Ch 19 - the Executive Flashcards
Where does all executive authority derive from?
- Sovereign
Who is Canada’s formal head of state?
- The Sovereign
In practice, what happens to the authority of the Crown?
- Delegated to the various branches of government
What are elections and laws called and enacted in the name of?
- the Crown
What does a bill need before it becomes law?
- Royal Assent
Who is the Crown’s council of advisers?
- PM and Cabinet
Who represents the sovereign in Canada?
- Governor General
What are the powers of the executive?
- All powers of the crown
- Title of commander in chief
- Power to appoint and remove ministers/judges
- Power to summon, prorogue & dissolve parliament
- Power to propose money bills
Today, what are the powers of the Crown?
- possessions of the [king] but exercised by the PM and Cabinet
Who is the crowns representative in provinces?
- Lt. Governor
What opens every new session of parliament?
- Speech from the throne
What does the speech from the throne introduce?
- Government’s direction and goals
- Outlines how it will work to achieve them
What was the theme of the speech from the throne?
- Building resilient economy
- Cleaner/healthier future for kids
What were the strategies for achieving a resilient economy and cleaner and healthy future?
- Healthier today/tomorrow
- Bolder climate action
- Fighting for safer communities
- Standing up for diversity/inclusion
- Move towards reconciliation
- Secure a just and equitable world
How many people does the commonwealth have?
- 1/3 world population
what is largest populated country in commonwealth?
India
- 1.3billion
How much land mass does the commonwealth take up?
- 1/4 of the world
How many countries in the commonwealth have the sovereign as the head of state?
- 5
What makes up the executive?
- PM and Cabinet
Who appoints cabinet ministers?
- PM
What is the Fusion of Powers?
- Cabinet ministers and PM sit in both the House of Commons and the executive branch
Who sets the tone of the government?
- Prime Minister
What is the PM known as?
- Primus (first)
What do some people argue about Canada’s government?
- Its a prime ministerial government
How do people say the prime ministerial government is maintained?
- tHrough party discipline
What are the arguments that the prime minister has to much power?
- Limitations in political system inadequate
- more powerful than other democratically elected leaders
What is some evidence that the prime minister has too much power?
- executive dominated
- With majority, government bills become laws with little resistance
- rare for the government bill to get rejected
What are the PM’s Powers?
- Exercise all powers of patronage
- Decide government’s strategic position
- Sets country’s policy direction
- Determines financial framework
- Represents Canada
- Controls cabinet ministers/caucus
- Decides machinery of government
- PM announces appointment of new senators
What are the constraints to the Prime Ministers Powers?
- Premiers
- Media
- Opposition
- Public Opinion
- General Elections
- Member of Ministry (Cabinet)
- Non-cabinet Members of party
- Caucus revolt
- Minority government
What do party whips do?
- Encourage all caucus members to tow the party line
