SOCIAL STUDIES 30-1
TEACHER’S GUIDE TO
THE CURRICULUM
Draft Edition
Created by the Social Department for Christ the Redeemer
School Division
Holy Cross Collegiate, Holy Trinity Academy, Notre Dame
Collegiate, Our Lady of the Snows, St. Anthony’s School, St.
Joe’s School
2009
Social Studies 30-1
Key Issue: To what extent should we embrace an ideology?
Related Issue 1
To what extent should ideology be the foundation of identity?
General Outcome
Students will explore the relationship between identity and ideology.
Specific Outcomes
�Knowledge and Understanding
Students will:
1.3 explore factors that may influence individual and collective beliefs and values (culture,
language,media, relationship to land, environment, gender, religion, spirituality, ideology) (I, C,
LPP)
Key Terms:
Ideology: contains individual beliefs about ideas about human nature; systematic set of beliefs that
provides a fairly thorough picture of the world that a group of people accept as true; influenced by
culture, language, media, relationship to land, environment, gender, religion, spirituality (Perspectives on
Ideologies 2 - 100)
Individualism: a value held by supporters of a political/economic system that allows the individual goals
to be emphasized over the needs of society (Perspectives on Ideologies 12 – 13, 16 – 17, 62 – 96, 507)
Collectivism: a value held in which the interests of the group/state outweigh those of the individual.
(Perspectives on Ideologies 12 – 13, 15, 62 – 96)
Sources:
(1.3, 1.5)
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=dJqSsrFDiSA - INTRO - Individualism vs Collectivism (1.3) – great
introduction to the course overall
Source: http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/WeightoftheWorld-X.gif
Could also be used for 1.6
1.4 examine historic and contemporary expressions of individualism and collectivism (I, C, LPP,
TCC)
Key Terms:
Historic expressions of individualism: theory of laissez-faire economics, underpinned by Adam
Smith’s economic theory of the invisible hand (Perspectives on Ideologies 65 – 70)
Contemporary expressions of individualism: politically correct language, non-gender specific
language (Perspectives on Ideologies 87 – 89)
Historic expressions of collectivism: theory of communism (Perspectives on Ideologies 66 – 67)
Contemporary expressions of collectivism: Amish, Dukhobors, Hutterites. (Perspectives on Ideologies
374, 377 – 380)
Sources:
http://www.freedomkeys.com/collectivism.htm
This site includes a variety of quotations from philosophers, authors, and political theorists.
(1.3, 1.4)
1.5 examine the characteristics of ideology (interpretations of history, beliefs about human nature,
beliefs about the structure of society, visions for the future) (TCC, PADM, LPP)
Key Terms:
Interpretations of History: Communist ideology says that history is a progression of class struggles;
Classic Liberal interpretation of history looks at a linear progression towards political perfection (utopia)
(Perspectives on Ideologies 50)
Beliefs about human nature: The fundamental beliefs about human nature will guide all other
ideological beliefs – are individuals basically good as John Locke believed or basically flawed as Thomas
Hobbes (a theorist of conservatism) argued. (Perspectives on Ideologies 7 – 8, 10 – 12, 16, 18, 40, 49)
Beliefs about the structure of society: Is there a God given structure/order to society? Liberals and
Communists believed that there was a progression towards complete perfection. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 49 – 50)
Visions of the Future: All ideologies believe that if societies followed their beliefs structure, progress
would result. This would inevitable result in a utopian future. Culture, religion, language etc. all impact
the vision of the future. (Perspectives on Ideologies 50)
Sources:
Source: http://massthink.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/ideology-strategy-game.jpg
1.6 explore themes of ideologies (nation, class, relationship to land, environment, religion,
progressivism) (TCC, PADM, LPP)
Key Terms:
Nation: Nation is a collective concept. Nation as a theme of ideology would support working towards the
collective good. There is less emphasis on individual rights and more emphasis on working for the
nation. This is conservative ideology. (Perspectives on Ideologies 51)
Class: Marx uses class struggle as an underlying foundation to identify his communist ideology.
Relationship to land: Defining a nation can be a national identity or an identity defined by territory.
Individualism can be tied to land through private ownership, or the nation can own all the land as a
collective as in the ideology of socialism or communism. (Perspectives on Ideologies 51)
Environment: Current surge in environmental movement is affecting environmental policies which
influence political and economic government policies.
Religion: Liberal beliefs of freedom can be limited by religion. Fundamentalist movements can control
government decisions and prevent the separation of church and state. Even in a democracy, religion can
play a factor in ideology.
Progressivism: Liberalism and progressivism still support many of the same policies, but progressives
support interventionism economic policies, income redistribution through taxation, and limiting the
influence of corporations. (Perspectives on Ideologies 51, 143, 199 – 200)
1.7 analyze individualism as a foundation of ideology (principles of liberalism: individual rights and
freedoms, self-interest, competition, economic freedom, rule of law, private property)
(PADM, ER, C)
Key Terms:
Liberalism: Considers individual liberty and equality of opportunity to be the most important political
goals. Liberals argue that economic systems based on free markets are more efficient and generate more
prosperity.
Individual rights and Freedom: within the limits of society defined by the rule of law, are the
foundation of liberalism. (Perspectives on Ideologies 72 – 74, 107, 370 – 376)
Self interests: Through liberalism you are guaranteed the right to pursue personal gain (personal
initiative). (Perspectives on Ideologies 78 – 79, 112, 319)
Competition: Laissez-faire economics state that competition is paramount to the individual rights of the
consumer. (Perspectives on Ideologies 78 – 79)
Economic Freedom: Consumers and producers have the right to buy and sell where they wish and to
whom they desire. (Perspectives on Ideologies 78 – 79, 107, 419)
Rule of Law: The belief that no one is above the law. Rule of law is an underlying constitutional
principle requiring government to be conducted according to law and making all public officers
answerable to the laws of the nation. No one is above the law. Rule of law includes the independence of
the judiciary. (Perspectives on Ideologies 71 – 72)
Private Property: Liberal ideology allows for private ownership of property. (Perspectives on Ideologies
74 – 77, 107)
Sources:
Source: http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/ce61.jpg
http://womanhonorthyself.com/wp-admin/images/a-clutoon.jpg
Political Ideology Map
Political ideology diagram, showing anarcho-socialism at the upper left and anarcho-capitalism at the
upper right. The up-down dimension represents the extent of government; the left-right dimension
represents the outward appearance (legal fiction) of property ownership. In theory, both socialism and
capitalism have statist and anti-statist variants. The placement of persons and parties on this graph are
only approximate, and open to debate.
Source: www.ozarkia.net/bill/anarchism/ideomap.html
1.8 analyze collectivism as a foundation of ideology (principles of collectivism: collective
responsibility, collective interest, cooperation, economic equality, adherence to collective norms,
public property) (PADM, ER, C)
Key Terms:
Collective responsibility: The responsibility is to care for the greater good of society before individual
pursuits and self interests. The interests of society supersede individual interests. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 84 – 85)
Collective interest: The best interests of society. (Perspectives on Ideologies 83)
Cooperation: The notion that all stakeholders in society must work together for the best interests of
society. (Perspectives on Ideologies 81 – 82, 133)
Economic Equality: Redistribution of wealth through taxation, and income redistribution are
foundational in collectivist principles. (Perspectives on Ideologies 80 – 81, 133)
Adherence to collective norms: Following what society believes to be in its best interests. Collective
norms exist at the social level. (Perspectives on Ideologies 85 – 86)
Public property: The means of production is owned by the state. (Perspectives on Ideologies 82 – 83)
Sources:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=9sJaQNnMlcI
Casino Crash: the end of neo-liberalism?
1.9 analyze the dynamic between individualism and common good in contemporary societies
(PADM, ER, C)
Key Terms:
The notion that as you pursue individualistic goals you will inevitably further society’s interests. (theory
of the invisible hand) (Perspectives on Ideologies 79, 101, 112 – 113, 218)
In contemporary societies the common good is often guided by governments and individual rights are
often subordinated. Especially in times of crisis, individual rights can be sacrificed for the common good.
1.10 evaluate the extent to which personal identity should be shaped by ideologies (I, C)
Key Terms:
Personal identity: the sense of how one refers to who they are and how ethical questions are affected by
personal identity because individuals need autonomy and the right to make their own decisions
(liberalism) (Perspectives on Ideologies 23)
C Citizenship I Identity
ER Economics and Resources LPP The Land: Places and People GC Global Connections
CC Culture and Community PADM Power, Authority and Decision Making TCC Time, Continuity and
Change
Related Issue 2
To what extent is resistance to liberalism justified?
General Outcome
Students will assess impacts of, and reactions to, principles of liberalism.
Specific Outcomes
�Knowledge and Understanding
Students will:
2.4 explore Aboriginal contributions to the development of liberalism (PADM, ER, LPP)
Key Terms:
Through the struggles of Aboriginal thinkers like Louis Riel and the Manitoba Act Metis and Aboriginal
groups have struggled to achieve democratic and language rights in Canada. This brought attention to
issues such as equal rights, equal opportunity and freedom of thought and speech that Aboriginal peoples
are still struggling with today.
Another example was Elijah Harper who blocked the vote for Manitoba to pass the Meech Lake Accord
because Quebec was being granted as a distinct society and Aboriginal people were not.
Phil Fontaine was the mastermind behind having Meech lake Accord blocked in the Manitoba legislature,
he did this because aboriginals were angered that the accord stated “Canada was founded by two nations
England and France” This obviously denied aboriginal legitimacy within Canada and the Accord was
struck down.
But Harper said the budget will put more money into aboriginal housing, on and off reserve, and provide
funding for water treatment.
2.5 examine the relationship between the principles of liberalism and the origins of classical liberal
thought (John Locke, Montesquieu, Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill) (PADM, ER, TCC)
Key Terms:
John Locke – Was opposed to authoritarianism and believed in the use of reason to search after truth
rather than simply accept the opinion of authorities or be subject to superstition (question
ideologies/government and make one’s own decisions and not to be indoctrinated): “All government in
the world is merely the product of force and violence.” Locke was a supporter of majority rule and that
the government had power as long as they represent the will of the people; this power could be revoked if
citizens were not represented in decision making. (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/locke/) (Perspectives
on Ideologies 16 – 17, 108 – 109, 274)
Montesquieu – Despotic governments could be prevented if different bodies exercised legislative,
executive, and judicial power, and in which all those bodies were bound by the rule of law, this served as
a system of checks and balances, where one would not be more powerful than the other. This theory of
the separation of powers had an enormous impact on liberal political theory, and on the framers of the
constitution of the United States of America. People must have the power of choosing their ministers and
senators for themselves. Democratic government makes the laws governing suffrage and voting
fundamental. Democracies can be corrupted in two ways: by what Montesquieu calls "the spirit of
inequality" and "the spirit of extreme equality. (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/montesquieu/)
(Perspectives on Ideologies 108 – 110)
Adam Smith- Believed in the invisible hand, with little government interference. He said do what you
are good at and all of society will benefit. The Wealth of Nations expounds that the free market, while
appearing chaotic and unrestrained, is actually guided to produce the right amount and variety of goods
by a so-called "invisible hand”. Considered the father of modern economics. Rational self-interest in a
free-market economy leads to economic well-being. Prices are to be set by supply and demand and
consumers should regulate he market not government. (Perspectives on Ideologies 79, 101, 112 – 113,
218)
John Mill – Supporter of Laisez faire economics, similar to Adam Smith and believed that these
economics provide the greatest scope for individuals. The overall aim of his philosophy is to develop a
positive view of the universe and the place of humans in it, one which contributes to the progress of
human knowledge, individual freedom and human well-being. Forms of government are to be evaluated
in terms of their capacity to enable each person to exercise and develop in his or her own way their
capacities for higher forms of human happiness. Such development will be an end for each individual, but
also a means for society as whole to develop and to make life better for all. The best kind of beliefs and
actions are those that emerge from the person's own critical assessments, and the best kind of person is the
individual who can provide as required those critical assessments. Democracy and representative
government also contribute to the development of the individual, for much the same reason that free
speech so contributes, and so these too are social institutions that are justified on utilitarian grounds.
(Perspectives on Ideologies 100, 108, 110, 329, 351)
Sources:
Critical Challenge: The Origins of Liberalism
Learnalberta: http://www.learnalberta.ca/Search.aspx?lang=en
Students determine what ideas and conditions were most influential in the development of classical
liberalism.
These activities may be connected to understandings of liberalism or previous learnings about liberalism.
You may wish to refer to Exploring Understandings of Liberalism (Critical Challenge).
2.6 analyze the impacts of classical liberal thought on 19th century society (laissez-faire capitalism,
industrialization, class system, limited government) (PADM, ER, TCC)
Key Terms:
Classical Liberalism (Big L) (19th Century) - Def: A political belief in which primary emphasis is
placed on securing the freedom of the individual by limiting the power of the state. In its economic form,
it advocates a respect for private property and free markets. Governments role is protect liberty and
individual rights of the citizens that elected them and people can form and dissolve governments as they
wish. Classical Liberalism was the ideology of the moderate, constitutional monarch phase of the French
Revolution, which promoted limited government and was based on principles of natural law. This is
often referred to as 19th liberalism. A right of center ideology on the economic spectrum. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 105 – 113, 150, 274 – 277)
20th Century Liberalism (little l) - This is in stark contrast to 19th century liberalism which states – they
do not mind government regulation, helping others out, welfare state idea. Not a violation of any
fundamental right for government to regulate where people work, when they work wages they work for
etc. They do not mind paying a little more tax to help others out. A left of center ideology on the
economic spectrum.
Liberalism wagers that a state... can be strong but constrained – strong because constrained... Rights to
education and other requirements for human development and security aim to advance equal opportunity
and personal dignity and to promote a creative and productive society. To guarantee those rights,
liberals have supported a wider social and economic role for the state, counterbalanced by more
robust guarantees of civil liberties and a wider social system of checks and balances anchored in an
independent press and pluralistic society." (see Perspectives on Ideologies)
John F. Kennedy defined liberalism this way:
"If by a 'Liberal' they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas
without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing,
their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break
through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a
'Liberal,' then I'm proud to say I'm a 'Liberal.'[4]
Classical liberal thought on laissez –faire capitalism – They would support laissez faire capitalism as
there is little government involvement, respect for private property, protection of individual rights, hands
off thinking. (Perspectives on Ideologies 102, 110 – 113, 119 – 120, 156, 276, 415)
Industrialization – This would be supported be classical liberal thinkers because of limited
encroachment of individual rights by the government as they was private property in regards to factory
owners, however individual right and liberties were not always recognized by factory workers as there
were long, hours, unsafe working conditions and child labour. (Perspectives on Ideologies 102, 119 –
124, 129, 169, 361, 373, 437)
Class System – This would be supported because if there is private property and little government
regulation in the every day lives of the people then inevitably there is going to be a division of classes.
Although class division existed pre-French Revolution, the class system is a direct result of classical
liberal thought in the pursuit of a market economy free of government regulation. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 51)
Limited Government – They would be a supporter of this thought as this is the basis of classical liberal
thought in regards to private property and the state not taking an active role in the economy, they are there
for protection of individual rights. (Perspectives on Ideologies 107 – 109, 113, 285 – 286)
Sources:
Critical Challenge: The Impacts of Liberalism in the 19th Century
Students explore the impacts of classical liberalism and identify the most significant changes prompted by
classical liberalism on 19th century politics, social structures and economics.
http://www.learnalberta.ca/Search.aspx?lang=en
2.7 analyze ideologies that developed in response to classical liberalism (classic
conservatism,Marxism, socialism, welfare capitalism) (PADM, ER, TCC)
Key Terms:
Classical Liberalism vs Classical Conservatism – Classical conservative favoured preserving the status
quo Edmond Burke was one of the original classical conservative philosophers he believed that the power
to lead countries should be in the hands of the powerful elite. He believed that revolutionary behavior
would leave people without any checks and balances and the new government would have to become a
tyranny or fail. People are protected from power by tradition. Without tradition power is raw and
extremely dangerous for the masses. They are in favour of private property for the ruling elite. There is a
natural inequality with humans and depending on what social class you were in you were streamed to
ruling elite or working class. (Perspectives on Ideologies 140 – 141, 150)
Classical Liberalism vs Marxism – They would not be a supporter of this thought as classical liberals
are opposites of Marxism as Marxism ideology is based on the constant class struggle, equality, strong
role of the government and working for the common good of the state. Marxism does not support the
belief of private property where classical liberalism does. Private property results in a class system which
is in direct opposition to a Marxist classless society where the proletariat and borgiouse would unite to
overthrow the monarchy to form a utopian society. (Perspectives on Ideologies 136 – 137, 150, 169)
Classical Liberalism vs Socialism – Socialism is loosely defined as the abolishment of government and
power is placed in the hands of the working class. Socialism strives towards an egalitarian society that
promotes the equal distribution of wealth amongst the masses. Socialist thought favours government
control, welfare programs, helping others out, a mix of private and public property. The working class
must strive to get the political power in their hands as opposed to the ruling elite. Socialism promotes the
greater good of the whole and the cooperation of the masses as opposed to the pursuit of individual right s
and liberties in the market place. Classical liberalism promotes individualism, private property and a
class system which is in direct contrast to socialist beliefs. (Perspectives on Ideologies 133 – 139, 150)
Welfare Capitalism: This is essentially a capitalist economic system with a welfare state or business
providing welfare-like programs for workers. With welfare capitalism, companies now began social
programs like healthcare, child-care and pension programs. Henry Ford initiated the $5.00 a day pay rate
and R.B. Bennett initiated the first unemployment insurance programs following the Great Depression. A
Classical liberal would not support the welfare state providing Social Programs for the masses but would
support the basic Free Market ideology which is the root of Capitalism. (Perspectives on Ideologies 142
– 144, 150)
Sources:
(2.7, 2.8) *website that contains a variety of Marxist cartoons
http://web.mac.com/gileshill/iWeb/history%20at%20hand/Cold%20War%20Cartoon%20Gallery.html
Critical Challenge: Classical Liberalism and New Ideologies
