Federalism in Canada | Parliamentary System of Canada | For Undergraduates | Political science

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The Canadian Government

When we think of the Royal Family, we usually think of Great Britain's royal family: Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Princes Harry and William, and Kate Middleton. But did you know that Canada's system of government also includes a royal family?

It may come as a surprise, but Canada's royal family is the same one as Great Britain's. How can this be, especially since we don't hear too much about the British royal family as it relates to Canada? Let's take a look at how Canada's system of government works.

Type of Government

Canada's government can be described in two ways: both a constitutional monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.

Constitutional Monarchy

In a constitutional monarchy, the Queen (or King) is the Head of State of a nation but is bound by that state's written constitution. While heads of state are not directly involved in governing the country, they typically have ceremonial duties, such as appointing governors to represent them.

To ensure a fair and properly functioning government, Canada, like most constitutional monarchies, also has a parliamentary system.

Parliamentary Democracy

In a parliamentary democracy, citizens elect representatives to a parliament that is responsible for making all legislation and decisions for a nation. As the chief governing officer of a nation, the Prime Minister is the head of parliament (also called the head of government).

Canadian Government Structure

Much like the United States, Canada has three levels of government that each have different functions and responsibilities. They operate on the federal, provincial, and municipal (local) levels.

The Federal Government

Canada's federal government, called Parliament, oversees the policies and issues affecting the nation as a whole. These include immigration, defense, the economy, and trade with other nations. Parliament is divided into three parts: the Head of State, the House of Commons, and the Senate.

1) Canada's current Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II (the Queen of England and Canada). The Queen appoints a Governor General and 10 Lieutenant Governors to represent her and act on her behalf. The Governor General functions at the national level, and the 10 Lieutenant Governors represent the Queen in each of Canada's 10 provinces.

2) The House of Commons, which makes Canada's laws, is made up of elected representatives, or Members of Parliament (MPs) who each belong to a political party. As of 2017, there are six political parties that are represented in the House of Commons.