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Social studies · Grades 8–12

Elections and Parliament in Canada · Revision sheet

Reference sheet for Grades 8 to 12: 4 key ideas, including parliament, elections and the Senate. How Canadians choose members of Parliament, how the Senate is formed, and how a government is chosen.

Printable summary of the study guide Elections and Parliament in Canada.

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Parliament

Canada’s Parliament has three parts: the Crown (represented by the Governor General), the Senate and the House of Commons.

Elections

Voters in each electoral district (riding) elect one member of Parliament. The candidate with the most votes wins, even without a majority.

The Senate

Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister and may serve until age 75.

Forming government

The party that can keep the confidence of the House of Commons usually forms the government, and its leader becomes Prime Minister.

Explain without looking

  1. Explain one advantage and one criticism that people raise about the first-past-the-post system.
  2. Describe two ways citizens can take part in democracy besides voting.

Check yourself

Four practice questions on this topic. Try each one before you open the answer.

  1. In a class election, Eli got 30 votes, Ivan got 33 votes and Chen got 9 votes. Did the winner, Ivan, get a majority (more than half of all 72 votes)?

    • Yes
    • No
    Show the answer

    No Half of 72 is 36; 33 is not more than that.

  2. In a class election, Eli got 25 votes, Chen got 11 votes and Jada got 6 votes. The candidate with the most votes wins. Who won?

    • Chen
    • Eli
    • Jada
    Show the answer

    Eli Eli has the most votes (25).

  3. In a class election, Eli got 38 votes, Ivan got 30 votes and Gus got 13 votes. What percentage of all votes did Eli get? Round to one decimal place.

    Show the answer

    46.9 % 38 ÷ 81 × 100 ≈ 46.9%

  4. In a class election, Dara got 32 votes, Chen got 5 votes and Ivan got 37 votes. Did the winner, Ivan, get a majority (more than half of all 74 votes)?

    • No
    • Yes
    Show the answer

    No Half of 74 is 37; 37 is not more than that.

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