POLS2300

• executive branch is fused to the...

  legislative branch
• the crown is...

  the king, represented by out governor general. we have lieutenants governor in each province
• the elected executive

  the prime minister and the cabinet
• cabinet is chosen from what

  the MPs from the Prime Minister's party
• permanent executive

  bureaucracy or public service. they are loyal to the government, not parties (non-partisan)
• privy council office (3 main central agencies)

  supports prime minister and cabinet, led by clerk of privy council
• what does the privy council office do

  helps the government implement its vision, goals and decisions. most important and highest person in the central agencies
• treasury board secretariat (3 main central agencies)

  gives advice and makes recommendations to treasury board committee of ministers on how the government should spend money. helps ensure tax dollars are spent wisely
• department of finance (3 main central agencies)

  responsible for stewardship of Canadian economy. things like the anual budget, advice on economic matters, tax and tariff policy, social measures, etc
• the prime ministers office

  not a permanent central agency because the prime minister changes often
• powers of the prime minister

  select members of cabinet (as well as size), advises monarchy on who should be GG, advise GG on who to appoint as senators and judges, determine head of crown operations and more
• who can introduce bills into the HOC that involve money

  members of cabinet
• party discipline

  MPs risk expulsion from the party if you do not vote as you are told by your political party
• what would prevent Canada from eliminating the queen

  high bar set by amending formula in constitution act 1982. consent of all provinces, the HOC and the senate would be needed
• how much the monarchy costs canada

  GG salary, 288 900/year. all other staff is $1.53/year/person
• how many countries is the queen head of state in

  14 (including canada and the UK)
• do countries like being under ruling of the queen

  not really, belize left, barbados left, jamaica wants an apology, etc
• mary may Simon

  producer for CBC northern service, key role in Charlottetown accord negotiations, Canada's first ambassador for circumpolar affairs from 1994-2004, served as Canadian ambassador in Denmark, Canada's first ever indigenous GG
• responsible government

  the cabinet can only govern with consent of a majority of the members of the HOC
• who is responsible for the HOC

  government
• Constituents (voters) can...


  vote out their MP in an election
• cabinet solidarity

  everything in cabinet is confidential. ministers take an oath of solidarity. confidentiality ensures the crown is advised by cabinet ministers who are not biased
• collective ministerial responsibility

  cabinet ministers must adhere to the principle of collective ministerial responsibility
• cabinet ministers must...

  support and defend all cabinet decisions. this provides stability and unity within government
• individual ministerial responsibility

  ministers are accountable for their actions AND their subordinates. subordinates are anonymous, not partisan, public servants hired for their expertise
• how to lose the confidence of the house


  if a bill involving money comes before members of the HOC and the majority don't vote for it OR if a non-confidence motion is put before the HOC by the opposition and they support it
• the election is always

  the third Monday in October in the fourth calendar year following the previous election. elections must be a minimum of 37 days, max of 51 days
• the senate is...

  unelected, unequal and ineffective
• unequal...


  senate seats are distributed according to equality of regions, not equality of provinces
• ineffective..

  senate does not have legitimacy to seriously question what happens in the HOC
• have there been attempts to reform the senate?

  yes; charlotte town accord
• the reform party was...


  the key advocate to change
• all federations have...

  two equal orders of government, an arbiter to decide disputes among the two orders, representation of the constituent units in the central institutions of government (LEG, EXEC, JUD)
• provincial government changing boundaries of municipal government

  dissolving cities to create the municipality of metropolitan toronto (remember drake)
• federal government changing boundaries of territorial government

  federal government divided NWT into two: NWT and Nunavut
• federalism means what

  federal government "joining separate states together under once rule of law"
• at the time of confederation - highly centralized


  more significant areas of jurisdictions were federal, peace order and good government (creating Canadian government), reservation, disallowance and declaratory power, taxation
• now Canadian federation is...

  very decentralized. majority of expenses go to HEALTHCARE, education and "other"
• reservation and disallowance

  fed government could reserve or disallow any legislation passed in provincial legislature, even though it was provincial jurisdiction (not like this any more)
• powers of taxation

  power the government has to pay people, institutions or governments to fund things not in its jurisdiction (canada health transfer, canada social transfer, equalization)