1. Government & Economics
CANADA
Government
&
Economics

2. Parliament vs. President
Parliamentary
Legislature controls the power – Parliament
Prime Minister
Head of government
Chosen by majority party in the legislature
Stays in office for a designated period unless their party loses the majority
Fusion of powers
Presidential
Executive and Legislative branches are separate
Separation of powers
Checks and Balances between 3 branches
President is elected by the voters after a specific amount of time

3. Canadian Government Canada’s capital is Ottawa
Government can be described several ways:
Constitutional monarchy
They have a written constitution that outlines the rights of citizens and how the government is organized.
Federal government (Federation)
They have both national and provincial governments that share political powers (division of political powers)
Federal government responsible for national defense, trading, banking, immigration, criminal law and postal services.
Provincial governments responsible for education, property rights, local government, hospitals and provincial taxes.
Parliamentary democracy
They have a democratic government with a two house legislature called Parliament
Parliament can be dissolved by the Prime Minister and new elections held, if the government isn’t working well.

4. Who’s in Charge?

5. Prime Minster Stephen Harper
Chief of State
Queen Elizabeth II
Governor General
David Johnston
Prime Minster Stephen Harper

6. What do they do? Key Figures Chief of State Monarch
Legislative Branch
Parliament Controls the power
Makes the laws
Executive Branch
Prime Minister Leader of majority party in Parliament
Stays in power as long as his party hold the majority in Parliament
If party loses power, Prime Minister must resign and new elections are held
Enforces the laws
Judicial Branch
Interprets the laws
Key Figures
Chief of State
Monarch
Head of Government (chief executive)
Prime Minister
Governor-General
Appointed by the Monarch
5 year term

7. Role of the Citizen Right to vote – 18 years old
Several political parties to choose from.
Elect representatives to the provincial parliaments
Bloc Quebecois, Conservative Party of Canada, Green Party, Liberal Party, New Democratic Party
Personal Rights and Freedoms
Freedom of Speech, Religion & Press
Right to a fair trial
Equal rights

8. Canadian Economics

9. Review . . . Types of Economies
TYPES OF ECONOMIC SYSTEMS
Definition
Associated Terms
Examples in Practice
1) Market economy
An economic system in which individuals own and operate the factors of production.
Free enterprise Capitalism
2) Command economy
An economic system in which the government owns and operates the factors of production.
Socialism Communism
Cuba China
3) Traditional economy
An economic system based upon customs and traditions. Economy is based upon agriculture and hunting.
Non-Industrialized Agrarian societies
Haiti
Australian Aborigines
4) Mixed economy
An economic system that has features of both market and command economies.
United States Great Britain Japan

10. Canada’s Economy Canada has a mixed market economy
Dominated by the service industry
Large manufacturing and mining industries
Has transformed from a rural economy to a more urban & industrial economy
Government controlled health care and postal services
Canada benefits greatly from trade
Timber and oil are traded internationally
Canada’s largest trading partner is the U.S.
82% of their exports go to the U.S., and 55% of their imports come from the U.S.
Canada’s reliance on exports to the U.S. makes it interdependent, meaning it needs another country for economic success.

11. NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)
3 countries involved
USA, Mexico, Canada
Has greatly increased Canada’s economic growth – eliminated trade barriers
Purpose
Increase trade between member nations by creating a large free-trade zone (remove trade barriers)
Remove tariffs, quotas, embargo
Key Functions – between member nations
Eliminate tariffs on goods shipped
Remove restrictions on investment
Remove custom barriers at border crossings
(make it easier for trucks to pass into Mexico)
Establish tough standards for environmental, health and safety regulations in industries
Improve working conditions

12. Specialization & Opportunity Cost
Focus on producing one or two goods really well
Advantages
Produce goods in less time
Produce goods for less money
Opportunity Cost
Value of what is given up when a choice is made
Example of Opportunity Cost
Received $50 for your birthday
Spend on video games
Save for future purchases
Decided to save money for future purchase
Opportunity Cost = the value of the video game you didn’t purchase
We make decisions all the time.
Ride the bus or walk to school
Ice cream or extra pizza

13. How does a country raise its GDP?
Invest in human capital
Education and skills training
Smarter people leads to a more productive workforce
Increase economic growth.
Literacy rate is used to determine the educational level of people . . .
Higher the literacy rate. . . Higher the GDP
Canada uses tax money to provide free health care and a free college education to all Canadians!
Invest in capital resources
Provides workers with the most current and updated tools.
New factories, computers, roads
Increases productivity and economic growth
Canada’s GDP
$1.319 trillion (15th in the world)

14. What role do entrepreneurs play in the success of a country’s economy?
Generate new ideas
Invest in human, capital and natural resources
Willing to take risks
Help countries adapt to changing trends
How long does it take to start a business in Canada?
Average of 5 days World average is 38 days