How to Have a Say in Government: 3. Our Governments

Workbook Page 11

What Governments Do

All governments do the same four things.

Make laws and rules.

Laws are rules that everyone must follow.

Make sense of the laws and rules.

(Sometimes the rules are not as clear as the government believed. Then a court must decide how the rule should be understood.)

Run programs to carry out the laws and rules.

Collect money to pay for what they do.

(This money is called taxes and fees.)

Workbook Page 12

Levels of Government

There are three different governments you can have a say with.

All of the governments are not equal. They form a pyramid with

The National government at the top (Canada, also called the federal government)
The Provincial governments are in the middle (Alberta and other provinces and territories)
The Municipal governments are at the bottom (Calgary and other cities and towns)

Workbook Page 13

Where Does Each Government Meet?

Here is a map of Canada.

Do you know where our National government meets?

Do you know where our Provincial government meets?

Do you know where your Municipal government meets?

In your workbook, put a dot on the map where each government meets.

Canada's government meets in Ottawa.
Alberta's government meets in Edmonton.