Grade 9 Social Studies Unit 5 Review 9.2.6 Assess, critically, the interrelationship between political decisions and economic systems

How do the economic platforms of political parties differ from one another? An economic platform is a description of what policies a party believes are appropriate to maintain and stimulate a country’s economy Includes policies on taxation, spending, and international economic affairs Terms used to summarize platforms are right wing, left wing, and centre

Cont’d… Left Wing Right Wing Centre More government involvement and ownership of the economy Comprehensive social programs Higher taxes Right Wing Less government involvement and ownership of the economy Less spending on social programs Lower taxes Big business incentives Centre Primarily private ownership with some intervention Medium taxation to pay for social services

Cont’d… Three major parties in Canada are the Liberals, Conservatives and New Democratic The United States has two main parties, the Republican and Democratic

How is a political party’s philosophy reflected in its platform? Philosophies are reflected through policies and how money is collected and spent Social program policies mean that the party believes that citizens rely on the government Parties to the right believe that citizens should rely less on government and should be responsible for their own well-being Taxation models are ideas about how to tax citizens, what goods and services to tax, and how to spend the money from taxes collected

Cont’d… Personal responsibility vs collective good More taxes collected through taxation allows for higher quality social programs Taxes include PST, GST, HST, and income tax

Government income is almost completely reliant on taxation How does the underground economy impact the federal and provincial tax base and social programs? Government income is almost completely reliant on taxation Those who refrain from paying taxes have a negative impact on government spending Tax evasion is an illegal practice in which a person lies about money made Black market is where goods and services are illegally sold The tax base is affected by these actions and as a result the gov’t collects less and spends less on social programs

How do government decisions on environmental issues impact quality of life? Government decisions on environmental issues have an impact on quality of life Gov’t makes decisions that work towards preservation or exploitation Preservation – parks, land protection Exploitation – oil fields, deforestation Trade of natural resources can influence policies Canadian resources are in demand and so the gov’t stands to make a substantial profit

An example of tax evasion is when someone… A political party that favours universal health care, publicly funded daycare, and raising corporate taxes would also likely favour which of the following actions? An example of tax evasion is when someone… Accidentally pays more than they owe in taxes Accidentally misses the deadline for submitting a tax return Intentionally pays more tax than required on each paycheque Intentionally misrepresents their income when submitting a tax return Progressive taxation Private health care Limiting access to social services Cutting service during tough economic times Which of the following Canadian political parties would be most reluctant to incur a deficit because of increased spending in order to combat a recession? Liberal Party Conservative Party New Democrat Party Bloc Quebecois Party

People who under report their annual income Which of the following actions would most likely have a negative effect on the government’s ability to provide social services? The purpose of a political party’s economic platform is to… Inform voters about their philosophy surrounding government revenue collection and spending Inform the public about a party’s beliefs about controversial social issues such as the death penalty and abortion laws Instruct voters about where to go cast their votes on election day Provide a forum for discussion about the best way for governments to regulate and monitor the economy. People who under report their annual income People who collect support, such as welfare An increase in minimum wage An increase to the income tax rate