Students explore alternative ideologies and examine the evolution of classical liberalism by exploring the
degree to which classical liberalism was influenced and changed by the development of new ideologies.
Learnalberta: http://www.learnalberta.ca/Search.aspx?lang=en
2.8 analyze the evolution of modern liberalism as a response to classical liberalism (labour
standards and unions, universal suffrage, welfare state, protection of human rights, feminism)
Key Terms:
Modern Liberalism as a response to Classical Liberalism: Modern liberalism supports government
intervention and regulation of the economy in order to provide social programs like Education, healthcare
and other welfare programs. Civil rights and freedom from discrimination are paramount in this ideology.
Modern liberalism also supports government economic intervention in order to help protect the economy
from the boom/bust cycle that is characteristic of a Free Market/Mixed Economy. (Think of it as a social
safety net for the free market economy) Barack Obama and Theodore Roosevelt are both major
proponents of Modern Liberalism. Modern liberalism evolved from a group of thinkers in the 20th
century namely John Stuart Mill who made a case against laissez-faire classical liberalism and in favor of
state intervention in social, economic and cultural life. If people were living in poverty it made it
impossible for freedom and individuality to flourish. A classical liberal would be a true free market
economist while a modern liberal would be more politically aligned with the ideologies of a mixed
economy.
Labour Standards and Labour Unions: Under classical liberalism labour standards were non-existent
as pursuit of individual wealth and personal gain were of utmost importance. In contrast, labour unions
under modern liberalism are a means of protecting worker rights such as: wage, length of work and
working conditions. Labour unions evolved in the early 1800’s following the industrial revolution and
aimed at protecting workers from being exploited by factory owners. With labour unions we now have
government intervention in the economy as legislation sets working conditions, minimum wage, child
labour laws and other working conditions. (Perspectives on Ideologies 83, 85, 142, 154 – 156, 169, 186 –
187, 200, 209, 221 – 223, 277)
Universal Suffrage: The definition of universal suffrage is the struggle of adults to vote and have input
into the government in control. Classical liberalism stems from the French Revolution as the population
struggled to overthrow the French monarchy and install a democratic government. (Tennis Court Oath)
Under modern liberalism ethnic minorities and females have struggled to achieve this right to vote that
has otherwise been reserved for ‘most’ males. E.g. Nelly McClung and the Women’s Suffrage
Movement, The aboriginal struggle to achieve voting rights in Canada in the 1960. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 157, 172)
Welfare State: Classical liberalism would oppose the general ideal of a safety net for citizens and the
state assuming responsibility for economic and social regulation. Modern liberalism would be a
proponent of government run social programs for citizens that is provided by progressive taxation policies
and in general, higher taxes than a true Free Market Economic system. The welfare state in its purest
sense evolved following the collapse of the economy following the Great Depression. (Connections
could be made to our current economic policies and government funded bailouts and new economic
stimulus aimed at kickstarting our floundering economy.) John Diefenbaker used Tommy Douglas’s
universal healthcare package to initiate publicly funded healthcare in Canada which would be supported
by modern liberals. (Perspectives on Ideologies 78, 144 – 145, 149, 209, 215)
Protection of Human Rights: Human rights were focused on under the Classical Liberal ideology in the
pursuit of individual liberty. “Declaration of the Rights of Man”
Modern Liberalism promotes humanitarian laws that support egalitarianism across race, ethnicity and sex.
Government legislation helps to protect human rights in Canada as our elected officials strive to protect
those that may be marginalized within the workplace without the protection of legislation that helps to
guarantee their individual liberties. (Perspectives on Ideologies 155, 278, 322, 460 – 461, 493)
Feminism: Under classical liberalism feminism was an underlying issue in the French Revolution as they
aligned their efforts toward the class struggle to overthrow the French monarchy. Feminism really came
to the forefront in the 1800’s as women struggled to enter the workplace. WWI and the Women’s
suffrage are probably the two most distinct examples of the feminist struggle for equality. Women
achieved the right to vote in 1918 and are protected in the modern workplace by affirmative action
policies, sexual harassment policies and equal pay legislation. The feminist movement still continues
today as women continue to struggle to achieve equality in our contemporary workplace and break
through the ‘glass ceiling’. – Modern liberals-support feminism- Classical Liberal-Feminism not at
forefront of movement. (Perspectives on Ideologies 158, 193)
Sources:
Women’s Suffrage
Welfare State
The welfare state happened. Following the lead of other countries (yes, Canada has been a late adopter
of the welfare state), Canadian governments have taxed its citizens out of the means and the moral
obligation to help others, imposing their own programs instead.
(http://www.quebecoislibre.org/09/090115-8.htm)
A new generation of feminists is fighting for the movement to have a clear and formidable image at a time
when the economy is in danger of making it an irrelevance.
Leading feminist thinkers gathered in London yesterday to debate the next wave of the movement. While
the first wave of feminism saw suffragettes demanding votes for women, and the second brought the
women's liberation movement, the radical writings of Germaine Greer and the Equal Pay Act, the
objectives of the third wave have yet to be decided.
Fears that hard-won women's rights may be eroded in the recession are reinvigorating the British
feminist movement, with issues such as the pay gap, "workaholic cultures" and childcare taking centre
stage. (http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/meet-the-women-bringing-feminism-to-a-newgeneration-1418927.html)
http://www.marxists.org/subject/women/subject/suff/images/index.htm
2.9 evaluate ideological systems that rejected principles of liberalism (Communism in the Soviet
Union, fascism in Nazi Germany) (PADM, ER, TCC)
Key Terms:
Communism: This ideological principle has its roots under Karl Marx-the father of Communism. This
principle believes in the equality of people, abolition of private property, equal distribution of wealth and
services and the state before the individual. Collectivization is an underlying value of Communism as the
state distributes resources and the allocation of goods to its citizens. Lenin was the first political leader to
actually implement Communist policies in a society. Modern liberalism has some of these underlying
values in the manner in which the government does take a role in helping to regulate the economy.
Liberalism promotes private property but supports social programs. Under Communism the state controls
all business and controls the economy in its entirety while under liberalism the government assists in the
regulation of the economy. Liberalism supports political equality but not economic equality, while
communism supports economic equality but not political equality. (Perspectives on Ideologies 136 – 137,
139, 164 – 165, 167 – 172, 184, 239)
Fascism in Nazi Germany: Fascist Germany rejected all liberal political ideals as a country was under
the rule of a dictator that discriminated and oppressed at will based on an individual’s class, race or
gender. On a political spectrum the two ideologies would be at opposite ends of the spectrum.
Economically only key industries in Fascist Germany were under government control however they
would annex private businesses as the need arose during WWII. Similarly, both ideologies favor
inequality amongst their citizens and promote ‘survival of the fittest’-Darwin. Present day liberalism
rejects Fascism because it promotes social programs and a safety net for its citizens.
Fascism is a term often loosely used to describe military dictatorships and extreme right-wing
governments and organizations (or individuals) known to be either violently anticommunist or violently
anti-Semitic, or both. These are often important elements within fascism (as are the institutionalization of
sexual repression and strong antifemale, antihomosexual and profamily biases), but the term should be
more precisely confined to those mass movements and political parties that originated in the capitalist
economies of Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, culminating in Mussolini's Italy, Hitler's
Germany and Salazar's Portugal. It is characterized by a hatred for liberalism, socialism, democracy,
internationalism and the parliamentary system; by extreme patriotism and aggressive nationalism, and
hostility to other nations and races; by a glorification of power, violence and war; by dreams of conquest
and expansion; by a hankering after a supposedly glorious past; by paramilitary associations; by the myth
of the "leader" to whom superhuman qualities are attributed; and by the creation of a convenient
scapegoat - usually Jews - for all social, national and economic ills. (Perspectives on Ideologies 167, 186
- 194)
Sources:
“Liberalism is totalitarianism with a human face” (http://thinkexist.com/quotations/liberalism/)
2.10 analyze how ideological conflict shaped international relations after the Second World War
(expansionism, containment, deterrence, brinkmanship, détente, nonalignment, liberation
movements) (PADM, TCC, LPP)
Key Terms:
WWII Ideological Conflict: WWII was an international conflict that saw the world superpowers unite
against the common enemy of Nazi Germany despite ideological differences. Following the defeat and
the partitioning of Nazi Germany into East and West Germany, we saw the emergence of two world
superpowers with opposing ideologies competing for world supremacy.
Expansionism: Both the US and the Soviet Union scrambled to gather countries under their sphere of
influence. The Soviet Union influenced the government of Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary and any
countries behind the Iron Curtain. These countries all allied together for economic and military support in
order to fight against the forces of capitalism. Conversely, the United States extended their sphere of
influence through the Marshall Plan which gave economic assistance to Western Europe. Both
superpowers scrambled expand their sphere of influence economically in order to compete against the
other ideology for supremacy. (Perspectives on Ideologies 240 – 242)
Containment: Containment Policies for the United States: The Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan and
NATO. Containment Policies for the Soviet Union: COMECON, Warsaw Pact,
Both countries wanted limit the power of each other’s expansion by creating ‘buffer zones’ between
capitalism and communism that helped avoid direct conflicts between the two. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 240, 242 - 243)
Deterrence: Both the United States and the Soviet Union used the Space Race and the buildup of
Nuclear Arms as neither country wanted to risk a nuclear war. Both countries maintained this balance of
power by continually expanding their nuclear programs and competing in the Nuclear Arms Race.
(Perspectives on Ideologies 251 – 254)
Brinkmanship: Both the Soviet Union and the United States were on the brink of war in the Cuban
Missile Crisis. Cuba fell under the Soviet Sphere of influence as they also had a Communist government.
The Soviet Union under the leadership of Nikita Khrushchev in 1962 placed nuclear missiles in Cuba, a
mere 150 kilometers off the Florida Coast. The US responded by placing missiles at a US base in Turkey
aimed at the Soviet Union. The world stood on edge until the Soviets finally removed their nuclear
weapons and the US eventually removed their weapons from Turkey following the standoff. The US still
has a trade embargo with Cuba today as a result of this crisis. (Perspectives on Ideologies 254 – 255)
Détente: Under Mikhail Gorbachev, he instituted the policies of Glasnost(openness) and
Perestroika(restructuring) the Communist ideologies became less imposed and democratic ideals began to
be adopted within the Soviet Union. Events and policies that led to Détente were: START, SALT, the
Fall of the Berlin Wall, Tiananmen Square and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.
Many explanations exist for why the Cold War never turned into open conflict. Memories of the horrors
of World War II certainly played a part. Most of the world's leaders in the 20 years after 1945 had
experienced the war directly and understood its uncompromising and destructive nature. As the two
superpowers produced increasingly destructive weapons, including the "superbomb" (hydrogen bomb) in
1952, they became increasingly fearful of an all-out war. They understood that nuclear weapons and, from
the late 1950s, intercontinental missiles could produce terrible levels of mutual destruction.
(http://history.howstuffworks.com/cold-war/the-cold-war-timeline3.htm) (Perspectives on Ideologies 256
– 257)
Non alignment – Yugoslavia which was a territory created after WWI. Yugoslavia which for many years
was ruled by Tito was a communist nation. Tito and Stalin were allies however Tito resisted Stalin’s
influence in his country. This often lead to conflict between the two leaders. (Perspectives on Ideologies
250 – 251)
Liberation Movements – All throughout the Cold war there were attempts of liberation movements,
namely Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. All three of these movements were crushed by the
dominant superpower being the Soviet Union. Since the end of the Cold War many former Soviet bloc
countries have gained independence and sovereignty from the former superpower. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 258 – 260, 479)
Sources:
Expansionism:
A NATO for the Middle East
Yuri Kozyrev for TIME
When the U.S. was faced with a new global threat 60 years ago, the expansionism of Soviet communism,
its leaders responded with an awesome burst of creativity. Among the institutions they launched were the
World Bank, the Marshall Plan and, most important, the mutual-defense pact and military alliance NATO
Now faced with a new global threat, that of terrorism from Islamist extremists, we could sure use some of
that type of creative and bold thinking. What would George Marshall and Dean Acheson be doing now?
At the top of their list, I suspect, would be forging a new version of NATO. They might call it MATO:
the Mideast Antiterrorism Organization, a military, police, intelligence and security mutual-defense
alliance between the West and our moderate allies in the Middle East.
This MATO alliance would include the countries that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on her recent
trip to the region, referred to as the "mainstream" and "moderate" Arab nations: Egypt, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia and the gulf states. These nations are as threatened as we are by the rise of Iran and of Islamist
radicalism.
Creating the alliance would present an opportunity disguised as a challenge: for it to be most effective, it
should include Israel. That would require an Israeli peace with the Palestinians, which would permit Israel
to escape from having to occupy the West Bank indefinitely. The opportunity is that Israel could (as the
Saudi plan of 2002 suggested) then establish normal relations with the moderate Arab states, and the new
military alliance could provide the security guarantees that could make any Israeli-Palestinian settlement
work.
Another challenge would be to ensure that the new alliance does not inflame the sectarian divide in the
Islamic world, which could happen if it is seen as a Sunni cabal against the Shi'ites. But if the new Iraqi
government (the only Shi'ite-led one besides Iran in the region) joined, the new alliance could show that it
was willing to protect both moderate Shi'ites as well as Sunnis. The alliance would then be able to help
take over from the U.S. some of the security responsibility in Iraq, and it could wean the Shi'ite leaders in
Baghdad from their ties to Tehran.
There is, however, one major philosophical objection to this approach. The so-called moderate Arab
states, particularly Egypt and Saudi Arabia, are far from paragons of democracy.
Since Sept. 11, the Bush Administration has put a premium on an idealistic and neoconservative agenda
of pushing hard for democracy in the region even at the risk of short-term destabilization. It would be nice
to continue to say, as Secretary Rice used to declare frequently, that there is no conflict between pushing
for more democracy and seeking greater stability in the Middle East. That may be true in the long run.
But the real-world present is more complicated, and there are some real trade-offs. An unsettling fact
about the Middle East, as the elections in the Palestinian territories and Iran have demonstrated, is that
democracy does not always go hand in hand with moderation in the short term. Elections in Egypt and
Saudi Arabia would surely show the same.
Containment:
CHINA: WAKING UP TO THE NEXT SUPERPOWER
CHINESE TROOPS LAUNCHING missiles that splash down perilously close to Taiwan and put its
armed forces on high alert. A U.S carrier task force cruising the area, another sailing toward it.
Washington assessing whether--and how--it might have to help Taiwan should the island be attacked by
China. These are the most serious signals to date about the state of relations between the world's sole
remaining superpower and its sole up-and-coming superpower. One misstep and one misperception after
another in recent years have bumped the U.S. and China closer to crisis. The latest rupture has been
triggered by China's harsh warning to Taiwan, underlined by war games offshore, that it must remain
committed to eventual reunification and squelch whatever dreams of independence it might be harboring.
True, what is happening off Taiwan is pantomime rather than confrontation: eager to avoid a clash, both
sides are merely using their military to lend muscle to political messages. But to date neither Washington
nor Beijing has given much indication that it knows the other well enough to ensure that pantomime
belligerence does not someday give way to the real thing.
Marshall Plan
Deterrence
Nuclear Files
Weapons of mass destruction cannot be made to serve rational ends. They negate the principle of life
itself and cannot serve as instruments of policy anymore. Are weapons of mass destruction able to deter
the outbreak of hostilities?
Do nuclear weapons serve any legitimate purpose? In 1946, strategic analyst Bernard Brodie thought
so when he wrote: "Thus far the chief purpose of our military establishment has been to win wars. From
now on its chief purpose must be to avert them." The idea that Brodie expressed was that of nuclear
deterrence: nuclear weapons should serve the purpose to prevent their use.
Nuclear deterrence is the threat to retaliate with nuclear weapons. In general, deterrence refers to the
attempt to create risks that lead the opponent to not engage in a certain policy or action. For deterrence to
work the risk must be disproportionately higher than any possible gain. For nuclear deterrence to succeed
certain physical and psychological preconditions have to be fulfilled.
Can nuclear deterrence succeed? For nuclear deterrence to succeed, a threatening nation has to be
capable and willing to use its nuclear weapons and must effectively communicate this to the nation that is
to be deterred.
First, a deterrent force must be capable to inflict unacceptable damage, or more precisely the threatening
nation has to be capable to exact payments (at a cost acceptable to itself) either by denying the opponent
to achieve the objectives, by charging the opponent an excessive price for achieving it, or by a
combination of the two. A nation has also to guarantee the safety of its nuclear arsenal. There must be no
way for the opponent to eliminate the deterrent capability of the threatening nation. Strategists call this
"second strike capability," that is the retaliatory force should be protected from destruction through a first
strike. A second strike capability can be ascertained not only by technical means but also through policy
means. Second, the threatening nation must have the plans and the readiness necessary to demonstrate
that it can deliver on its "message." Conveying willingness to use retaliatory nuclear forces creates a
dilemma: The threatening nation must show willingness to engage in a war it tries to deter or prevent. Is
there a point at which the threatening nation deters itself? Third, the threatening nation must successfully
communicate to the opponent the price it will have to pay for attempting to achieve an unacceptable
objective. For the United States conveyance of the deterrent message had two aspects: Deterrence had to
address opponent as well as friend. The opponent had to believe in deterrence, and deterrence had to
reassure U.S. allies in Europe. Reassurance and deterrence were two sides of the same nuclear coin. For
much of the Cold War, deterrence and reassurance complemented each other. Fourth, and most important,
the deterrent message must have some degree of credibility. Both nations must believe that there is a real
probability that the threatening nation will indeed perform the promised action, if required.
In summary, the components of nuclear deterrence have a physical and a psychological character. On the
physical level, deterrence requires a series of military instruments, sufficient to threaten the opponent in a
way that it would not even think of attacking. Successful deterrence is guaranteed, however, only if the
will is there to use these weapons. Deterrence is credible only if a nation is able to successfully convey
the first two points to it's opponent, that it is capable and willing. In other words, successful deterrence
depends on psychological components: communication and perception.
