Key words
Party Solidarity: Enforced requirement in which all members of a party votes
with the party.
Democracy: All aspects of governing policies directly or indirectly decided by
the people of the country.
Direct Democracy: Form of government in which people has direct votes/says
on a country’s operating decisions.
Referendum: Citizens voting directly on whether or not to accept a proposed
piece of legislation, voting for or against.
Initiative: The policy in which if a petition started by the citizens was signed by
a certain number of supporters, it can force a public vote on the issue.
Single-member Constituency: Single representative of each electoral district
(or riding), attends to the House of Commons federal government assemblies in
Ottawa.
Bicameral: The practice of having two chambers/branches in one legislative
body.
Separation of Powers: Act of dividing government power into three branches
of legislative, judicial, and executive.
Checks and Balances: Government power policy that make sure no one branch
gets too much power, commonly represented by one branch having authority
over a critical duty involved with another branch.
Tyranny of the Majority: Concerns regarding to the fact that the will of the
majorities may be forcefully imposed on the minorities, at the potential of
violating other liberal principles.
- Ex. The recognition of same-sex marriage in 2005, where the government
refused to host a referendum for the general public to voice their opinions,
and thus possibly alter the decision of the recognition.
Oligarchy: The condition in which the controlling power of a country are held in
the hands of a small group of people/organization.
One-Party States: The practice in which only one party forms the government,
and candidates from other parties are prohibited to run for election.
Monarchy: Form of government in which the head of the country is of monarch
status.
, Military Dictatorship: Form of government in which the political power
governs along the military forces. Examples of this can be seen in countries like
Africa and the Middle East.
Propaganda: Set of media/indoctrinating expressions that advocates/seeks to
influence the public with a certain perspective/ideology. An example would be
Hitler’s photographs in Nazi Germany.
Show Trial: Show casing trials of Stalin’s potential power threats, although the
victims are innocent and refuses to “confess”, they are deemed to be guilty and
punished.
Canadian Government
- Adopts a democratic and responsible government
- A government (single or allied parties) can be forced to resign or call an
election if:
o Loses vote on an appropriation, taxation, or the annual budget bills
o Motion of confidence in the party rejected by majority vote
o Motion of non-confidence passed by majority vote
Government by the Will of People
- An idealized form of government where each individual citizen’s
participation and inviolability is considered in government performances
- Most democracies, however, reaches short on this goal to some degrees,
and the will of people will not directly impact the government system
Direct Democracy: All voter’s votes taken into consideration directly on a
public matter or decision, where the public vote directly impacts the result
played out.
Advantages Disadvantages
- Maximum accuracy and weight - Forms of democracy may be
of the will of each individual misused at the people’s will, and