Political and Civic Processes : How Federal and Provincial Governments are Formed

Create a worksheet of terminology, rules, and
procedures associated with the electoral process

(e.g., voter and candidate eligibility,
independent and official party candidates,
voting process, means of tabulation, seat
distribution, and current party standings).

photo: nibujohn@ morguefile

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Ask students to complete the worksheet using
Elections Canada or Elections BC web sites.
Provide direct instruction on circumstances that
precipitate an election call (e.g., roles of Prime
Minister and Governor General, vote of nonconfidence,
fixed election dates). (example), (example).

Introduce the issue of candidate nomination
through a case study of a recent competitive
party nomination battle or by creating a
classroom simulation of the process.

Case studies or simulations should address questions
such as the following:

Who can vote? Is this the same for all provincial
and federal parties?

How does the balloting process work? (e.g.,
majority system, preferential ballot, multiple
ballots) (electoral systems)

Should a party leader be able to circumvent
the nomination process by appointing or
refusing candidates?

What restrictions should exist on the signing
up of party members prior to the vote

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Provide direct instruction on majority and
minority governments, using specific examples -minority
(CBC -minority report)
and majority.

Create a chart for students to complete regarding
the benefits and drawbacks of each.

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Resources:

Canadian Elections Glossary
The Canadian Electoral System
History of the Vote in Canada
SFU Election History Site
Prime Minister Forever - 2006 : a downloadable game
that simulates an election, from CBC
Maple Leaf Web, University of Lethbridge
Top 5 Elections in Canada

The Prairie Roots of Canada's Political "Third Parties"