How many nuclear weapons would be sufficient for deterrence to work? Strategists and pundits differ
in their answer as to the best way to prevent an all-out nuclear war. One camp argues that the world is
better off with more and better nuclear weapons. Another camp counters that more and better nuclear
weapons increase the chance of accidental or crisis-driven nuclear war. Still, another camp argues in favor
of the total abolition of nuclear weapons on the basis of morality, international and humanitarian law.
How can one prove that deterrence works? Some people may argue that the absence of large-scale
conflicts after the Second World War proves that nuclear deterrence works. In reality, the efficacy of
deterrence is hard to measure. If deterrence works, its effects are almost invisible. Deterrence is assumed
to be successful when it prevents policies and actions. In other words, the success of deterrence cannot be
proven.
What, if deterrence fails? Nuclear war remains a possibility. What kind of consequences does that have
for public policy? Should a country seek a position of nuclear superiority over potential adversaries and
fuel a global arms race? Should a country unilaterally disarm or even abolish all nuclear weapons? Would
a disarmed country be subject to nuclear blackmail by those who do not disarm? Should we prepare for
civil defense and protect key industries while making the idea of nuclear war publicly acceptable? Should
we prepare at all for nuclear war?
Can a nuclear war be won? It appears that all world leaders agree that a nuclear war cannot be won.
Nevertheless, nuclear weapons research and weapons modernization continue, and so does the
proliferation and use of nuclear and ballistic technology. North Korea , Iraq, Iran , India and Pakistan are
good examples that military planners have not given up the quest for acquiring a nuclear capability. At
least they seem to prepare for the case that deterrence fails. Should deterrence fail a nation might want to
have more nuclear weapons at its disposal than are needed for deterrence to succeed.
What are core and extended deterrence? We distinguish between two forms of deterrence: core, or
passive deterrence and extended, or active deterrence. Core, or passive deterrence is the threat with a
nuclear-strategic response in case of a nuclear attack on the home territory of the threatening nation (for
example, the United States). Extended, or active deterrence threatens with a nuclear-strategic response in
case of a nuclear attack on the territory or troops of allies (for example, members of NATO). Extended
deterrence is called "active" because it involves a clear decision and the willful act on the part of the
nation that owns the nuclear weapons (in NATO's case, the United States). Because of its political
connotations, "active" was the term preferred by U.S. allies in Europe during the Cold War. U.S. policymakers preferred the term "extended deterrence," which is rather vague. The choice in words, however,
hinted at the political dilemma nuclear deterrence created for the United States. In case of a nuclear
exchange, would the U.S. sacrifice New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles for Paris, London, and Berlin?
Source : John Lewis Gaddis, Strategies of Containment : A Critical Appraisal of Postwar American
National Security (Oxford University Press, 1982).
(http://www.nuclearfiles.org/menu/key-issues/nuclear-weapons/history/cold-war/strategy/strategydeterrence.htm)
Brinkmanship
Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis - 1962, major cold war confrontation between the United States and the Soviet
Union. After the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the USSR increased its support of Fidel Castro's Cuban regime,
and in the summer of 1962, Nikita Khrushchev secretly decided to install ballistic missiles in Cuba. When
U.S. reconnaissance flights revealed the clandestine construction of missile launching sites, President
Kennedy publicly denounced (Oct. 22, 1962) the Soviet actions. He imposed a naval blockade on Cuba
and declared that any missile launched from Cuba would warrant a full-scale retaliatory attack by the
United States against the Soviet Union. On Oct. 24, Russian ships carrying missiles to Cuba turned back,
and when Khrushchev agreed (Oct. 28) to withdraw the missiles and dismantle the missile sites, the crisis
ended as suddenly as it had begun. The United States ended its blockade on Nov. 20, and by the end of
the year the missiles and bombers were removed from Cuba.
Détente
On this day in 1980, in a strong reaction to the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, President
Jimmy Carter asks the Senate to postpone action on the SALT II nuclear weapons treaty and recalls the
U.S. ambassador to Moscow. These actions sent a message that the age of detente and the friendlier
diplomatic and economic relations that were established between the United States and Soviet Union
during President Richard Nixon's administration (1969-74) had ended.Carter feared that the Soviet
(http://video.aol.com/video-detail/this-day-in-history-01021980-us-russia-dtente-ends/1314525065)
Nonalignment
Yugoslavia
Beginning with its split from the Soviet Bloc in 1948, Yugoslavia sought appropriate alliances to ensure
its security. As early as 1953, relations were established with nonaligned Asian countries. In 1954 Tito
suggested, then withdrew from, a Balkan Pact alliance with Greece and Turkey. When the colonial
empires of the West European nations broke up in the decades following, Yugoslavia became a leader of
the bloc of new nations created by that process. The former colonies considered the economic and
political success of the Yugoslav nonalignment policy a positive model, and Tito joined Jawaharlal Nehru
of India, Sukarno of Indonesia, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt as
founders of the Nonaligned Movement in the mid-1950s. Founding principles of that movement were
opposition to all foreign intervention and peaceful coexistence. The official nonaligned position of
Yugoslavia was declared at the Belgrade Conference of Nonaligned Nations in 1961. In the 1950s and
1960s, Yugoslavia's position gave it international prestige because both the United States and the Soviet
Union required support from the growing bloc of independent nations it led.
Within the nonaligned group, Yugoslavia leaned strongly toward the Arab nations and supported the
Palestine Liberation Organization against Israel--mainly because of Tito's friendship with Nasser and the
influence of the large Yugoslav Muslim population. Tito personified Yugoslavia's international position;
in the 1960s and 1970s, he traveled worldwide to cement relations in the Third World. Although Nikita
Khrushchev had mended Soviet relations with Yugoslavia in the mid-1950s, that relationship was
threatened by periodic Soviet expansionism, and Tito successfully sought to balance Western and Soviet
influences. Part of that balancing act was development of close relations with China in the 1970s; at that
time, China was hostile to the Soviet Union and opening communications with the West, making it an
effective counterbalance for Tito. Yugoslav-Chinese relations remained warm through the 1980s.
In the 1970s, Yugoslavia became a moderate force in the Nonaligned Movement, balancing the strong
pro-Soviet influence of Fidel Castro (to whom Tito had initially given strong support). Castro's election as
chairman of the Nonaligned Movement in 1979 was considered a defeat for Tito. Between 1955 and
1979, the Nonaligned Movement grew from 25 to 117 member countries, largely because of Tito's
leadership. When Tito died in 1980, Yugoslavia lost its leadership role to Cuba, and the Nonaligned
Movement leaned decidedly toward the Soviet side. But Yugoslavia regained an important role in the
eighth summit meeting (1986) of the organization. In 1989 the ninth meeting was held in Belgrade, and
Yugoslavia became chairman nation of the movement until 1992. In the 1980s, the main Yugoslav role in
the Nonaligned Movement was using the provisions of the Helsinki Accords of 1975 to lobby for easing
the Cold War tensions that flared in Europe, and mediating conflicts between Third World nations such as
Iraq and Iran. Yugoslavia was especially concerned with Middle Eastern events that endangered its oil
supply.
Although emphasis changed somewhat, Tito's nonalignment policy remained in place for the entire
decade following his death. Although hosting the meeting and regaining chairmanship of the Nonaligned
Movement improved Yugoslavia's international standing, many Yugoslavs (especially in Croatia and
Slovenia) questioned the value of a leadership position among a group of impoverished nations long after
the initial purpose of the movement had changed. The credibility of the movement decreased in the 1980s
because of Castro's influence, and by 1990 the disappearance of monolithic communism from Eastern
Europe had changed the entire definition of nonalignment. Even in Tito's time, Yugoslavia gained only
prestige from its leadership of Third World countries poorer than itself; it lost much money in unrepaid
loans to those countries. As the 1990s began, domestic pressures increased to strengthen political and
economic ties with Western Europe, which could provide much-needed economic aid.
(http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-14914.html)
Liberation Movements
Soviet Liberation of Poland
Later in the war, the fate of Poland came to depend on the Soviet Union, which was initially the agent of
deliverance from Nazi tyranny but later was the bearer of a new form of oppression. Stalin responded to
Polish indignation over the Katy Massacre by establishing an alternative Polish government of
communists. The underground Polish Workers' Party (Polska Partia Robotnicza) had already been active
in German-occupied Poland for over a year. In 1943 it established a small military arm, the People's
Army (Armia Ludowa). The Home Army and the Polish Workers' Party acted separately throughout the
war.
As the tide of war turned in favor of the Allies, the Soviet shadow over Poland and Central Europe
loomed larger. When Soviet forces neared Warsaw in the summer of 1944, the Home Army, anticipating
imminent Red Army assistance, launched a rebellion against the German garrisons in the capital. Instead,
the Soviets halted their advance just short of Warsaw, isolating the uprising and enabling the Germans to
crush it after two months of intense fighting. In retaliation against the Poles, the Germans demolished
Warsaw before retreating westward, leaving 90 percent of the city in ruins.
Just before the Home Army uprising, the communist factions had formed the Polish Committee of
National Liberation, later known as the Lublin Committee, as the official legal authority in liberated
territory. In January 1945, the Lublin Committee became a provisional government, was recognized by
the Soviet Union, and was installed in Warsaw. From that time, the Polish communists exerted primary
influence on decisions about the restoration of Poland. Given this outcome, there is a strong suspicion that
the Soviet failure to move on Warsaw in 1944 was an intentional strategy used by Stalin to eliminate the
noncommunist resistance forces. The Red Army expelled the last German troops from Poland in March
1945, several weeks before the final Allied victory in Europe. (http://www.country-data.com/cgibin/query/r-10593.html)
Hungarian Uprising
Frank Graebner was 14 years old when he was one of a quarter-million Hungarians who escaped from
their country during the 1956 uprising against Soviet occupation.
Last week, he told his story to the sixth- and eighth-grade classes at Gayle Middle School as part of an
interdisciplinary program involving reading, geography and history. The course centered on a World War
II novel the students had been assigned to read about a German youth martyred by the Nazis.
Graebner is now a resident of Fredericksburg, after a two-year stint as a linguist for the Central
Intelligence Agency and a long career in international banking. He retired from the Export-Import Bank
of the United States in 2002.
Frank was born during the war, in 1942, in the Hungarian town of Szentgotthárd, on the Austrian border.
As a young boy, he grew up under totalitarian rule, first by Nazi Germany and then, after Germany's
defeat in 1945, by the Soviet Union.
"The earliest part of my life was totally consumed by fear," Graebner told the eighth-graders. "My parents
thought things would blow over in a year or so after World War II," he said. But the Russians, after
driving the Nazis out of Hungary in 1944, stayed. They did not leave until the Soviet Union began to
break up in 1989.
Last Thursday, Graebner was a guest speaker before the eighth-grade classes of Emily Pierson, a teacher
at Gayle and a member, with Graebner, of the Fredericksburg Baptist Church on Princess Anne St. The
students peppered him with questions ranging from "Did you feel free in Hungary?" to "What was your
favorite sport?"
"You were never free," he responded. "You could not say what you thought, or even listen to foreign
radio, such as the Voice of America, without risking arrest." As for sport, "it was soccer," Graebner said.
"It was what everyone played." Another "sport," he said, was combing the nearby woods of his hometown
with his friends, scavenging for abandoned German weapons and other souvenirs, for sale as scrap.
David Gould http://thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=cold+war&q=
2.11 analyze perspectives on the imposition of the principles of liberalism (Aboriginal experiences,
contemporary events) (PADM, ER, TCC)
Key Terms:
Aboriginal Contributions to Liberalism: The aboriginal liberal ideal has been displayed through their
constant struggle for equal rights, equal opportunity and freedom of thought and speech. The aboriginal
suffrage movement displayed these rights as aboriginal males achieved the vote in 1960. The aboriginal
community has struggled against government control within their political, social and economic systems.
Aboriginals in Canada have been in a constant struggle against assimilation and rejected the promotion of
Eurocentric ideologies. Aboriginals are still chasing liberal ideals as they struggle to achieve equality in a
society that stems from European values. (Perspectives on Ideologies 294 – 296, 308)
Residential schools were established with the assumption that aboriginal culture was unable to adapt to a
rapidly modernizing society. It was believed that Native children could be successful if they assimilated
into mainstream Canadian society by adopting Christianity and speaking English or French. The
government of Canada recently awarded a 2 billion dollar compensation package to start the healing
process for the damage brought on from residential schools.
Sources:
Residential Schools
First Nations’ children in Residential School
2.12 analyze the extent to which modern liberalism is challenged by alternative thought (Aboriginal
collective thought, environmentalism, religious perspectives, neo-conservatism, postmodernism
extremism) (PADM, ER, LPP)
Key Terms:
For many Aboriginal peoples, self-government is seen as a way to regain control over the management
of matters that directly affect them and to preserve their cultural identities. Self-government is referred to
as an "inherent" right, a pre-existing right rooted in Aboriginal peoples’ long occupation and government
of the land before European settlement. The idea of modern liberalism is government regulation and
interference in the economy, aboriginal self government challenges this by having a population operate
under their own distinct identity within a country. (Perspectives on Ideologies 313)
Environmentalism - Modern liberal thinking would support environmentalism there needs to be some
form of government involvement and intervention in regards to environmental policies. Issues such as the
Kyoto accord need the support and enforcement of a large organization such as government to make this
successful. Environmentalism like modern liberal thought requires the cooperation of the people and
government to achieve a specific goal. (Perspectives on Ideologies 37, 39, 280 – 283, 419 – 427, 497 –
498, 502 – 503, 505 – 506)
Religious perspectives – modern liberals would support this belief as they would encourage free thinking
and openness to different ideologies and perspectives. However they would question the control of
church as they would not want it to become too powerful and influential. (Perspectives on Ideologies 34,
36, 51, 287 – 293)
Neo-Conservatism – A modern liberal thinker is going to be in contrast to a neo conservative as a neo
conservative favours conservatism, little government involvement, private property, individualism, fend
for yourself, where as modern liberalism would say we need some government involvement, helping
others out, progressive taxation, safety net. The former Bush administration would support neo
conservatism.
The Neo-Conservative revolution has left Canada stripped of any real power, leaving the country of
Canada a mere formality on the world stage. The era of Pierre Trudeau and the quest for Canadian selfdependency has long been destroyed by the Neo-Conservative revolution, leaving the stagnant remains of
a subordinate government. Canadian sovereignty has been altered into nothingness leaving a once proud
state to become nothing more than a populated territory ready for exploitation. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 284 – 286)
Post modernism extremism – One of the biggest examples of this is neo fascism which is the admiration
of Benito Mussolini and Italian fascism. This concept focuses on extreme nationalism, anti immigration
policies, anti communism and the opposition of a parliamentary system and a liberal democracy.
(Perspectives on Ideologies 413 – 415)
Sources:
Residential school payout a 'symbolic' apology: Fontaine
In a move hailed by one native leader as a "turning point in the history of our nation," Canada on
Wednesday formalized a landmark compensation deal for an estimated 80,000 former residential school
students.
The country's largest-ever class-action settlement came into effect, ending what Assembly of First
Nations Chief Phil Fontaine called a 150-year "journey of tears, hardship and pain — but also of
tremendous struggle and accomplishment."
Wednesday was the first day application forms were made available to former students, some of whom
have been waiting for decades to be compensated for their experience at the schools. People were lining
up at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs office in Winnipeg to receive their forms.
Speaking in Winnipeg for the ceremony to officially implement the federal Indian Residential Schools
Settlement Agreement, Fontaine said he was overcome with grief, joy and hope.
"This is an important day. It is a day of celebration. It is a perhaps — and I don't want to overstate this —
even a turning point in the history of our nation," he said.
Thousands of the former students say they endured sexual, physical and psychological abuse while
attending the schools, which were run by churches and funded by the federal government from the 1870s
until the mid-1970s.
The federal government-approved agreement will provide at least $1.9 billion to the former students who
had attended 130 schools.
Fontaine said history would enshrine the moment now that the government has made a "symbolic"
acknowledgment of its sad past with an attempt to reconcile. An official apology from Prime Minister
Stephen Harper was next in Canada's "coming-of-age" story, Fontaine predicted.
"I have no doubt about this," he said.
'Sad chapter of history in Canada'
It will take more than a month to process all the applications expected to come in, said Valérie Haché of
the federal government's Indian Residential Schools Resolution Canada agency.
Claimants for the "common experience" money, which all former students are eligible to receive, can
expect to get the first cheques within a month, she said.
Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said he hoped the money would "close this sad chapter of history in
Canada."
Payments are expected to average about $28,000 for each applicant.
In anticipation of the formalizing of the agreement in Winnipeg, RCMP across Canada were on guard for
potential predators who might attempt to scam the elderly out of their lump sums. There were also worries
that with a windfall of new money, native communities could see a spike in alcoholism or drug abuse.
Recognizing the concerns, Fontaine broke from his speech momentarily and addressed the audience of
former students, politicians and reporters.
'Tone of racism'
"Look, I've read too much in the last few days about the money, and what it means to the survivors and
what might befall our people," he said.
"And I sense a tone of racism to all of those concerns. This money belongs to the survivors. What they do
with that money is their business," he said to applause.
Jennifer Wood, the Assembly of First Nations' compensation co-ordinator, said some social problems
could be expected to arise from the influx of money.
"But there have also been positive impacts," she said. "There are survivors who are planning to invest
their dollars, they're planning to provide for their children, they're planning to develop businesses in their
communities."
Still, not all survivors have opted to take the lump sum. A group of about 200 people who endured very
serious abuse and trauma have rejected the cash, choosing instead to take the federal government and
religious organizations to court for running the institutions.
Many people who have said the financial compensation cannot heal their emotional wounds can seek
support from a truth and reconciliation commission, which was set up as part of the settlement agreement
process. It allows people to share their experiences in the schools and put them on the record.
(http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/09/19/residential-schools.html)
Environmentalism
Kyoto video from CBC and the relevancy for Canadian Citizens:
Kyoto and beyond
The carbon tax: The pros and cons of a tax on fossil fuels
CBC News
The carbon tax, sometimes called a green tax, was a popular idea in the early 1990s when climate change
and other global environmental issues were first coming to the fore. Now it seems to be making
something of a comeback. For example:



