Canadian Government

Distinctiveness of Canadian Government

Government in Canada is operated and controlled by the monarch in Great Britain as it is still a territory of that country. This poses a problem because the Queen, cannot be in two places at once, especially when they are several thousand miles apart. The Canadian Government operates in her name. The Queen appoints, at the request of her Prime Minister, a Governor General. The Governor General then has the authority to act in her stead, which includes things such as selecting the Prime Minister of Canada. Canada is a country that is made up of many large provinces. These provinces are British Colombia, Alberta, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Yukon, Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territory, Saskatchewan, and Nunavut.

Just as within Great Britain, there are multiple branches of the government in Canada. The branches of government are the legislative, judicial, and the executive. Canadian government within the legislative branch of government has two houses, the House of Commons and the Senate. This is wherein the difference lies between the government in Great Britain and that in Canada because in Canada, the Senate has taken the responsibility of the House of Lords. The most powerful of these branches is the House of Commons where there are 308 seats elected from various designed districts throughout the country. As within United States government, these districts are drawn up depending on the number of citizens within each. This creates a proportional representation within Canadian government and the House of Commons. However, the attainment of power is readily available within the Senate. Power can increase the longer a ruling party has had a majority of seats filled within the Senate.

The Judicial branch of Canadian government operates under the strict law of the common law of England. The only exception in Canada to this is in the province of Quebec where they were granted permission to retain laws and rights under the French Civil Code in 1774. Within the Judicial branch of government is where you will find the Canadian Supreme Court, which in Canada is viewed as a court of last resort so to speak. There are nine judges that have a seat on this body and all have been appointed by the Governor General.

Each Canadian province consists of a Lieutenant Governor, what is known as a Premier, and a single chambe of elected officcials. Provincial style goverments serve under a similar system to that of the Canadian Government, where the Premier is selected in the same manner as the Prime Minister. The lieutenant Governor, which is a person that is typically recommended by the Prime Minister serves the interest of the Crown/Queen in each province. Lieutentant Governors in canadian government maintain very broad powers themselves, however they are only rarely used in their positions.

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