Social Review

Questions

Chapter 5

Local

Government

Chapter 5 Local Government

Key Vocabulary

Councillor a person elected to local/municipal office

Council a group of elected representatives who make decisions for a local

area

Services what levels of government provide for the people: education,

healthcare, parks, water and sewage …

Taxes what a government collects to pay for services offered – responsibility

of all citizens it to pay taxes

Revenue money taken in

Expenditures money spent

Bylaws laws made by a local/municipal government that only apply with the

the city/county limits

Motion a proposed law

Forum a meeting in which citizens have an opportunity to express their

views about a bylaw

Municipal Area a region that has its own local government (usually a

village, town or city

Municipal District a rural area that has its own local government (usually in

the Country)

Mayor the elected leader of a local/municipal government in a village, city

or town

Reeve a traditional term for the leader of a municipal district/county

Chief the leader of a First Nations local/municipal government (reserve)

Chairperson the leader of a Metis Settlement local/municipal government

Advisory Committee a group of concerned citizens and members of the

government who give advice to the council.

Departments a division of local or provincial government that provides

various kinds of services to the community ie. Parks and recreation,

emergency services, electric light and power, libraries, legislative services

…

Civil Servants a person hired to run or work in a government department

Ballot a piece of paper used for voting

Nominate identify a person as a possible candidate for an elected position

Superintendent the person responsible for running the schools in a

jurisdiction

Trustee an elected person who serves on a school board

Budget a list of items showing how much money will be spent on each item

Petition A written request containing the signatures of people who support

its content

Plebecite a direct vote by people on a specific concern that affects them;

similar to a referendum

Referendum a vote held on a specific issue or law proposed by the

government, an example of direct democracy.

Focus Questions

What services do local governments provide? Those which most directly affect us

Water and sewage

Waste management and recycling

Electric light and power

City snow removal

Parks

Recreation

Libraries

Emergency services

City police

How do local governments get revenues to pay for services? (three ways)

Property taxes

Transfer payments from other levels of government

User fees (library, recreation fees…)

What are laws called that are made by local government? bylaws

How are laws made in local government?

Motion introduced

Bill discussed and passed

Bill goes to advisory committee

Second reading

Final discussion

Third reading bill/motion is passed

What purpose does a forum provide in local government? Allows local

politicians/councilors to hear what the citizens have to say on specific municipal issues

What is the difference between

Urban local governments cities, towns – high population small land mass

Leader Mayor

Rural local governments counties – low population on large land mass

Leader – Mayor or Reeve

Municipal districts

First nations reserves territory of local government by a First Nation’s

Community

Leader - Chief

Metis settlements territory of local government by a Metis

Community

Leader - chairperson

What is the leader of each of the five local governments above called? See above

What are civil servants and what is their role? Civil servants are people who are hired to

work for the government. They provide the services that a government provides:

librarians, snow plow operators, parks workers, green grass cutters, street light workers

…

How are councilors elected? What is the electoral process?

Councilors must be voted into the office of councilor by the residents/citizens of

the community. They must register as a candidate, have nomination forms filled

in, campaign and be elected with the majority of votes, then finally be sworn into

office.

How can students participate at the local level of government?

Students can: write letters, attend forums, make presentation to council, call

councilors or mayor, make petitions,

What is the role of a school board?

School boards are elected to make sure the directions and funds given to the

jurisdiction by the provincial government are spent accountably.

How are Trustees chosen to serve on the school board?

They are elected and follow the election procedure of all levels of government:

Register, nominate, campaign, voted in, sworn into office

Who is the only employee of the school board?

The Superintendent is the only employee of the School board

What are the 7 jobs of a school trustee?

Make decisions about services and planning

Make decisions about transportation and school buildings

Listen to people’s complaints – make fair judgements

Ensure curriculum prescribed by provincial government is taught

Decide who the budget will be spent

Listen to what people think is important in their children’s education

Make rules and policies for schools

What are 5 different types of schools in Alberta?

