How Canadians Govern Themselves: Citizenship Test Practice

1. The Prime Minister of Canada
2. The Sovereign (King or Queen), represented in Canada by the Governor General ✓ Correct answer
3. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
4. The Speaker of the House of Commons

Why: Canada is a constitutional monarchy. The Sovereign (currently King Charles III) is the Head of State, while the Prime Minister is the Head of Government.

1. Direct Democracy with a Congressional system
2. Federal State, Parliamentary Democracy, and Constitutional Monarchy ✓ Correct answer
3. Unitary Republic with a Prime Minister
4. Confederate Council governed by Provincial Premiers

Why: Canada is a federal state, a parliamentary democracy, and a constitutional monarchy governed by the Rule of Law.

1. Federal, state, county and city
2. National, regional, district and parish
3. Federal, provincial, county and village
4. Federal, provincial, territorial and municipal ✓ Correct answer

Why: Canada has federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments.

1. 1791
2. 1840
3. 1867 ✓ Correct answer
4. 1982

Why: Federal and provincial responsibilities were defined in 1867 in the British North America Act.

1. The Canada Act, 1982
2. The Constitution Act, 1867 ✓ Correct answer
3. The Quebec Act, 1774
4. The Act of Union, 1840

Why: The British North America Act of 1867 is now called the Constitution Act, 1867.

1. Matters of national and international concern ✓ Correct answer
2. Only matters within the capital city
3. Schools, hospitals and local roads
4. Garbage collection and snow removal

Why: The federal government handles national and international matters such as defence and foreign policy.

1. Education
2. Snow removal
3. Highways
4. National defence ✓ Correct answer

Why: Defence is federal. Education and highways are provincial; snow removal is municipal.

1. Health
2. Natural resources
3. Currency ✓ Correct answer
4. Property and civil rights

Why: Currency is federal. Health, natural resources and property and civil rights belong to the provinces.

1. Education, health and highways
2. Foreign policy, navigation and citizenship ✓ Correct answer
3. Policing, firefighting and recycling
4. Urban planning, sanitation and public transit

Why: Foreign policy, navigation, criminal law and citizenship are federal responsibilities.

1. Federal ✓ Correct answer
2. Provincial
3. Municipal
4. Territorial

Why: Criminal law is a federal responsibility, along with defence, currency and citizenship.

1. Provincial
2. Municipal
3. First Nations band councils
4. Federal ✓ Correct answer

Why: Trade and communications between provinces are matters of national concern, handled federally.

1. Currency
2. Foreign policy
3. Education ✓ Correct answer
4. National defence

Why: Provinces are responsible for education, health, natural resources, property and civil rights, and highways.

1. Defence, currency and navigation
2. Health, natural resources and highways ✓ Correct answer
3. Citizenship, criminal law and foreign policy
4. Snow removal, recycling and firefighting

Why: Provinces handle municipal government, education, health, natural resources, property and civil rights, and highways.

1. Provincial ✓ Correct answer
2. Federal
3. Territorial commissioners
4. The Senate

Why: Municipal government falls under provincial responsibility.

1. Federal
2. Municipal
3. The Supreme Court
4. Provincial ✓ Correct answer

Why: Under the Constitution Act, 1867, property and civil rights are provincial responsibilities.

1. Defence and currency
2. Education and health
3. Agriculture and immigration ✓ Correct answer
4. Citizenship and foreign policy

Why: Agriculture and immigration are shared between the federal and provincial governments.

1. It lets provinces print their own currency
2. It lets provinces tailor policies to their own populations ✓ Correct answer
3. It lets provinces run their own armies
4. It lets provinces sign treaties with foreign nations

Why: Federalism lets provinces adopt policies suited to their people and experiment with new ideas.

1. An elected legislative assembly ✓ Correct answer
2. Its own Senate
3. Its own Supreme Court of Canada
4. A provincial monarch

Why: Each province has its own elected legislature, called a legislative assembly in most provinces.

1. They have no elected assemblies
2. They are run directly by the Senate
3. They are governed by municipal councils
4. They carry out many of the same functions ✓ Correct answer

Why: The territories do not have provincial status, but their governments and assemblies carry out many of the same functions.

1. The Senate and the Supreme Court
2. The Cabinet and the Privy Council
3. The House of Commons and provincial and territorial legislatures ✓ Correct answer
4. The House of Commons only

Why: Canadians elect members to the House of Commons in Ottawa and to their provincial or territorial legislature.

1. Appointing judges, senators and the Governor General
2. Passing laws, approving and monitoring spending, and keeping government accountable ✓ Correct answer
3. Commanding the armed forces and police
4. Choosing the Sovereign and the royal family

Why: Elected representatives pass laws, approve and monitor expenditures, and hold the government to account.

1. Cabinet ministers must keep the confidence of the elected House ✓ Correct answer
2. The Sovereign is responsible for all decisions
3. Judges must answer to the Prime Minister
4. Senators must be re-elected every four years

Why: Ministers are responsible to elected members and must resign if defeated in a non-confidence vote.

1. The Senate takes over
2. The Sovereign appoints a new Cabinet directly
3. The vote is repeated the next day
4. The ministers must resign ✓ Correct answer

Why: Under responsible government, ministers must resign if they lose the confidence of the House.

1. The Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the courts
2. The Governor General, the premiers and the mayors
3. The Sovereign, the Senate and the House of Commons ✓ Correct answer
4. The Senate, the Supreme Court and the House of Commons

Why: Parliament has three parts: the Sovereign (King or Queen), the Senate and the House of Commons.

