2003 l.1 intro overhead culearn pdf

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PSCI 2003Canadian Political InstitutionsIntroduction ovhd Page 1 of 13

hierarchy (h-rrk, hrr-ke)

n.pl.hierarchies

A body of persons having authority

a. Categorization of a group of people according to ability or status

b. The group so categorized

a system of persons or things arranged in a graded order

any system of persons or things ranked one above another

John Porter, a Carleton sociologist who really changed both sociology and thestudy of politics in Canada with his book, THE VERTICAL MOSAIC: ANANALYSIS OF SOCIAL CLASS AND POWER IN CANADA (1965) - pointed

out that Canada is a class society, dominated in the important spheres ofeconomics, politics, military, bureaucracy, and church by a white, male, upper

class or upper middle class elite

...individuals or groups at the top of our institutions can be designated aselites. Elites both compete and co-operate with one another: they compete to

share in the making of decisions of major importance for the society, and theyco-operate because together they keep the society working as a going concern.

Elites govern institutions which have, in the complex world, functional tasks... It

is elites who have the capacity to introduce change...(p. 27).

Canada is probably not unlike other western industrial nations in relyingheavily on its elite groups to make major decisions and to determine the shape

and direction of its development. The nineteenth-century notion of a liberalcitizen-participating democracy is obviously not a satisfactory model by which

to examine the processes of decision-making in either the economic or the

political contexts... If power and decision-making must always rest with elite


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groups, there can at least be open recruitment from all classes into the elite. (p.

558).

Porters studies have been updated to include gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality

and other aspects of social identity

what forces produce the distributionof power, resources, wealth, opportunities

etc.

howthe social hierarchy and how the distribution of power is produced andreproduced over time is the realm of politics, often understood as the struggle for

power

- Harold Lasswell, U.S. political scientist: Politics is about who gets what, when,how

-Political institutions make critical decisions about who gets what, when, and how:everything from wealth and income e.g. by regulating the economy, via social

programs like income support programs, universal health care, education, pensions,tax policies, corporate welfare/subsidies, industrial policy, environmental policy etc.

The richest quintile is the only one to have increased its share of national income

over the past 20 yearsfrom 36.5 per cent in 1990 to 39.1 per cent in 2010. Allother quintile groups have lost share, including middle-income groups.


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http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/details/society/income-inequality.aspx

Source: ESDC calculations based on Statistics Canada. Table 202-0703 - Market, total and after-tax income, by economic

family type and after-tax income quintiles, 2011 constant dollars, annual,CANSIM (database).

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada: http://www4.hrsdc.gc.ca/[email protected]?iid=22

-the main body of rules to govern the polity (political community) is found in various

constitutional documents and unwritten conventions, eg. theRoyal proclamation,1763, theBritish North America Act, 1867, and the most recent, the Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedoms,1982,which puts some limits on the power ofgovernments

-those constitutional documents and rules that created the state now known asCanada and the political architecturethe Governor General, the House of

Commons, the Senate, the courts, etc. were the outcome of political struggles that

produced winners and losers, and this is reflected in the architecture of the state, and

in ongoing conflicts

e.g. Louis Riel, Mtis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the Red RiverResistance and the North-West Resistance (born 22 October 1844 at Red River

Settlement; died 16 November 1885 at Regina, SK).


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Louis Riel, Politically and philosophically, Riel's execution has had a lasting effect

on Canadian history. In the West, the immediate result was to depress the lot of theMtis. In central Canada,French Canadian Nationalism was strengthened and

Honor Mercier came to power in Qubec in 1886. In the longer, term Qubec

voters moved from their traditional support of theConservative Party to the LiberalParty led by Wilfrid Laurier. Even after a century, Riel and his fate excite political

debate, particularly in Qubec and Manitoba. Riel's execution has remained acontentious issue even today and demands have been made for a retroactive

pardon.Bill C302- The Louis Riel Bill, 2013

1st Session, 41st Parliament,

60 Elizabeth II, 2011

house of commons of canada

BILL C-302

An Act respecting Louis Riel

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as

follows:

1. This Act may be cited as the Louis Riel Act.

2. The purpose of this Act is to reverse the conviction of Louis Riel for high treason and to formally recognize

and commemorate his role in the advancement of the Canadian Confederation and the rights and interests

of the Mtis people and the people of Western Canada, in recognition that

(a) beginning in 1670, under charter from King Charles II of England, the Hudsons Bay Company governed

the territory known as Ruperts Land;

(b) Canada negotiated the purchase of the Hudsons Bay Companys rights in the territory without consulting

the inhabitants of that territory;

(c) the people of the territory, led by Louis Riel, refused to allow Canada to acquire jurisdiction over the

territory without recognition of their rights;

(d) in 1869, after the Hudsons Bay Company ceased to govern the territory and before Canada acquired

jurisdiction over it, the people of the portion of the territory known as Red River established a Provisional

Government based upon principles of tolerance and equality of representation between the Mtis majority

and the French, English and First Nations minority populations;
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(e) the Provisional Government elected Louis Riel as its President;

(f) as a condition of its acceptance of that territorys acquisition by Canada, the Provisional Government

drafted and unanimously adopted a List of Rightsfor the governance of the territory;

(g) the List of Rightswas accepted by the Government of Canada as the basis for the entry of the territoryinto the Canadian Confederation and for the passage of the Manitoba Act;

(h) the rights of the Hudsons Bay Company to such lands were transferred to Canada on July 15, 1870,

whereupon Manitoba became the fifth province to join Confederation and the first province in Western

Canada;

(i) the name Manitoba was submitted by Louis Riel and chosen by the Parliament of Canada as the name

of the province;

(j) Louis Riel is recognized as the Founder of the Province of Manitoba;

(k) in 1871, Louis Riel, at the request of Adam G. Archibald, the Lieutenant-Governor of Manitoba, organized

the Mtis to repel the Fenian threat to Canada, for which he was publicly commended by the then

Lieutenant-Governor;

(l) Louis Riel was elected three times to the House of Commons of Canada, on October 13, 1873, January 13,

1874, and September 3, 1874, but as a result of political pressure, was never allowed to take his seat;

(m) as a further result of the same political pressure, Louis Riel was forced to leave Canada;

(n) by the 1880s, the people living in the Northwest Territories had become increasingly concerned about

the lack of respect by the Government of Canada for their rights;

(o) in 1884, they called on Louis Riel to return to Canada to assist them in negotiating once more with the

Government of Canada in respect of their land claims and the very survival of the Mtis people;

(p) all of the petitions sent by the Mtis to the Government of Canada requesting a redress of the peoples

grievances and the recognition of their rights were ignored;

(q) the Government of Canada responded by sending troops against the Mtis at Batoche;

(r) the Mtis, under the leadership of Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont, defended their homes;

(s) the First Nations joined the Mtis in the defense of their lives, families, rights and territories;

(t) as a result of the events in the Northwest Territories in 1885, Louis Riel was wrongfully tried, convicted

and, on November 16, 1885, executed for high treason by the Government of Canada;

(u) in March of 1992, the House of Commons and the Senate of Canada unanimously adopted resolutions

recognizing the various and significant contributions of Louis Riel to Canada and to the Mtis people and, in


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particular, recognizing his unique and historic role as a founder of Manitoba;

(v) in May of 1992, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba unanimously passed a resolution recognizing the

unique and historic role of Louis Riel as a founder of Manitoba and his contribution in the development of

the Canadian Confederation; and

(w) it is consistent with history, justice and the recognition of the unique and important contributions of

Louis Riel to Canada and to the Mtis people that the conviction of Louis Riel for high treason be reversed

and that his historic role be formally recognized and commemorated.

CONVICTION OF LOUIS RIEL REVERSED

Conviction of Louis Riel reversed

3. Louis Riel is hereby deemed to be innocent of the charge of high treason. His conviction for high treason i

hereby reversed.

Existing rights and remedies maintained

4. Nothing in this Act abrogates or derogates from any right or remedy, including any right of action, that a

person had on the coming into force of this Act, or confers on a person any right or remedy, including any

right of action.