Public Schools

Separate Schools

Francophone Schools

Charter schools

First Nations Schools

How Does Local Government Work? Pg 100 - 127 Name: ____________________ Date: _______

F E D E R A L N M P A R K S

C E T O B P O P P C

H V R M A N M H

V A E M U N I C I P A L A R E A U O

O R N S N L Y N O

L T F U T A L O C I V I L

S U P E R I N T E N D E N T I T C S

N R R E E B P U B L I C

T S D U R B A N F P

E T E A R S E P A R A T E

E N P B R U R A L A L

R A A Y I O N D C

B T R L F E C C O U N C I L L O R

U F I R S T N A T I O N S A O S U

D O M W R L P T N

G N E S U H R C

M E T I S N M O T I O N O I I

T T N C L

A D V I S O R Y C O M M I T T E E S T

Social Studies 6: How Local Governments Work

1. One of the responsibilities of local government is to create bylaws. A

bylaw can best be described as a:

A) local version of a provincial or federal law.

B) local rule that everyone must follow or face a warning or fine.

C) way of the government taking in revenue (money) with which they will

fund services.

D) voting form to be used by voters to indicate their choice of candidate in

local elections.

A town has a bylaw that all dogs must be on a leash and cannot run at

large. Lately, people have been ignoring this bylaw. As a result, there are

dogs running loose all over the town.

OPINIONS

Mr. Jones: "I am tired of picking up the mess from dogs on my lawn."

Mr. Smith: "I am worried that a big dog will come onto my property and

hurt my small dog."

Ms. Jacobs: "My dog is a big dog and he needs to exercise by running."

Annette DeSoto: "I am a grade 6 student, and I have to walk to school. I am

afraid that a dog will attack me or another student on the way to school."

2. What would be a solution that would resolve everyone's problem with

dogs that are running loose?

A) Create a bylaw that states that dogs must be on a leash under the

supervision of their owner at all times and implement fines.

B) Pass a new bylaw stating that it is illegal to own a dog in town.

C) Hold public information sessions to teach people about dogs so they

become more tolerant and less fearful of them.

D) Create 'dog free zones' within town where people can walk without being

bothered by dogs.

3. Refer to the information in question 2.

The concerns of Mr. Jones, Ms. Jacobs, Mrs. Krampinski, and Annette De

Soto should be addressed by the members of:

A) the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. B) Parliament. C) the Legislative Assembly. D) town council.

In Tamil's city, the city council has voted in favor of plowing snow from

city streets within 12 hours of a snowstorm instead of within 24 hours like

it used to be. This will require the city to purchase more snowplows and

hire more snowplow drivers.

4. Another result of city council's decision might be:

A) A bylaw being created which makes city residents in charge of clearing

snow from the street in front of their homes.

B) City taxes (property taxes) increasing.

C) More accidents as more people choose to drive on snowy days.

D) An increase in the number of complaints to City Hall because even with

more snow plows and drivers it is very hard to clear all the streets in a city

within 12 hours of it snowing.

By-law 57M92: Effective March 1, 2003, Springfield's restaurants and

bars are subject to a new smoking bylaw. Business will have to declare

their premises as either:

- Smoking: Adults over 18 only.

- Non-smoking: Adults and children welcome.

- Mixed Use: Smoking and non-smoking are permitted, but

only in separate, ventilated rooms.

This by-law is a transitional measure aimed at the goal of banning

smoking in all public places by January 1, 2008.

5. What does by-law 57M92 tell us about Springfield's society and

government in the early 21st century? A) Springfield restaurant and bar owners do not have enough control over

their own establishments.

B) The majority of Springfielders do not want to inhale second-hand smoke

when dining out.

C) The mayor of Springfield disapproves of his constituents smoking.

D) Cigarette manufacturers have too much control over Springfield's elected

representatives.

6. Refer to the information in question 5. How does by-law 57M92 help

Springfielders meet their needs? A) By offering practical assistance to help Sprinfielders quit smoking.

B) By helping to separate adults from children.

C) By encouraging Springfielders to spend more money on restaurant food.

D) By protecting good health in Springfield by reducing exposure to second-

hand smoke.

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7. The diagram above shows the structure of:

A) Urban local government.

B) Urban provincial government.

C) Rural local government.

D) Rural provincial government.

Council A:

The structure of this government is based on serving a large population

located within a small geographic area.

Council B:

The structure of this government is based on serving a small population

located within a small geographic area.

Council C:

The structure of local government is based on serving a large population

located within a large geographic area.

Council D:

The structure of this government is based on serving a population spread out

over a large geographic area.

8. Which of the councils described best identifies the structure of urban local

governments and rural local governments?

