Chapter 1 Overview Of Canadian Politics Full Test Bank

CHAPTER 1

Overview of Canadian Politics

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is a system of government in which the decision-makers are chosen by the citizens in free and fair elections known as:

a) Autocracy

b) Monarchy

c) Democracy

d) Oligarchy

1. Canadian politics is shaped primarily by which three cleavages?

a) Language, generation, gender

b) Territory, wealth, religion

c) Education, health, housing

d) Geography, ethnicity, ideology

1. With respect to multiculturalism, Canada is often referred to as:

a) A mosaic

b) A melting pot

c) A nation-state

d) A bi-cultural community

1. The legal concept that defines the supremacy of the monarch over the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government is known as ________.

a) federalism

b) rule of law

c) liberalism

d) the Crown

1. What is settler colonialism?

a) The belief that Indigenous institutions, beliefs, practices, and systems of knowledge are superior to those of European settlers

b) The belief in the supremacy of European institutions, customs, and beliefs over those of Indigenous populations

c) The belief that Central Canadian institutions, customs, and beliefs are superior to those of Western Canada

d) The belief that Western Canadian institutions, customs, and beliefs are superior to those of Atlantic Canada

1. Which of the following statements regarding the federal government’s White Paper on Indian Policy (1969) is true?

a) It signalled the intention to dismantle the Indian Act in an effort to assimilate First Nations people into the predominantly European society

b) The Prime Minister argued that converting reserve land to private property and extinguishing treaties would result in fairer treatment of Indigenous people

c) The White Paper faced heavy opposition from Indigenous communities and was ultimately abandoned

d) All of the above

1. The left side of the political spectrum in Canada is typically associated with which political party?

a) Bloc Québécois

b) Liberal Party

c) Conservative Party

d) NDP

1. Many Indigenous peoples refer to North America as ________.

a) Beaver Island

b) Turtle Rock

c) Turtle Island

d) Sparrow Bridge

1. The political tendency that tends to favour lower taxes and a smaller role for the government while supporting traditional social values is found at which end of the political spectrum?

a) Left-wing

b) Top end

c) Right-wing

d) Centre

1. The Idle No More movement is a protest movement that calls upon the federal government to do which of the following?

a) Respect the treaty rights of Indigenous peoples

b) Reform environmental legislation to set stricter limits in greenhouse gas emissions

c) Increase Canada’s commitment to NATO peacekeeping missions

d) None of the above

1. Canadian political institutions have been most heavily influenced by which two countries?

a) United States and France

b) United Kingdom and United States

c) United Kingdom and France

d) Australia and New Zealand

1. Which of the following statements can be applied to the Canadian political system?

a) The government is led by a first minister and a cabinet

b) There is a constitutional monarch, whose representatives exercise power on the advice of first ministers

c) There is a judiciary independent from government influence

d) All of the above

1. Confederation occurred in what year?

a) 1776

b) 1967

c) 1867

d) 1982

1. Passed by the British Parliament in 1867, which of the following became Canada’s central constitutional document?

a) British North America Act

b) Statute of Westminster

c) Indian Act

d) Quebec Act

1. In 1949, the ________ replaced the ________ as the highest court of appeal in Canada.

a) Supreme Court of Canada; Supreme Court of the United Kingdom

b) Superior Court of Quebec; Superior Court of Ontario

c) Supreme Court of the United Kingdom; Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

d) Supreme Court of Canada; Judicial Committee of the Privy Council

1. Before the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s, what was the central political and social institution in Quebec?

a) National Assembly

b) Quebec City Hall

c) Church of England

d) Catholic Church

1. The Canadian constitution was patriated in what year?

a) 1867

b) 1967

c) 1995

d) 1982

1. What is the portion of the Canadian constitution that enshrines the core liberties, entitlements, and rights of citizens called?

a) The Canadian Bill of Rights

b) The Charter of Rights and Freedoms

c) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

d) The British North America Act

1. After the negotiations of the 1970s and early-1980s, the new constitution received support from nearly all provincial governments except which one?

a) Quebec

b) Newfoundland

c) Ontario

d) Alberta

1. The Constitution Act, 1982, contained which two important additions?

a) The Indian Act and an amending formula

b) A “distinct society” clause for Quebec and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

c) The Charter of Rights and Freedoms and an amending formula

d) The Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the North American Free Trade Agreement

1. Which federal transfer program is designed to lessen fiscal disparities among the provinces?

a) Centralization

b) Liberalization

c) Stabilization

d) Equalization

1. What was the decline in the international economy that began in 2008, known as the Great Recession, triggered by?

a) 9/11

b) The collapse of the U.S. housing market

c) The signing of the Canada-US-Mexico Trade Agreement

d) The Quiet Revolution

1. Which of the following is not a major cleavage in Canadian politics?

a) Geography

b) Demography

c) Ideology

d) Class

1. In which era of Canadian politics do the courts become a site for political conflict due to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms?

