Citizenship

I. Vocabulary

• See handout or website• www.geocities.com/mr

_gallagher2004

Topic One: Defining Citizenship

II. Symbol

• Definition– An object used to represent something else, usually

something abstract and immaterial

– Examples• the cross as a symbol of Christianity

• a dove represent peace

• the colour green symbolizes growth or represents "go,"

• a teardrop symbolizes sadness

• flags symbolize the values and pride of a country

III. Citizen

1. People are also citizens of the larger global or world community.

2. Countries usually define citizens formally by law. Canada has laws that define who is and who is not a citizen.

3. Citizens of Canada are allowed to vote and have a say in the

governing of the country. 4. It is also defined in an informal way by the shared values,

traditions and beliefs of a society in a particular time and

place (laws change as society changes).

Topic Three: A Brief History of Canadian Citizenship

IV. The Citizenship Act (fill in the blanks on handout #2G)

Prior to 1947, Canadians were considered to be Britishsubjects living in Canada, not Canadian citizens. TheCitizenship Act came into being largely through the efforts ofa Cabinet Minister by the name of Paul Martin Sr. Whilevisiting a military cemetery in France during the closingmonths of the war, Martin was moved by the rows of woodencrosses marking the graves of Canadians who had sacrificedtheir lives in the fight for peace and freedom. Martin wasparticularly struck by the different ethnic and religiousbackgrounds of the names on the graves.

The Citizenship Act

He realized that despite the differences, these

soldiers had all fought and died together to defend

the country they cherished. Martin began a tireless

crusade to establish a separate citizenship that

would serve as a tribute to their memory. On

January 1, 1947, the Canadian Citizenship Act came

into being, bringing with it a separate Canadian

identity, new rights for Canadian women and our own

Canadian passport.

Topic Four: Decision Making in a Democracy  

V. Democracy

a. Democracy– Democracy is a form of government in which citizens are

expected to participate in decision making about society. – The word "democracy" comes from the Greek language meaning

"rule by the people, for the people." – Democratic governments are given the power to do certain

things by the votes and support of their citizens.

b. Government in a Democracy: – Democratic government comprises a group of people who make

decisions and laws on behalf of the citizens, and protect the rights of those citizens.

Democracy (cont.)

c. Citizenship in a Democracy:– Citizenship involves making choices about the best goals

and ways to achieve those goals, as well as choosing, by voting, the best people to carry out the expectations of the citizens.

RECALL

• recall the terms – Authoritarian

• One person rules

– oligarchy • A small group rules

– democracy • The people elect rulers

d. Representative Democracy:

– In a representative democracy, citizens elect a person to represent their views and beliefs in government.

– The government consists of elected representatives, who set policies and make laws on behalf of the citizens they represent.

e. Political Parties:– A political party is a group of people who share common

views about how the government should be run.– Parties elect a candidate from their group who will represent

the party's views and run for office. People who are running for government office try to convince voters that they can do the best job of giving citizens what they want and protecting citizens' rights.

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

• Highlight the sentences in your handout that are important

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

Federal Elections Canadians vote in elections for the people they want to represent them in Parliament. With each election, the people may re-elect the same Members of Parliament (MPs) or choose new ones.

Federal elections are usually held about four years apart. The Prime Minister may ask the Governor General to call an earlier election. According to Canada's constitution, an election must be held within five years of the last election.

Canada is divided into over 300 electoral districts. An electoral district is a geographical area represented by a member of the House of Commons. The citizens of each electoral district elect one Member of Parliament, who sits in the House of Commons.

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

Any Canadian citizen who is at least 18 years old can run in a federal election. The people who run for office are called candidates. There can be many candidates in an electoral district.

The people in each electoral district vote for a candidate of their choice. The candidate who receives the most votes becomes the MP for that electoral district.

An elected MP represents everyone who lives in his or her electoral district, even the people who did not vote for the MP. An MP is the people's link to the federal government. An MP helps by:

• representing citizens' ideas when new laws are being imposed • asking questions about the government on behalf of its citizens • helping individuals who need information from the government or if

they have any problems with the government.

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

Political Parties

Most candidates in federal elections belong to a political party. A political party is a group of people who share ideas about how government should work. Some political parties have been around for a long time but Canadians can create new political parties at any time.

Members of political parties hold meetings where they discuss their ideas and opinions. They develop plans for what they would do if their candidates were elected to form the government. The plans they make are called the party platform.

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

• Members of political parties help to: – decide on party platform – choose the party leader – choose the party's candidates – campaign for party candidates in elections. – Candidates who do not belong to a political party are called

independent candidates.

Voting in an Election One of the privileges and responsibilities of Canadian citizenship is

the right to vote. Elections Canada is the non-partisan agency of Parliament responsible for conducting federal elections and referendums.

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

People can vote in a federal election or cast a ballot in a federal referendum if they are:

• Canadian citizens • at least 18 years of age The voters lists used during federal elections and referendums are

produced from the national Registrar of Electors, a permanent data base of Canadian citizens 18 years of age and older, qualified to vote in federal elections.

