Key Term:

Executive Branch - The President is responsible for implementing and

enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints the heads of
the federal agencies, including the Cabinet. The Vice President is also part of the
Executive Branch, ready to assume the Presidency should the need arise.

Public or Civil Service - is a person in the public sector employed for

a government department or agency. The extent of civil servants of a state as part

of the "civil service" varies from country to country.

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 - is a title traditionally held by the leader of

the largest party not in government in a Westminster System of parliamentary
government.

Bill - is proposed legislation under consideration by a legislature. A bill does

not become law until it is passed by the legislature and, in most cases, approved

by the executive. Once a bill has been enacted into law, it is called an Act or a
statute.

Judicial Branch - interprets the meaning of laws, applies laws to

individual cases, and decides if laws violate the Constitution. The judicial branch
is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.

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. It is officially known in Canadian French as a
circonscription, but frequently called a comt (county).

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 at which local members of a political party register their

preference among candidates running for office or select delegates to attend a
convention.

Cabinet Solidarity - means that all members of cabinet must

supportcabinet decisions. Cabinet ministers cannot dissociate themselves from

or repudiate the decisions of their cabinet colleagues unless they resign from
thecabinet.

Responsible Government - refers to a government that

isresponsible 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 - is a formal set of principal goals 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 - 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 - is a geographical constituency upon which

Canada's representative democracy is based. It is officially known in Canadian
French as a circonscription, but frequently called a comt (county)

By-Election - an election held in a single political constituency to fill a vacancy

arising during a government's term of office.

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

sovereign or state.

Cabinet - is a body of high-ranking state officials, typically consisting of the

top leaders of the executive branch. They are usually called ministers, but in
some jurisdictions are sometimes called secretaries