CHP 3 - Responsible Government

Question 1

Separation of Powers (purpose)

Answer 1

Used in order to protect freedom and to prevent the abuse of political power to ensure that legislative and executive power are decided separately

Question 2

Responsible Government

Answer 2

A regime in which legislative and executive power are fused together in a cabinet that is accountable to an assembly of the people’s elected representatives.

Question 3

Conventions of Responsible Government (5)

Answer 3

1. The Crown will only use their executive power solely “on the advice” of its ministers
2. The Crown always appoints as ministers & advisors who are MP’s
3. Ministers will act together as a team, being lead by the PM
4. The Crown will appoint and maintain its ministers who “have the confidence” of the House of Commons
5. If the House expresses lack of confidence, the PM either has to resign or request new elections

Question 4

Fusion of Powers

Answer 4

Responsible government entails that although constitutional law places legislative and executive powers in separate hands, the cabinet has a fusion of the two branches of power in result of it.

Question 5

Majority Government

Answer 5

Refers to a situation in which the party that forms the government possesses over half the seats in the House of Commons. Almost guaranteed the automatic confidence of the House.

Question 6

Minority Government

Answer 6

Refers to a situation in which no single party possesses a majority of the seats in the House of Commons. Government must be formed by a party that possesses less than half of the seats

Question 7

Institutional Implications of Responsible Government (4)

Answer 7

1. Head of Government and Head of State
2. Timing of Elections
3. Party Discipline
4. Selection of Cabinet Ministers

Question 8

Collective Responsibility

Answer 8

Members of the cabinet must publicly support all governmental decisions made in Cabinet, even if they do not privately agree with them

Question 9

Confidence

Answer 9

The support of a majority of members of the House of Commons

Question 10

Coalition

Answer 10

A formal sharing of the cabinet, which several opposition parties with a majority of the seats between them publicly agree to. The Governor General in this case must appoint as Prime Minister the designated leader of the coalition

Question 11

Head of Government

Answer 11

The Prime Minister (1st Minister)

Question 12

Head of State

Answer 12

The Queen (Governor General)
- the PM cannot be head of state in Canada because our system relies on the PM maintaining the confidence of the House, so someone needs to oversee it.

Question 13

Party Discipline

Answer 13

The MPs in Canada are under strong party discipline, in that they are not very free to go against the favoured position of their party. Because the governing party must maintain the confidence of the House, they cannot afford members of their own party going against them on many things.

• Opposite in the US. President can go against Congress as much as he pleases, as their approval does not mean anything to him.

Question 14

Caucus

Answer 14

A group of MPs who are members of a given party

Question 15

Conventions for Government Formation (4)

Answer 15

1. The ultimate responsibility for choosing the government must rest with the Crown. The Crown will select a Prime Minister who then will nominate other members of the government.
2. In appointing the prime minister, the Crown must select the person who is most likely to have the confidence of the House of Commons (obviously necessary for responsible government because the executive must be accountable to the legislative)
3. The government remains in power until the Prime Minister resigns on its behalf.
4. The Prime Minister must resign if his or her government has lost the confidence of the House and has no prospect of winning the confidence of a newly elected house.