The Quebec government just announced plans to levy a broad carbon tax against oil and gas
companies as a way of financing what it calls a $1.2 billion Green Fund over the next six years
to help control the province's greenhouse gas emissions and meet its Kyoto target.
Federal leadership contender, and possible front-runner, Michael Ignatieff caused a stir within
his own Liberal party, and among some prominent Alberta politicians, for suggesting a carbon
tax a week ago.
And the notion is getting something of an international hearing courtesy of Al Gore, the former
Democratic party presidential candidate who lost the 2000 race to George W. Bush by a
whisker, and is now trumpeting the idea of a broad-based carbon tax with his new documentary
about climate change, An Inconvenient Truth.
What is a carbon tax?
In truth, it could be any number of measures designed to increase the cost of burning fossil fuels like oil,
gas and coal. The idea is both to change consumer behaviour and set aside a fund to help smooth the
transition to a cleaner economy.
The most talked about proposals are either a direct across-the-board levy on these fuels or a tax based on
CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, which would largely be aimed at industry and which is much more rare.
(Norway may be the only country to have anything approaching this: It enacted a tax in the early 1990s to
encourage the sequestering of CO2 emissions from its North Sea oil operations back into underground
chambers deep underneath the ocean.)
Quebec is going for the direct levy on all non-renewable fossil fuels sold in bulk to retailers. It has asked
the Quebec Energy Board to help work out the exact tax rates and perhaps a sliding scale in which home
heating oil might be taxed at a greater rate than natural gas, which is less polluting, in order to encourage
homeowners to switch.
Trumpeting this as an environmental measure, Quebec says it will be the first province to impose a
specific carbon tax and that it expects the oil and gas companies, which have been enjoying huge profits
of late, not to pass these added costs along to consumers.
But the fact is, all provinces already have some consumer taxes in place on fuels and gasoline: Quebec's is
one of the highest, which explains why it often posts the highest gas prices in the country. And Quebecbased energy companies have, at least so far, bluntly refused to absorb the extra costs themselves.
Some proponents have called for a "revenue-neutral carbon tax" in which any levies that would be
extracted from a particular sector, transportation for example, would be given back in some other form of
subsidy or tax break, that would reward more fuel-efficient behaviour. The most common form of this,
albeit only scratching the surface, has been the fairly modest tax breaks on small and hybrid cars.
The arguments in favour
Most environmental groups have long been in favour of a carbon tax as a way of changing consumer
behaviour and getting industry to be more energy efficient. The more sophisticated among them have also
argued that only with a carbon tax will you get any kind of trading system for emissions or pollution
credits, which would in turn challenge already competitive corporations to do better on the environmental
front.
Most economists are skeptical of the merits of a carbon tax but there are notable exceptions. Among
them, the internationally acclaimed Jeffrey Sachs, of Columbia University, who has long argued for a
global carbon tax, to be designed and administered by the UN so as to keep countries on an even footing.
Sachs says such a tax, of up to 35 cents a gallon in richer countries, would raise $750 billion US for the
UN and could be used to eliminate Third World poverty and disease. More recently, he has also argued
that a carbon tax would help change destructive environmental behaviour and that it would be welcomed
by privately-owned utilities in particular so they can justify clean technology to their profit-demanding
shareholders.
Sachs is not just theorizing about this. Some large utilities, notably Duke Energy Corp., a giant gas
pipeline and utility operator in the U.S., has publicly called for a national carbon tax as a way of sharing
the cost of reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors of the economy.
The arguments against
The main ones are that so-called green taxes are really just a revenue grab by desperate governments, that
they create artificial winners and losers in the economy and that, if they are not at least done in step with
other countries, they will simply drive jobs and business offshore to cheaper locales.
In Canada, the notion of a carbon tax also has deep-rooted political undertones. Alberta, in particular, sees
it as an updated version of the National Energy Program and a direct attack on its way of life. As the
county's biggest, by far, oil and gas producer, Alberta can't help but be affected by any commodity-wide
increase in energy price. A national carbon tax, if it came to that, could have a direct impact on big
projects, like in the oil sands, that are pegged to projected demand and tight schedules.
The other main argument against a carbon tax at this juncture is that it would probably be inflationary;
and why add to the cost of a commodity that is already at historical highs and changing consumer-buying
habits anyway (fewer SUVs being sold)?
If it is not passed along to consumers (as Quebec seems to want), then how does it modify behaviour? If it
is, it could be a hardship for those who already have trouble heating their homes or using their vehicles
for work or competing against cut-rate products from places like China and India.
Ontario's long-running Fair Tax Commission in the early 1990s took a hard look at carbon taxes and
decided against them, arguing they would distort too many key sectors of the economy, manufacturing
and transportation in particular. Proponents had argued that shifting hauling from trucks to rail would
represent a large-scale energy savings. But the tax commission concluded the savings would be much
more limited and that in today's just-in-time economy such a shift could be counterproductive.
Who likes the idea and who don't
Well, apart from Quebec Premier Jean Charest, environmental groups, economists like Sachs and possibly
Ignatieff (he has since qualified his support, saying he was merely putting the idea out for discussion),
there have been other prominent backers of a carbon tax over the years.
Some European countries have versions of them and the European Union came close to adopting a broad
carbon tax a few years ago. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton introduced one early in his mandate, in the
mid-1990s, but Congress wouldn't adopt it. In Britain, Tony Blair's Labour government introduced a
special "climate change levy" in 2001.
A few years ago, New Zealand was all set to introduce a carbon tax as a way of raising funds specifically
designed to combat global warming. But then an election intervened and a new government, with new
minority backers, abandoned the idea. Australia also had a hard look recently but its federal environment
minister, Ian Campbell, has apparently ruled it out: He just called the idea "stupid."
Here at home, Stephen Harper's Conservative government wants no part of a carbon tax, and neither does
Alberta or any of the prospective candidates vying for the premier's job there. Paul Martin's former
Liberal government also ruled out the idea, according to former deputy premier Anne McLellan.
But some of today's Liberal leadership candidates are clearly flirting with the notion, if not the name.
Both Gerard Kennedy and former environment minister Stephane Dion reject the idea of a carbon tax but
both could be said to be dealing with the concept at least.
Kennedy wants to see punitive taxes on gas-guzzling cars to offset tax breaks for hybrids and other
energy-saving vehicles, which is a kind of micro-version. Dion says he plans to introduce a variety of
industry-wide polluter-pay taxes, the revenue from which would be plowed back into the respective
sectors to help pay for clean technology and emission controls.
That's the revenue-neutral model and no doubt it will be called some kind of green tax. In political circles,
carbon is much too dirty a word. (http://archives.cbc.ca/environment/climate_change/clips/14653/)
Religious Perspectives
BC Hockey allows religious exemption from helmet policy for coaches
CBC Sports
BC Hockey has changed its new mandatory helmet policy for coaches to allow exemptions due to
religious observances, after a challenge from a Sikh minor hockey coach.
The province's governing minor hockey body announced Monday that coaches who can't wear helmets
due to religious reasons can sign waivers to be exempt from the policy, which took effect the same day.
The policy requires all minor hockey coaches to wear CSA-approved helmets during any BC Hockey onice sanctioned events.
The policy change means coaching can continue for Harb Bains, a devout Sikh man in Surrey, B.C., who
challenged BC Hockey.
"An exemption to the helmet policy may now be requested on the basis that the wearing of a helmet
would interfere with the observance of a religious custom," BC Hockey said in a release.
"The granting of such an application will require the applicant to provide a signed BC Hockey Helmet
Policy Waiver form to participate in any BC Hockey sanctioned activity."
The mandatory helmet ruling was put in place after two coaches — both in Alberta — suffered head
injuries earlier in the season while they were on the ice during practices with their teams. One of the
coaches died.
"These injuries may have been prevented if a CSA-approved helmet was worn and have led to a number
of branches of Hockey Canada adopting similar helmet-on-coaches policies," BC Hockey said.
British Columbia is the seventh province to have a mandatory helmet policy for minor hockey coaches.
Hockey Alberta is introducing a similar policy on Jan. 1, 2009. (http://mybirdie.ca/files/30-november2008.html - Personal Blog)
CBC news video of a Manitoba student who in 1986 was suspended for a week for not standing for the
Lord’s Prayer. (http://archives.cbc.ca/society/religion_spirituality/clips/793/)
“One thing that was clear in the mission of resurrecting the coffeehouse and about this whole center is
that all perspectives are respected,”
Neo-Conservatism
'Neo-Conservative budget' raises taxes on poor: Liberals
CBC News
Opposition members blasted the Tory budget during Question Period on Wednesday, charging that it
raises income taxes on the poorest Canadians.
Calling it a "neo-Conservative budget," Opposition leader Bill Graham said the budget will benefit those
who earn the most.
"Why didn't the prime minister tell the country in his campaign that one of his five priorities would be
raising income tax for the poorest of Canadians?" Graham asked.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper rejected the criticisms. He called the budget "the best news budget that
this country has ever seen," adding that taxes will go down for every income class.
The budget will cut the GST by one percentage point in July and offer almost $20 billion in tax relief for
individuals over the next two years.
As part of the package, the tax rate on the lowest tax bracket will rise to 15.5 per cent on July 1, after the
Liberals cut it to 15 from 16 per cent in their fiscal update in November. But the Tories say that the
overall tax package will provide more tax relief.
"In one year, this minister of finance has managed to do what [the Liberal] party never did: produce a
budget that matches the election platform we ran on," Harper said.
Liberal MP John McCallum, an economist, said Harper's comments are "dead wrong" and accused the
prime minister of raising income taxes.
But Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the Liberals were proposing less than $9 billion in tax cuts in
November, compared to the $20 billion announced in Tuesday's budget.
(http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2006/05/03/budget-critic060503.html)
Postmodernism Extremism
Gay rights rally in Moscow ends violently
Russian police, nationalist protesters and Orthodox Christians forcefully prevented gay and lesbian rights
activists from rallying in Moscow on Saturday.
The activists had planned to lay flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a symbol of the Second
World War struggle against fascism and one of Russia's most revered places.
But some 1,000 riot police moved in to close the gates to the park near Red Square as the marchers
arrived. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993. The activists said they planned the event as
a symbolic protest to equate the struggle for gay rights with the struggle against fascism in the Second
World War.
City officials had refused to grant permission for the rally, and on Friday a Moscow court upheld a ban
imposed by the mayor.Police arrested 120 people, both gay activists and anti-gay protesters. The rally's
organizer, Nikolay Alexeyev, was among those arrested.
'We have the same rights'
"We are conducting a peaceful action. We want to show that we have the same rights as other citizens,"
Alexeyev told a news conference a few hours before events turned violent.
The crowd opposed to gay rights and the rally included women who held up religious icons. They were
joined by men in Cossack traditional dress — white sheepskin hats and black-and-red tunics.
Police quickly moved in as the first half-dozen rally participants arrived carrying flowers. They were
joined by about 100 religious and nationalist extremists who kicked and punched some of the activists.
As Volker Beck, a Green member of Germany's national parliament, was giving a TV interview, about 20
nationalist youths surrounded him and punched him in his face, bloodying his nose.
(http://www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/2006_05_01_pamspaulding_archive.html)
Neo-Fascism lends itself to an exact definition even less than Fascism, its ideological progenitor. In the
postwar world all radical right-wing movements, irrespective of their doctrinal contents and differences –
except those explicitly aiming at the restoration of an antisemitic, racialist, Nazi-type dictatorship (see
*Neo-Nazism) – are commonly referred to as "neo-Fascist." They share an attitude of extreme, militant
nationalism; a belief in authoritarian rather than democratic government; and a total rejection of socialist,
particularly Marxist, dogma with its underlying universalist and egalitarian ethos. Inhabiting the social
periphery between the middle and the working class, Neo-Fascism appeals mostly to those deprived of
their former independent status (as artisans, white-collar workers, small-holders, craftsmen, etc.) by the
growth of an urban, industrialized society and driven to xenophobia and hostility toward minority groups,
which they believe to have either caused their social and economic decline or contributed to it. Hatreds
vary according to demographic conditions. In the United States and Britain, Neo-Fascist movements have
a strong anti-color bias, whereas similar French groups in the 1950s and early 1960s were anti-Algerian,
and in Switzerland these prejudices inspired agitation against alien workers. Antisemitism is almost
always implicit in such attitudes and it can easily become, as in the case of the Argentinian Tacuara or the
Swedish Nordiska Rikspartiet (Nordic Realm Party), an ideological focal point. In the West, the shock of
the Nazi Holocaust militated after World War II against the spread of Neo-Fascist movements,
particularly obsessively antisemitic ones; however, the Israel-Arab *Six-Day War (1967) modified this
trend. Formerly disreputable antisemitic prejudices relabeled "anti-Zionism" became respectable again
when disseminated by the Communist establishment, the *New Left, and Black Power activists. Arab
anti-Israel propaganda agencies, until 1967 associated with the extreme right, have since – and without
breaking their Neo-Fascist links – been courted and supported by the radical left as well.
Neo-Fascism survived best in Italy. The Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI) obtained close to 1,500,000
votes (5.2% of the total poll) in the 1970 provincial elections, sending 32 deputies to the regional
councils. However, neither occasional swastika-daubing forays into Rome's old ghetto (1958, 1960) nor
parliamentary representation dating back to the early 1950s elevated the MSI to a significant position.
Further to the right, the minuscule Ondine Nuovo (New Order), formed by activist dissidents from the
MSI, is a terrorist, but otherwise negligible, force, cultivating links with like-minded European "New
Order" movements. Prince Valerio Borghese, a former honorary MSI president, founded the militant
National Front which made an abortive attempt to overthrow the government (December, 1970). In
France the horrors of Nazi occupation inhibited the revival of overtly Fascist movements. Efforts by the
Sidos brothers to channel resentments brought about by the loss of empire (Indochina, North Africa) into
the Neo-Fascist Jeune Nation failed, while the less clearly defined anti-establishment campaign of Pierre
Poujade won 60 parliamentary seats (1956). Both his party and the anti-Gaullist extremists of the AlgérieFrançaise OAS had Fascist and antisemitic overtones, but neither survived the nationalist appeal of de
Gaulle's presidency. In the post–de Gaulle era, Ordre Nouveau, the successor organization to the Occident
(banned 1968), gained some notoriety for militancy and street-fighting.
Neo-Fascism also failed to prosper in postwar England. Sir Oswald Mosley's once-powerful British
Union Fascists, renamed British Union, had dwindled into irrelevance. A number of extremist
organizations like the Empire Loyalists, the British National Party, and the Racial Preservation Society
(whose street-fighting propensities gained them brief notoriety in the early 1960s), combined in 1967 to
form the National Front, without, however, making any impact on national politics. In the 1970 general
election the Front put up ten candidates, none of whom polled more than 1,600 votes. In the United States
old-style primitive antisemitism flourished among such movements as the Ku Klux Klan and the
Christian Crusader, while the more sophisticated John Birch Society vented their anti-Jewish resentments
on the "liberal establishment" represented as being predominantly Jewish. The Klans, Crusaders, and
Birchists were typically U.S. phenomena; lacking any party organization able to attain power, they cannot
be regarded as true neo-Fascists.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
D. Eisenberg, The Re-emergence of Fascism (1967).
[Ernest Hearst] (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0015_0_14687.html)
2.13 evaluate the extent to which resistance to the principles of liberalism is justified (PADM, ER,
GC)
Key Terms:
Resistance the Principles of Liberalism: In times of war or civil unrest democracy is too slow for the
situation and the government reserves the right the suspend civil liberties, such as the war measures act
and the FLQ crisis when Pierre Trudeu invoked this policy for the first time during a time of peace.
Alberta resists the principles of liberalism as we have found ourselves in a struggle whether or not to
bring in a two tiered health care system and privatization of the oil industry and the refusal to include oil
revenue in equalization payments to the rest of Canada which goes against liberal thought.
In today’s current economy some people would prefer a more active role by the government with regards
to our economy. They want the government to stimulate the economy with projects that lead to job
opportunities.
Sources:
War Measures Act (Perspectives on Ideologies 384, 395, 397 – 401, 414)
The invoking of the special War Measures Act by Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau early today is an
unprecedented move by a government in peacetime. (1970)
VANCOVER, British Columbia, Oct. 23, 1970 A week after the imposition of wartime emergency
powers, Serious questions are being raised here about the longterm implications of the Government's
decision on political life in Canada.
OTTAWA, Nov. 2, 1970 Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau introduced in Parliament today legislation
to limit the sweeping powers of the War Measures Act, which he had invoked to suppress terrorism in
Quebec.
C Citizenship I Identity
ER Economics and Resources LPP The Land: Places and People GC Global Connections
CC Culture and Community PADM Power, Authority and Decision Making TCC Time, Continuity and
Change
22/ Social Studies 30-1
(2007) ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada
Related Issue 3 Social 30-1
To what extent are the principles of liberalism viable?
General Outcome
Students will assess the extent to which the principles of liberalism are viable in a
contemporary world.
Specific Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Students will:
3.3 explore the extent to which governments should reflect the will of the people (PADM, C)
Key Terms:
Will of the people: Popular sovereignty or the sovereignty of the people is the belief that the legitimacy
of the state is created by the (true) will or consent of its people, who are the source of all political power.
It is closely associated to the social contract philosophers, among whom are Thomas Hobbes, John Locke,
and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Popular sovereignty expresses a concept and does not necessarily reflect or
describe a political reality. It is often contrasted with the concept of parliamentary sovereignty. Benjamin
Franklin expressed the concept when he wrote, "In free governments the rulers are the servants and the
people their superiors and sovereigns." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popular_sovereignty)
(Perspectives on Ideologies 18, 158)
(Leonard Levy, ed., Encyclopedia of the American Constitution (Nathan Tarcov, “Popular
Sovereignty (in Democratic Political Theory), vol 3, p. 1426, 1426 (1986) ISBN 9780028648804)
Government: The political direction and control exercised over the actions of the members, citizens, or
inhabitants of communities, societies, and states; direction of the affairs of a state, community, etc.;
political administration: Government is necessary to the existence of civilized society.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/government) (Perspectives on Ideologies 46 – 47, 210 – 212,
214 – 216, 351 – 352)
Sources:
Will of the People:
“…In fact, however, "the will of the people" is a legal and political fiction. Real people do have real
desires and real values. And when the state ignores them and oppresses them, that oppression is real too.
Yet the "will of the people" that politicians are constantly prattling on about does not precede the
political process. Rather, it is constructed by that process.”
(http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/opeds/willofthepeople1.htm)
Government:
“Government is necessary to the existence of civilized society.”
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/government)
3.4 explore the extent to which governments should encourage economic equality (PADM, ER, C)
Key Terms:
Economic Equality: A belief or notion that economic prosperity is possible for all people who possess
qualities to achieve economic success (i.e. work ethic, vision, incentive, creativity, innovation, etc).
(Perspectives on Ideologies 80 – 81, 133)
Sources:
Economic Equality:
(http://www.epi.org/page/-/old/images/Chart_snap_20080430.jpg)
“Here’s a way to judge our economic policies: do they both raise the tide and lift all the boats?” ~ Gene
Sperling, Bill Clinton’s former economic advisor
(http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/WarInequality.jpg)
3.5 analyze the extent to which the practices of political and economic systems reflect principles of
liberalism (consensus decision making, direct and representative democracies, authoritarian,
political systems, traditional economies, free market economies, command economies, mixed
economies) (PADM, ER, C)
Key Terms:
Political Systems: A system of politics and government. It is usually compared to the law system,
economic system, cultural system, and other social systems. It is different from them, and can be
generally defined on a spectrum from left, i.e. communism, to the right, i.e. fascism. However, this is a
very simplified view of a much more complex system of categories involving i.e. the view on who will
have the authority, the view of religious questions and the government's influence on its people and
economy.
Canada is a confederation of ten provinces and three territories. The country is governed by a democratic
parliamentary system, based on the British model. At the federal level, the major political parties include:
the Conservative Party of Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party of Canada and
the Bloc Québécois. In Atlantic Canada, these parties, except the Bloc Québécois, represent the major
provincial parties of the region. Elected officials at the federal level are known as Members of Parliament
(MPs). The head of the party that wins the majority of seats in a federal election becomes the Prime
Minister of Canada. Provincially, individuals are elected as members of their provincial legislative
assemblies and are generally known as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The head of the
party with the most elected officials in each province or territory is called the Premier. Elections at both
the federal and provincial/territorial levels must be held within five years of the previous election. Federal
and provincial governments split certain responsibilities and powers. For example, national defence,
immigration and foreign policy fall under federal responsibilities, while education and health care are the
responsibilities of the individual provinces and territories. At the municipal level, government is
controlled by individuals who are elected to a municipal council. Referred to as Councillors, these
officials are responsible for local by-laws and infrastructure in their communities. All three levels of
government work together to support the business community in their respective regions. In Atlantic
Canada, federal, provincial and municipal stakeholders actively strive to ensure the greatest ease for
businesses to establish and grow in their communities. (http://www2.acoaapeca.gc.ca/NR/exeres/05AB195F-5629-44CA-9B88-004C07AC7F02.htm)

