Unit Seven Summary



Unit Seven has explored:

  • the viability of liberalism in the context of contemporary issues
  • how people's rights are protected through law and custom, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and other legislation
  • how conflicts arise between people with contending views of what their rights should be, including the conflicts that arise due to the various perspectives that exist in a pluralist nation such as Canada and in our interconnected world
  • several challenges that are presented to liberal democracies in times of crisis through a focus on the issue question, Is it possible to follow the principles of liberalism in today's world?
Through this study and your analysis of political and economic systems in Unit Five and Unit Six, you should have formed some kind of position about the viability of liberalism in today's world.

Individual and Collective Rights
  • The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was established after World War II. Although it has no binding powers, it is the foundation for many of the rights and freedoms experienced by people around the world today.
  • Individual and Collective Rights are guaranteed to citizens of the United States through the American Bill of Rights
  • Individual and Collective Rights are guaranteed to Canadians through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
  • Human Rights are additionally guaranteed to residents of Quebec through the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms.
  • First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people in Canada have rights guaranteed through legally binding treaties signed generations ago. Other rights are guaranteed through law.
  • Canadian laws also protect language rights.
  • National governments around the world enact legislation as the need arises to protect the rights of citizens (including the right to security). Emergency and security legislation may establish measures that protect security at the expense of personal freedoms.
  • Challenges to the principles of liberalism come from various contemporary issues including resource development, environmental depletion, debt, poverty, racism, pandemics, terrorism, censorship, and illiberalism.


Review your notes for this course.

When you have finished reviewing your notes, complete the Unit Seven Review Quiz. When you have completed the multiple choice review, take a look at the feedback provided. If you so choose, after waiting 30 minutes, you may complete the quiz again, keeping in mind that the questions and the order of the possible answers are randomly generated. The second version of the review will be different from the first.