A) Council A describes urban local governments; Council D describes rural

local governments.

B) Council A describes urban local governments; Council C describes rural

local governments.

C) Council B describes urban local governments; Council A describes rural

local governments.

D) Council C describes urban local governments; Council D describes rural

local governments.

Chris is going to be on Raeanne's campaign committee in the upcoming

town election to elect town councilors and a Reeve for the town council of

Springdale. Raeanne hoping to be elected as a town councilor for

Springdale.

9. As a campaign committee member on Raeanne's campaign committee,

Chris will:

A) help Raeanne with her campaign by doing things to make the community

more aware of Raeanne and her ideas about local issues.

B) become the Reeve of Springdale if Raeanne is elected to be a town

councilor.

C) nominate Raeanne for the position of councilor in Springdale Town

Council.

D) represent Raeanne and attend any town council meeting Raeanne cannot

attend if she is elected a Springdale Town Councilor.

Gregory is part of the local government in his city. As part of his job he

attends council meetings where he votes on potential bylaws He is on the

Park Committee and also serves on an advisory committee looking at

creating compost drop off stations for people who live in apartment

buildings and do not have a yard to place a composter in. Many people in

the area he serves live in apartments and have told him they would like to

be able to reduce the amount of garbage they create and do their part to

protect the environment.

10. Given this description of Gregory's jobs, what is position in the local

government does Gregory most likely have?

A) Mayor

B) City Councilor (Alderman)

C) City Manager

D) Minister of the Environment.

11. Which of the following statements about the local governments of rural

and urban places is false?

A) The taxes in urban places are generally higher than those in rural settings

because urban local governments need to provide more services to greater

numbers of people. B) Local governments in both rural and urban places have a council made up

of elected representatives which make decisions for the place on behalf of

the residents. C) An urban local government would be expected to have more hired

workers than a rural local government because there are more committees to

oversee. D) The services offered by local governments in urban and rural places are

all the same.

Quotes from a Candidates' Forum:

Candidate 1: If elected, I will implement a curbside recycling program, I

will increase the fine for littering, and I will place a high tax on gasoline.

Candidate 2: If elected, I will focus all my efforts on transportation, cutting

back on the transit system and focusing on good, efficient roads. It's time to

make the lives of commuters a little bit easier.

Candidate 3: Don't listen to the other candidates–they're both criminals and

social misfits, and they have no business running for office in this city. I

happen to know Candidate 1 received a traffic ticket last week, and

Candidate 2 is an alcoholic.

12. . Which of the candidates from above are sharing their campaign

platform on issues relevant to the election?

A) Candidate 1. B) Candidate 2. C) Both Candidate 2 and Candidate 3. D) Both Candidate 1 and Candidate 2.

13. How do local governments raise money to fund services and social

programs?

A) By collecting property taxes. B) By collecting money from user fees and licenses. C) By collecting transfer payments from other levels of government. D) All of the above.

- Daniel attends the Jewish Academy, a charter school where the

history and teachings of the Jewish faith are taught along with the

provincial curriculum.

- Ismael attends Morningside Elementary, a public school which

serves the community of Morningside.

- Fraser attends John Paul I Elementary, a Roman Catholic separate

school.

- Marie attends Voyageur Elementary, a Francophone school located

in a small town.

- Gloria attends Chief Sitting Bull Elementary, a school located on a

First Nation reserve which focuses on First Nation culture and

language in addition to Provincial curriculum.

14. Which of the students listed above attend school that are not governed by

a local elected school board?

A) Daniel and Fraser. B) Ismael and Marie C) Gloria and Marie. D) Daniel and Gloria.

In this area of settlement, the people live relatively far apart. The

population of the settlement is about 4000 people, and this settlement

covers a very large area; around 3400 square kilometers, meaning that its

population density (number of people living within a square kilometer) is

1.2. The leader of the local government and councilors are elected by

eligible voters in the settlement. The elected councilors in turn elect an

individual to act as the leader of the local government.