Direct Democracy: Classically termed pure democracy, comprises a form of democracy
and theory of civics wherein sovereignty is lodged in the assembly of all citizens who
choose to participate. Depending on the particular system, this assembly might pass
executive motions, make laws, elect and dismiss officials and conduct trial. Direct
democracy stands in contrast to representative democracy, where sovereignty is exercised
by a subset of the people, usually on the basis of election. However, it is possible to
combine the two into representative direct democracy. Deliberative democracy
incorporates elements of both direct democracy and representative democracy. Many
countries that are representative democracies allow for three forms of political action that
provide limited direct democracy: initiative, referendum and recall. Referendums can
include the ability to hold a binding referendum on whether a given law should be
scrapped. This effectively grants the populace a veto on government legislation. Recalls
gives the people the right to remove from office elected officials before the end of their
term.
Democracy in World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc., 2006. B. Pure
Democracy entry in Merriam-Webster Dictionary. C. Pure Democracy entry in
American Heritage Dictionary
A. Gutmann, D. F. Thompson, "Why Deliberative Democracy?", Princeton
University Press, 2004 (Perspectives on Ideologies 337 – 338 )

Representative Democracy: A form of democracy in which citizens elect a
representative from a list of candidates on a ballot. In most cases a single member voting
system is used in which each constituency or riding elects one representative. However,
multi member constituencies do exist within the confines of a Representative Democracy
in which more than one candidate can be elected per riding. Once elected, representatives
are usually expected to use their own judgment as to which issues they will devote
themselves and what positions they take on those issues. They are not bound to consult
their constituents, even though it is usually in their best interest to do so. In modern
times, the mass media has strengthened the role of political parties in elections, so that in
many elections, voters are actually choosing between party leaders and political platforms
rather than between candidates. This development has reduced the political importance of
representatives who are not close advisors to their party leader. Non-influential
representatives are said to be ‘back benchers’. (Perspectives on Ideologies 338 - 339)