Saving provision

5. Nothing in this Act is to be construed as limiting or affecting in any manner Her Majestys royal

prerogative of mercy or the Letters Patent Constituting the Office of Governor General of Canadarelating to

pardons.

RECOGNITION OF HISTORIC ROLE OF LOUIS RIEL

Recognition of Louis Riels place in history

6. Louis Riel is hereby recognized as a Father of Confederation and the Founder of the Province of Manitoba

Louis Riel Day

7. (1) Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the 15th day of July is to be known as Louis Riel Day.

Not a legal holiday

(2) For greater certainty, Louis Riel Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.

POWERS OF THE MINISTER OF CANADIAN HERITAGE

Powers of the Minister of Canadian Heritage


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8. The Minister of Canadian Heritage may

(a) mark or commemorate by means of historical plaques or monuments, or in any other suitable manner,

the places and buildings where events of historical significance in the life of Louis Riel took place;

(b) authorize the placing of a statue of Louis Riel on Parliament Hill;

(c) undertake, pursue or sponsor research relating to these historical events and take appropriate steps to

respect the historical record;

(d) take appropriate action for the preservation of the Mtis culture, languages and history; and

(e) establish a scholarship program for Mtis students in Louis Riels name.

- other legacies of earlier power struggles currently active, include

- e.g. the Idle No Moreindigenous rights movement, challenges the concept of the territorialsovereignty of the Canadian state and the United States on the grounds that Aboriginal nations never

gave up their right to ownership of their traditional territories or to sovereign power over them

- they are calling for governments to honour the treaties, and in particular, they are rising up againstthe Harper governments Aboriginal policies, theIndian Act, the band government system that is

controlled by the federal government, provincial incursions on indigenous territories, natural

resources projects (e.g. pipelines) going through their territories without their consent


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- e.g. the Senate scandalhas revived various sources of discontent with the second chamber,leading to renewed calls for its reform or even abolition

- e.g. the proposed ban on the wearing of religious symbols by public servants in Quebecs Charterof Valuesconcerning various issues, including Quebecs right to define its culture and values

through legislation that is probably a violation of s. 2 religious freedoms in the Canadian

Charter of Rights and Freedomshas led to major demonstrations in Quebec by opposing sides

- seeBILL C-470 - An Act respecting democratic constitutional change (Quebec referendum) - andBill C-553 Canadian Multiculturalism Act (non-application in Quebec)

e.g. dissatisfaction with the electoral system that produces results that do not match the

percentage of votes a party receives in an election:

May 2, 2011 Federal Election Results

Votes % Seats
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Party

Conservative Party of Canada 5,835,270 39.6 166

New Democratic Party 4,512,411 30.6 103

Liberal Party of Canada 2,783,076 18.9 34

Bloc Qubcois 891,425 6.1 4

Green Party of Canada 572,095 3.9 1

Others 129,703 0.9 0

May 2, 2011 General Election Results - Canada Totals

Registeredctors

24,257,592

Total Ballots 14,823,408 61.1%Rejected Ballots 99,428 0.7%Valid Ballots 14,723,980 99.3%

democratic deficit

noun

1. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) any situation in which there is believed to be a lackof democratic accountability and control over the decision-making process

- e.g. Occupy Movement organized around the slogan we are the 99%, protesting against the

rapidly increasing income gap, concentration of power and disproportionate influence in politics of


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corporate interests, big money in campaign financing and many other income distribution issues, as

well as civic and political rights issues

- exacerbated by recent electoral fraude.g. the Robocalls scandal:

National Post

Andrew CoynePublished: May 24, 2013, 8:50 pmUpdated: 7 months ago

Someone is trying to frame the Conservative Party of Canada. Either that, or theparty is the victim of a theft, possibly by its own supporters.

Someone, at any rate, hacked into the partys closely guarded voter database in theclosing hours of the 2011 election, using it to call thousands of voters across thecountry whom the party had previously identified as non-Conservatives, telling them,falsely, that their polling station had been moved. Someone, that is, committedmassive electoral fraud, in a way that could only benefit the Conservative party andmaking use of proprietary party information. But they did it without the partysknowledge or participation.

