Key Term:

Meaning:

Executive Branch: The branch of federal and state government that is broadly
responsible for implementing, supporting, and enforcing the laws made by the
legislative branch and interpreted by the judicial branch.

Public or Civil Service: The permanent professional branches of a government's

administration, excluding military and judicial branches and elected politicians.

Legislative Branch: The legislative branch is the part of the United States government
that creates laws. Whenever you read about congresspeople in the Senate or House
debating a law, you're reading about the legislative branch: the branch of the
government that writes, debates, and passes laws. Making laws can be called
legislating.

Leader of the Opposition: The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by
the leader of the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of
parliamentary government.

Bill: A written suggestion for a new law that is presented to a country's parliament so
that its members can discuss it.

Judicial Branch: The judicial branch is one of three branches of the federal
government. The judicial branch includes criminal and civil courts and helps interpret
the United States Constitution. If the federal government were like a basketball game,
the judicial branch is much like the referee that helps settle disputes.

Riding: An electoral district in Canada, also known as a "constituency" or a "riding", is a

geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based.

Political Party: A political party is defined as an organised group of people with at least
roughly similar political aims and opinions, that seeks to influence public policy by
getting its candidates elected to public office.

Caucus: A meeting of the members of a legislative body who are members of a

particular political party, to select candidates or decide policy.

Cabinet Solidarity: Cabinet solidarity means that all members of cabinet must support
cabinet decisions. Cabinet ministers cannot dissociate themselves from or repudiate the
decisions of their cabinet colleagues unless they resign from the cabinet.

Responsible Government: Responsible government refers to a government that

is responsible to the people. In Canada responsible government is more commonly
described as an executive or Cabinet that is dependent on the support of an elected
assembly, rather than on the monarch.

Party Platform: A political party platform or platform is a list of the values and actions
which are supported by a political party or individual candidate, in order to appeal to the
general public, for the ultimate purpose of garnering the general public's support and
votes about complicated topics or issues.

Representation By Population: Representation by Population is a method by which

seats are allocated in the House of Commons in such a way as to vary with population.
The higher the population of a province, the larger the number of seats allocated to that
province will be.

Riding or Constituency: An electoral district in Canada, also known as a

"constituency" or a "riding", is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's

representative democracy is based.

By-Election: An election to fill a vacancy arising during a term of office.

Prime Minister: The head of an elected government; the principal minister of a

sovereign or state.

Cabinet: A body of advisers to the president, composed of the heads of the executive
departments of the government.