1. Governance in Canada

2. Government impacts my life personally.
Agree or Disagree:
Government impacts my life personally.

3. Name all the activities you do on a daily or weekly basis
Let’s make a list:
Name all the activities you do on a daily or weekly basis
How does government affect these activities?
What might happen without government involvement?

4. Federal State
3 Levels of government: Federal, Provincial/Territorial, Municipal
Whoever is closest to the matter governs it (e.g. waste collection)
Some responsibilities are shared (e.g. environment)

5. Parliamentary Democracy
We elect members to represent us at each level of government (e.g. Member or Parliament=FEDERAL, Member of Provincial Parliament=PROV, City Councillor=MUNICIPAL)
338 MP’s, 107 MPP’s, 44 City Councillors
Leader of the political party with most votes determines leader of government (e.g. Prime Minister/Premier)

6. Constitutional Democracy (Monarchy)
Head of State is a hereditary sovereign (Queen or King)
Sovereign represented by Governor General (GG) + Lieutenant Governor (LG)
Similar roles: (e.g. ensure there is a PM or Premier, and a functioning government; call elections, give assent to acts of parliament – official signature of approval, etc.)
Traditional/Ceremonial role

7. Learning Goals
To understand how various levels of government function and make decisions so that you can effectively engage in the political process

9. population of approximately 35 million people
Canada:
2nd largest country geographically in the world today spanning 6 time zones
population of approximately 35 million people
very difficult for a single government to take care of all the responsibilities that exist throughout the nation
In 1867, because Canada was physically such a large country with so many different needs, we adopted a federal system of government that had three levels
BNA (British North America Act of 1867) outlined the system and separation of powers
Federal, Provincial and Municipal

10. This style of government involves dividing the powers into national and various regional levels
This allows the country to address the needs of various areas that may have specific expectations from their government
There are certain aspects of Canadian society that simply could not be addressed by one level of government
For instance, Nunavut (the newest territory) has completely different needs from a government than does Metropolitan Toronto
Each level of government deals with different areas

11. Levels of Government and Their Assigned Responsibilities
Federal
Provincial
Municipal
Financial
Welfare
Parks and Recreation
Canada Post
Natural Resources
Fire Service
Foreign Affairs
Supervision of Municipalities
Local Police Service
Citizenship
Provincial Taxation
Water Services
Economic Policy
Provincial Prisons
Snow Clearance
Taxation
Health Care
Local Schools
Penitentiaries
Worker's Compensation Plan
Road Maintenance
Sea Coast / Inland Fishing
Education Funding
Libraries
Aboriginal Affairs
O.P.P.
Recycling
Marriage and Divorce
Drivers Licencing
Sewage
Employment Insurance
Highways
Garbage Collection
Government Spending
Public Transit
Shipping and Navigation
National Defence
Criminal Laws
Residual Powers: The Federal Government is responsible for all areas that are not directly referred to in the Constitution.