The Executive: Prime Minister And Cabinet

Executive Power

The authority to enforce laws and manage the affairs of government, encompassing the crown, prime minister and cabinet, and the civil service.

Role of the Crown

Acts as the 'embodiment of the state', represented in Canada by the governor general.

Political Executive

The group of ministers, including the prime minister, that constitute the government.

Collective Responsibility

The principle that the entire cabinet is accountable for government decisions.

Cabinet Solidarity

The practice that all ministers must publicly support government decisions.

Ministerial Responsibility

The accountability of ministers for the activities of their departments.

Prime Minister's Office (PMO)

A political organization supporting the prime minister, providing policy-sensitive advice and mostly staffed by partisan appointees.

Privy Council Office (PCO)

A bureaucratic office that advises the prime minister and cabinet in nonpartisan terms, providing politically-sensitive policy advice.

Representative Imperative

The ideal that cabinet should reflect the diversity of the Canadian population.

Sources of Prime Ministerial Power

Include being the principal advisor to the crown, controlling cabinet appointments, overseeing the civil service, and wielding vast appointment powers.

Cabinet Composition (2025)

Total of 37 ministers: 17 women, 20 men, 10 visible minorities, 0 Indigenous.

Key Constraint on Power

The federal system, the presence of other actors in the government, complexity, democratic norms, and the dynamic nature of political power.