First-past-the-post: A system in which the candidate with the most votes wins the
constituency (ex. USA, Canada) (Perspectives on Ideologies 340 )

Run off: When a candidate does not win a majority in their constituency, the citizens
will recast their ballots for the top 2 candidates (Australia)

Proportional Representation: The percentage of votes in each constituency represents
the percentage of seats received in parliament. This system often leads to minority
governments. Countries, such as Sweden, who implement this system, include other
policies to try to prevent a minority, which are often unsuccessful. In Sweden, you must
win 12 % of the votes in your constituency to be granted any seats, and a 4% nation-wide
vote to obtain your proportion of the additional 39 seats in the Riksdag. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 343 - 345 )
Authoritarian Political Systems: A form of government characterized by an emphasis on the
authority of the state in a republic or union. It is a political system controlled by rulers who may
permit a varying degree of individual freedom (totalitarianism is generally considered to be an
extreme version of authoritarianism). While normally considered to be in opposition to one
another, it is possible for democracies to be authoritarian. An illiberal democracy (or procedural
democracy) is distinguished from liberal democracy (or substantive democracy) in that illiberal
democracies lack some democratic features, such as the rule of law, an independent judiciary,
separation of powers, civilian control of the military, freedom of speech and assembly, and
freedom from censorship. The central characteristic of an illiberal democracy is that institutional
political processes are skewed in favor of the incumbent regime. Opposition may be dealt with by
means of onerous regulations on political organizations in civil society, unfair electoral processes
(such as barriers to ballot access or extensive gerrymandering), manipulation of the media (either
by ignoring or distorting opposition, or by censorship, often in state-owned press or oligarchical
mainstream media). Illiberal democracy has also been termed "electoralism" or "soft
authoritarianism.”
(http://www.glencoe.com/catalog/index.php/program?c=1675&s=21309&p=4213&parent=4
526)
"Sondrol, Paul C. "Totalitarian and Authoritarian Dictators: A Comparison of Fidel
Castro and Alfredo Stroessner." Journal of Latin American Studies 23(3): October 1991, pp.
449-620. (Perspectives on Ideologies 357 - 361)
Totalitarian Political Systems: A simple definition of totalitarianism can be taken to be ‘a
system of rule, driven by an ideology, that seeks direction of all aspects of public activity,
political, economic and social, and uses to that end, at least to a degree, propaganda and terror’.
This definition is incomplete. To move toward a more complete understanding, a look at the
history of its use can be helpful. This will indicate that initially it was not used as a critical
judgement on a government. The word was probably first used by the Italian philosopher,
Giovanni Gentile, in 1925, during the earlier years of Italian Fascist rule, to describe a
comprehensive socio-political system. Mussolini happily used the word, and while in general it
usefully describes Nazism and Stalinism, Hitler avoided its use and Stalin saw it as applicable to
Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany but not to Russia. Friedrich and Brzezinski‘s theoretical model,
derived from the history of the twentieth century, had six key features.






An official ideology to which general adherence was demanded, the ideology intended to
achieve a ‘perfect final stage of mankind‘.
A single mass party, hierarchically organised, closely interwoven with the state bureaucracy
and typically led by one man.
Monopolistic control of the armed forces.
A similar monopoly of the means of effective mass communication.
A system of terroristic police control.
Central control and direction of the entire economy.
(http://www.history-ontheweb.co.uk/concepts/totalitarianism.htm) (Perspectives on
Ideologies 45, 167 – 168, 374)
Economic Systems: A system involving the production, distribution and consumption of goods and
services among individuals and groups in a society. The economic system is composed of people and
institutions, including their relationships to means of production, such as through the ownership of
property.

Traditional Economy: Economy based on subsistence agriculture where small family
groups or tribes produce nearly all of what they need themselves. There is therefore very
little trade, and barter, rather than money, is used for any trade that occurs. In a traditional
economy people are generally averse to risk, preferring to keep to traditional modes of
production and avoiding change.
(http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/traditional+economy) (Perspectives on Ideologies
110, 120, 150)

Free Market Economy (Free Enterprise, Market, Capitalist): An economic system in
which individuals, rather than government, make the majority of decisions regarding
economic activities and transactions. Individuals are free to make economic decisions
concerning their employment, their capital, their expenditures and their resources. The
principles underlying free-market economies are based on laissez-faire (non-intervention
by government) economics and can be traced to the 18th-century Scottish economist
Adam Smith. According to Smith, individuals acting in their own economic self-interest
will maximize the economic situation of society as a whole, as if guided by an “invisible
hand.” In a free-market economy the government's function is restricted to providing
what are known as “public goods” and performing a regulatory role in certain situations.
(http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761579938/free-market_economy.html)
(Perspectives on Ideologies54, 55, 145, 149 – 150, 165, 204, 228 )

Command Economy (Communist, Planned, Socialist): Economy planned and directed
by government, where resources are allocated to factories by the state through central
planning. This system is unresponsive to the needs and wants of consumers or to sudden
changes in conditions (for example, crop failure or fluctuations in the world price of raw
materials). For example, in the former USSR, state planners decided what was to be
produced. They passed orders down to factories, allocating raw materials, workers, and
other factors of production to them. Factories were given production quotas. The goods
produced were distributed by government.
(http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/hutchinson/m0037989.html)
(Perspectives on Ideologies 136 – 137, 150, 180 – 181, 218, 228, 361)

Mixed Economy: An economy that operates partly under free-market principles, in
which business ownership is in private hands and prices are set by supply and demand,
and partly under government ownership or control.
(http://ca.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761586517/mixed_economy.html)
(Perspectives on Ideologies 148 – 150, 208, 211, 219, 228)
Consensus Decision Making: Consensus is a decision-making process that fully utilizes the resources of
a group. It is more difficult and time consuming than a democratic vote or an autocratic decision. Most
issues will involve compromises and the various decision alternatives will not satisfy everyone. Complete
unanimity is not the goal - that is rarely possible. However, it is possible for each individual to have the
opportunity to express their opinion and accept a group decision based on it being logical and feasible.
This requires the mutual trust and respect of each team member. A consensus decision is a reasonable
decision that all members of the group can accept, though it may not meet all the expectations of each
stakeholder.
(http://www.npd-solutions.com/consensus.html) (Perspectives on Ideologies 353 – 354)
Sources:
www.cbc.ca/mercerreport/video.html
Date: Oct. 9, 2007 –Season 5 – Electoral reform
Political System:
2008 (June 30)



RED indicates populistic system
BLUE indicates democratic system.
ORANGE indicates that political system of the country is now changing from populistic to
democratic.


