Activity 2 page 3

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Read "What's the connection between values, policies and the economic continuum?" on page 288 of the textbook, Issues for Canadians.

Focus on the economic continuum at the bottom of the page. Notice that political parties at the far left of the continuum have the most government involvement in the economy and other aspects of life. At the opposite side of the continuum, political parties at the far right of the continuum have the least government involvement in the economy and other aspects of life.

Construct a political continuum in your notes similar to the one on page 288. Place each of the political parties you have learned about in this activity (Liberals, Conservatives, Republicans, and Democrats) in the appropriate place on the continuum.

Save your completed continuum to your Activities folder.

political continuum: a continuum that shows the amount of government control desired by a political party

 

 Vocabulary

Add the definition for the term political continuum to your Issues for Canadians Definitions handout.

Save your updated handout to your Activities folder.

Going Beyond

 Internet Web Search

Use the Elections Canada website that lists all the registered political parties to examine additional political parties that participate in the democratic process in Canada.

• What are the economic platforms of these political parties?
  
  
• How are the philosophies and values of each political party reflected in their platforms?

Workbook Summary

In this workbook, you investigated the following questions.

What is an underground economy?

How does the underground economy affect the provincial and federal tax base and social programs?

How do the platforms of political parties differ from one another?

Which party has an economic platform that could best improve my quality of life?

The government relies on taxes on goods and services and on income to pay for social programs for its citizens. However, some citizens find ways not to pay these taxes. This affects quality of life for everyone, including you.

As an informed Canadian citizen, you are becoming aware of how important government is to you. You are seeing how government philosophies and values influence the economy. You also are beginning to recognize how the economy guides the decisions the government makes. Your quality of life is influenced by the political and economic decisions of the political parties in power in your federal government.

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