a) The First Era (1867 to early 1900s)

b) The Second Era (mid-1900s to late 1900s)

c) The Third Era (late 1900s to early 2000s)

d) Before the First Era

1. What was the purpose of the federal government’s White Paper in 1969?

a) To ensure that Quebec would remain in Canada

b) To dismantle the Indian Act and assimilate Indigenous People

c) To facilitate stronger trade relations with the United States

d) To address growing concerns about climate change

1. How many sovereign governments exist within the Canadian federation?

a) 1

b) 10

c) 11

d) 14

27. Which of the following statements about Canadian politics is false?

a) Canada is governed by the rule of law.

b) The federal government created the ten provincial governments in 1867.

c) Indigenous people have unique rights.

d) The executive is responsible to the legislative branch.

28. The “mosaic” metaphor is used to describe:

a) federalism in Canada

b) the justice system in Canada

c) multiculturalism in Canada

d) elections in Canada

29. Ideology is:

a) a belief system that defines the way power should be exercised and distributed

b) a governing system that divides power between elected and non-elected officials

c) a governing system that divides power among different orders of government

d) None of the above

30. Left-wing thinkers value:

a) policies that achieve equality for all Canadians

b) a substantial role for government in society and the economy

c) restrictions on law enforcement and military action

d) All of the above

31. Which party is most consistently associated with straddling the political centre?

a) The New Democratic Party

b) The Liberal Party

c) The Conservative Party

d) The Bloc Quebecois

32. Which of the following is not an element of right-wing thinking?

a) lower taxes and debt reduction

b) conformity to traditional social norms

c) support for group rights protections

d) assertive policies for police and military intervention

33. The term “small-l liberal” refers to:

a) a person who supports a particular political party

b) a proponent of equal opportunity

c) a person who votes for a particular political party

d) a libertarian

34. Which of the following political characteristics did Canada not inherit from Britain?

a) common law traditions

b) Westminster parliamentary traditions

c) the left/right ideological spectrum

d) federalism

35. Over time, Canada has been shifting out of the _______ orbit and into the _______ one.

a) American; global

b) British; American

c) French; Russian

d) British; French

36. Which of the following events occurred prior to Confederation?

a) a royal proclamation recognized the self-governing status of First Nations

b) the Northwest Uprisings pushed for Indigenous rights in Manitoba and the Northwest Territories

c) World War I

d) the Quiet Revolution

37. Responsible government means:

a) the prime minister is directly responsible to Canadians

b) the federal government must balance its budget

c) the first minister and cabinet are accountable to the legislature

d) politicians must abide by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

38. Which of the following lasted the longest?

a) the Second World War

b) the Great Depression

c) the residential schools system

d) the mega-constitutional negotiations

39. Which of the following is a reflection of settler colonialism?

a) the Indian Act

b) the residential schools system

c) the hanging of Louis Riel

d) All of the above

40. Which of the following developments occurred most recently?

a) patriation

b) Confederation

c) Truth and Reconciliation Commission

d) Statute of Westminster

41. Which party has governed Canada at the federal level longer than any other party?

a) New Democratic Party

b) Liberal Party

c) Conservative Party

d) Confederation of Regions

42. Which period featured the adoption of the maple leaf flag, the White Paper on Indian Policy, and the Quiet Revolution?

a) the pre-Confederation period

b) the First Era (1867 to early-20^th century)

c) the Second Era (mid- to late-20^th century)

d) the Third Era (the 21^st century)

43. In general, colonial settlement of Canada followed which pattern?

a) west to east

b) east to west

c) north to south

d) coasts to centre

44. Which development is most closely associated with the concept of “cultural genocide”?

a) patriation

b) Confederation

c) residential schools system

d) equalization

45. The debates over the Canadian flag featured conflict between:

a) older Canadians and younger Canadians

b) different regions

c) men and women

d) republicans and monarchists

46. The constitutional patriation process involved:

a) the entrenchment of a Charter of Rights and Freedoms

b) ending the residential schools system

c) abolishing the unelected senate

d) all of the above

47. Which of the following has not been part of the federal government’s approach to reconciliation?

a) an apology for the residential schools system

b) the establishment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission

c) a pledge to dismantle the Indian Act

d) the establishment of a constitutional third order of government to represent Indigenous peoples

48. A division that separates opposing political communities is:

a) a cleavage

b) a mosaic

c) a recession

d) a depression

49. What is the portion of the constitution that enshrines Canadians’ liberties and entitlements vis-à-vis their governments?