Or what else can one conclude from Thursdays ruling by Federal Court Judge Richard

Mosley? On one level, the ruling, in a civil case brought by the Council of Canadians on

behalf of voters in six ridings, was a victory for the Conservatives. It found the fraudulent

calls did not materially affect the results in those ridings, and declined to overturn them.

Moreover, the judge was clear that he was not accusing anyone: I make no finding that

the CPC (or) any CPC candidates weredirectly involved in the campaign to mislead

voters. Rather, it was carried out by a person or persons currently unknown to this

Court.But as to the question of whether an electoral fraud occurred, of that the judge wasin no doubt. He found that the calls were made, by the thousands, to scores ofridings nationwide; that they were not random, but targeted at non-Conservatives;

that they commonly presented themselves, falsely, as being from Elections Canada,and provided false information about where to vote. Neither was he in doubt that

they prevented at least some voters from getting to the polls,even if their numberswere not enough to be decisive in any riding.

And, troublingly, the judge found that this was no accident, nor the coincidence of a few

bad apples with demon dialers. Rather, it was a deliberate and systemic attempt to
http://o.canada.com/author/andrewcoyne/http://o.canada.com/author/andrewcoyne/http://o.canada.com/author/andrewcoyne/


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subvert the democratic process, using resources ordinarily accessible only to a few:

namely, the Conservatives highly prized Constituency Information Management System

(CIMS). The evidence, he writes, suggests there was an orchestrated effort to

suppress votes during the 2011 election campaign by a person or person with access to

the CIMS database.

ERIC MORSE

In Robo-calls ruling, a wider spectre of electoral fraud emerges

ERIC MORSE

Contributed to The Globe and Mail

Published Tuesday, May. 28 2013, 8:53 AM EDT

Last updated Tuesday, May. 28 2013, 1:38 PM EDT

On Friday, in the so-called Robo-call case, the Federal Court of Canada ruled that electoral

fraud had indeed been committed by Conservatives in six ridings across Canada, but did not find

grounds to throw out any election results and therefore dismissed the case. An appeal to the

Supreme Court seems likely, especially since Federal Court Judge Robert Mosleyunusually

awarded court costs to the loser. He seems to have been making a point.

Robo-call court ruling should bolster reform: former Elections Canada chief

BRUCE CHEADLE, OTTAWAThe Canadian Press

Published Monday, May. 27 2013, 7:44 PM EDT

A hard-hitting Federal Court ruling on fraudulent robo-calls during the 2011 election should be

setting off alarm bells in Parliament, says the former head of Elections Canada.


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Judge Richard Mosley ruled last Thursday that fraud did take place in ridings across the country,

although he failed to overturn results in six contested ridings in a civil case bankrolled by the

Council of Canadians.

Mosley found no evidence that Conservative candidates or officials were involved in the fraud, but

he did point fingers.

Jean-Pierre Kingsley, who spent almost 17 years as Canadas chief electoral officer, said in an

interview Monday that Mosleys unequivocal finding of fraud was really surprising.

What is equally surprising is that he said that fraud occurred throughthe use, by person or persons

unknown, of the Conservative party databank. Thats where the bells go off.

- other problemsdiversity in Parliament, e.g. male dominance in political institutions, under-

representation of women, racialized groups,, indigenous nations:

- women: for the first time in Canadas history, and exactly 90 years since the first female Memberof Parliament took her seat in the green chamber, women make up nearly a quarter (24.6%) of the

308 seats in the House of Commons (76, most of them NDP40 women make up 39% of NDP

caucus; all the other parties have 36 women between them; the Green Party has gender parity with

two members, one female, one male)


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- declining voter participation rates suggest apathy/ disaffection with thepolitical system.is there alegitimacy crisis of the state?

- Are the problems caused by the design of the political system itself?

- Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States and chief author of the US Declaration ofIndependence wrote: Dissent is the highest form of patriotism

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