GUIDE STUDY FOR FINAL EXAM, MARCH 11, 2008 [1:30-3:20, AVIATION 110]
POLITICAL SCIENCE 590.03: THE CANADIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM
Note: The final exam will cover all material in the course. The first four pages of this Study Guide focus on material covered since the mid-term on February 5. The study guide for the midterm should also be consulted in preparing for the final exam. The midterm study guide is appended as pages 5-8.
POLITICAL PARTIES and ELECTIONS Broad Themes --The state of the four political parties with seats in Parliament: --from 1993 to 2004 --in the 2004 and 2006 general elections --challenges in preparing for the next general election Terms and Concepts --The Liberal Party of Canada --The Conservative Party of Canada --The Progressive Conservative Party --The Reform Party --The Canadian Alliance --The New Democratic Party --The Bloc Quebecois --The Parti Quebecois --Brokerage Parties --The 1993 General Election --The 2004 General Election --The 2006 General Election --Prospects for the next General Election --Single member simple plurality vs. proportional representation electoral systems --Party identification in the electorate --Electoral turnout INTEREST GROUPS Broad Themes --The nature and membership of policy communities; the role of interest groups in them.
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Terms and Concepts --Policy communities --Subgovernments THE MEDIA Broad Themes --Critical issues in examining the relationship of the media to politics. Terms and Concepts --The CRTC --Major Broadcasters: CTV, CBC, Global, CPAC --Major newspapers --Foreign media penetration --Freedom of the Press --Canadian Content --Ownership concentration PUBLIC OPINION Broad Themes --Similarities and differences in Canadian and U.S. public opinion about specific policy areas. --Canadian public opinion about government institutions and leaders. --Canadians and Americans opinions about each other [both as people and as governments]. --Convergence and divergence in Canadian and U.S. values. Terms and Concepts --Value convergence --Value divergence LANGUAGE POLITICS ; QUEBEC POLITICS Broad Themes --The place of Quebec in Canada. --The status of the French language in Quebec and the Rest of Canada. --the future of Quebec politics and Quebec relations with Canada Terms and Concepts --Changing Quebec demographics --La survivance --The Catholic Church in politics --The Quiet Revolution --Bill 101
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--Distinct Society --Official languages --Allophones --Separatists; soft sovereigntists &/or federalists; federalists --Meech Lake Accord --Charlottetown Accord --Quebec referenda, 1980, 1995 --The Supreme Court Reference on the Secession of Quebec [1998] --The Clarity Act [2000] STATUS OF VISIBLE MINORITIES, ABORIGINALS, AND WOMEN Broad Themes --Canada as a multicultural society. --The status of women. Terms and Concepts --Mosaic vs. melting pot --Changing Canadian demographics --Representation in Parliament and Bureaucracy --Formal vs. substantive equality --Aboriginal self-government --Nunavut --Assembly of First Nations DOMESTIC POLICY Broad Themes --The most important issues on the current Canadian domestic policy agenda. --The domestic policy priorities of the Harper government. Terms and Concepts --Environmental policy --Health care policy --Budget process --Budget priorities --Goods and Services Tax [GST] --Other tax policy --Same sex marriage --Immigration policy --Canadian Wheat Board CANADA IN THE WORLD; RELATIONS WITH THE U.S. Broad Themes --The role of Canada in world politics.
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--The nature of Canada-U.S. relations. Terms and Concepts --Canadian defense budget and forces --Canada-U.S. Auto Pact --Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement --North American Free Trade Agreement --Softwood lumber --Globalization --Economic dependency --Kyoto Protocol --Missile Defense --NORAD --Unilateralism vs. multilateralism --Arctic sovereignty --Canadian mission in Afghanistan --Oil sands IMPORTANT INDIVIDUALS --Jean Lesage --Rene Levesque --Lucien Bouchard --Maurice Duplessis --Robert Bourassa --David Wilkins --William Lyon Mackenzie King --Wilfred Laurier --Mario Dumont --Elizabeth May
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STUDY GUIDE FOR MIDTERM EXAM, FEB. 5, 2008 POLITICAL SCIENCE 590.03: THE CANADIAN POLITICAL SYSTEM
[Note: Save this study guide for additional use before the final exam.]
CANADA AND THE U.S. Broad Themes: --Major similarities and differences between the two countries observed thus far. --Major similarities and differences in the dominant ideologies political in the two countries. Terms and Concepts: --Mosaic versus melting pot --U.S./Canadian trading relationship CANADIAN CONTEXT Broad Themes: --The evolution of Canada as a fully independent nation. Is it a nation? --The nature of Canadian political culture. The relevance of Lipsets major arguments [formative events] in explaining Canadian political culture. The relevance of founding fragment arguments [Hartz, McRae] in explaining Canadian political culture. The relevance of the deep structures analysis of Grabb and Curtis. --The meaning of democracy in Canada. Terms and Concepts: --Major enduring fault lines in Canadian society and politics --Revolutionary origins [formative events] theory of the development of political culture and institutions --Founding fragments theory of the development of political culture and institutions --Deep structures theory of the development of political culture and institutions --Confederation --Canada in World War I --Canada in World War II --Political identities --1759 --The Quebec Act of 1774 CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK/RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS Broad Themes: --What is the Canadian constitution? --What is the status of individual rights in Canada? --What communal rights are important, especially those of language rights and aboriginals?
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--The importance of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. --Judicial review under the Charter Terms and Concepts: --References to the Supreme Court of Canada --The notwithstanding clause of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms [section 33] --Federal bilingualism --Multi-culturalism --The British North America Act [1867] --The Statute of Westminster [1931] --Meech Lake Accord --Charlottetown Accord --The Quebec Secession Reference [1998] --The Clarity Act --Quebec referenda [1980, 1995] --The Oakes test --Law Society of Upper Canada v. Skapinker --Parliamentary supremacy vs. constitutional/judicial supremacy --The federal Bill of Rights [1960] --Morgentaler cases FEDERALISM Broad Themes: --The nature of Canadian federalism: centralization and decentralization; division of powers; center-periphery relations. --Comparison of Canadian federalism with U.S. federalism. Terms and Concepts: --Assymetrical federalism --Executive federalism --First ministers conferences; other federal-provincial conferences --Interprovincial trade and labor barriers --Western alienation --Quebec separatism --Equalization payments --Regionalism --Parti Quebecois --Canadian Pacific Railroad --Social Framework Agreement --Contract and compact theories of federalism --Council of the Federation PARLIAMENT Broad Themes: --The role of the House of Commons in Canadian political life.
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Terms and Concepts: --Parli...