Political Science
Purpose of Canadian State
Q: What is the primary purpose of the Canadian state?
A: To enhance liberty and equality.
Q: What are examples of the Canadian state enhancing liberty and equality?
A: Abortion rights, democracy, minority rights, constitutionalism, rule of law.
Democracy and Rule of Law
Q: What does constitutionalism mean?
A: Government is limited and defined by a supreme set of agreed-upon rules, which are above all actors.
Q: What does the rule of law ensure in Canada?
A: All governments, including the Prime Minister, are constrained by legal rules.
Governing Challenges in Canada
Q: What are the major governing challenges in Canada?
A:
Geography: Large size, lack of shared identity.
Economics: Centre-hinterland tensions, regionalization.
Social diversity: Immigrants and policies affect regions differently, causing divisions.
Q: What are examples of regional tensions in Canada?
A:
Western Canada vs. Quebec fights for power.
Ontario dominates the economy, Quebec's power has declined.
Constitution Overview
Q: What is a constitution?
A: A set of fundamental rules governing the state.
Q: What are the purposes of a constitution?
A:
Defines the state and its values.
Structures government authority.
Limits governmental power.
Q: How can a constitution exist?
A:
Written: Laws (e.g., British North America Act, 1867).
Unwritten: Conventions, enforced by public opinion.
Canadian Constitution
Q: What does the Canadian Constitution do?
A:
Defines Canada as the "Dominion of Canada."
Structures political authority through executive, legislative, and judicial power.
Divides power between federal and provincial governments (Sections 91 and 92).
Key Changes in Canadian Constitution
Q: What were key changes made in the 1982 Constitution Act?
A:
Patriation: Canada gained full control, cutting ties with Britain.
Charter of Rights and Freedoms: Limited government power, guaranteed individual rights.
Formalized an amending process.
Q: What issues remained unresolved post-1982?
A: Quebec's constitutional issues (e.g., Meech Lake and Charlottetown Accords).
Constitutional Conventions
Q: What are constitutional conventions?
A: Unwritten rules of conduct assumed by general agreement.
Q: What are key conventions in Canadian government?
A:
Crown appoints party leader with House confidence.
Governor General acts on advice of PM.
Cabinet acts as a team.
Government must answer to and be accountable to the House.
Responsible Government
Q: What is responsible government?
A: The government must maintain the confidence of the House. If it loses confidence, an election is required.
Q: How does responsible government strengthen democracy?
A: Ensures accountability, public representation, and prevents abuse of power.
Q: What are weaknesses of responsible government?
A: The Governor General may act on the PM’s advice, even in controversial situations (e.g., 2008 prorogation crisis).
Federalism
Q: What is federalism?
A: A system of government where authority is divided among multiple levels of government, with none subordinate to another.
Q: Why was federalism chosen in Canada?
A:
Large size and regional diversity.
Desire to maintain unity and economic partnerships.
Protection against U.S. annexation threats.
Q: How are powers divided under federalism?
A:
Federal Powers (Section 91): Taxation, trade, banking, criminal law.
Provincial Powers (Section 92): Direct tax, education, property rights.
Shared Powers: Agriculture, immigration.
Fiscal Federalism
Q: What is fiscal federalism?
A: The financial relationship between federal and provincial governments to address fiscal imbalances.
Q: What are the two types of fiscal imbalances?
A:
Vertical: Federal transfers to provinces (e.g., Canada Health Transfer).
Horizontal: Equalization payments to less wealthy provinces to ensure comparable public services.
Q: What is the goal of equalization payments?
A: To ensure reasonable public services and taxation levels across provinces.
Unanimous Consent vs. Unanimous Rule
Q: What is unanimous consent used for?
A: Everyday decisions to speed up processes.
Q: What is unanimous rule used for?
A: Big, important decisions requiring everyone's agreement.