency/riding, they oversee the writing of voters' lists.

Question 39

Polling station

Answer 39

Where you vote in person.

Question 40

Ballot

Answer 40

Paper to mark down your vote.

Question 41

Ballot box

Answer 41

Box where you leave your ballot.

Question 42

First Past the Post

Answer 42

Electoral system where you just need to have more votes than everyone else, and not more than 50%.

Question 43

Proportional Representation

Answer 43

Electoral system where the percent of seats in the House of Commons is the percentage of the population that voted for the party.

Question 44

Single Transferable Vote

Answer 44

Electoral system where you rank which party you want elected. If a party passes the quote required to win, the rest of the votes with that party as number one goes to their second choices. If no one reaches the quota, the least favourite candidate is removed and the people who voted for them will have their votes transferred to their second choice.