1. Structure of Canada’s Government
Chapter 9
Counter Points

2. 1. What is the purpose of government ?
a) To impose restrictions upon us.
b) To collect taxes from us.
c) To provide services we cannot easily provide for ourselves.
d) To provide employment for politicians who could not otherwise be gainfully employed.

3. 2. What are two roles performed by government institutions?
a) To provide needed services to and help unify the people.
b) To provide a source of complaint and mutual dissatisfaction for the people.
c) To provide roads and housing for the people.
d) To provide tax collection and distribution for the people.

4. 3. What is one of the more controversial aspects of Canadian government?
a) The role of the Governor.
b) The role of the President.
c) The role of the Senate.
d) The role of the House of Lords.

5. 4. What are three systems of government used by the First Nations?
a) Heredity, ability, open community discussions.
b) Age, strength and other abilities.
c) Wisdom, height and other abilities.
d) Skill in games, hairline, and size of dwelling.

6. 5. The traditions of the First Nations were not formally recorded or written into documents, rather they were part of
a) Oral or spoken traditions.
b) Physical or dance traditions.
c) Warrior or brave traditions.
d) Religious or moral traditions.

7. 6. Where are Canada's methods of decision making rooted?
a) In the traditions of the colonies of Africa.
b) In the traditions of the countries of Asia.
c) In the traditions of the nation states of Europe.
d) In the traditions of the First Nations peoples of Canada.

8. 7. What is the basis of our national and provincial governments?
a) The First Nations hereditary tradition.
b) The French civil code tradition.
c) The Russian communist tradition.
d) The British parliamentary tradition.

9. 8. The principal features of the tradition Canada's governments are based upon are
a) Presidential republicanism and states rights
b) Representation by population and no taxation without representation.
c) Representative democracy and constitutional monarchy.
d) Repressive regimentation and regal prerogative.

10. 9. What does democracy mean?
a) People get the government they deserve.
b) Government by tyranny.
c) Majority rule.
d) Rule by the people.

11. 10. What is direct democracy?
a) Elected representatives vote to make decisions on behalf of citizens.
b) Every eligible citizen participates by voting in all decisions.
c) Citizens direct the king or governor to do as they wish.
d) Eligible citizens are allowed to directly replace their representatives.

12. 11. What is representative democracy?
a) Elected representatives vote to make decisions on behalf of citizens.
b) Every eligible citizen participates by voting in all decisions.
c) Citizens direct the king or governor to do as they wish.
d) Eligible citizens are allowed to directly replace their representatives.

13. 12. What is required for a constitutional monarchy?
a) The presence of a constitution.
b) The recognition of a monarch as head of state.
c) The recognition of a prime minister as head of state.
d) The presence of a monarch and a constitution.

14. 13. Who holds the powers of the Crown in Canada?
a) The Queen and the Governor General.
b) The Queen.
c) The Governor General.
d) The Prime Minister.

15. 14. Which of the following is an example of the power of the Crown?
a) Force the Prime Minister to pass a law through parliament.
b) Call on the army to force the Prime Minister to call an election after five years.
c) Require the Prime Minister to appoint an MP to his cabinet.
d) Refuse the Prime Minister's request to call an election.

16. 15. What is the Canadian Constitution?
a) A simple act of parliament.
b) A single document written in 1867.
c) A variation of the U.S constitution of 1776.
d) The supreme law of the land.

17. 16. Who is exempt from the constitution?
a) The Prime Minister.
b) The Governor General.
c) The Queen.
d) None of the above.

18. 17. When did the constitutional proclamation receive royal assent?
a) July 1, 1867.
b) April 17, 1982.
c) December 25, 1979.
d) April 11, 1983.

19. 18. What happens to a law that is inconsistent with the constitution?
a) It is automatically deemed to be consistent with the constitution.
b) It is declared invalid.
c) It is still considered a valid law of the land.
d) It will become the lyrics to the latest Shania Twain song.

20. 19. What was the original part of the written part of the constitution called when it was drafted?
a) Constitution of Canada
b) Constitution Act of 1867
c) Canada Act
d) British North America Act

21. 20. All of the following powers were set out in the written constitution drafted in 1867 EXCEPT
a) Powers of the prime minister.
b) Powers of the provincial and federal governments.
c) Powers of the monarch.
d) Powers of the representatives of citizens.

22. 21. All of the following are main parts of the amended Constitution of 1982 EXCEPT
a) Powers of provincial legislatures and Parliament
b) Charter of Rights.
c) Bill of Rights.
d) Amending formula.

23. 22. What part of our constitution is made up of numerous customs, laws and statutes that are a part of British tradition?
a) Unwritten constitution.
b) Written constitution.
c) Amending Formula.
d) Charter of Rights.

24. 23. Why did Canada adopt a federal system of government in 1867?
a) Because Canada East would not agree to a unified government.
b) Because Canada West would not agree to a unified government.
c) Because none of the colonies would give up their autonomy completely to a central government.
d) Because the United States had a federal system of government and the new country of Canada wanted to be just like the United States.

25. 24. Which of the following is a federal responsibility as set in the Constitution Act of 1867?
a) Education.
b) Criminal Law.
c) Highways.
d) Health Services.

26. 25. Which of the following is a provincial responsibility as set out in the Constitution Act of 1867?
a) Immigration.
b) Marriage and divorce law.
c) Education.
d) Criminal Law.

