14. When You Can Make a Bigger Difference


Workbook Page 42

The Best Time to Have a Say

Nature has seasons that are good for different things. So does government.

Governments focus on different things depending on how close it is to an election. Canada's and Alberta's governments have a 4-year life cycle. City governments have a 3-year cycle. There is also a yearly cycle tied to budgets.
A cycle is a set of events that repeats over time.


Life Cycle of Governments



After an election, people who were elected spend the first 4 months learning the job. This is a good time to introduce yourself and build a relationship with them.

The next few years, people in government focus on doing what they promised during the election campaign and making change happen.

About 10 months before the next election, people in government spend about 4 months making promises about what they will do after the next election. It is sometimes called the Green Zone. This is a good time to get them to talk about your issues and ideas.

In the last 4 to 6 months before the election, government people stop making changes because the next leaders and Ministers may have different ideas. It is sometimes called the Red Zone.

Annual Budget Cycle

Here is what governments do each year:

Spring (April - June)
  • Government and its programs decide what is important (priorities)

Summer (July - September)
  • Government and programs make plans for what work to do on priorities

Fall (October  - December)
  • Government programs decide about money to make plans happen

Winter (January - March)
  • Government makes each program budget work with the others
  • Government decides which priorities get money

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