Category: Socials 11

job ranks ( socials 11)

zaineo2015 on

1)Senate, 2)MP, 3)minister, 4)governor general, 5) prime minster

 

I ranked the following positions based on what I would be most interested in, all the way to the least interesting position in my opinion . The reason why I placed the senate as my first pick is because they have a certain kind of power (sober second thought) that appeals to me and that is the power to approve a law. Any piece of legislation looking to be passed must be reviewed and approved by the senate to take effect and become a law. The senate have the power to criticize, and propose changes to a passing legislation. What made me more interested in the senate is the fact that the senate give the regions of Canada an equal voice, and the fact that they can be ordinary people , which in my opinion is very important in order to satisfy each province and prevent severe backlash. My second pick in terms of what job I would like would be a  member of parliament (MP). What Motives to place this job as my second pick is the significance of  MPs and their role in our parliament . Members help make Canada’s law by debating and voting on bills which helps shed light on the faulty bills that may be trying to pass . Another thing that makes this job significant is the fact that the MPs can raise awareness on local or national issues , which personally makes me feel that the people do actually have a voice in our government . On the other hand, I feel like this job comes with a lot of responsibility and public pressure . often an MP might be in an ethical dilemma regarding whether to represent the party or the people ,especially when the party whip comes into play to secure votes , which is why this position was placed in second place . In third came the position of Governor General , the governor general is appointed by the crown and is given the responsibility to call and election and dissolve parliament . The GG takes the prime ministers advice even though he / she is not obligated to , but does anyway since it is customary to do so. The GG is higher than the prime minister in terms of rank and seniority and may overrule the PM’s decision in case it breaks the constitution or is deemed unfair by the government and people .  Being GG isn’t something that crosses my mind often since I personally  do not see much significance in the role , not that it is not important, but the fact that a GG in not in the position to enact or voice his / her opinion over legislation or issues, despite this I still ranked the position in third since it is a high paying job that only requires you to speak French and English . I side myself with the roles in which I see myself actively participating in helping steer Canada towards more prosperity by helping make the necessary changes . A minister is a part of the PM’s cabinet and is appointed rather than elected . I decided to place it in my fourth pick , and the reason being very simple , is the fact that one cant get elected as a minister,  but is chosen . This , in my opinion defeats the purpose of democracy , that someone gets a job by appointment rather than their merit   .Last but not least , with respect to the role of PM , I decided to rank it last . My reason for ranking it last is because I believe that the position comes with great responsibility and the  trust of the nation to  best represent  Canada on a global scale . I believe the role of PM should be occupied by ones who have the most experience in Canadian politics and have people backing them at the same time . I do not see myself occupying the role of PM anywhere in the near future.  Becoming a prime minister makes one’s life become an open book , free to be criticized and mocked by the public . You give up your right to have a private life when you are chosen to be a prime minister, In which this does not suit my criteria of jobs. My overall logic to ranking these positions is the fact that I would be more enthusiastic running for a job that has oversight on legislation, such as the senate , or members of parliament . I just know that I need to be in a position where I can debate and fight for the good of all Canadians.

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zaineo2015 on

We as a public who elect our country’s representative expect them to benefit us to a certain degree, and mostly if not surely not cause any damage to the public. So what course of action are we prompted to take If we would like the government to enact a certain policy / law for the benefit of the general public? One thing we can go on about doing is joining a pressure group and / or hiring a lobbyist. Arguably the best way to enact a change would be a pressure group hiring a lobbyist to do the talking. Lobbying is somewhat said to be controversial due to speculations of conflicts of interests between the lobbyists and current government officials. As always, there are two sides to the coin as is to lobbying. The advantages of lobbying / pressure groups is that it would easier to convey a certain party’s interest and have the government approve of it rather than having to do it solely . For example an environmental pressure group could hire a lobbyist to convince the government to stop cutting down trees in a certain area which contributes to the cause of saving the environment and therefore is an advantage. On the other hand, there are other disadvantages to lobbying such as lobbying to preserve the self-interest of a minority which then neglects the public’s self-interest, and lobbying to enact a certain policy that hinders many of the middle class. An example of the disadvantages of lobbying/ pressure groups was when the CCE ( a pressure group of wealthy ceo’s) formed to convince the public to elect Bryan Mulroney in order to achieve their NAFTA aspirations which only affected them and increased their wealth in contrast of what they promised to the public which was ‘prosperity for everyone’. Petitions can also be a great way of expressing the general public’s concern. The catch is that even if you achieve the required amount of signatures the government is required to read it, but it is not obligated to take action unless they deem it as fit which is an advantage. An example of a failed petition is when William Vander Zalm submitted a petition to rescind the HST and restore the PST under the Citizens Recall and Initiative Act. Later on the government took it upon itself to respond by sending out polls to voters under the referendum act. By doing so, the government technically did not listen to the petition, but proposed its own solution. An advantage of a petition is that the more signatures present the more effect it has of the public which means it is more likely for the government to actually enact the change. Another way to possibly change a law or rule is to break it. The process of breaking a law / rule that is causing more harm than good is called civil disobedience.it is a form of protest intended to draw attention to a wrong or injustice which the protestors believe is sufficient enough to morally justify the violation of the law . Advantages of civil disobedience can be that if a large mass of people are intentionally breaking a law then that will end up drawing publicity towards the unjust law and cause the lawmakers to heavily reconsider the removal of that certain unfair law. On the other hand, a disadvantage could be that if the law doesn’t seem to be affecting many others, lawmakers may not be provoked to consider change at all, another disadvantage can be that a person who participates in civil disobedience must accept the punishment for it. An example of civil disobedience is Gandhi’s salt march .He defied British control over the salt monopoly which in time resulted in India gaining independence, he also started a movement of civil disobedience to expel the salt tax across India. All 3 ways are valid ways to enact change, some better than others ,but all in all they are all effective.