15. The above reading best describes the characteristics and local

government of a(n):

A) urban settlement and urban local government. B) community within an urban setting and the community association. C) rural settlement and rural local government. D) city and city council. 16. Bob spends an evening going from door to door in his neighbourhood to

try to convince people to vote for a particular candidate. Bob's actions are

most accurately described as:

A) petitioning B) campaigning C) demonstrating D) lobbying

Gregory is part of the local government in his city. As part of his job he

attends council meetings where he votes on potential bylaws He is on the

Park Committee and also serves on an advisory committee looking at

creating compost drop off stations for people who live in apartment

buildings and do not have a yard to place a composter in. Many people in

the area he serves live in apartments and have told him they would like to

be able to reduce the amount of garbage they create and do their part to

protect the environment.

17. Given this description of Gregory's jobs, what is position in the local

government does Gregory most likely have? A) Mayor

B) City Councilor (Alderman)

C) City Manager

D) Minister of the Environment.

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18. Which of the following best fills in the label missing in the flowchart

above?

A) Prime Minister B) Reeve and Council C) City manager and Ombudsman D) Premier and MLA's

Tim:

"To run in an election for local government you just need to go to City Hall

and enter your name onto the ballot."

Ursula:

"To run in an election for local government you must first raise all your

campaign funds to show the Returning Officer overseeing the election that

you have enough money to campaign effectively."

Valerie:

"To run in an election for local government you first need to be nominated

by members of the community."

William:

"To run in an election for local government you need to put up as many

election signs as possible. Those people with the most signs get their names

put on the election ballot."

21.Which of the speakers above is most accurate in their description of how

you run in an election for the local level of government?

A) Tim B) Ursula C) Valerie D) William

In this area of settlement, the people live relatively close together. The

population of the settlement is around 15,000 people, land the settlement

covers an area of about 50 square kilometers, meaning that its population

density (number of people living within a square kilometer) is 310. You

can drive from one end of the settlement to the other in about 30 minutes.

The members of the local government, including its leader, are elected by

citizens of the settlement that are eligible to vote.

22. The above reading best describes the characteristics and local

government of a(n): A) rural settlement and rural local government. B) urban settlement and urban local government. C) First Nation reserve and First Nation Authority D) specialized municipality and reeve.

Svetlana has some concerns about the community in which she lives:

The park at the end of her street has a tree in it that was badly

damaged in a storm. One limb of the tree is broken and Svetlana fears

it could fall down and injure children playing on the playground also

located in the park.

The local bus route only has buses coming every 30 minutes and

Svetlana thinks that more people in her community would choose to

take the bus rather than drive their cars if bus service in their

community was better with buses coming more frequently.

23. Who should Svetlana contact about her concerns and ideas? Who is

responsible for these services?

A) Federal government. B) Provincial government. C) Local or Municipal government. D) Community Association.

24. Public, separate and Francophone school boards are publicly funded,

meaning that these school boards:

A) receive taxes to pay for the education services they provide. B) are supported by tuition fees paid by the families of the students the

schools serve. C) are owned by 'trustees' and operate to produce a profit. D)receive no funding and rely on fundraisers to raise money to fund the

education services they provide.

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25. The flowchart shown above can best be described as the:

A) electoral process for local governments in Canada B) electoral process for federal government in Canada C) method of becoming a member of a Canadian political party. D) events on election day in ridings across Canada.

26. In local government, the money needed to provide services are

determined by __________and is funded through __________.

A) citizens; government grants. B) federal government; user fees. C) elected council; taxes. D) provincial government; the GST (goods and service tax)

Kate looks at the blue pages of the phone book and sees the following list

of services:

- Animal Services

- Business Licenses

- Community and Neighborhood Services.

- Garbage Collection

- Recycling

- Taxes

- Public Transit.

- Road Maintenance.

- Street Use Permits

27. The above reading can best be described as a list of services provided by:

A) non-government organizations (NGO's) B) the federal government.

C) the provincial government. D) the local government.

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28. Which of the following best describes the step missing in the flowchart

shown above? A) Inauguration B) Name placed on ballot C) Votes are counted D) Candidate is nominated

Anabelle must take the bus to school because there is no school within her

community that she can walk to. Many times this school year the bus has

come very late or not at all. Anabelle's mother has phoned the bus

company who says that the problems with the buses are due to the fact that

they are very short of bus drivers and they are providing the best service

that they can given the circumstances. Anabelle's mother is not pleased

and feels it is not safe for Anabelle to stand outside at the bus stop waiting

for a bus that may not come. She wants this issue resolved and to find a

way that Anabelle can be assured of getting to school on time every day.

29. Which of the following would be the best person for Anabelle's mother

to ask to address this issue?

