Levels of Government
What is the name of our Prime Minister
Which level of government is in charge of our military
Federal
What is a stakeholder?
Anyone who is affected by the decisions of a government
Scenario: A local bridge in town is cracked and unsafe to drive on. A group of neighborhood kids wants the city to spend money on a new waterpark instead.
Question: As a city councillor, which project must you spend the money on first to keep everyone safe?
Fixing the broken bridge. (Safety projects always take priority over fun extras).
What is the process called when citizens cast secret ballots to choose their political leaders?
An election
What title is given to the leader of the entire country of Canada
Prime Minister
Which level of government is responsible for Canada Post and the postal service?
The federal government
If your city government decides to build a brand-new playground, who is a stakeholder that would be super happyabout it?
Kids (or parents/families)
Scenario: The town has enough money to build one community room. Local students want a quiet space with books for homework, while a local store owner wants a loud arcade room to attract shoppers.
Question: If the town council's main goal is to help kids succeed in school, which stakeholder group should they vote to support?
The students who want the library space.
How old does a Canadian citizen have to be before they are legally allowed to vote in an election?
18
What is the title given to the elected leader of a local city or town government?
Mayor
Which level of government is mostly responsible for managing education and public schools?
The provincial government
When we vote on building things like roads or factories, what is one important "stakeholder" that cannot talk at our town hall meeting, but still needs our help?
The environment/animals
Scenario: Canada Post needs to replace its old, breaking mail delivery trucks. The federal government is trying to decide whether to buy cheap gas trucks or eco-friendly electric trucks to meet their new environmental goals.
Question: To support the environment as a key stakeholder, which trucks should the government buy?
The eco-friendly electric trucks.
What do we call the people who are elected to sit in the House of Commons to represent their local communities?
What title is given to the elected leader of the provincial government?
When a garbage truck comes to collect your trash or a snowplow clears a local street, which level of government is managing that service?
The Municipal (local/city) government.
The government only has a certain amount of money. If your town hall votes to spend all its money on a giant swimming pool, what does that mean for other projects like fixing broken sidewalks?
There won't be any money left to fix the sidewalks.
Scenario: The province wants to build a faster highway to help truck drivers deliver goods. However, the path goes right through three family farms, which would destroy their crops and livelihoods.
Question: If the government wants to protect the food supply and be fair to local landowners, what should they do?
Change the route of the highway to go around the farms.
In which Canadian city do the federal government and Parliament meet to make laws for the whole country?
Ottawa
If the federal government in Ottawa makes a new law about public schools, every single school in Canada must follow it.
False. Education and public schools are a provincial responsibility, meaning the federal government does not have the power to make laws about them. Each province or territory makes its own rules for its schools.
When you visit a hospital or a doctor, which level of government is primarily responsible for running and managing that healthcare system?
Provincial
Governments have a limited amount of money collected from taxpayers. If a town hall votes to spend millions of dollars on a new recreation centre, what is the trade-off (opportunity cost) for the other stakeholders in the community?
The government will have less money to spend on other important projects, like fixing roads, upgrading schools, or supporting hospitals.
Scenario: A First Nations community and a neighboring town both want a new soccer field, but neither side has enough money to build it alone.
Question: What is the best way for both communities to get what they want without running out of money?
They should team up, combine their money, and build one shared field that everyone can use.
Many First Nations communities have their own local governments. What is the title usually given to the elected leader of a First Nations community or band council?
The Chief