The Power of the Vote: I want to be HEARD!!!! Grade 8 takes a look at POLITICS !!!!!!

What is politics? The way in which we organize ourselves so that we may live in peace and security. The way in which we organize ourselves so that we may live in peace and security. Politics is the way that we balance out the differences between different groups in society. Politics is the way that we balance out the differences between different groups in society.

Democracy  Government by the people  People may participate in how they are governed

Canada- 3 types of government  Federal Government  Based in Ottawa to deal with national concerns  A few responsibilities of the Federal govt.:  Defence  international trade

… the Provincial Govt.  Address the concerns of the province  Responsible for such things as:  Education  Hospitals  Health-care

&… Municipal Govt.  Look after cities and towns under the direction and authority of the provincial govt.  Responsible for such things as:  Fire protection  Garbage collection  Street cleaning  Collecting property taxes

Ridings or Constituencies  An area that is represented in Parliament  Members of Parliament (MPs) are representatives at the Federal level  MLA’s, or Members of the Legislative Assembly, are representatives at the Provincial level. In Newfoundland and Labrador they are called Members of the House of Assembly (MHAs)  Representatives at the Municipal level are called councillors.  All of the representatives make decisions based on the needs and wishes of their constituents- the people who live in their riding.

What is an election?  The process of voting for representatives, open in Canada to all citizens 18 and older  “Candidates” are people who run in an election, hoping to be the elected representative for the riding  We will have an election if all goes well!!

The Party System  A political party is a group formed by a group of people who have similar views on public issues.  We have 3 major political parties in the Atlantic region, can you name all 3?

Political Party  A group formed by individuals who have similar views on public issues.

 By acting as a group, rather than as individuals, they have a stronger voice.

 In our region, the most influential parties have been the Liberals, The Progressive Conservative (PC), and the New Democratic Party (NDP).

 After an election, the party with the greatest number of successful candidates forms the government.

 The party with the second most candidates forms the official opposition.

 It is the job of the Official Opposition to act as critic to what the government does. It makes sure that political promises are kept in order.

 In NB, there are 55 ridings represented in Parliament. For each of these ridings, there is a seat available in the legislature.

 Of these 55, the PC won 25 and the Liberals won 29. There is one vacant seat. In this case, the Liberal party holds more seats (just) than the total opposition. This is called a MAJORITY government.  When the parties meet in Legislature, they debate issues brought up by their constituents.

 But sometimes they just don’t get along….

 In order to decide on what to do, all representatives are asked to vote on the issues. The party with the most votes wins the debate! How would the number of these seats influence the vote? (PC = 25, Lib = 29, Vacant = 1)

Because the Liberals won a majority government, they have the power to win every vote they put forward….. …if everybody votes the way the leader asks them to.

 Because of this, each party has what is called the Whip!  The job of the Whip is to take attendance at votes and make sure each member votes according to party line.

 What do you think would happen if the PC had won two more seats, and the Liberals lost two (27, 26, 2)? If this were to happen, the opposition could actually defeat the government. How could this change the way the government runs its debates? Would this be better, in your opinion?

I HOPE YOU GOT ALL YOUR NOTES! I HOPE YOU STUDY ‘EM! THERE WILL BE A TEST...