1. House of Commons: the primary governing body in Canada.
2. Senate: a secondary governing body in Canada.
3. Riding: zone containing voters.
4. Constituency: those in the riding who can vote.
5. Electorate: collectively, all those who can vote.
6. Governor General: queen’s representative in Canada.
7. Lieutenant Governor: queen’s representative in a province.
8. Mace: symbol of power (looks like a stick, but much fancier).
Senate Mace
9. Parliament: where the representatives meet to make laws and govern.
10. Republic: a system of governing that has built in checks and balances so that no one body has too much power. There is often a president and other body (bodies) that govern.
11. Cabinet: ministers who meet with the Prime Minister and are responsible for important departments (ex: military, health and welfare).
12. Monarchy: rule by a king or queen (maybe just in title).
13. Seats: places reserved for people who were elected to Parliament or to the provincial legislature.
14. Minority government: rule by a party that did not quite get the majority of votes. Example: total seats available: 65
Liberals: 32 Conservatives: 22 New Democrats: 11
If the Liberals join with the New Democrats they would have the majority of seats. The coalition government (i.e., two parties work together) would be called a Liberal minority government.
15. Balance of power: in the above example, the New Democrats would hold the balance of power.
16. Majority government: the party that won more than 50% of the vote.
17. Federalism: provinces or states that work together with an overriding authority or government. (the provinces work with the government in Ottawa).
18. Portfolio: the position the minister holds. All the information related to the minister’s office.
19. Congress: the place where two governing bodies meet in America: the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
20. House of Representatives: another of the governing bodies in America.
21. Whip: the person responsible for reminding the members of their party to vote, reminding party members to appear at press conferences, finding places for party members to have offices.
22. Primaries, really known as Primary Election: a method by which a political party chooses its nominees for public office. Winners of primary elections run against nominees of other parties in the general election.
23. Inaugural speech: the address the president gives to accept the office of President of the United States of America. He swears an oath of allegiance to America and to obey its constitution.
24. to summon Parliament: to call Parliament to order.
25. to prorogue Parliament: to call a recess in Parliament.
26. to dissolve Parliament: to end Parliament and call for elections.
27. By-election: a mini-election to replace an elected official who has died or resigned.
28. Lobby group: a group of people who promote their own interests by trying to influence people in power by meeting with them, or communicating with them in some way.
29. The Speaker: the person who maintains order in Parliament. She or he is to be non-partisan in their behaviour (i.e., does not favor her or his own political party). The Speaker maintains rules which have no specific party loyalty.
30. Mandate: permission to fulfill the promises made by a political party. The voters give the winning party this permission by voting for the political party.
31. Back benchers: people of a party who do not hold an important post in the government.
32. Budget: the government’s plan to earn, spend or save money.
33. Executive branch: deals with the leaders of the government.
34. Legislative branch: that part of the government which makes laws and Bills.
35. Judicial Branch (Judiciary): deals with specific cases to see if the law has been broken or not. It also deals with questions related to the constitution.
36. Session: the term used to indicate that Parliamentarians are at work.
37. Ballot: the paper one marks on to indicate one’s choice of candidates during an election.
38. Bi-cameral: a system of government having two governing bodies. In Canada these are the Senate and the House of Commons.
39. Pundit: an expert who comments on things political.
40. Spin doctor: one who talks in such a way as to make a bad situation look good or positive.
41. Veto (Latin = I forbid): the power to stop an action from happening in government. The president of the US has it, the Prime Minister does not.
42. Transfer payments: money sent from the federal level to the provincial level. This is a way for the richer provinces to help out the poorer ones.
43. Cabinet Shuffle: changing members that form an inner circle of advisors with the party leader.
44. fiscal: relating to financial matters; The fiscal year is the 12 month period in which many governmental transactions take place.
45. expenditures: the money the government gives out for things it needs or wants.
46. Memeber of Parliament = the person who is elected from your riding to represent you in Ottawa.
47. a primary is an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention.
