Social Studies Canadian Government

Political System Political power in Canada is divided between two levels of government: 1. Federal (national, Canada-wide) 2. Provincial (individual provinces and territories) There are also municipal and Aboriginal governments with various responsibilities

Constitutional Monarchy Canada’s Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II Her powers are mostly ceremonial and limited by the Constitution She is represented in Canada by the Governor General Canada’s current Gov. Gen is David Johnston (since 2010) She is represented in each province by a Lieutenant Governor BC’s = The Honourable Judith Guichon Stephen Harper = NOT the current PM

Constitutional Monarchy The Constitution is a legal document outlining who has the power to make various decisions about the nation. It outlines the structure of the gov. and defines/limits the gov’s power Originally drafted in 1867, called the BNA Act

Branches of Government Federal and Provincial governments have three branches: 1. Legislative: to make, change, or repeal laws 2. Executive: to carry out and enforce laws 3. Judiciary: to interpret and apply laws

Legislative Branch There is an overlap of power between the legislative and executive branches of government. The Prime Minister and most members of the Cabinet are elected members of the House of Commons

Legislative Branch The two main parts of the federal level legislative branch are: 1. The Senate – The “Upper House” Members appointed by PM to give sober second thoughts to the passage of bills 2. The House of Commons – The “Lower House” Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected from ridings or constituencies located in each province The number of MPs in the House of Commons roughly corresponds to the population share in each province

Legislative Branch At the provincial level, the legislative branch is: 1. The Legislative Assembly Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) Like federal MPs, MLAs represent people of areas called ridings, constituencies, or electoral districts

House of Commons Called both the House of Commons and the Lower House, it is the only part of the legislative branch that has elected members The total number of seats in the HofC is determined by the population of Canada Members sit with their political party The Cabinet is made up of elected party members chosen by the PM Usually they are each designated as a minister responsible for a particular department (defense, finance etc)

House of Commons The Speaker of the House is the moderator of debates in the HofC They discipline MPs for breaking the rules They announce the results of votes They are elected by all members of the House of Commons Seating in the HofC Elected members of gov’t sit on the right of the Speaker on benches Junior MPs are usually “backbenchers” The PM and his chosen Cabinet sit in the front The Leader of the Opposition and his Shadow Cabinet sit opposite to the PM

The Senate Appointed members “Upper House” 105 seats currently PMs often fill vacant Senate seats with supporters of their own party – a form of patronage

Executive Branch This branch of government is responsible for administering and monitoring laws. Responsibility is in the hands of the PM and Cabinet

Judicial Branch This branch of government is composed of the system of courts and judges. Its job is to uphold the law. The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court in Canada, and makes decisions about appeals from the “lower” courts Provinces have Provincial Courts, as well as Appeal Courts Jurisdiction over: family court, criminal court, youth court, small claims

Taxes and Spending Both Federal and Provincial governments collect money through taxes: Corporate tax Income tax Excise tax (such as on alcohol and gas) When a government takes in more money than it spends, it is a surplus, when it takes in less, it runs a deficit.