Lesson 2 Inquiry
Completion requirements
Inquiry
How is the provincial government structured?
Canada's federal government has a two-house system that came from Britain. The two houses are called the parliament and the senate.
The provinces have one house. It is called the legislature. The Queen's appointed representative is the Lieutenant Governor.
The province's elected representatives are MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly).
A Cabinet consists of the premier and the cabinet members. The premier chooses representatives from among the MLAs of his or her party to help lead the government. Members of the cabinet are called ministers.
The Premier is the elected spokesperson of Alberta. This person is the leader of the political party with the most elected representatives in the legislature.
The provinces have one house. It is called the legislature. The Queen's appointed representative is the Lieutenant Governor.
The province's elected representatives are MLAs (Members of the Legislative Assembly).
A Cabinet consists of the premier and the cabinet members. The premier chooses representatives from among the MLAs of his or her party to help lead the government. Members of the cabinet are called ministers.
The Premier is the elected spokesperson of Alberta. This person is the leader of the political party with the most elected representatives in the legislature.
The provincial government is responsible to the people that elects it. Its powers are outlined in the Constitution Act of 1867. The power to make laws about health, education, transportation, municipal governments, property, education, labour and miscellaneous items like driver's licenses and birth certificates are given to the premier and the cabinet.
Consider the following questions during your inquiry:
- How are provincial governments elected?
- What does first past the post mean?
- What are the three branches of government?
- What is the legislative building like?
- What is the hierarchy of representatives?
- What is the leader of the provincial government called?
- What is an MLA?
- What are cabinet ministers?
- What are the roles of the various members of the legislature?
- How can ordinary people participate?
- How does the provincial government make laws?
- What is the role of the opposition party?
- Identify Alberta's political parties.
- How often are provincial elections held?
- When you are voting, what should you consider when making your decision?
- When the ruling party holds more than half the seats in the legislature, what is the government that is formed called? What is one advantage of this type of government? What is one disadvantage?
- When the ruling party holds less than half the seats in the legislature, what is the government that is formed called? What is one advantage of this type of government? What is one disadvantage of this type of government?
- What is a ballot?
- What is a poll?
- Why are elections important in a democracy?
Resources for Inquiry
- Textbook
- Read pages 142 - 144.
- Read pages 146 - 149.
- Library Books
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Look for information about provincial government, legislative process, or how a bill becomes law.
- Websites
- Play How Canadians Govern Themselves a game about sorting responsibilities of local, provincial, and federal governments.
- Answers.com What are the responsibilities of the provincial governments in Canada?
- From bill to law
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How Government Works
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Mock Legislature - The People of the Assembly: Who are They and What do They do? Read pages 11 - 14.
- Videos
Notebook
When you feel confident about the information you explored in this inquiry, complete the Lesson 2 Self-Check on the following page.