a) the principle of responsible government

b) the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

c) the Bill of Rights

d) the equalization formula

50. Which of the following symbols was not in serious consideration by the Pearson government for inclusion in the Canadian flag?

a) the fleur-de-lis

b) the eagle feather

c) the union jack

d) the maple leaf

True or False Questions

1. Citizens choose leaders through free and fair elections in a democracy.

1. Historically, Canada has incorporated institutions and practices from both Great Britain and the United States into its political landscape.
2. From the United States, Canada has inherited its common law and the parliamentary traditions that make it a representative democracy.
3. The four original provinces in Confederation were Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia.
4. The Royal Proclamation of 1763 established the Indian band system in what is now Canada.

1. The New Democratic Party has never formed government at the federal level in Canada.

1. National identity and national unity became the focus of Canadian politics as the country entered the post-war period.
2. The British North America Act, 1867, incorporated an amending formula, or a set of rules that govern how the constitution can be changed.
3. Canada borrowed the federal principle, in part, from the United States.

1. Two key outcomes of the Quiet Revolution were the displacement of the Catholic Church as the central institution in Quebec society and the creation of some of the country’s most progressive social programs.
2. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a part of the Constitution Act, 1982.
3. Settler colonialism, gender, and class have achieved long-term salience as the most prominent cleavages in Canadian politics.
4. In Canada, the political left tends to want restrictions on law enforcement and military action.
5. Over time, Canadian politics has been shifting out the American sphere of influence and into the British one.
6. The decline in the international economy that began in 2008, triggered by the collapse of the U.S. housing market, is known as the Great Recession.
7. The federal government’s White Paper on Indian Policy, 1969, sought to assimilate First Nations people into the broader, predominantly European society by dismantling the Indian Act.
8. Canada has a self-image as a multicultural mosaic.

1. The prime minister is elected directly by the people of Canada.
2. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission brought an end to settler colonialism in Canada.

1. Right-wingers want government to be active in promoting the public good through expansive social programs and state control of the economy.
2. Left-wing ideology advocates for lower taxes and debt reduction.
3. The term “distinct society” refers to the unique cultural impact of Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.
4. Canada is governed by the rule of law, which means that all Canadians are subject to the same legal treatment regardless of their status.
5. The Canadian federation consists of 11 sovereign governments.
6. The arrival of responsible government in Canada meant that the Crown’s role was removed from the constitution.
7. According to some historians, Indigenous institutions, like those of the Haudenosaunee, served as models for settler governments when it came to advancing cultural accommodation.

1. Canadian democracy has always been conducted along geographic lines.
2. Feminism transcends left-wing thinking; some people on the political right support feminist values.
3. The Conservative Party of Canada has been in power in Ottawa more than any other party.
4. The forces of decentralization ensure that the federal government has the authority to devise and impose common standards for essential programs like health care.

Short Answer Questions

1. Identify four key dimensions that differentiate left- and right-wing ideology in Canada.

1. What are two important features of the British North America Act, 1867?
2. Explain the significance of the Indian Act, 1876, and briefly identify how its legacy is still experienced today.
3. Is Canada’s political system highly centralized or highly decentralized? Provide an example to support your position.
4. Identify and state the significance of the Quiet Revolution.  
5. What was the purpose of the White Paper on Indian Policy, 1969, and what was the response from Indigenous leaders and communities at the time?

1. Describe at least four of the core institutional features of the Canadian political system.

1. Explain how Canada’s geography defines its politics.
2. On the topic of feminism, how do the left-wing and right-wing differ?
3. Situate the Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, and the New Democratic Party on the left-right political spectrum.
4. Why was the Royal Proclamation of 1763 a turning point in modern Canadian history?

1. What is meant by the term “jurisdiction” and how does it factor into Canadian politics?
2. What are some of the ways that American influence is felt in Canadian politics?
3. What new geographic divisions have emerged during the Third Era (late 1900s-early 2000s) of Canadian politics?
4. What are the differences between small-l and big-L Liberals and small-c and Big-C Conservatives?

Essay Questions

1. Canadian politics is often understood in terms of cleavages. Identify and explain the core cleavages that have been most salient in Canada’s political development. How do these cleavages impact political decision-making in Canada, and why might they overshadow others?
2. How are Canada’s historical connections with both Great Britain and the United States still significant to Canadian politics today?
3. Given what you have read to this point, should Indigenous politics be treated as a separate component of Canadian politics (e.g., as a separate chapter in a textbook)? Or should Indigenous politics be taught as an integral part of all elements of Canadian politics (e.g., woven through each chapter of the textbook)? Defend your response with examples.