1. Political Parties

2. What is a political ideology?
A political ideology is a set of shared ideas or beliefs about how politics and government should function.
Common ideologies include liberalism, conservatism, and socialism. Others include communism and fascism.
Draw the political spectrum on the board. Label the federal parties AND the provincial parties.
Discuss the BIG THREE. Add Communism and Fascism. Walk them through Handout 4.1.
Communism:
a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs.
Fascism:
a governmental system led by adictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition andcriticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizingan aggressive nationalism and often racism.

3. What is a political ideology?
In Canada, the big three are:
The Conservatives
The Liberals
The NDP

4. What is a political party?
A political party is a group of like-minded individuals with a shared vision and common political ideology.
Anyone above the required age can be a member of a political party — for most parties, that age is 14.
Party members work together to achieve power through an election, form government and create meaningful political change.
Each party also selects a leader, usually through a leadership contest or vote.

5. Federal Political Parties
There are 20 registered political parties in Canada.
Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada
Bloc Québécois
Canadian Action Party
Christian Heritage Party of Canada
Communist Party of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada
Democratic Advancement Party of Canada
Forces et Démocratie
Green Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
Libertarian Party of Canada
Marijuana Party
Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada
New Democratic Party
Party for Accountability, Competency and Transparency
Pirate Party of Canada
Progressive Canadian Party
Rhinoceros Party
The Bridge Party of Canada
United Party of Canada

6. What is the political spectrum?
The political spectrum characterizes beliefs, values and priorities, and provides a framework in which to view and evaluate political parties and policies.
A linear spectrum is represented as a horizontal line, with parties on the left embracing social equality, bigger government and more services, and parties on the right favouring tradition, smaller government and lower taxes.

7. Political Spectrum Questions
Should the minimum wage be increased or decreased?
Should the government spend more or less on our armed forces?
Should wealthier people pay more or less in taxes?
Now we’re going to see where you stand on the spectrum. Handout and walk through Worksheet 4.2.
For the Free Trade Q:
Protectionism versus Free Trade:
Protectionism: This occurs when one country reduces the level of its imports due to economic circumstances within their own country or as a result of disputes between nations.
Examples include:
Tariffs: These are surcharges on the price of imports.
Subsidies: This is monetary assistance granted by a government to a person or group in support of an enterprise regarded as being in the public interest.
Import Quotas: These restrict the actual quantity of an import allowed into a country.
Free Trade: It is the belief that if we can remove tariffs, import quotas, and other barriers to free trade, people around the world will have a higher standard of living.
Libertarianism: an extreme laissez-faire political philosophy advocating only minimal state intervention in the lives of citizens.
Authoritarianism: the enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom.

8. What is a party platform?
A series of declared principles and policies on jurisdictional issues concerning government and the public.
While all the political parties may agree that education is a priority, they may have different ideas about how to improve the system or which aspects to focus on.
Political parties announce their platform through announcements, advertising and events, and share their ideas to attract support from voters.

9. How does a party form government?
The party that elects the most number of representatives or wins the most seats usually forms government.
At the federal level, the leader of the party that forms government becomes the prime minister.
After the 2011 federal election, the Conservative Party formed government with 166 out of 308 legislative seats.

10. Where do I fall? Here’s another look:

11. Final Thoughts Why are political parties important?
What advantages and disadvantages are there to running for a party?
Would you ever join a political party? Why or why not?