WHITE means "not enough data to determine political system".
GREEN indicates occupied countries (also "not enough data" to determine political system).
Direct Democracy:
“This tired argument, that direct democracy is tantamount to ‘mob rule,’ is nothing more than archaic
bourgeois propaganda. The arguments which, after little support if any at all is provided, conclude that
‘those who own the country ought to govern it,’ as John Jay opined, or that the system should “protect
the minority of the opulent against the majority’ rabble masses, to quote James Madison, the main framer
of the United States constitution, are clearly exploitive, authoritarian and vulgar apologetics for elite,
highly concentrated centers of power and wealth, whereby said centers of wealth and power are
protected over and against the ‘rabble masses,’ who are ‘too stupid to govern.’”
“Democracy passes into despotism.”
“Democracy... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder; and dispensing a sort of
equality to equals and unequals alike.”
“Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery
out of the most extreme liberty.” ~ quotes from Plato
Representative Democracy:
“Representative democracy, as in, say, the United States or Great Britain, would be criticized by an
anarchist of this school on two grounds. First of all because there is a monopoly of power centralized in
the State, and secondly -and critically - because representative democracy is limited to the political
sphere and in no serious way encroaches on the economic sphere. Anarchists of this tradition have
always held that democratic control of one’s productive life is at the core of any serious human
liberation, or, for that matter, of any significant democratic practice. That is, as long as individuals are
compelled to rent themselves on the market to those who are willing to hire them, as long as their role in
production is simply that of ancillary tools, then there are striking elements of coercion and oppression
that make talk of democracy very limited, if even meaningful.” ~ Noam Chomsky
(http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/democracy-quotes.htm)
"Democracy is just a word. You have to give it meaning. The US is not a democracy. Most Americans do
not vote. We haven't had a real choice for a long, long time now. Wealth rules. Corporations rule. The US
is a plutocracy -- government by wealthy people. Certain people control multinational corporations. You
couldn't get elected in the US without lots of money." ~ Ramsey Clark
(http://www.betterworld.net/quotes/democracy-quotes.htm)
Authoritarian Political System:
(http://www.robertamsterdam.com/kallaugher.jpg)
Totalitarian Political System:
(http://blogs.zdnet.com/open-source/images/big-brother-poster.jpg)
(http://www.msholden.com/Pictures/Pledge.jpg)
Economic System Link(s):
http://www.virtualclassroom.net/tvc/econ/economic_systems/sld001.htm
http://hrsbstaff.ednet.ns.ca/mcallip/Intro%2011Econ/types_of_economies11.htm
http://www.canadianeconomy.gc.ca/English/economy/capitalism_socialism.html
Traditional Economic Link(s):
http://www.curriculumlink.org/econ/materials/traditional.html
http://www.economywatch.com/economy-articles/traditional-economy.html
(http://www.south-images.com/bolivia/plowing.jpg)
Free Market Economy:
(http://www.ratical.org/many_worlds/wpdoc2_image0.gif)
Mixed Economic Link(s):
http://www.importanceofphilosophy.com/Bloody_MixedEconomy.html (a negative view of mixed
economic systems)
(http://www.wtrain.com/econ/handouts/comparative_eco_systems_files/image002.jpg)
Other Links:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/socialstd/curriculum/files/10-1-map.pdf
3.6 analyze the extent to which liberal democracies reflect illiberal thought and practice
(Canada,contemporary examples) (PADM, ER)
Key Terms:
Liberal Democracies: Liberal democracy is a form of representative democracy where elected
representatives who hold the decision-making power are moderated by a constitution that emphasizes
protecting individual liberties and the rights of minorities in society, such as freedom of speech and
assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy, as well as equality before the law
and due process under the rule of law, and many more. Such constitutional rights (also named liberal
rights) are guaranteed through various institutions and statutes. Additionally, the constitutions of most of
the contemporary liberal democracies protect the rights of individuals and minorities, and prohibit the
tyranny of majority. (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-liberal-democracy.htm)
Illiberalism: A governing system in which although fairly free elections take place, citizens are cut off
from real power due to the lack of civil liberties. This may be because a constitution limiting government
powers exists but its conventions are ignored, or because an adequate legal constitutional framework of
liberties is absent. Illiberal democratic governments may believe they have a mandate to act in any way
they see fit as long as they hold regular elections. Lack of liberties such as freedom of speech and
freedom of assembly make opposition extremely difficult. The rulers may centralize powers between
branches of the central government and local government (having no separation of powers). Television
and radio are often controlled by the state and strongly support the regime. Non-governmental
organizations may face strict regulations or may be prohibited. The regime may use bureaucratic ‘red
tape’, economic pressure, or violence against critics. (Perspectives on Ideologies 328, 390 – 404)
Sources:
Illiberalism:
Around the world, democratically elected regimes are routinely ignoring limits on their power and
depriving citizens of basic freedoms. From Peru to the Philippines, we see the rise of a disturbing
phenomenon: illiberal democracy. It has been difficult to recognize because for the last century in the
West, democracy -- free and fair elections -- has gone hand in hand with constitutional liberalism -- the
rule of law and basic human rights. But in the rest of the world, these two concepts are coming apart.
Democracy without constitutional liberalism is producing centralized regimes, the erosion of liberty,
ethnic competition, conflict, and war. The international community and the United States must end their
obsession with balloting and promote the gradual liberalization of societies.
Fareed Zakaria is Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs and a Contributing Editor for Newsweek.
(http://www.foreignaffairs.org/19971101faessay3809/fareed-zakaria/the-rise-of-illiberaldemocracy.html)
3.7 analyze why the practices of governments may not reflect principles of liberalism (PADM, ER,
C)
Key Terms:
Liberal Practices: those institutional and customary arrangements that support individual liberty. Of
prime importance are individual legal rights to engage in certain activities such as to practice the religion
of one's choice, to use one's property and labor as one pleases, and to enjoy freedom of opinion,
expression, association, and movement. Political rights and constitutional procedures designed to put
limits on government power, such as the independence of the judiciary, the separation of legislative and
executive power, freedom of the press, and electoral accountability, are liberal practices insofar as they
are designed to protect or express individual liberty. (http://science.jrank.org/pages/9955/LiberalismLiberal-Practice.html)
3.8 evaluate the extent to which governments should promote individual and collective rights
(American Bill of Rights; Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms; Québec Charter of Human
Rights and Freedoms; First Nations, Métis and Inuit rights; language legislation; emergencies and
security legislation) (PADM, C, CC)
Key Terms:
Individual Rights: refers to the rights of individuals, in contrast with group rights. Individual rights
advocates tend to argue for increased codification of individual legal rights to protect individuals from
state infringement of their natural rights. This is traditionally associated with liberalism. (Perspectives on
Ideologies 72 – 74, 107, 370 – 376)
Collective Rights (Group Rights): Rights held by a group rather than by its individual members, or
rights held only by individuals within the specified group. The term group rights may also be used to
describe peoples' rights, a legal concept best known in the context of indigenous rights as established in
the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Group rights have historically been used both to
infringe upon and to facilitate individual rights, and the concept remains controversial.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_rights) (Perspectives on Ideologies 377 – 394)
American Bill of Rights: the name by which the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution
are known. They were introduced by James Madison to the First United States Congress in 1789 as a
series of constitutional amendments, and came into effect on December 15, 1791, when they were ratified
by three-fourths of the States. Thomas Jefferson was the main proponent of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of
Rights prohibits the federal government from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property, without
due process of law. In federal criminal cases, it requires indictment by grand jury for any capital or
"infamous crime", guarantees a speedy public trial with an impartial jury composed of members of the
state or judicial district in which the crime occurred, and prohibits double jeopardy. In addition, the Bill of
Rights states that "the enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or
disparage others retained by the people,” and reserves all powers not granted to the federal government to
the citizenry or States. Most of these restrictions were later applied to the states by a series of decisions
applying the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was ratified in 1868, after the
American Civil War.
"Primary Documents in American History: The Bill of Rights". The Library of Congress.
http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/freedom/bill/
See: Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution (Perspectives on Ideologies 378)
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (The Charter of Rights and Freedoms, La Charte
Canadienne des Droits et Libertés): are rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada. The Charter
forms the first part of the Constitution Act, 1982. The Charter guarantees certain political and civil rights
of people in Canada from the policies and actions of all levels of government. It is designed to unify
Canadians around a set of principles that embody those rights. The Charter was preceded by the Canadian
Bill of Rights, which was enacted in 1960. However, the Bill of Rights was only a federal statute, rather
than a constitutional document. As a federal statute, it was limited in scope, was easily amendable by
Parliament, and it had no application to provincial laws. The Supreme Court of Canada also narrowly
interpreted the Bill of Rights and the Court was reluctant to declare laws inoperative. The relative
ineffectiveness of the Canadian Bill of Rights motivated many to improve rights protections in Canada.
The movement for human rights and freedoms that emerged after World War II also wanted to entrench
the principles enunciated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The British Parliament formally
enacted the Charter as a part of the Canada Act 1982 at the request of the Parliament of Canada in 1982,
the result of the efforts of the Government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
Hogg, Peter W. Constitutional Law of Canada. 2003 Student Ed. Scarborough, Ontario: Thomson
Canada Limited, 2003, page 689. (Perspectives on Ideologies 42, 46, 73, 370 – 373, 377 – 379, 382 –
383, 386, 389, 401 – 402, 414, 461 – 462)
Quebec Charter of Human Rights (Charte des Droits et Libertés de la Personne): A statutory bill of
rights and human rights code passed by the National Assembly of Quebec on June 27, 1975, which
received Royal Assent from Lieutenant Governor Hugues Lapointe, and came into effect on June 28,
1976. Introduced by the Liberal government of Robert Bourassa, the Charter followed extensive
preparatory work that began under the Union Nationale government of Daniel Johnson. The Charter ranks
among other quasi-constitutional Quebec laws, such as the Charter of the French Language and the Act
respecting access to documents held by public bodies, and the protection of personal information. Only
the Constitution of Canada, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, enjoys priority over
the Quebec charter. Québec is the only province that has a Charter of Rights and Freedoms that is not a
simple anti-discriminatory statute, but a genuine fundamental law largely inspired by international
documents (eg, the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man, the Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights, the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).
(http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0009340)
(Perspectives on Ideologies 281, 373)
First Nations, Metis and Inuit Rights: See sources (Perspectives on Ideologies 312, 370, 377, 379 –
380, 386 – 387, 389)
Language Legislation: See sources (Perspectives on Ideologies 382)
Emergency and Security Legislation: Governmental legislation that may suspend certain normal
functions of government, alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or order government agencies to
implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale for suspending civil liberties.
Such declarations usually come during a time of natural disaster, during periods of civil disorder, or
following a declaration of war In some countries, the state of emergency and its effects on civil liberties
and governmental procedure are regulated by the constitution, or a law that limits the powers that may be
invoked or rights that may be suspended during an emergency. In many countries, it is illegal to modify
the emergency law or constitution during the emergency.
The federal government of Canada can use the Emergencies Act to invoke a state of emergency. A
national state of emergency automatically expires after 90 days, unless extended by the Governor-inCouncil. There are different levels of emergencies: Public Welfare Emergency, Public Order Emergency,
International Emergency, and War Emergency. The Emergencies Act replaced the War Measures Act in
1988. The War Measures Act was invoked three times in Canadian history, most controversially during
the FLQ Crisis. A state of emergency can also be declared by provincial, territorial, and municipal
governments.
In the USA, the Patriot Act was signed in Oct. 2001, as a response to the bombing of the World Trade
Centers. (http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/notice/index.html?redirect=%2Fen%2Fshowdoc%2Fcs%2FE4.5%2Fbo-ga%253Al_III-gb%253As_35%2F%2Fen)
(http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/stateofemergency/) (Perspectives on Ideologies 401)
Sources:
Individual Rights:
“You have rights antecedent to all earthly governments: rights that cannot be repealed or restrained by
human laws; rights derived from the Great Legislator of the universe.” ~ John Adams
(http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quotes_about/individual+rights: Includes more quotes about
individual rights)
Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
during its 62nd session at UN Headquarters in New York City on 13 September 2007. While as a General
Assembly Declaration it is not a legally binding instrument under international law, according to a UN
press release, it does “represent the dynamic development of international legal norms and it reflects the
commitment of the UN's member states to move in certain directions”; the UN describes it as setting “an
important standard for the treatment of indigenous peoples that will undoubtedly be a significant tool
towards eliminating human rights violations against the planet's 370 million indigenous people and
assisting them in combating discrimination and marginalisation.”
(http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/FAQsindigenousdeclaration.pdf)
Collective Rights vs. Individual Rights:
“…The Western world is becoming more involved with human rights violations in poorer countries. As a
result, the decisions and actions of the powerful nations have a large impact on the affected people. To
the individual, protecting the rights of a group may very well lead to short-term hardships. At the same
time however, such radical action may be required to truly ameliorate the collective situation.
Regardless, it remains important to consider both individual and collective rights. Only then can one
fairly pass judgement on an issue without jeopardizing the wellbeing of an individual or an entire group.”
(http://library.thinkquest.org/C0126065/isscollective.html)
American Bill of Rights:
http://www.wicenshootingrange.com/Bill_of_rights.gif (Link to picture of the Bill of Right)
http://www.lazyiguana.org/blog_photos/signing/bill%20of%20rights%20(after%20Bush%20signin
g%20statements).jpg (Link to satirical “revisions” of the Bill of Rights by Presient George W. Bush)
Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/
http://www.efc.ca/pages/law/charter/charter.text.html
(http://www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/html/charter_section_1_charte_e.php)
Indigenous Rights:
http://www.amnesty.ca/themes/indigenous_overview.php
http://www.dominionpaper.ca/weblogs/david_parker/2179
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/en/drip.html
http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/en/browseSubjects/aboriginalRights.asp
Former Australian of the Year Galarrwuy Yunupingu has presented Prime Minister Kevin Rudd with a
petition calling for full recognition of Indigenous rights in the Australian Constitution.
(http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200807/r274546_1158455.jpg)
Language Legislation:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/an/story/CTVNews/20050401/scoc_que_ruling_050331
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/bill101/
http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/2/2-167.html
The Charter of the French Language (La Charte de la Langue Française), also known as Bill 101 and Loi
101, is a law in the province of Quebec in Canada defining French, the language of the majority of the
population, as the only official language of Quebec and framing fundamental language rights of all
Quebecers. It is the central legislative piece in Quebec's language policy. Proposed by Camille Laurin, the
Minister of Cultural Development under the first Parti Québécois government of Premier René Lévesque,
it was passed by the National Assembly, and granted Royal Assent by Lieutenant Governor Hugues
Lapointe on August 26, 1977. The Charter's provisions expanded upon the 1974 Official Languag Act
(Bill 22), which was enacted under Premier Robert Bourassa's Liberal government to make French the
sole official language of Quebec. Prior to 1974, Quebec had no official language and was subject only to
the requirements on the use of English and French contained in Article 133 of the British North America
Act, 1867.
Emergency and Security Legislation:
http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/clips/610/ (“Just Watch Me”: Video of Trudeau’s
response to comments regarding the implementation of the War Measure’s Act)
http://archives.cbc.ca/war_conflict/civil_unrest/clips/624/ (“October Crisis: 20 Years Later)
3.9 evaluate the extent to which the principles of liberalism are viable in the context of
contemporary issues (environment concerns, resource use and development, debt and poverty,
racism, pandemics, terrorism, censorship, illiberalism) (PADM, ER, LPP)
Key Terms:
Environment Concerns: Environmentalism is a broad philosophy and social movement centered on a
concern for the conservation and improvement of the environment. Environmentalism can also be defined
as a social movement which seeks to influence the political process by lobbying, activism, and education
in order to protect natural resources and ecosystems. In recognition of humanity as a participant in
ecosystems, the environmental movement is centered on ecology, health, and human rights. An
environmentalist is a person who may advocate the sustainable management of resources and stewardship
of the natural environment through changes in public policy or individual behavior. Some contemporary
environmental concerns include: (Perspectives on Ideologies 40, 418, 429 – 430, 434 – 435, 437)




