Types of Government Flashcards
What are the 3 types of government in Canada?
- Constitutional Monarchy
- Federal System
- Representative Democracy
What is the Monarch in a Constitutional Monarchy?
Monarch/Crown is the “Head of State” NOT of government
How is a Monarch’s power limited in a Constitutional Monarchy?
Monarch’s power is limited by the rules in the Constitution; therefore they, cannot have absolute or arbitrary power
Who are the Crown’s representatives in a Constitutional Monarchy?
- Governor General
- Lieutenant Governor
What does the Governor General represent?
Ottowa
What does the Lieutenant Governor represent?
Province
Who is the current Governor General?
Julie Payette
Who is the Current Albertan Lieutenant Governer?
Lois Mitchell
How are representatives of a Monarchy chosen?
They are “appointed” by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister and Parliament
How does the Head of State in the Monarchy affect Canada?
They are non-partisan ( no political
party); therefore, are not be biased
How does the Governor General in the Monarchy affect Canada?
They add stability. If the PM dies then the Governor General will appoint a successor.
What is a positive of the Monarchy towards the PM?
They rarely oppose the wishes of the elected. They are just figurative power.
What are the 2 levels of government? (Federalism)
- Federal
- Provincial and territorial
What does the federal government focus on? (Federalism)
“National” issues in Ottawa
What does the provincial/Territorial government focus on? (Federalism)
“Regional” issues
What is the power to legislate shared by? (Federalism)
The 2 levels of government. Federal and provincial
What does Parliment mean? (Federalism)
Federal law making
What does Legislature mean? (Federalism)
Provincial law making
What is the legislature called in Quebec? (Federalism)
The National Assembly
How does federal and provincial powers affect Canada? (Federalism)
Unity and diversity is balance
What type of disputes arise in federalism?
Disputes over jurisdiction/control often arise, e.g. who controls and pays for the services we receive such as Health Care and Education
What tends to increase as a result of federalism?
Bureaucracy
What is representative democracy?
Elected candidates/appointed representatives speak for voters/constituents on their behalf becoming responsible to the electorate.
Who are the representatives in the federal portion?
MP’s (Members of Parliament) and Senators
Who are the representatives in the provincial portion?
MLA’s (Members of the Legislative Assembly)
What does Quebec call their representatives?
MNA’s (Members of the National Assembly)
Who are the Municipal (city) representatives?
Councilors (or Aldermen and Alderwomen)
How often are federal elections?
Federal every five (5) years
How often are provincial elections?
Provincial every four (4) years*
When can elections be called?
Sooner, but not later
How do representatives affect Democracy in Canada?
- Sometimes they speak for the voter constituent and sometimes they speak for themselves
- Representatives do not consult enough with voters
What can interfere with voter wishes in representative democracy?
Partly discipline/solidarity
How is rep-by-pop controversial?
Can lead to unequal representation since some regions have higher populations than others