2008 Canadian federal election

High school (ages 12+)
People & Society

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/2008-canadian-federal-election

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the election date?October 14, 2008
2. What is the governing party?Conservative Party of Canada
3. What happened in the 2008 Canadian federal election?The Conservative Party won a second minority government, gaining more seats but not enough for a majority. The Liberal Party lost 18 seats, while the NDP and Bloc Québécois gained a few seats. The Green Party lost its only MP and did not win any seats.
4. Why was voter turnout so low in 2008?Only 58.8% of eligible Canadians voted, the first time turnout fell below 60%. This low participation may have been caused by voter apathy, a feeling that there were no good choices, or dissatisfaction with the political discussion.

Minority Government: A government formed by a political party that does not hold an absolute majority of seats in the legislature.
Voter Turnout: The percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election.
Coalition: A temporary alliance of political parties formed to govern, typically when no single party has a majority.
Dissolution of Parliament: The formal act of ending a parliamentary session, usually to trigger a general election.