48. a Caucus: a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy; also : a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause
2. Senate: a secondary governing body in Canada.
3. Riding: zone containing voters.
4. Constituency: those in the riding who can vote.
5. Electorate: collectively, all those who can vote.
6. Governor General: queen’s representative in Canada.
7. Lieutenant Governor: queen’s representative in a province.
8. Mace: symbol of power (looks like a stick, but much fancier).
Senate Mace
9. Parliament: where the representatives meet to make laws and govern.
10. Republic: a system of governing that has built in checks and balances so that no one body has too much power. There is often a president and other body (bodies) that govern.
11. Cabinet: ministers who meet with the Prime Minister and are responsible for important departments (ex: military, health and welfare).
12. Monarchy: rule by a king or queen (maybe just in title).
13. Seats: places reserved for people who were elected to Parliament or to the provincial legislature.
14. Minority government: rule by a party that did not quite get the majority of votes. Example: total seats available: 65
Liberals: 32 Conservatives: 22 New Democrats: 11
If the Liberals join with the New Democrats they would have the majority of seats. The coalition government (i.e., two parties work together) would be called a Liberal minority government.
15. Balance of power: in the above example, the New Democrats would hold the balance of power.
16. Majority government: the party that won more than 50% of the vote.
17. Federalism: provinces or states that work together with an overriding authority or government. (the provinces work with the government in Ottawa).
18. Portfolio: the position the minister holds. All the information related to the minister’s office.
19. Congress: the place where two governing bodies meet in America: the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
20. House of Representatives: another of the governing bodies in America.
21. Whip: the person responsible for reminding the members of their party to vote, reminding party members to appear at press conferences, finding places for party members to have offices.
22. Primaries, really known as Primary Election: a method by which a political party chooses its nominees for public office. Winners of primary elections run against nominees of other parties in the general election.
23. Inaugural speech: the address the president gives to accept the office of President of the United States of America. He swears an oath of allegiance to America and to obey its constitution.
24. to summon Parliament: to call Parliament to order.
25. to prorogue Parliament: to call a recess in Parliament.
26. to dissolve Parliament: to end Parliament and call for elections.
27. By-election: a mini-election to replace an elected official who has died or resigned.
28. Lobby group: a group of people who promote their own interests by trying to influence people in power by meeting with them, or communicating with them in some way.
29. The Speaker: the person who maintains order in Parliament. She or he is to be non-partisan in their behaviour (i.e., does not favor her or his own political party). The Speaker maintains rules which have no specific party loyalty.
30. Mandate: permission to fulfill the promises made by a political party. The voters give the winning party this permission by voting for the political party.
31. Back benchers: people of a party who do not hold an important post in the government.
32. Budget: the government’s plan to earn, spend or save money.
33. Executive branch: deals with the leaders of the government.
34. Legislative branch: that part of the government which makes laws and Bills.
35. Judicial Branch (Judiciary): deals with specific cases to see if the law has been broken or not. It also deals with questions related to the constitution.
36. Session: the term used to indicate that Parliamentarians are at work.
37. Ballot: the paper one marks on to indicate one’s choice of candidates during an election.
38. Bi-cameral: a system of government having two governing bodies. In Canada these are the Senate and the House of Commons.
39. Pundit: an expert who comments on things political.
40. Spin doctor: one who talks in such a way as to make a bad situation look good or positive.
41. Veto (Latin = I forbid): the power to stop an action from happening in government. The president of the US has it, the Prime Minister does not.
42. Transfer payments: money sent from the federal level to the provincial level. This is a way for the richer provinces to help out the poorer ones.
43. Cabinet Shuffle: changing members that form an inner circle of advisors with the party leader.
44. fiscal: relating to financial matters; The fiscal year is the 12 month period in which many governmental transactions take place.
45. expenditures: the money the government gives out for things it needs or wants.
46. Memeber of Parliament = the person who is elected from your riding to represent you in Ottawa.
47. a primary is an election in which qualified voters nominate or express a preference for a particular candidate or group of candidates for political office, choose party officials, or select delegates for a party convention.
48. a Caucus: a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy; also : a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause
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