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Social Studies 30-1

Social Studies 30-1 · Worksheets

Is liberalism viable? · Set B

Ten questions of mixed difficulty, covering RI 3: Is liberalism viable?. Print it, or work through it on screen — the answer key starts on its own page.

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Is liberalism viable? · Set B

Social Studies 30-1 · maddyhelps.com

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Circle the best answer for each question. Use the space to note the reasoning or the source detail that decided it.

  1. Section 1 of the Charter guarantees rights and freedoms:

    1. a) without any limits at all
    2. b) only for Canadian citizens over 18
    3. c) only when Parliament agrees
    4. d) subject to reasonable limits that can be justified in a free and democratic society

  2. An "illiberal" action by a government is one that:

    1. a) restricts the rights and freedoms that liberalism protects
    2. b) lowers taxes
    3. c) holds a free election
    4. d) passes a law through Parliament

  3. A government suspends civil liberties during a crisis, arguing it must protect the state. What is the strongest liberal objection?

    1. a) The majority should always decide which rights apply
    2. b) Governments should never respond to a crisis
    3. c) Rights exist to protect individuals from the state, especially when a government is under pressure
    4. d) Civil liberties only matter in wartime

  4. Section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is known as:

    1. a) the reasonable limits clause
    2. b) the notwithstanding clause
    3. c) the amending formula
    4. d) the equality clause

  5. Why are residential schools considered a violation of liberal principles?

    1. a) They were run by volunteers
    2. b) They taught a provincial curriculum
    3. c) They charged tuition to families
    4. d) They removed Indigenous children from their families and suppressed their languages and cultures

  6. During the Second World War, the Canadian government forcibly relocated and interned:

    1. a) American citizens
    2. b) British immigrants
    3. c) Japanese Canadians
    4. d) French Canadians

  7. Environmental problems like climate change challenge liberalism mainly because:

    1. a) individual economic freedom can damage resources that everyone shares
    2. b) environmental laws always violate the Charter
    3. c) liberalism forbids all industry
    4. d) liberal democracies cannot hold elections about the environment

  8. The USA PATRIOT Act (2001) is often cited as an example of:

    1. a) ending the separation of powers
    2. b) protecting freedom of the press
    3. c) expanding government surveillance at the expense of privacy after a security threat
    4. d) reducing government power over citizens

  9. What does the notwithstanding clause allow a government to do?

    1. a) Pass a law that overrides certain Charter rights for up to five years
    2. b) Suspend elections during an emergency
    3. c) Ignore rulings of the Supreme Court on any issue
    4. d) Override any right in the Charter permanently

  10. The Chinese Head Tax, introduced in 1885, was:

    1. a) a tax on all immigrants equally
    2. b) a fee charged only to Chinese immigrants entering Canada
    3. c) a tax that funded Chinese-Canadian schools
    4. d) a tax on goods imported from China

Answer key · Is liberalism viable? · Set B

Social Studies 30-1 · maddyhelps.com

  1. d) subject to reasonable limits that can be justified in a free and democratic society — Section 1 accepts that no right is absolute, but a limit has to be prescribed by law and demonstrably justified. Courts test limits against that standard.
  2. a) restricts the rights and freedoms that liberalism protects — Illiberal means going against liberal principles such as individual rights, equality before the law and freedom of expression — even when a liberal democracy does it.
  3. c) Rights exist to protect individuals from the state, especially when a government is under pressure — Liberals argue that rights matter most exactly when governments feel justified in removing them — otherwise rights would only protect people when they are not needed.
  4. b) the notwithstanding clause — Section 33 lets a government pass a law "notwithstanding" certain Charter rights. Section 1 is the reasonable limits clause.
  5. d) They removed Indigenous children from their families and suppressed their languages and cultures — Forced removal and assimilation denied both individual rights and the collective rights of Indigenous peoples. The government apologized in 2008.
  6. c) Japanese Canadians — From 1942, over 20 000 Japanese Canadians were removed from the B.C. coast, their property seized and sold, based on their ancestry rather than anything they had done.
  7. a) individual economic freedom can damage resources that everyone shares — When each person or company acts in its own interest, shared resources like air and water can be overused. Fixing that often means limiting economic freedom.
  8. c) expanding government surveillance at the expense of privacy after a security threat — Passed after the September 11 attacks, it widened surveillance and detention powers. It is the classic modern case of security being weighed against liberty.
  9. a) Pass a law that overrides certain Charter rights for up to five years — It covers fundamental freedoms, legal rights and equality rights, and the override expires after five years unless it is renewed. Democratic and language rights cannot be overridden.
  10. b) a fee charged only to Chinese immigrants entering Canada — Only Chinese immigrants had to pay it, which made it discriminatory and illiberal. The federal government formally apologized in 2006.