1. The Premier and the Senate
2. The Lieutenant Governor and the elected assembly ✓ Correct answer
3. The Governor General and the House of Commons
4. The mayor and the municipal council

Why: Each provincial legislature consists of the Lieutenant Governor and the elected Assembly.

1. The Prime Minister ✓ Correct answer
2. The Governor General alone
3. The Senate
4. The voters in a separate election

Why: The Prime Minister chooses Cabinet ministers and is responsible for the operations and policy of the government.

1. Elected by voters every four years
2. Elected by provincial legislatures
3. Appointed by the Supreme Court
4. Appointed by the Governor General on the Prime Minister's advice ✓ Correct answer

Why: Senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister.

1. 65
2. 70
3. 75 ✓ Correct answer
4. 80

Why: Senators are appointed and may serve until age 75.

1. The Senate
2. The House of Commons ✓ Correct answer
3. The Privy Council
4. The Supreme Court

Why: The House of Commons is the representative chamber, made up of members of Parliament elected by the people.

1. It must pass both the House and the Senate and receive royal assent ✓ Correct answer
2. It must pass the House of Commons only
3. It must be approved by the Supreme Court
4. It must be approved by voters in a referendum

Why: No bill becomes law until both chambers pass it and it receives royal assent.

1. The Prime Minister
2. The Speaker of the Senate
3. The Chief Justice
4. The Governor General ✓ Correct answer

Why: Royal assent is granted by the Governor General on behalf of the Sovereign.

1. A law already in force
2. A court ruling
3. A proposal for a new law ✓ Correct answer
4. A government budget surplus

Why: Bills are proposals for new laws, considered and reviewed by both the House of Commons and the Senate.

1. First reading
2. Second reading ✓ Correct answer
3. Report stage
4. Royal assent

Why: At first reading the bill is introduced; at second reading members debate its principle.

1. Committee stage ✓ Correct answer
2. First reading
3. Third reading
4. Royal assent

Why: At committee stage, a committee of members studies the bill in detail.

1. First reading
2. Second reading
3. Royal assent
4. Report stage ✓ Correct answer

Why: At report stage, members can make other amendments to the bill.

1. The bill is introduced for the first time
2. The Governor General signs the bill
3. Members debate and vote on the bill ✓ Correct answer
4. A committee studies it clause by clause

Why: At third reading members debate and vote on the bill before it goes to the other chamber.

1. The Prime Minister
2. The Sovereign, King Charles III ✓ Correct answer
3. The Governor General
4. The Chief Justice

Why: Canada's Head of State is a hereditary Sovereign, currently King Charles III.

1. The Prime Minister ✓ Correct answer
2. The King
3. The Governor General
4. The Speaker of the House

Why: Canada distinguishes the head of state (the Sovereign) from the head of government (the Prime Minister).

1. The wishes of the Prime Minister alone
2. The decisions of the Senate
3. Personal royal decree
4. The Constitution and the rule of law ✓ Correct answer

Why: As a constitutional monarchy, the Sovereign reigns in accordance with the Constitution: the rule of law.

1. Leader of the governing party
2. Head of the Supreme Court
3. A non-partisan focus of citizenship and allegiance ✓ Correct answer
4. Commander who directs daily government

Why: The Sovereign is part of Parliament and plays a non-partisan role as the focus of citizenship and allegiance.

1. The governing political party
2. Canadian sovereignty and constitutional freedoms ✓ Correct answer
3. The federal civil service
4. Provincial independence

Why: The Sovereign is a symbol of Canadian sovereignty, a guardian of constitutional freedoms and a reflection of our history.

1. Japan ✓ Correct answer
2. France
3. United States
4. Mexico

Why: Other constitutional monarchies include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Thailand and Japan.

1. The Prime Minister
2. The Lieutenant Governor
3. The Speaker of the Senate
4. The Governor General ✓ Correct answer

Why: The Governor General represents the Sovereign in Canada.

1. By a vote of all Canadians
2. By the Senate
3. By the Sovereign, on the Prime Minister's advice ✓ Correct answer
4. By the provincial premiers

Why: The Sovereign appoints the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister.

1. Four years
2. Five years ✓ Correct answer
3. Seven years
4. Life

Why: The Governor General and each Lieutenant Governor usually serve for five years.

1. The Lieutenant Governor ✓ Correct answer
2. The Premier
3. The Commissioner
4. The Chief Justice

Why: In each province, the Sovereign is represented by the Lieutenant Governor.

1. The Premier
2. The provincial voters
3. The Sovereign, on the Premier's advice
4. The Governor General, on the Prime Minister's advice ✓ Correct answer

Why: Lieutenant Governors are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of the Prime Minister.

1. The Lieutenant Governor
2. The Commissioner
3. The Premier ✓ Correct answer
4. The mayor

Why: In each province, the Premier has a role similar to that of the Prime Minister in the federal government.

1. The Lieutenant Governor
2. The Commissioner ✓ Correct answer
3. The Premier
4. The band chief

Why: In the territories, the Commissioner represents the federal government and has a ceremonial role.

1. Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) ✓ Correct answer
2. Members of Parliament (MPs)
3. Senators
4. Councillors

Why: Provincial members are called MLAs, MNAs (Quebec), MPPs (Ontario) or MHAs (Newfoundland and Labrador).

1. Members of the Legislative Council
2. Members of Provincial Parliament
3. Members of Parliament
4. Members of the National Assembly ✓ Correct answer

Why: Quebec's elected provincial members are Members of the National Assembly (MNAs).

1. Members of the National Assembly
2. Members of the House of Assembly
3. Members of Provincial Parliament ✓ Correct answer
4. Senators

Why: Ontario's elected provincial members are Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs).