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507 BCE
Democracy develops in Athens
Democracy: A form of government in which the power is vested in the people. -
27 BCE
Roman Senate gives dictatorial powers to Octavian- democracy vanishes
Dictatorial: Typical of a ruler with total power. -
Locke writes "Two Treatises of Government" outlining some liberal ideas.
Liberal: Willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own, open to new ideas. -
Montesquieu writes "The Spirit of the Laws", three branches of government
Three Branches: Executive, Legislative, Judicial -
Federal organization of the Haudenosaunee confederation
Federal: Having or relating to a system of government in which several states form a unity but remain independent in internal affairs. -
Declaration of independence, process of creating US republic
Republic: A state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated president rather than a monarch. -
Canada is created through BNA Act, providing responsible government for former colonies
Responsible Government: Refers to a government that is responsible to the people. In Canada, responsible government is an executive or Cabinet that depends on the support of an elected assembly, rather than a monarch or their representatives. -
Canada holds the first federal election to secret ballot
Secret Ballot: A ballot in which votes are cast in secret. -
Lenin dies, Stalin takes power in the USSR
Stalin: Russian leader who succeeded Lenin as head of the Communist Party and created a totalitarian state by purging all opposition (1879-1953). -
Persons' Case determines that women are in fact persons and should have full rights
Persons' Case: Is a famous Canadian constitutional case that decided that women were eligible to sit in the Senate of Canada. -
Hitler Passes the Enabling Act
Enabling Act: Was a law that gave the German Cabinet—most importantly, the Chancellor—the powers to make and enforce laws without the involvement of the Reichstag and with no need to consult with Weimar President Paul von Hindenburg. -
First Nations peoples in Canada are granted suffrage
Suffrage: The right to vote in political elections. -
Soweto uprisings in South Africa protests the majority tyranny laws that prevented black students from getting an education in their preferred language
Majority Tyranny: A situation in which a group of people are treated unfairly because their situation is different from the situation of most of the people in a democratic country. -
Reform Party of Canada is created- Triple E. Senate
Triple E. Senate: Is a proposed variation of reform to the current Canadian Senate, calling for senators to be elected to exercise effective powers in numbers equally representative of each province. -
Referendum on Charlottetown Accord fails to pass
Referendum: Is a direct vote by the electorate on a particular proposal or issue. -
George W. Bush wins presidency without winning a majority due to electoral college.
Electoral College: A body of people representing the states of the US, who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president. -
Zimbabwe blames UK for Cholera outbreak, making UK a scapegoat
Scapegoat: A person who is blamed for the wrongdoings, mistakes, or faults of others, especially for reasons of expediency. -
Bill C-16 is passed which brings fixed date elections
Fixed Date Elections: An election that occurs on a set date, and cannot be changed by politicians other than through exceptional mechanisms if at all.