Introduction to
Politics
Canadian & World Politics
www.CraigMarlatt.com/school
How the PowerPoints Work
• For many lessons in the course, key points and
visuals are displayed in PowerPoint slideshows
which are available on the course website.
• If you want, print the slideshows out in
advance (you can print “handouts” with 6 or 9
slides on a page) so you can take notes on
information talked about, without having to copy
the screen.
• The first slide will be a “table of contents” for the
lesson, followed by any relevant text and visuals
for that lesson.
Introduction to Politics
1. What is Politics?
2. Names and Faces
3. Political Classifications
What is Politics?
• Many people imagine that studying politics is just
studying government. Government is important,
but Politics is much more than this.
• Politics is a diverse, sprawling and dynamic
discipline, which is not defined by a particular
method or approach, but by a concern with
themes of human community, power, conflict,
and change.
What is Politics?
• Politics is the operation of power in society:
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physical power
economic power
legal power
power over opinion
• Power is used to pursue the interests of human
beings. These interests are often aggregated into
factional alliances. Political Studies, often also
called Political Science, is the academic discipline
that tries to establish how this happens.
What is Politics?
• The study of politics is one of the oldest academic
disciplines. In ancient Greece political
philosophers studied the uses of power. They
also concerned themselves with creating a good
society and balancing the pursuit of power with
justice and order.
• They started the study of the four great subdisciplines of Political Studies:
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domestic politics and policy studies (Herodotus)
political philosophy (Plato)
comparative politics (Aristotle)
international politics (Thucydides)
Names and Faces
1.
2.
3.
4.
Canadian, Dead, Neither, Both?
Movie Metaphors for Canadian Prime Ministers
Politicians Summary Sheet
Political Leadership
Names and Faces - Leadership
• Laissez-Faire
– very little participation by leader in am authoritarian
role
– used when working with people of equal qualifications
– “the principle of letting people do as they please”
Gage 1983 (?)
– “laid back” approach - leading without being up front
and in the spotlight
– getting a group to head towards a goal by suggesting
and nudging them in the right direction
Names and Faces - Leadership
• Democratic
– decisions made through group discussions and votes
– used when there is a specialist in the field
– “....a form of government in which power is held by the
people and is exercised by them directly or through
their elected representatives.” (NGS 1989)
– “a government that is.... controlled by the people who
live under it.” Gage 1983
– India, United States are the largest democracies
– a leader is obviously present but more or less
mediates decisions based on input from the entire
population
Names and Faces - Leadership
• Autocratic
– decisions made by one person without consult of
anyone but himself
– often used in emergency situations where time is of
the essence
– “a government having absolute power over its
citizens; absolute authority; ruling without checks or
limitations” Gage 1983
– since the break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991, North
Korea, China, Laos, Vietnam, and Cuba are the only
communist countries left on Earth
– leader determines all policies and gives orders
Political Classifications
1.
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7.
Supranational “Governments”
National Governments
Governments by Mode of Succession
Governments by Type of Rule
Governments by Structure
Levels of Government
Branches of Government
Supranational Political Systems
• Empires
• e.g. British, Roman, and Ottoman
• a major political unit having a territory of great
extent or a number of territories or peoples under
a single sovereign authority
Supranational Political Systems
• Leagues
• e.g. Baltic, Arab; also League of Nations
• an association of nations or other political entities
for a common purpose
Supranational Political Systems
• Confederations
• e.g. European Union
• is a large state composed of many self-governing
regions
• has a very weak central government with little
influence over the actions or policies of the
member regions
Supranational Political Systems
• Federations
• e.g. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
• formed by a compact between political units that
surrender their individual sovereignty to a
central authority but retain limited residuary
powers of government
Supranational Political Systems
• United Nations
• voluntary association of most of the world's
nation-states
• not a world government, does not make laws, and
does not have its own police force or military
National Political Systems
• Unitary Nation-States
• e.g. Belgium, Bulgaria, France, The Netherlands,
Japan, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom,
the Scandinavian countries, Spain, and many of
the Latin-American and African countries
• basically a single tier of government with
varying degrees decentralization - some are
decentralized so much as to resemble federal
states, some allow limited regional rule, others
have only token decentralization
National Political Systems
• Federal Systems
• political authority is divided between two
autonomous sets of governments, one national
and the other sub-national, both of which operate
directly upon the people
• Jot down a few examples of the world’s
federations as the maps appear on the next few
slides.
