Social 30-1
Welcome to Chapter 10!
On a scale from 1 to 10, you guessed it,
It’s a 10!
Housekeeping
• We need to talk about the test.
• Please get those ideology review assignments in!
• Keep in mind, you have an in-class essay on the 27th.
• Also, it has come to my attention that some of you
have been making a lot of noise as you leave my class
“after class”.
• It has also come to Mr. Kinnell’s attention, who brought
it to my attention.
• So, it ENDS!
Review
• Well, here is your study guide. Let’s go over it
briefly.
• More Review:
– What are two reasons we discussed to impose
liberalism?
– Why is it that liberalism doesn’t work in some
situations that it is imposed?
Chapter 10
Political Challenges to Liberalism
Words
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•
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Democracy
Direct Democracy
Representative Democracy
Responsible Government
Democracy
• A form of government in which the power
rests with the people.
Let’s get to it!
Formation of a Democracy.
How does a democracy determine what is best
for the people and what the people actually
want?
Let’s talk about some ways this can be
determined.
The Will of the People
• What happened to the following:
– Louis Monarchy in France.
– Hitler’s Facist Government.
– Satlin’s Totalitarian Russia.
– What do they have in common?
Continued
• The governments we talked about all fail to
listen to the public.
• These leaders believe that they know best.
• Democracy, on the other hand, is based on
government by the people, for the people.
• But, how do we know what the people want?
Voting and Elections
• The party or person with the most votes leads
the government.
• In Canada the only requirements you need to
vote are that you are a Canadian Citizen and
are 18 years of age or older.
• Elections Canada is a non-partisan
organization that ensures that all elections are
free and democratic.
Direct Democracy
• People participate directly.
• People are directly responsible for decisions
made, laws, etc…
• What is good about this?
• What are some cons?
Representative Democracy
• Citizens elect representatives that reflect
personal ideas and opinions.
• Ideas are debated by different levels of
government.
• Some times Direct democracy is used.
• (Such as Referendums.)
• Again, what are some pros and cons of this?
Rep by Pop
• Representation by Population.
• Each person has one vote and each
representative should represent equal
numbers of people.
• The areas are broke into districts.
• However, this may make some areas stronger
then other. Think about Ontario or Quebec VS.
PEI or Newfoundland.
First Past the Post
• The first person to achieve a certain number
of votes wins the election.
Proportional Representation
• Depending on the number of votes each party
receives they get a representation in
Government.
Arguments
 Pro:
 More accurately reflects the voice of the people.
1. Cons:

This may cause majority or Coalition governments,
which are less effective then Majority Governments.
Party Politics
• Organizations of people who share similar
beliefs, values, and concerns, and whose goal
is to have its candidates elected as
representatives.
Other Parties
Political Solidarity
• The idea that all members of a political party
should be loyal to and support the party.
• Vote accordingly to the party’s position.
The party in power can be forced to
resign or call an election if:
• It loses a vote on the budget, taxation, or
overall government spending.
• A vote of non-confidence, government is
rejected by a majority.
This is what party solidarity is in imposed.
Free Vote
• A special vote in which representatives are
free to vote by their own values and note tied
to the party.
Accountability
• No matter how we form the government or
which party takes power, they are held
accountable to the people.
• We have freedom of the press and all
government debates are done in Public.
• They can also use referendums and plebasites.
• Referendum:
– A form of direct democracy, people have a special
vote in which all eligible citizens vote on a issue
put to them by government. Such as the Quebec
referendum to leave confederation.
• Plebiscite:
– A direct vote by citizens on an issue so that the
government can determine the public’s wishes.
Consensus Decision Making
• A form of election in which people
compromise.
• They talk and share ideas until a solution is
found that makes all happy.
Interest Groups
• These groups look to influence elected
officials.
• They encourage legislation that promotes a
particular ideology.
Wow, that’s it
Tomorrow:
Canadian and American Style of Government.