27. 26. Which of the following is a shared responsibility as set out in the Constitution Act of 1867?
a) Immigration.
b) Aboriginal affairs.
c) Postal services.
d) Highways.

28. 27. What level of government is assigned residual powers in the Constitution Act of 1867?
a) Federal.
b) Provincial.
c) Shared between federal and provincial.
d) Municipal.

29. 28. What level of government determines the decision making authority of municipalities?
a) Municipal governments.
b) Provincial governments.
c) Federal government.
d) Student Council governments.

30. 29. Using Figure 9-7 on page 226 identify the correct order of levels of government for the activities (a), (b), and (c).
a) (a) municipal, (b) provincial, (c) federal.
b) (a) provincial, (b) municipal, (c) federal.
c) (a) provincial, (b) federal, (c) municipal.
d) (a) federal, (b) municipal, (c) provincial.

31. 30. What are the three branches of government?
a) Senate, Commons, Supreme Court.
b) Legislative, Executive, Judicial.
c) Supreme Court, Cabinet, Parliament.
d) The Queen, the artist formerly known as Prince, and Camilla Parker Bowles.

32. 31. Which of the three branches of government has the power to make laws?
a) Supreme Court.
b) Executive.
c) Governor General.
d) Legislative.

33. 32. Which of the three branches of government has the power to interpret the laws?
a) Congressional.
b) Judicial.
c) Legislative.
d) Executive.

34. 33. How often must Parliament meet?
a) Once a year.
b) Once a month.
c) Once a quarter of a year.
d) Once upon a time.

35. 34. What happens during question period?
a) All MPs question the Prime Minister and his Cabinet about their actions and proposed legislation.
b) Opposition parties challenge the government's actions and raise issues they feel the government needs to address.
c) Any citizen can address a question to the government concerning any proposed legislation that is currently before the House.
d) The Prime Minister poses questions to the Opposition MPs regarding their dereliction of duties.

36. 35. What is a sound bite?
a) A ruling of the Speaker of the House or Senate on a procedural issue.
b) Short video or audio clip usually derived from question period.
c) A painful ear piercing experience.
d) A logical section of legislation.

37. 36. What is a riding or constituency?
a) A region represented by a Senator.
b) A Calgary Stampede event in which MPs must stay on a bull for 8 seconds.
c) A geographic area containing about 100,000 citizens that elects one MP.
d) A municipal or rural area of approximately 100 hectares containing 10,000 citizens used in federal elections.

38. 37. When are elections called for the House of Commons?
a) Every four years.
b) Every five years, unless the Governor General decides on an earlier date.
c) Every five years, unless the Prime Minister decides on an earlier date.
d) Every time a member of the Royal family gets a divorce.

39. 38. How many of the seats in the House of Commons come from Ontario and Quebec?
d) All.

40. 39. Who oversees the impartial operation of the House of Commons?
a) Prime Minister.
b) Speaker.
c) Official Leader of the Opposition.
d) Governor General.

41. 40. What is a caucus?
a) One of the mountains in the chain that separates European Russia from Asian Russia.
b) A secret meeting of all elected MPs belonging to the same party.
c) A secret meeting of the Cabinet.
d) An open debate among MPs about proposed bills.

42. 41. Who becomes the official leader of the opposition?
a) The leader of the party with the most MPs from outside Ontario and Quebec.
b) The leader with the most MPs from Quebec.
c) The leader of the party with the second largest number of MPs.
d) The leader of the backbenchers.

43. 42. What problem faces MPs regarding party solidarity in voting?
a) Whether to follow the party leader's directions or leave the party?
b) Where does an MP's first loyalty lie -- with the party or the constituents?
c) Where to sit in the House of Commons -- with his party or his provincial colleagues?
d) Whether to attend the Christmas party with his fellow MPs or not.

44. 43. What is a free vote?
a) It allows MPs to vote according to the Party's direction.
b) It allows MPs to vote according to what they think is best.
c) It allows MPs to vote according to the Party position.
d) It allows MPs to vote according to the Prime Minister's direction.

45. 44. When are free votes used?
a) Frequently, on all moral issues that are before the House.
b) Rarely, usually only on moral issues that are before the House.
c) Frequently, on any issues that are before the House.
d) Rarely, usually on only financial issues that are before the House.

46. 45. Who sits on the right hand side of the speaker?
a) The prime minister, Cabinet and governing party.
b) The leader of the opposition, shadow cabinet, and opposition parties.
c) The MPs whose names start with letters from A-M.
d) The MPs with the most seniority in the House.

47. 46. Approximately what percentage of the total seats in the House of Commons represent the two central Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec?
a) 33%
b) 50%
c) 60%
d) 75?

48. 47. Which of the following is NOT required to become a Senator?
a) At least $4000 worth of property.
b) Winning the election for a Senate seat.
c) At least thirty years of age.
d) Residence in the territory they represent.

49. 48. Approximately what percentage of the Senate seats belong to central Canada (Ontario and Quebec)?

50. 49. What is patronage?
a) A recognition of qualifications.
b) A form of equal opportunity employment.
c) A form of reward for loyalty and support.
d) A recognition of justice being served.

51. 50. Why do some view the Senate as not truly representative?
a) Not all provinces and territories are represented in the Senate.
b) There are no female Senators.
c) Almost all members of the Senate are members of the governing political party.
d) Almost all members of the Senate come from middle or upper levels of society.