Government Assignments
Topics in Government: Ideology, How Laws are made, Citizenship, Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Late marks: 10% for each class late.
1. Simulation. You will create a fictitious island and a government for your island. You must decide who has power and how the power is checked. One test for the proper functioning of your society is the passage of a simple law. Take the class through the process of law making and identify how a possible opposition can check the legislative powers of your government. (100 marks)
2. In-class work and discussion of readings. (60 marks)
3. Individual research essay on a chosen government topic. Must be be presented to the class and followed up with a class discussion.(24 marks)
4. Choosing an issue that you can follow through with a debate, a speech, and a subsequent appeal towards political change.(30 marks)
5. Quizzes and Unit tests 60 marks
6. Current Events. 20 marks
Late marks: 10% for each class late.
1. Simulation. You will create a fictitious island and a government for your island. You must decide who has power and how the power is checked. One test for the proper functioning of your society is the passage of a simple law. Take the class through the process of law making and identify how a possible opposition can check the legislative powers of your government. (100 marks)
2. In-class work and discussion of readings. (60 marks)
3. Individual research essay on a chosen government topic. Must be be presented to the class and followed up with a class discussion.(24 marks)
4. Choosing an issue that you can follow through with a debate, a speech, and a subsequent appeal towards political change.(30 marks)
5. Quizzes and Unit tests 60 marks
6. Current Events. 20 marks
Canada's Government
What kind of country is Canada?
How is it governed? How do the people choose their leaders?
These are the key questions of this unit.
Canadians live in a country that allows them to enjoy many rights. What is the basis for these rights?
Canadians, however, can also become complacent. That is often the case at election time when many Canadians feel that their vote does not make a difference.
It does. Canadians must therefore also be responsible and ensure that their hard-earned rights continue to exist and are not taken away by a minority.
So, rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. That is generally know as citizenship.
How is it governed? How do the people choose their leaders?
These are the key questions of this unit.
Canadians live in a country that allows them to enjoy many rights. What is the basis for these rights?
Canadians, however, can also become complacent. That is often the case at election time when many Canadians feel that their vote does not make a difference.
It does. Canadians must therefore also be responsible and ensure that their hard-earned rights continue to exist and are not taken away by a minority.
So, rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. That is generally know as citizenship.
How Laws are Made in Canada
When you fly in an airplane, visit a national park or buy a product in a store, you are doing something that has probably been touched by a law made in Parliament. An idea to make a new law or to change an existing law starts out as a “bill.” Each bill goes through several stages to become law. At first reading, the bill is considered read for the first time and is printed. There is no debate. At second reading, Members debate the principle of a bill — Is the idea behind it sound? Does it meet people’s needs? If a bill passes at second reading, it goes to a committee of the House.
Committee members study the bill carefully. They hold hearings to gather information. They can ask for government officials and experts to come and answer questions. The committee can propose amendments, or changes, to the bill.
When a committee has finished its study, it reports the bill back to the House. The entire House can then debate it. During report stage debate, Members can suggest other amendments to the bill.
Once report stage is over, the bill is called for third reading debate. Members who voted for the bill at second reading may sometimes change their minds at third reading after seeing what amendments have or have not been made to the bill. After a bill has passed third reading in the House of Commons, it goes through a similar process in the Senate. Once both Chambers pass the bill in the same form, it is given Royal Assent and becomes law.
Source: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/sites/lop/aboutparliament/guidehousecommons/making_laws-e.asp
The chart shows the usual path followed by government bills introduced in the House of Commons.
Committee members study the bill carefully. They hold hearings to gather information. They can ask for government officials and experts to come and answer questions. The committee can propose amendments, or changes, to the bill.
When a committee has finished its study, it reports the bill back to the House. The entire House can then debate it. During report stage debate, Members can suggest other amendments to the bill.
Once report stage is over, the bill is called for third reading debate. Members who voted for the bill at second reading may sometimes change their minds at third reading after seeing what amendments have or have not been made to the bill. After a bill has passed third reading in the House of Commons, it goes through a similar process in the Senate. Once both Chambers pass the bill in the same form, it is given Royal Assent and becomes law.
Source: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/sites/lop/aboutparliament/guidehousecommons/making_laws-e.asp
The chart shows the usual path followed by government bills introduced in the House of Commons.
Canada's System of Justice
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