Once an election has been called, Elections Canada mails a notice to each elector whose name is in the national Registrar of Elections, telling him or her when and where to vote. The notice is called a Notice of Confirmation of Registration.

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

After an Election After an election, the party with the most elected representatives

becomes the party in power. The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister and the party in power run the government as long as they have the support of the majority of MPs in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister chooses several MPs to become cabinet ministers. Cabinet ministers are responsible for running federal government departments. The Prime Minister and cabinet ministers are called the Cabinet and make important decisions about how to run the country. They also propose most new laws. Their decisions can be questioned by all MPs in the House of Commons.

Student Handout #2: Decision Making and Citizenship

If a majority of the MPs vote against a major government decision, the party in power is defeated. The Prime Minister resigns and a new election is usually held.

The parties that are not in power are called the opposition parties. The opposition party with the most MPs is the Official Opposition. The role of the opposition parties is to oppose or try to improve government proposals.

Topic Five: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens in a

Democracy  

VI. Rights and Responsibilities:

• Citizens of Canada have rights and responsibilities. Canada is a democracy, so rights are balanced by responsibilities. For every right, there are corresponding responsibilities.

• · A right is a fair and just claim to something, often guaranteed by law.

• · A responsibility is something that a person is expected to do.

VII. Canadian Freedoms

Fundamental Freedoms

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: • a) freedom of conscience and religion

b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication c) freedom of peaceful assembly, and d) freedom of association.

Other rights and freedoms-working with the people around you write a generalgeneral statement that

explains what each of the following rights cover

1) Democratic Rights

2) Mobility Rights

3) Legal Rights

4) Equality Rights

5) Official Languages of Canada

6) Minority Language Educational Rights

7) Enforcement

• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

• · This was made part of the Canadian constitution in 1982.

Topic Six: The History of Canadian Government

Structure

VIII. Constitution

• Is the formal structure of decision-making in a community.

• Defines the main government structures and describes how powers will be distributed between different levels of government.

• Outlines the rights of citizens.

IX. The Canadian Constitution:

• Is a blend of written laws and unwritten customs/traditions.

• Reflects Canada's unique political heritage. • Combines aspects of the constitutions of Britain

and USA. (Britain's includes both written laws housed in various documents and unwritten customs that developed and evolved over time; the U.S. constitution is a formally written document.)

Topic Seven: Levels of Decision Making in Government

VIII.Levels of Government:

- There are three levels of government in Canada:

1. Federal2. provincial/territorial3. municipal (or local)

- The responsibilities of federal and provincial governments were first defined in 1867 by The British North America Act.

A. Federal Government

· In general, the federal government takes major responsibility for things that affect all of Canada. These include national defense, foreign policy and citizenship.

·

B. Provincial and territorial governments

They look after things like education, health care and highways. They share responsibilities with the federal government in some areas.

C. Municipal (or local) governments

- in each city or community are responsible for things like policing, fire fighting, snow removal and recycling programs. Canadian citizens can vote in elections for all three levels of government.

- Local government also applies to government on reserves. Each band has an elected chief and band council. Bands have provincial representative leadership (in Saskatchewan, through the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations), and representative federal leadership through the Assembly of First Nations. These bodies negotiate with the provincial and federal governments of Canada on matters of importance to First Nations.

IX. The Parliament of Canada-Canada is a democracy and has a system of

parliamentary government. Parliament has three parts: The Queen, the House of Commons and The Senate.

-Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is our Head of State. The Governor General of Canada is the Queen's representative in Canada.

The Parliament of Canada (cont.)

-Canadians elect representatives to the House of Commons. The elected representatives are called Members of Parliament (MPs). The people who serve in the Senate are chosen by the Prime Minister and appointed by the Governor General. They are called Senators.

-The Prime Minister is the leader of the political party with the most elected Members of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons.

Level Federal Provincial Municipal

Official Head Queen Governor General Prime Minister

Lieutenant Governor Premier

Mayor (town/city) Reeve (rural)

Legislative Body

House of Commons Senate

Legislative Assembly

Council

Representatives Members of Parliament (MPs)

Senators Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs)

Councillors (in cities and rural municipalities)

Areas of Responsibility

The federal government is responsible for things that affect the country as a whole (e.g., defense, social welfare, overseas trade, international relations, customs and immigration, currency, RCMP, the CBC, Canada Post, Trans-Canada Highway, fisheries, Indian Affairs, national parks, constitution, criminal law making, national parks, patents for inventions.

Each province has its own government to make laws and decisions affecting that province (e.g., health care, hospitals and emergency services, trains within the province, education, forestry, lands and wildlife, agriculture, tourism, energy, environmental protection, provincial parks, provincial highways.

Every town, city and rural area has its own local government that makes decisions about and is responsible for its area (e.g., local grid roads, streets in town or city, playgrounds and parks, libraries, swimming pools, street lights, garbage collection, fire fighting, property tax collection, snow clearance, police service.