Keegstra

1.) What did Mr. Keegstra teach his class?
2.) What was his crime?
3.) What section of the Charter was used to challenge his criminal conviction?

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Single Transferable Vote

1. What is the STV system?

2. Explain the May 2009 referendum on STV.

3. Do you like the STV system? Why/Why not? Give three reasons.

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1. The Single Transferable Voting system, or the preferential vote, means that voters rank their favorite candidates in a "first, second, third, etc" format. The excess votes that don't count towards the already elected candidate are transfered over to the candidate that was ranked second on the ballots. This process continues until three candidates are elected. This means that a voters votes may not count towards the person that they voted for.

2. In May of 2009, another vote for the STV system will be put into place. If 60% of the voters agree, the STV system may be exchanged for the current voting system. Voters will vote either yes or no, as well as who they want elected.

3. I agree with the STV system to an extent. I think it's a good, fair idea, but I also think that it's a little bit too complex for the average Canadian citizen to understand. People get caught up in the math of it all and get frustrated because they can't figure it out. As well, a person's vote may not count towards the person they had initially planned on voting for. In a good sense though, the lower parties, such as the Green party will finally benefit. As well, because there are fewer ridings with more candidates, citizen representation will be high. The equality of this system is appropriate because if you get 50% of the votes, you get 50% of the seats. This system will lead to many more minority governments as there are more parties and voices.

Political Spectrum

1. Do you support LW, C, or RW political ideology?

Three reasons and why.

Personally, I support Central ideology. I think this because it combines a little bit of both Left wing and Right Wing ideologies. Because there are parts of both that I agree and likewise, disagree, I find that an appropriate settlement occurs with the Central ideology. Also, I believe that countries can benefit greatly from both the Left Wing and the Right Wing ideologies. Sometimes it is necessary to have stricter government involvement depending on the situation. After completeing the worksheet that pinpointed the spot on the political spectrum that I agree with I learned that I am leaning more towards a Liberal ideology and the Political Spectrum sheet states that an example of the Central ideology is, in fact, Liberal.

Michaelle Jean

The present governor general, Michaelle Jean, was born in Port au Prince, Hati. She immigrated to Canada in 1968 in hopes of escaping the dictatorial regime in her country. She has a master of arts in comparatative literature which she received from the University of Montreal. Also, she is fluent in four languages. The governor general doesn't have any real "power" but she acts as the head of state as the Queen is mainly ceremonial. She ensures that Canada always has a prime minister and a functioning government. As well, she reads the Speech from the Throne to state the main or general goals of a House of Commons session. The governor general is the Commander in Cheif of the Canadian Armed Forces. Many people see Michaelle Jean as an unnecessary waste of money and are trying to have the governor general position abolished. Due to tradition, they are finding this difficult.

Civil Disobedience

Definition: Someone who pressures government for change by breaking the law in a non violent manner.
--- this for controversial, passionate causes
NON VIOLENT is most important. Why?

Because lawmakers don't listen to threats, violence, etc. Useless.

Strategies: Protests, sit-ins, petitions, letters, e-mail, fax, phone calls, meeting, blockade, flyers, pamphlets, text messaging, Facebook group, website, use the media, boycott, letter to the editor...

Which method do you think is most effective and why?

There are two that I find more effective than the others, but the meeting with a government worker seems to be the most reasonable. It's hard for them to ignore you if you are having a personal conversation.

Mohatma Ghandi

1.) Who was he? (One sentence)

2.) Why is he a "civic role model"? (Three sentences)

Nelson Mandela

1.) Who is he? (One sentence)

2.) Why is he a "civic role model"? (Three sentences)

Nelson Mandela is a black rights activist that served a twenty seven year sentence for trying to eliminate apartheid, or the segregation policy within South Africa.

There are several reasons as to why Nelson Mandela can be labeled a civic role model. He sacrificed twenty seven years of his life to serve a sentence for standing up for black rights. After being released in 1990, Nelson Mandela ran for the position of President of South America and easy won because of the plethora of votes from the black South Americans that had finally been allowed to vote. In 1993, Nelson won the Nobel Peace Prize.