February 23

Social 33

We looked at four different electoral systems today, and I wrote some notes on the board about first past the post, single-member constituency and second ballot, preferential voting, and proportional representation. I gave you a handout that covered the advantages and disadvantages of proportional representation, and on the back side of that handout there were some fictional election results from a first past the post system. These election results should have helped illustrate some problems with first past the post. We then looked at the 2008 Canadian Federal Election and recast the election to reflect number of seats we'd see if the popular vote translated into percentage of seats in the House of Commons. Also, I am posting the study guide for your Democracy Unit Final, which is next Monday. Please see the study guide below.

Democracy Unit Final Study Guide:

1. Key Concepts/Key People/Key Terms:

• Thomas Hobbes
• John Locke
• political spectrum
• radicals
• moderates
• liberals
• conservatives
• reactionaries
• absolute monarchy
• dictatorship
• democracy
• fascism
• communism
• anarchy
• rule by many
• rule by few/elites
• direct democracy
• representative democracy
• first past the post
• proportional representation
• universal suffrage
• majority rule
• minority rights
• Canadian Constitution
• Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• political parties
• media
• interest groups

2. Advantages/Disadvantages of Direct Democracy (from ppt)
3. Advantages/Disadvantages of Representative Democracy (from ppt)
4. Techniques/Characteristics of a Democracy (from ppt)
5. Canadian Political System:(handouts)

• executive, legislative, judicial branches of government (roles)
• Prime Minister and Cabinet (which branch? what roles/responsibilities do they have?)
• Leader of the Official Opposition (roles/responsibilities)
• the Queen and the Governor General (roles/responsibilities)
• MPs in the House of Commons (roles/responsibilities)
• the House of Commons and the Senate (which is elected? which is appointed? what is the purpose of the Senate? which branch do they belong to?)

6. American Political System:(handouts)

• executive, legislative, judicial branches of government (roles)
• checks and balances in the U.S. system of government
• separation of powers
• President and Cabinet (which branch? what roles/responsibilities do they have?)
• the House of Representatives/Congressmen (roles/responsibilities)
• the Senate/Senators (roles/responsibilities)
• different terms in office, voting methods for President (4 yrs), House of Representatives (2 yrs), and the Senate (6 yrs) --WHY?

7. Political Spectrum (know it VERY well), print off Ideology notes from the blog (check under Social 33 links)

Social 20-1

We finished watching the battle sequence from the movie "Waterloo". Your "Waterloo" film studies will be due on Wednesday. Please remember that you have your Chapter 1-2 Test tomorrow, please make sure that you are ready for it. Please use the study guide to help you figure out what you need to be reviewing.

Social 30

I went through four different electoral systems at the start of today's class(if you missed today's class, you will need to get these notes from a classmate): first past the post, single-member constituency and second ballot, preferential voting, and proportional representation. I then gave you some readings/handouts on government in Sweden. You are responsible for reading, understanding, knowing this material. I don't spend a lot of time on government in Sweden, so you need to make sure that you understand the material that you have been given on this topic. I also gave you the essay topic for Position Paper #1, which will be written on Thursday, February 26th in the Blenheim Room. I am also sending this essay topic and an outline sheet to you by e-mail. I will try to post study guides for next week's quiz and unit exam on democracy in tomorrow's post.