Politics and Government in the 1960s Review

Politics and Government in the 1960s

Diefenbaker vs. Pearson, Flag Debate & Social Welfare Expansion

🎯 Multiple Choice Questions

1. In what year did both Diefenbaker and Pearson step down from leadership (Diefenbaker defeated in leadership convention, Pearson announced retirement)?

2. When was Canada's new maple leaf flag first raised on Parliament Hill?

3. Which social welfare program was introduced by Pearson's government in 1966 to provide free access to physician services?

4. Diefenbaker's political philosophy was based on what concept?

5. When did Mackenzie King introduce family allowance (the "baby bonus")?

✅ True or False Questions

6. Diefenbaker's "unhyphenated Canadianism" was particularly popular among French Canadians who appreciated his vision of equality.

7. Pearson's vision of Canada was based on the concept of "two founding peoples" - French and English.

8. English Canadians initially supported the new maple leaf flag while French Canadians wanted to keep the Red Ensign.

🔗 Matching Exercise

Match the social welfare programs with their introduction dates:

Social Programs

Unemployment Insurance
Family Allowance ("Baby Bonus")
Canada Pension Plan
Medical Care Act (Universal Healthcare)

Introduction Dates

1940 (by Mackenzie King during wartime)
1944 (by Mackenzie King to counter CCF appeal)
1966 (by Pearson, improved pension schemes)
1966 (by Pearson, free physician services)

💭 Critical Thinking Questions

9. Compare and contrast Diefenbaker's "unhyphenated Canadianism" with Pearson's "two founding peoples" vision. Why did these different approaches to Canadian identity create political conflict?

10. Analyze the flag debate of 1965 as a symbol of the broader tensions in Canadian identity. What did the different positions on the flag reveal about English-French relations?

11. Evaluate the evolution of Canada's social welfare state from King through Pearson. How did political competition (especially from the CCF) drive social program expansion?

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