Chapter 5 - The Executive Flashcards
What are the three forms of the executives?
- Formal Executive
- Political Executive
- Prerogative Authority
What is included in the Formal Executive?
- Monarchy, governor-general, lieutenant governors
- Largely ceremonial functions
- Head of state – Queen Elizabeth II
- GG representative of the queen
- Supreme authority vested in the monarch
What is included in the Political Executive?
- The Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Political Leadership
- Head of the government
- Act on behalf of the monarch to oversee government activities and who are accountable to the legislature.
What is included in the Prerogative Authority?
- powers that are not explicitly granted to the political executive and that remain vested in the crown.
- Grants final say to the head of state on any matter not explicitly addressed in the constitution
- also proroguing parliament, approving orders in council, appointments to royal commissions or declaring war.
What is the King-Byng Affair?
Byng refuses Kings request for election to avoid contentious votes.
What Happened b\c of the Byng- King Affair?
- Liberals bring down conservative government
- King wins election
- precedent set for weak governor general
How much power does the Prime Minister have?
- recommends and advises the governor general
- power is overwhelming
- power is almost absolute
What does the Prime Minister’s Appoint?
- cabinet ministers, supreme court judges, governor-general, lieutenant governors, senators, deputy ministers, Ambassadors.
What organizations of the government does the Prime Minister responsible for?
- creating new departments
- private/nationalize industries
- prioritize programs/policies
What parts of the international relations is the PM responsible for?
- Communication with heads of state/govt.
- Attend summits/ratify treaties
What is the Cabinet?
- the principle executive body in Canadian government
What is the executive power of Canada?
- there shall be a council to aid and advise in the government of Canada
What law or document defines to Cabinet?
- there is no law or document that specifically defines the cabinet or its responsibilities
What are the functions of a cabinet minister?
- political leadership
- bureaucratic leadership
- Major decisions - making; advice to the PM
- Representation at cabinet table (region, gender, ethnicity, indigenous)
What is the collective cabinet responsibilities?
Cabinet speaks as one and is responsible or accountable as a body to the legislature for all actions and policies of the government.
What are the individual ministerial responsibilities?
Cabinet ministers are individually responsible legally, politically, and morally to the legislature for actions and policies within their portfolios, and also responsible collectively to the legislature as the government of the day.