National Political Systems
• Federations of the World
National Political Systems
• Federations of North America
National Political Systems
• Federations of South America
National Political Systems
• Federations of Africa
National Political Systems
• Federations of Europe
National Political Systems
• Federations of Asia
National Political Systems
• Federations of Oceania
Govts by Mode of Succession
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2.
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Hereditary Succession
Succession by Constitutional Prescription
Succession by Election
Succession by Force
Govts by Mode of Succession
• Hereditary Succession
• e.g. western Europe monarchies, and some Arab
nations
• Often first-born son, then his first-born son, ….
Govts by Mode of Succession
• Monarchies of the World
– Currently there are 29 monarchs reigning over 44
countries (QEII is Head of State for 16 countries)
Govts by Mode of Succession
• Succession by Constitutional Prescription
• e.g. United States
• Next leader already specified by law
Govts by Mode of Succession
• Succession by Election
• e.g. Canada
• Next person is chosen by party vote (a leadership
convention) or general election
Govts by Mode of Succession
• Succession by Force
• e.g. Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy
Govts by Type of Rule
1. Autocratic
2. Democratic
Govts by Type of Rule
• Autocratic
• e.g., dictatorships, absolute monarchies - Brunei,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Vatican City
• one person or group of people holding all power
Govts by Type of Rule
• Democratic
• e.g., Canada
• prescribed division of powers for different
purposes such as Governor General, Prime
Minister, etc.
Govts by Structure
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2.
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4.
Monarchy
Dictatorship
Oligarchy
Constitutional
Govts by Structure
• Monarchy
• e.g., Monaco, Spain, United Kingdom, Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, The Netherlands, Japan
• king or queen, emperor, etc.
• can be largely symbolic or an absolute ruler
• legitimized by blood descent
Govts by Structure
• Dictatorship
• e.g., Myanmar
• a self-proclaimed leader, taking advantage of
failures of western set-up government structures
then banning oppositions and building replicas of
communist world
• See Evita or Moon Over
Parador for Hollywood
renditions of dictatorships
Govts by Structure
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Oligarchy
e.g., Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
irresponsible rule by small groups
almost extinct today but historically were in Asia
where governing elites were recruited exclusively
from a ruling caste
• Also:
– South Africa
– Guatemala
Govts by Structure
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Constitutional Government
e.g. Canada, the United States
defined by the existence of a constitution
constitution may be a legal instrument or merely a
set of fixed norms or principles generally
accepted as the fundamental law of the polity that
effectively controls the exercise of political power
Levels of Government
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2.
3.
4.
5.
National
Sub-National
Regional
Municipal
School Board
Levels of Government
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National
e.g. Government of Canada
www.canada.ca
Country
Levels of Government
• National Powers and Responsibilities
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National Defence
Unemployment Insurance
Postal Service
Trade Regulation
External Relations
Money and Banking
Citizenship
Indian Affairs
Criminal Law
plus anything else not identified in the constitution
Levels of Government
Governor General, Prime
Minister, and the Cabinet
Levels of Government
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Sub-National
e.g. Government of Ontario
www.ontario.ca
Province, Territory, State (U.S), or Canton (Switz)
Levels of Government
• Provincial Powers and Responsibilities
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Property and Civil Rights
Administration of Justice
Education
Health
Welfare
Natural Resources
Licensing
Charities
Civil Laws
Municipalities
Levels of Government
Lieutenant Governor,
Premier, and the
Provincial Cabinet
Levels of Government
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Regional
e.g. Regional Municipality of Durham
www.durham.ca
Region, County, District, Parish (southern U.S.)