A) Her school trustee. B) The principal of the school. C) The school bus driver hiring committee. D) Her city councilor or alderman.

Lisa is reading an article in 'Learning about Canada' magazine; here is

the first paragraph of the article that Lisa reads:

"These are a type of local government., elected every three years, made up

of trustees and a hired superintendent. Based on the needs and values of

the community, this political 'body' makes decisions about what

educational services will be provided and what types of educational

programming will be available."

30. Lisa is most likely reading an article about:

A) MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) B) A School Council C) Local school boards. D) The Provincial Education Minister.

To run in an election for local government you must fill out paperwork

sharing your personal information and the names of those local citizens

who nominate you for a position in local government, and pay an entry

fee. After completing this, your name is added to the ballot and you may be

elected by the voters for a position in the local government on election day. 31. Candidates running in a local election will NOT:

A) put up signs with their name on it. B) go door to door or pass out leaflets of information. C) participate in debates or give TV or radio interviews. D) give money to voters in exchange for their votes

32. A local government would be responsible for

A) oil and gas production B) streets and lighting C) fishing and hunting licenses D) armed forces and postal services

33. How do local governments that serve towns or cities get the money they

need to pay for the services that they must provide to the residents of the

town or city?

A) By collecting taxes from property owners in the town or city.

B) Through creating a toll system which charges admission to anyone

entering the town or city. C) The federal government gives some cities and towns 'Local improvement

grants' if they apply so they can offer a specific service. D) The local government owns all the land in a city or town and can sell it or

rent it to people who want to build houses or businesses on it.

Mark and his group are preparing a report for their Social Studies class

on how democracy works in their city. They have decided that they will all

share in the researching and writing of the report by each taking one of

the major sections of the topic. This is how they have divided up the work:

1. Mark will research and write the section on nominations.

2. Eric will research and write the section on campaigns.

3. Dawn will research and write the section on preparation of

polling stations.

4. Carson will research and write the section on how voter

eligibility is determined.

5. Samantha will research and write the section on how ballots are

cast and counted.

6. Madison will research and write the section on how the outcome

is determined and declared.

34. Mark and his group are writing a report on:

A) how to become a Canadian citizen.

B) how a presidential campaign is run. C) the responsibilities of a community advisory committee. D) the steps involved in a municipal (local) election.

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35. The most appropriate label for the box missing a label in the diagram

shown above "Responsibilities of:

A) the Minister of Education. B) school principals. C) the PTA (Parent-Teacher Association) or Parent Council. D) school trustees.

If a city or town is thinking of creating a new bylaw or program to deal

with a certain issue affecting the city or town, to gather citizens ideas and

opinions as well as gather more information and research on the issue, the

city may create a(n) ____________________

36. The phrase which completes the above statement to make it true is:

A) mayor's Report to the Community. B) Adjudication Panel. C) Advisory Committee. D) Open Call to Residents.

Types of school boards in Alberta:

- Public school boards (42 as of February 2009)

- Separate School Boards (17 total)

16 Roman Catholic,

1 Protestant (as of February 2009)

- Francophone School Boards (5 total)

4 public,

1 separate/Roman Catholic (as of February 2009)

37. The existence of the different types of school boards in Alberta shown

above can be said to be due to the:

A) special status given to Roman Catholic and Francophone citizens in the

Alberta Constitution of 1905. B) collective rights granted by the Canadian Charter of Rights and

Freedoms. C) high quality of life available in Alberta which allows parents to afford to

send their children to different types of schools for their education. D) fact that Alberta's population is mostly French-speaking Roman

Catholics.

On this day, eligible voters go to 'polling stations' where they elect a

candidate of their choice by placing an 'X' in the box beside the name of

the candidate they wish to elect.

38. The paragraph above describes the events that occur on:

A) President's Day B) Nomination Day C) Opening Day of the Legislative Assembly D) Election Day

39. What steps (in order) must an individual go through if they want to

become an elected member of government?

A) They have to get a nomination, win an election, and win a debate B) They have to get a nomination, campaign for the position, and win an

election

C) They have to win an election, campaign for the position, and get a

nomination D) They simply have to voice an opinion

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40. The most appropriate title for this flowchart would be "Responsibilities

of: A) Taxpayers. B) the Provincial Government. C) Internal Revenue. D) the Local Government.