Deck 1: Overview of Canadian Politics

Question 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

Answer 1

C

Question 2

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

Answer 2

D

Question 3

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

Answer 3

A

Question 4

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

Question 5

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

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

Question 8

Many Indigenous peoples refer to North America as ________.

A) Beaver Island
B) Turtle Rock
C) Turtle Island
D) Sparrow Bridge

Question 9

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

Question 10

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

Question 11

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

Question 12

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

Question 13

Confederation occurred in what year?

A) 1776
B) 1967
C) 1867
D) 1982

Question 14

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

Question 15

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

Question 16

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

Question 17

The Canadian constitution was patriated in what year?

A) 1867
B) 1967
C) 1995
D) 1982

Question 18

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

Question 19

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

Question 20

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

Question 21

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

A) Centralization
B) Liberalization
C) Stabilization
D) Equalization

Question 22

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

Question 23

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

A) Geography
B) Demography
C) Ideology
D) Class

Question 24

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

Question 25

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

Question 26

How many sovereign governments exist within the Canadian federation?

A) 1
B) 10
C) 11
D) 14

Question 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.

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 40

Which of the following developments occurred most recently?

A) patriation
B) Confederation
C) Truth and Reconciliation Commission
D) Statute of Westminster

Question 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

Question 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)

Question 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

Question 44

Which development is most closely associated with the concept of "cultural genocide"?

A) patriation
B) Confederation
C) residential schools system
D) equalization

Question 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

Question 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

Question 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

Question 48

A division that separates opposing political communities is:

A) a cleavage
B) a mosaic
C) a recession
D) a depression

Question 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

Question 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

Question 51

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

Question 52

Historically, Canada has incorporated institutions and practices from both Great Britain and the United States into its political landscape.

Question 53

From the United States, Canada has inherited its common law and the parliamentary traditions that make it a representative democracy.

Question 54

The four original provinces in Confederation were Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia.

Question 55

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 established the Indian band system in what is now Canada.

Question 56

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

Question 57

National identity and national unity became the focus of Canadian politics as the country entered the post-war period.

Question 58

The British North America Act, 1867, incorporated an amending formula, or a set of rules that govern how the constitution can be changed.

Question 59

Canada borrowed the federal principle, in part, from the United States.

Question 60

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.

Question 61

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a part of the Constitution Act, 1982.

Question 62

Settler colonialism, gender, and class have achieved long-term salience as the most prominent cleavages in Canadian politics.

Question 63

In Canada, the political left tends to want restrictions on law enforcement and military action.

Question 64

Over time, Canadian politics has been shifting out the American sphere of influence and into the British one.

Question 65

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.

Question 66

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.

Question 67

Canada has a self-image as a multicultural mosaic.

Question 68

The prime minister is elected directly by the people of Canada.

Question 69

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission brought an end to settler colonialism in Canada.

Question 70

Right-wingers want government to be active in promoting the public good through expansive social programs and state control of the economy.

Question 71

Left-wing ideology advocates for lower taxes and debt reduction.

Question 72

The term "distinct society" refers to the unique cultural impact of Canada's Indigenous Peoples.

Question 73

Canada is governed by the rule of law, which means that all Canadians are subject to the same legal treatment regardless of their status.

Question 74

The Canadian federation consists of 11 sovereign governments.

Question 75

The arrival of responsible government in Canada meant that the Crown's role was removed from the constitution.

Question 76

According to some historians, Indigenous institutions, like those of the Haudenosaunee, served as models for settler governments when it came to advancing cultural accommodation.

Question 77

Canadian democracy has always been conducted along geographic lines.

Question 78

Feminism transcends left-wing thinking; some people on the political right support feminist values.

Question 79

The Conservative Party of Canada has been in power in Ottawa more than any other party.

Question 80

The forces of decentralization ensure that the federal government has the authority to devise and impose common standards for essential programs like health care.