Democracy
What is democracy?
A system of government where citizens participate in making decisions or choosing leaders.
Name the 3 levels of government in Canada
Municipal, Provincial, Federal
What is the name of the head of Alberta’s provincial government?
Premier
What are the 3 categories of people in Athens?
Citizens, slaves, metics
How many nations originally made up the Iroquois Confederacy?
5
What are the 4 pillars of democracy?
Justice, Freedom, Representation, Equity
Which level of government is responsible for things like national defence and passports?
Federal
The Queen's Representative is known as..
Lieutenant Governor
Who was allowed to vote in Ancient Athens?
Male citizens over the age of 18
What does “consensus” mean in the decision-making process of the Iroquois Confederacy? How was it used?
Consensus means coming to an agreement. All leaders discuss an issue until everyone agrees on a decision.
What is the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy?
In a direct democracy, citizens vote on decisions themselves.
In a representative democracy, citizens elect leaders to make decisions for them.
Which level of government is responsible for services like schools, hospitals, and highways?
Provincial
What are Cabinet Minister's main role?
Run departments
What was the Assembly & Council of 500?
Assembly: A gathering of Athenian male citizens where they discussed and voted on laws and decisions; Council of 500: The full time government that prepared and organized laws for discussion.
What was the main purpose of the Iroquois Confederacy?
To promote peace, cooperation, and solve problems between nations through agreement.
Canada uses a representative democracy. Explain one reason why representative democracy works better than direct democracy in Canada.
Canada has too many people for everyone to vote on every decision. Representatives can study issues and make informed decisions. Canada is geographically large, making direct voting on all issues difficult.
A new playground is being built in your neighbourhood. Which level of government is MOST likely responsible, and why?
Municipal government, because it handles local community services like parks, playgrounds, roads, and local facilities.
What is the main role of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs)?
To represent their constituents, debate issues, and vote on laws in the provincial legislature.
How was decision-making in Ancient Athens different from modern Canada?
In Ancient Athens, citizens voted directly on laws (direct democracy), while in Canada citizens elect representatives to make decisions (representative democracy).
How was decision-making in the Iroquois Confederacy different from voting in a democracy like Ancient Athens?
The Iroquois used consensus, meaning all leaders had to agree before a decision was made, while Ancient Athens used voting where the majority decided even if some disagreed
Which ancient society is best known for developing early direct democracy?
Ancient Athens
A new law is created that changes how money is shared between provinces in Canada. Which level of government would be responsible for this decision, and explain why.
Federal government, because it is responsible for national laws and managing relationships and financial systems between provinces.
What is the name of the group of elected representatives who make laws in Alberta? Where does the provincial government of Alberta meet?
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta & The Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton
Explain one advantage and one disadvantage of the democratic system used in Ancient Athens.
Advantage: Citizens had direct involvement in decision-making and laws.
Disadvantage: Not everyone was included (women, slaves, and foreigners could not participate), so it was not equal or fully representative.
The Iroquois Confederacy is often seen as an early example of democratic principles. Explain one way it influenced decision-making and one way it is different from modern Canadian democracy.
Influence / similarity: Leaders worked together and made decisions through discussion and agreement (consensus), showing cooperation and shared decision-making.
Difference: The Iroquois Confederacy used consensus among leaders of nations, while Canada uses a representative democracy where citizens vote for elected officials and decisions are often made by majority vote.