POL112 Midterm

Bishop's University

Parliamentary democracy

• elected legislature that makes decisions on behalf of people (representative democracy)

• the party that has majority in the legislature governs

• the executive must be supported by the majority party

• Prime Minister (head of govt) is the leader of the majority party

Presidential system

• the head of government is independent/separate from the majority party in the legislature

• does not need to maintain confidence of the house to stay in power

Confidence of the house

• PM has support of the legislature in order to govern

• Majority government —> easier to control House and govern (passing bills)

• Minority government —> the House represents the people, if House does not have ____ in the governing party

• If confidence vote is lost, a federal election is held

SMP (First-past-the-post) voting results

• SMP = one member per district, whoever has most votes wins the district

• If one party in a district gets 34% of the vote, and that’s the highest percentage for an individual party, they win —> Thus the majority of the district did not vote for them, but they still win anyway

• You can have majority government with way less support

Head of state

ceremonial, symbolic power

Head of government

• holds political power

• guides the legislature

  • more specifically, Cabinet

Criteria for choosing Cabinet Ministers

• PMs choose a diverse cabinet that reflects all Canadians

  • Must represent ALL provinces/territories

Politics as conflict management (definition + significance)

Definition: Politics helps settle rival claims over resources; determining who should get power and help citizens resolve conflicting issues and values

Significance to Canadian politics: Relates to fiscal federalism —> using equalization payments to ensure citizens have equal access to comparable services at comparable prices (healthcare, for example)

A nation (definition + significance)

Definition: A political community with a shared cultural identity, history, and a common desire for self-determination (the right to establish your own political identity)

Significance to Canadian Politics: Nation of Quebec —> has a distinct francophone and catholic identity, has a unique cultural history, and has specific desires for their own poltiical identity (succession, judicial proceedings)

Representative democracy (definition + significance)

Definition: When people elect a person to represent their region and make political decisions on their behalf.

Significance to Canada: People elect members of parliament (MPs) to represent their district in the House of Commons (the country’s legislature). There are 343 districts that are repsented in the House of Commons

Contract theory (definition + significance)

Definition: An interpretation of Canadian confederation that relates to how Confederation was a contract between two nations: British Canada and French Canada.

Significance to Canada: Emphasizes how British Canada’s taking over of French Canada’s territory was done out of a deal between Britain and France rather than as an agreement between the peoples.

Federalism (definition + significance)

Define: When power is divided across multiple forms of government; often national and sub-national.

Significance to Canada: National government and provincial governments; principle of non-subordination (both governments work together and neither is above the other)

Fiscal imbalance (definition + significance)

Definition: When one government has enough revenue to support government responsibilities and another does not. There are two types: Vertical fiscal imbalance (when the federal government has more money in comparison to the sub-national governments) and horizontal fiscal imbalance (when the revenues between provincial governments are not even and some are richer than others).

Significance to Canada: Example of vertical fiscal imbalance —> federal government has more money than provincial governments, but less costly responsibilities (healthcare is expensive but is a provincial responsibility) Example of horizontal fiscal imbalance —> provinces have different resources that gives them higher revenue (such as Alberta and their access to oil)

Equalization (definition + significance)

Definition: Federal responsibility to provinces and citizens; the principle of providing comprable services at comparable levels of taxation

Significance to Canada: Under Section 36 of the Constitution Act of 1982; principle behind equalization payments that helps balance the horizontal fiscal imbalance between provinces.

MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) System (definition + significance)

Definition: A mixed electoral system, citizens have two votes: one goes directly to the riding’s candidate (MP) and the other goes towards the party of your choice. Ensures proportional representation and a diverse number of parties.

Significance to Canada: In 2004, the Law Commission of Canada published a report about electoral reform in Canada and recommended the use of the MMP system instead of the current SMP system.

Backbencher (definition + significance)

Definition: A member of parliament that is not a Cabinet minister of the leading party or the opposition. They sit behind the first rows, which seat the Cabinet ministers, and near the back.

Significance to Canada: This phrase is unique to Canada as it highlights how desireable the position of Cabinet minister is in the parliament.

Cabinet (definition + significance)

Definition: Part of the Executive branch of Canadian government and oversees the day-to-day government operations with regular meetings to make important policy decisions. It is made up of ministers and the Prime Minister.

Significance to Canada: Cabinet ministers are chosen based on party loyalty and what province or territory they represent. The Cabinet must represent all of Canada. Leads to high party discipline

Party discipline (definition + significance)

Definition: The loyalty of members of parliament to their party and party leader (the Prime Minister).

Significance to Canada: Canada has extremely high party discipline compared to other countries (such as the UK) because of the principle of confidence of the house, media coverage that is fascinated with disunified parties, and the fact that being loyal to one’s party can reap many vocational benefits to their career as a politician (permanent campaign—blurring of governing and campaigning.

Minority government (definition + significance)

Definition: When the party in power holds the majority of the house, but fails to comprise 50% or more of the seats in the house. A minority government has a harder time maintaining confidence of the house, and must rely on coordination and cooperation between the opposition and other parties.

Significance to Canada: Because of the strong party discipline in Canadian politics, confidence of the house is integral to a government and the governing party. The current governing party of Canada is leading with a minority government.

Notwithstanding clause (definition + significance)

Definition: Section 33 of the Constitution Act of 1982, gives the power to temporarily maintain a law that violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms for 5 years. It does not override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but instead substitutes one interpretation of the Charter for another.

Significance to Canada: Used by Québec in Ford v. Québec to maintain that Québec should mandate French signage even though that goes against language rights and freedom rights outlined in the Charter.

