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Democracy
Presenter: Ms. L. TurbettSlides Made By: Daniel Fraser
What is Democracy?
According to the Merriam- Webster dictionary, democracy is essentially “a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting”
Idea of democracy began in ancient Greece
It was also used by Iroquois people
Democracy in Ancient Greece
Citizens met in public places, to talk about issues and reach decisions
Citizens were only male, not female or slaves (usage of slaves = not a true democracy)
These Greeks named this system democracy
Democracy meant “ ruled by the people, for the people”
Iroquois Democracy
Existed before Europeans came to North America
League of Iroquois was made at the end of the 1500s, to end fighting between different tribes
League made by Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca people
Tuscaora people joined later League members were allies ( politically,
military) but managed their own society
How Iroquois Democracy Worked
League governed by council of 50 members (Sachmes)
Each nation had 8-14 representatives
When a Sachem died, the oldest woman in the clan choose the successor
Positions of the council were handed down
How Iroquois Democracy Worked Continued
Each fall, the council members met in Onondaga
Issues were presented, discussed, and decided on before going on to the next one
Council tried to make the decisions unanimous
If a unanimous decision could not be met, each nation was free to do what it wanted instead
Map of Iroquois Tribe Locations
The Chiefs
Every nation had chiefs who would rule for life
Chiefs were elected, and family members elected them
These chiefs were the governors for their nation
They were treated more like helpers, rather than people who had power
If people disliked the chiefs actions, they could remove him from that position
Types of Democracy
There are two types of democracy Direct and Representative
democracy
Direct Democracy
Every person votes on an issue May occur in small communities were
people debate and decided on issues Also may occur in unions, where members
must express their opinions and vote on problems
May happen on a large scale (country, province) by having a referendum
For example, Scotland's people recently voted in a referendum to stay within the UK rather than becoming an independent country
Representative Democracy
People elect a person to represent their views
This is part of Canada’s government system, it is a very common form throughout the world
It is an efficent system since it would take to long for every one to make a decision for every issue
How Does Representative Democracy Work in Canada?
People vote for a person to represent them (usually part of a political party)
They meet in Ottawa to debate issues, create polices, and make laws for us
These people are called politicians and this is their full time job
Government In Canada
Canada’s government is a constitutional monarchy( king or queen)
Under Canada’s constitution, our monarch has little power
The monarch is a figure head while we actually practice a representative democracy
Our Prime Minister of Canada is Stephen Harper
Currently in other countries(Saudi Arabia, Qatar) and throughout history, the monarch was the only person making the decisions