Chapter 13: Executive

Question 1

What is the executive?

Answer 1

The branch of government that provides leadership and makes the major decisions

Question 2

The Crown

Answer 2

• Head of State is the Queen
• monarchy’s power is limited and largely symbolic
• most of her actions are done on the advice of players in the Canadian government
• Appointments are made by the Queen on the advice of the PM
• Governor General is a stand-in

Question 3

Governor General

What does he/she do?

Answer 3

• Appointments: senators, judges, lieutenant governors
• Royal Assent
• Meeting dignitaries, public appearances
• Advising the PM
• Summon Parliament (Throne Speech)
• Dissolve Parliament
• Prorogue Parliament
• Dismiss government

Question 4

Dissolution and Prorogation

Answer 4

• Dissolution: Parliament breaks up, gov. ends (no gov.), bills die, election
• Prorogation: Parliament on hold, government still goes, bills freeze, no election

Question 5

Prime Minister’s 10 principal powers

Answer 5

1. Cabinet-maker
2. Chair of Cabinet meetings
3. Party leader
4. Chief policymaker: last word on policy, bulldoze
5. Leading player in the House of Commons: expected to attend and speak for the gov. during Question Period
6. Chief personnel manager: appointments
7. Controller of government organization
8. Advisor to governor general: election
9. Chief diplomat: foreign
10. Public persuader: media, inform

Question 6

Prime Minister and the Cabinet

Answer 6

• Selects own ministers, decides what to assign them, promotes and demotes ministers, asks for their resignation or dismiss them
• Chair of Cabinet meetings: determines the agenda of meetings, decision is reached when PM summarizes and articulates the “consensus” of the meeting

Question 7

Prime Minister as Controller of Government Org.

Answer 7

PM can decide:

• to create new departments and set out their mandates
• reorganize government departments
• abolish departmens or agencies
• privatize Crown corporations

Question 8

Roles of Cabinet Ministers

Answer 8

• Introduce money bills (according to their department)
• Responsible to those working beneath them
• In charge of policy within their areas
• Answers to Question Period in their areas
• supervises administration of their departments
• provide direction, leadership, establish priorities

Question 9

Cabinet Membership

Answer 9

• Cabinet Ministers must have a seat in Parliament - they sit in the legislative and the executive
• Each province be represented in Cabinet. Ministers speak for department & province
• balance of ethnic representatives
• anglophone and francophone representation