Define confederation

The creation of Canada; joining of four North American British colonies (QC, ON, NB, NS)

The four ways to view confederation:

1. Achievement

2. Compromise

3. Business-deal

4. Theft

Confederation as achievement

• despite opposition + ambivalence from citizens

• avoided annexation by USA

• provided rationale for further westward expansion

• Economic expansion

Confederation as compromise

• MacDonald - anglophone, unitary system with strong central govt, paranoid of disunity (like US —> civil war)

• Carier - francophone, federal system with weak central govt.

• The Compromise = No obvious British nationality, no unitary state, federalism, strong powers go to the state (economy, criminal law) and weaker powers to the provinces (education, healthcare)

Confederation as a business deal

• MacDonald brought Toronto business

• Cartier brought Montreal business

• Businessmen interested in the creation of Canada —> would have to have financial institutions that require investments (railways, banks, insurance)

• Citizens were ambivalent to business deals related to the idea of a unified Canada

Confederation as theft

• that confederation was carefully plotted to take the land and resources of the indigenous folk

• indigenous peoples believed they had established a nation to nation relationship with the colonial government

• no indigenous representatives at Confederation negotiations

• Led to westward expansion and the Numbered Treaties

Define Numbered Treaties

Agreements that surrendered indeigenous ownership of land to Canada in exchange for hunting rights; the legality and integrity of these treaties is highly questioned

Define constitution

• a blueprint for politics and government

• sets out how a country is governed

• the highest legal document in a country’s legal system

• articulates the key values and purposes of a state

Define the Canadian Constitution

Made up of the British North American Act of 1867 and the Constitution Act of 1982

The four main principles of BNA Act 1867

• Parliamentary democracy (see definition for parliamentary system)

• Constitution monarchy

• Federalism

• Liberal principles —> individual liberties, civil rights, consent of the governed, rule of law

What the Constitution Act of 1982 added

• Aboriginal Rights —> 35, indigenous rights

• Equalization —> 36, federal responsibility, comparable services at comparable levels of taxation

• The Amending formula —> the 7/50 rule

Why didn’t QC sign the Constitution Act of 1982?

The Constitution Act of 1982 did not respect Québec’s identity as an independent nation within Canada and treated them the exact same as the other provinces.

What is the 7/50 rule

That to amend the constitution, 7 provinces must agree to the amendment and that these 7 provinces represent at least 50% of the population of Canada.

Benefits of federalism

• Protects + accommodates distinct subnational groups

• Locally-conscious policy-making

• Laboratories of policy-making (Healthcare in SK)

Drawbacks of federalism

• inefficiency (duplication of services)

• slower policy-making

• can make divisions/tensions stronger between subnational groups

Causes of regionalism

• Too much geography —> vast territory limits mixing, favors distinctiveness

• Weakly-integrated national identities —> no answer to the “existential purpose” of a country; lack of founding myth, unifying symbols, national customs/traditions

• Regionally-distinct IDs —> both a symptom and a cause for Canadian regionalism; focus on regionally-distinct political cultures

Define and explain the reasons behind regionally-distinct political cultures

sets of attitudes + values held by the population which structures beliefs about politics

Occurs due to:

• immigrant fragments of various traditions and beliefs about politics

• different formative events among different groups, shaping how they approach political culture and development

• different economic staples between regions; remember that Canada was founded on the exploitation of raw natural resources

Define the SMP system

one member per district, whoever has most votes wins the district

SMP in Canada

• districts are called ridings

• 343 districts

• one representative per district

• electoral boundaries

Define electoral boundaries

set by an independent commission that sets the boundaries of districts; boundaries are reassessed every 10 years based on census data

Advantages of SMP system in Canada

• a clear winner

• extremist views are moderated

• favors strong, local elections

Disadvantages of SMP system in Canada

• can have a majority government with way less support

  • 51% majority = 100% of the district

• promotes voting strategically instead of voting for the preferred candidate

• can exacerbate regional differences by rewarding regionally-concentrated support of a party

Define centralized government

when the national government is powerful relative to the subnational governments

Define the role of the Prime Minister

• leader of the governing party in Canada

• usually a member of the House of Commons

• relies on the confidence of the House to govern

Define the role of the Prime Minister’s Office

• part of the central agency in the political executive

• a partisan group that gives partisan advice to the prime minister, implements policies, and responsible for public relations

Define Central Agencies

government departments whose functions extend across multiple policy domains, key coordination

includes the nonpartisan PCO and the partisan PMO

Reasons for centralization to PM + PMO

• presidentialization (leader-centric politics)

• media coverage

• instantaneous communication

The Five Faces of Québec:

1. Partner in confederation

   1. See Confederation as compromise

2. Two nations

   1. Cartier, “that QC forms a state within a state”

3. A provincial state

   1. decentralized govt

   2. QC aspires for greater political status in international world

4. Distinct society

   1. distinct cultural heritage, has different powers because of this

5. A multinational democracy

   1. 1985 — recognized several indigenous nations including Cree, Huron, Mohak, Inuit

1st Face of QC: Partner in Confederation

Sees Confederation as a compromise between French and English Canada

2nd Face of QC: Two nations

That QC forms a state within a state (Cartier)

3rd Face of QC: Provincial State

Decentralized government —> leads provinces to have stronger powers; QC has both these strong powers and the desire to be recognized internationally

4th Face of QC: Distinct society

That because of QC’s distinct francophone and catholic identity, it is a distinct society from the rest of English Canada and thus warrants specific powers

5th Face of QC: Multinational democracy

1989 —> officially recognized the nations of several indigenous tribes including the Cree, Huron, Inuit and Mohawk peoples. These nations are within the nation of QC.