WHAT IS CIVICS?

AND… WHAT MAKES A RESPONSIBLE

CITIZEN?

Civics is the study of….

1. how public decisions are made,(leave 5 blank lines)

2. issues that are important to the public, and

(leave 5 blank lines)

3. the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

(leave 5 blank lines)

1. How public decisions are made

Three levels of government:

- Federal (the whole country)

- Ex: military, postoffice

- Provincial / territorial

- Ex: hospitals, education

- Municipal (village, town, city, region)

- Ex: trash collection, snow clearing

2. Issues that are important to the public

The public = people; civil society; civilians

- people’s beliefs and values (ideology)

- Ex: what is our view on same-sex marriage, capital punishment, immigration?

- people’s morals (what is right and wrong)

- This varies among individuals based on our religion and upbringing.

3. The rights and responsibilities of citizens

How does each of us function in society?

- We have rights such as legal, democratic and equality rights that are guaranteed by our Charter.

- Often these rights are in conflict and must be resolved in the courts.

- Having rights mean that we must also accept the repsonsibilities that come with rights (ex: following the law)

What makes a responsible citizen?

A good citizen is someone who is…..

i) Informed:

someone who is knowledgeable about the principles and practices of democratic decision-making and what it means to be

a responsible citizen in a global, national, and local context.

ii) Active:

someone who can think critically about issues of civic importance and can work with others to make a difference.

Someone who knows how to participate and when to get involved in issues of civic importance.

Someone who can collaborate, make decisions, and resolve conflicts.

iii) Purposeful:

someone who understands the role of the citizen, the personal values and perspectives of others, and reflects upon their thoughts and actions.

They examine important civic questions and consider the challenges of governing communities

How much do you know?

One of the privileges and responsibilities of

Canadian citizenship is the right to vote. In order to vote for a Member of Parliament in the federal election you must be a Canadian citizen, be

at least 18 years of age and... A. Be a man.B. Own property in Canada.C. Be on the Voters List.D. Have passed CHV 2O0.

How much do you know?

Have Canadians ever elected a female Prime Minister?

Yes No

How much do you know?

Is the Canadian government involved in the country's education

system?

YESNO

How much do you know?

The Government of Canada is best described as:

(a) A representative republic

(b) A co-operative association

(c) Constitutional monarchy

(d) People’s Democracy

How much do you know?

Political parties are a very important element of our political process. In order to run for an election you must be a member of a political party.

True or False?

How much do you know?

Name the Scottish immigrant, skilled lawyer and Father of Confederation who became Canada’s first prime minister.

Famous Canadian…

In 1992, Roberta Bondar became the first Canadian woman…

A. To play in the National Hockey League

B. To be launched into outer spaceC. To win an Oscar for best actressD. To become president of General

Motors of Canada