Global climate change.
Water and air pollution.
Loss of habitat.
Natural and made-made environmental disasters.
Debt and Poverty: On average, debt payments cost many poor countries almost twice what they spend
on education and more than three times the amount spent on the population's healthcare. Poor people
suffer from a lack of government investment in the country, such as better roads which would help them
travel to market. The poorest people are unable to afford to start paying for schools when fees are
introduced, so their children miss out. When the prices of basic foods go up, it is the poorest people who
can no longer afford to feed their families.
(http://www.globalvillage2006.org/en/find_out_about/aid_and_debt/debt_and_poverty)
Racism: the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and racial
differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race. In the case of institutional racism, certain
racial groups may be denied rights or benefits, or get preferential treatment. Racial discrimination
typically points out physical differences between different groups of people, even though anybody can be
racialised, independently of their genetic differences. According to the United Nations conventions, there
is no distinction between the term racial discrimination and ethnic discrimination. (See
http://www.socialpolicy.ca/52100/m17/m17-t2.stm for a discussion of four types of racism).
(Perspectives on Ideologies 51)
Pandemics: An epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region; for
instance a continent, or even worldwide. Historic examples of pandemics include the bubonic plague, the
Spanish Influenza, SARS and AIDS. Of current concern is Bird Influenza which, if it becomes easily
transmittable between humans, could also be a pandemic. (Perspectives on Ideologies 430 – 433)
Terrorism: The systematic use of terror to achieve political, economic, or religious ends. The modern
definition of terrorism is inherently controversial. The use of violence for the achievement of political
ends is common to state and non-state groups. The difficulty is in agreeing on a basis for determining
when the use of violence (directed at whom, by whom, for what ends) is legitimate. The majority of
definitions in use have been written by agencies directly associated with a government, and are
systematically biased to exclude governments from the definition. (Perspectives on Ideologies 364 – 365,
396)
Censorship: The suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered
objectionable, harmful or sensitive, as determined by a censor. The rationale for censorship is different for
various types of data censored: (Perspectives on Ideologies 85, 394)

Moral censorship: The removal of materials that censor deems to be obscene or
otherwise morally questionable. Pornography, for example, is often censored under this
rationale, especially child pornography, which is censored in most jurisdictions in the
world.

Military censorship: The process of keeping military intelligence and tactics
confidential and away from the enemy. This is used to counter espionage, which is the
process of gleaning military information. Some militaries may also attempt to suppress
politically inconvenient information even if that information has no actual intelligence
value.

Political censorship: Occurs when governments hold back sensitive information from
their citizens. The logic is to prevent the free expression needed to rebel. Any dissent
against the government is thought to be a "weakness" for the enemy to exploit. It can also
be used to prevent the public from becoming aware of information that would jeopardize
National Security.

Religious censorship: The means by which any material objectionable to a certain faith
is removed. This often involves a dominant religion forcing limitations on less prevalent
ones. Alternatively, one religion may prevent the distribution of information about other
religions.

Corporate censorship: The process by which editors in corporate media outlets
intervene to halt the publishing of information that portrays their business or business
partners in a negative light. Privately owned corporations in the business of reporting the
news also sometimes refuse to distribute information due to the potential loss of
advertiser revenue or shareholder value which adverse publicity may bring. See media
bias. Trade secret law may be used by corporations as a censorship device. For example,
trade secret law may help keep company-sponsored research confidential, when revealing
it would reveal negative health effects of the product researched.
Sources:
Environment Concerns:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2008/09/08/nwt-elex.html (NDP leader calls for oilsands halt until
environmental concerns met)
Debt and Poverty:
http://www.one.org/international/ (The One campaign to forgive “third world” debt.
(http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/05.06.16.DebtSentence-X.gif)
It is the kind of line to prick a newspaper
editor's conscience. Early in his new book, The
End of Poverty, Professor Jeffrey Sachs
comments that every day our newspapers could
report "more than 20,000 people perished
yesterday of extreme poverty". But it doesn't
work that way. The story is too big for the
news.
The death of more than 20,000 people on a
single day would be one of the most momentous
stories of the year - full of heartbreak and
horror, particularly as so many of the victims
were children.
(http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/whyyou-will-never-see-a-front-page-likethis/2005/06/30/1119724757442.html)
The headlines would be massive, the news
coverage extensive, the analysis compelling
and in the days ahead, the letters page would
be full of reader feedback.
But because this event happens every day of the
year, for complex reasons that are hard to
solve, it makes little news.
The problem with worldwide poverty and the
unimaginable death toll, is that it is happening
everywhere, all the time…
Racism:
“Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too
distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their
scintillating beauty.” ~ Martin Luther King Jr.
“If I can send the flower of the German nation into the hell of war without the smallest pity for the
shedding of precious German blood, then surely I have the right to remove millions of an inferior race
that breeds like vermin” ~ Adolf Hitler
(http://thinkexist.com/quotations/racism/)
http://www.hopesite.ca/remember/history/racism_canada_1.html (History of racism in Canada
http://archives.cbc.ca/society/racism/ (Video and audio archives from the CBC)
Members of the White Supremacist, “Aryan Guard” marching
in Calgary (March 2008).
(http://warrenkinsella.com/images/Aryan_Guard.jpg)
Pandemics:
(http://www.birdfluwhattodo.com/Images/MeIFeelGreat.jpg)
Spanish Influenza, 1918
(http://johnfenzel.typepad.com/john_fenzels_blog/images/2007/03/25/pandemic_flu_of_1918.gif)
Terrorism:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/terrorism.html (Quotes about terrorism)
(http://delong.typepad.com/images/911.gif)
Censorship:
(http://femacamper.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/censorship_press_obey2.gif)
(http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/dayart/20050615/cartoon20050615.gif)
©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada (2007)
C Citizenship I Identity
ER Economics and Resources LPP The Land: Places and People GC Global Connections
CC Culture and Community PADM Power, Authority and Decision Making TCC Time, Continuity and
Change
Related Issue 4
To what extent should my actions as a citizen be shaped by an ideology?
General Outcome
Students will assess their rights, roles and responsibilities as citizens.
Specific Outcomes
�Values and Attitudes
�Knowledge and Understanding
Students will:
4.4 explore the relationship between personal and collective worldviews and ideology (C, I, GC)
Key Terms
Personal ideology can conflict or support collective ideology. For example: if your personal ideology
supports liberal principles (individual freedoms, equality of opportunity) and your collective worldview
supports national security (Patriot Act). These ideologies are in conflict.
Sources:
Project: In classrooms across the world, students and teachers will be discussing the significance of
Barack Obama's inauguration. We encourage you to use the excitement surrounding the events in
Washington to open a dialogue with your students about their own hopes for the future of this country.
LINK: Text of Barack Obama’a Address on the Occasion of his Inauguration as the 44th President
of the United States of America
http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/01/20/obama-speech-text.html >>
Discussion Starters
1 Make the text of the inauguration speech available to your students to read or watch a video of the
address in class. Ask them to analyze the speech to identify its most important themes.
What is Barack Obama’s message?
2 Ask your students, what is the significance of Barack Obama’s inauguration for Canada? Is his
election positive for Canadians? Why or why not?
There are many articles available online dealing with this question. Here are a few examples:



http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=c0c85bf8-738c-432e-8194b3337bceecc1
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081105.CANADAUS04/TPStory/Nationa
l
http://www.calgaryherald.com/Obama+administration+mixed+blessing+Canada/1143296/story.h
tml


http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/01/20/national-posteditorial-board-obama-s-big.aspx
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/strategy/article.jsp?content=20090120_082421_444
12
Search in advance for these or other articles and make them available to your students, or ask them to
research during class or at home. Discuss with your students how they feel about the new President, and
how they perceive his victory and its significance for Canada.
4.5 explore how ideologies shape individual and collective citizenship (C, PADM, GC)
Sources
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qXOrJtn1h2M&feature=related
P1. The Nature and Origin of Human Rights (1.9, 4.5)
4.6 analyze perspectives on the rights, roles and responsibilities of the individual in a democratic
society (respect for law and order, dissent, civility, political participation, citizen advocacy) (C,
PADM, ER)
Key Terms
Democracy: The power is held by the people in a free electoral system. Even though there is not
universally accepted definition of democracy, there are two key principles: 1) all members of society have
equal access to power 2) all members enjoy universally recognized freedoms and liberties. There are
several varieties of democracy some of which provide better representation and more freedoms for their
systems then others. (Perspectives on Ideologies 16 – 18, 335 - 356)
Respect for law and order: Laws exist to protect your individual rights and freedoms and you
voluntarily accept the limitation of those freedoms. (Perspectives on Ideologies 71 – 72)
Dissent: The fundamental right to disagree with government. You have an obligation as a citizen in a
democratic system to voice your dissent. (Perspectives on Ideologies 169, 174, 182 – 183, 354)
Civility: The obligation to participate in a respectful and considerate way. (Perspectives on Ideologies
480)
Citizenship: implies a sense of shared responsibility for the conduct of a regime. If a liberal democratic
society is to continue as such there must be widely respected institutions, practices, of civic virtue is
another. Civility, the culturally ingrained willingness to tolerate behavior that is offensive, is another
safeguard of order. Charles Kessler, Civility and Citizenship (Perspectives on Ideologies 442, 447 – 458,
461 – 472)
Political Participation: In a democracy it is your right and responsibility to exercise your political rights
and freedoms in the context of voting, dissent, and awareness and knowledge. (Perspectives on Ideologies
450 – 452)
Citizen advocacy: One responsibility of citizens is to be self advocates and to advocate for those
individuals and those issues that cannot advocate for themselves. (people with special needs, , elders,
minority groups, Aboriginal and Francophone groups, environment) (Perspectives on Ideologies 451)
4.7 analyze perspectives on the rights, roles and responsibilities of the individual during times of
conflict (humanitarian crises, civil rights movements, antiwar movements, McCarthyism, prodemocracy movements, contemporary examples) (C, PADM, GC)
Key Terms
Humanitarian crises: an event or series of events that represent a critical threat to the health, safety,
security, or well being of a community or other large group of people, usually over a wide area. Armed
conflicts, epidemics, famine, natural disasters, and other major emergencies may all involve, or lead to, a
humanitarian crisis. (Perspectives on Ideologies 319)
McCarthyism: McCarthyism is a term describing the intense anti-communist suspicion in the United
States in a period that lasted roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. This period is also referred to
as the Second Red Scare, and coincided with increased fears about communist influence on American
institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. (Source: Wikipedia) (Perspectives on Ideologies 265 – 267)
Sources
Herbert Block (aka 'Herblock') coined the term "McCarthyism" in this cartoon in the March 29, 1950
Washington Post
Red Channels, a 1950 publication claiming to document "Communist influence in radio and television"
Flier issued in May 1955 by the Keep America Committee urging readers to "fight communistic world
government" by opposing public health programs
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=jmOC96eWdf4
Former KGB Agent Explains the Infiltration of the USA with Liberalism/Communism PART 2 –
subtitled into French (4.7)
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=SVRbXXUjEJ0&feature=PlayList&p=42232F3B3C7E2091&playnext=1
&index=2
Liberalism and Governance: the Social Liberal State (Humanitarian Crises)
4.8 evaluate the extent to which ideology should shape responses to contemporary issues (I, C, GC)
Key Terms
Personal and societal beliefs in regards to liberalism will guide decision making during times of conflict
and times of peace.
Ideological position (ie: individualism vs collectivism) will define your response to contemporary issues.
Sources
http://blog.kievukraine.info/2006/06/how-to-understand-ukrainian-president.html
http://filipspagnoli.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/school-segregation.jpg
4.9 develop strategies to address local, national and global issues that demonstrate individual and
collective leadership (C, GC)
Varies for each area and the time frame, use of current events is essential
4.10 explore opportunities to demonstrate active and responsible citizenship through individual and
collective action (C, GC)
Key Terms
Active and responsible citizenship: protesting, joining advocacy groups (environmental etc.), letter
writing campaigns, or any media involvement.
Sources
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=aXGYP4tgB-M
Splorgo the Space Alien on Liberalism and Partisanship(4.10)
C Citizenship I Identity
ER Economics and Resources LPP The Land: Places and People GC Global Connections
CC Culture and Community PADM Power, Authority and Decision Making TCC Time, Continuity and
Change
24/ Social Studies 30-1
(2007) ©Alberta Education, Alberta, Canada