Levels of Government
• Regional Municipality Responsibilities
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Only has powers that provinces give them
Regional Planning
Public Health
Long Term Care
Waste Collection & Disposal
Water Treatment
Trunk Sewage
Public Transit
Social Assistance
Public Housing
Levels of Government
Chair & the
Regional Council
Levels of Government
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Local
e.g. Town of Whitby
www.whitby.ca
City, Town, Township, Municipality
Levels of Government
• Local Municipality Responsibilities
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Only has powers that regional governments give them
Urban Planning
Fire Protection
Economic Development
Building Code
Property Standards
Water Distribution
Sewage Collection
Parks & Recreation
Libraries
Levels of Government
Mayor & Town Council
Levels of Government
• All four levels of government mentioned so far all
share responsibilities in the areas of
– Transportation
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Trans-Canada Highway, Ports, Airports, Pipelines, Railways
King’s Highways
Regional Roads
City Streets
– Policing
• RCMP
• OPP
• DRPS
– Laws and By-Laws
See “Canadian
Security &
Enforcement
Institutions”
Slideshow for
more…
Levels of Government
• Government in Transportation
Hwy 35
– Regional Road 48
Simcoe St
• (City of Kawartha Lakes)
– Durham Region Highway 48
Hwy 12
• (Durham Region)
– Trans-Canada Highway 48
• (Dominion of Canada)
Hwy 12
– King’s Highway 48
• (Province of Ontario)
– Main Street Markham
• (City of Markham)
– Regional Road 68
16th Ave
Main Street Markham
Rouge St
• (Region of York)
– Markham Road
• (City of Toronto)
Steeles Ave
Markham Road
Kingston Rd
Levels of Government
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School Board
e.g. Durham District School Board
www.ddsb.ca
Number of School Boards in Ontario:
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English Public 31
English Catholic 29
French Public 4
French Catholic 8
Levels of Government
• School Board Responsibilities
– the hiring of school administrative staff,
– the maintenance of buildings and property,
– the provision of learning materials and resources for
students,
– the transportation of students,
– the development of locally initiated courses and
programs,
– the provision of instructional support services, and
– the development of policies to govern the operation of
the school system.
Levels of Government
Trustees of the
Durham District
School Board
Branches of Government
1. Executive
2. Legislative
3. Judicial
Branches of Government
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Executive
e.g. Governor General and Prime Minister
www.gg.ca and www.pm.gc.ca
Leaders of Government who guide the direction
of the government and/or approve legislation
Branches of Government - CAN
EXECUTIVE
Sovereign
Governor
General
Prime
Minister
PM’s Office
Cabinet
Ministries &
Civil Service
Privy Council
Office
Branches of Government - CAN
Rideau Hall
(Official Residence
of the Governor General)
Gorffwysfa
(Official Residence
of the Prime Minister)
Branches of Government - CAN
La Citadelle
(Official Summer Residence
of the Governor General)
Harrington Lake
(Country Residence
of the Prime Minister)
Branches of Government - CAN
Langevin Block
(Which includes the
Prime Minister’s Office)
Interior of the
Prime Minister’s
Office
Branches of Government - USA
EXECUTIVE
President
Vice
President
Cabinet
Departments
The White House
Official Residence &
Office of the POTUS
The Naval Observatory
Official Residence of the
VPOTUS
Branches of Government - USA
The Oval Office
(Inside the West Wing)
Vice-President’s
Office
(Inside the Eisenhower
Exec. Office Bldg.)
Branches of Government - CAN
Canadian Cabinet
•Government Ministers
who head the departments
(a.k.a. ministries) of the
Federal Government
In order of precedence
(although the PM has
designated a list of
primary Acting Prime
Ministers, to be followed
by the rest of the Cabinet:
LeBreton, Kenney, Finley,
MacKay, Clement, and
Paradis).
Branches of Government - USA
U.S. Cabinet
•Government
Secretaries who head
the departments of the
Federal Government
Branches of Government
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Legislative
e.g. House of Commons and Senate
www.parl.gc.ca
Elected representatives creating and passing
legislation
Branches of Government - CAN
LEGISLATIVE
Parliament
House of
Commons
Senate
Branches of Government - CAN
• House of Commons Seating Plan
Branches of Government - CAN
• Senate Seating Plan
Branches of Government - CAN
The Farm
(Official Residence of the
Speaker of the House)
The Speaker also has an apartment inside the Centre Block!
Stornoway
(Official Residence
of the Leader of the
Official Opposition)
Branches of Government - CAN
Edgewood
(Official Guest House)
Branches of Government - USA
LEGISLATIVE
Congress
House of
Representatives
Senate
Branches of Government - USA
United States
House of Representatives
United States Senate
Branches of Government
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Judicial
e.g. Court System
www.justice.gc.ca
Police, lawyers, and judges who enforce
legislation
Branches of Government - CAN
Chief Justice and Puisne* Justices of
the Supreme Court of Canada
*pronounced “puny” from French meaning “of a lesser rank”
Branches of Government - USA
JUDICIAL
Supreme
Court
Courts of
Appeal
Trial
Courts
Chief Justice and Associate Justices of
the United States’ Supreme Court
Classification Questions?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Supranational “Governments”
National Governments
Governments by Mode of Succession
Governments by Type of Rule
Governments by Structure
Levels of Government
Branches of Government